My birthday falls the day after Christmas — which means everyone is either exhausted, still eating leftovers, or celebrating Boxing Day. I took the day off and decided to do something I almost never do: absolutely nothing planned, just me and my new Tesla Model 3 Long Range rolling around SoCal.
It rained. Of course it rained. But honestly? That was fine.
The Birthday Morning Routine
The day started with Alexa on the Echo Show 5 singing happy birthday — which is a surprisingly solid way to wake up. After that: church. Except it was closed. Regular weekday, no service. So I sat in the parking lot for a bit, said a quick prayer, gave thanks for another year, and moved on.
No dramatic revelation. Just a quiet moment. That’s enough.
Free Starbucks and a Goodwill Run
Starbucks hooks you up on your birthday with a free drink, and I was not going to waste that. I went with the Salted Caramel Mocha, venti, no whip — the seasonal drink I genuinely look forward to every fall and winter. Why they don’t offer it year-round is a mystery to me, but I’ll take what I can get. Got a buttered croissant too. Sat there for a bit. Nice.
After that, I had a trunk full of stuff to donate — clothes and gear that had been sitting around way too long. Dropped everything off at Goodwill. One of those small things that actually makes a birthday feel productive.
The Redbox Adventure
I wanted to grab a couple of movies for the night. Went to the Redbox at Barnes & Noble — machine was broken. The screen just told me to call a number. So I pulled up the app, found a working machine near Goodwill, reserved two movies:
- Rambo: Last Blood — for me
- Abominable — for the kids
Got the free rental credit because of the malfunctioning machine. Small win.
The Victoria Gardens Supercharger: Completely Full
I swung by the Victoria Gardens Supercharger — 12 stalls. It was the day after Christmas, and every single one was occupied. 12 out of 12. I wasn’t in a critical state of charge so I didn’t wait it out. Just snapped a mental note and kept moving.
This wasn’t a failure — it was a reminder that Supercharger availability during holidays is real. Plan accordingly.
Birthday Lunch: Noodles for Long Life
There’s a thing — I’m not Chinese, but I’ve fully absorbed it — where you eat noodles on your birthday because long noodles mean long life. I go with it every year. Found a ramen spot nearby, not my go-to place, but the lunch combo was solid:
- Tonkotsu ramen with chashu pork
- Rice
- Salad
Sometimes you eat for the ritual, not the review.
Supercharging Near Home: The Numbers
Found another Supercharger closer to home with a few open stalls. While it was charging, I walked over to Target and just wandered around — no list, no agenda.
When I got back, the session was done:
- Miles added: 105
- Cost: $8.68
I’m supposed to have 1,000 miles of free Supercharging from a referral. It still hadn’t applied at this point — Tesla was logging the charges but hadn’t billed me yet. So that $8.68 might end up getting comped. We’ll see.
For context on what that math looks like against gas: 105 miles at $8.68 works out to roughly $0.08/mile. At the time, premium gas in SoCal was pushing $4/gallon. A comparable gas car at 30 MPG would run about $0.13/mile for the same distance. The EV advantage holds even at non-free Supercharger rates.
That’s the Birthday
No party. No big dinner. Just a quiet day in the Model 3 — rain on the windshield, Starbucks in hand, errands done, noodles eaten. Exactly what I wanted.
If you’re thinking about picking up a Tesla, use my referral link → — we both get free Supercharging miles when you use it. And if you want to follow more real-world EV ownership content, subscribe and stick around.