JANUARY 2024
Wednesday 2024.1.31
My Kitchen Vlog
As planned, I shot the Meta Quest 3 video for My Kitchen Vlog. Vlogs are always fun. Just sit and talk. I used my teleprompter again. I like to use it because it keeps me on topic. I don't wander and lose my train of thought.
The vlog was especially fun because it was about my new favorite toy. I was in a playful mood. Most of the time I'm more serious in a vlog and therefore I want it to be perfect. Some of the editing is tricky when I copy a spoken word from someplace in the video and paste it into the space where I made a mistake. If you watch my lips closely, you might detect the edit. In this latest vlog I let the mistakes stay in. There were only one or two places that required a very quick edit.
I am already planning my next one and it will be, at least in part, more about my Quest 3. At noon today my friend in Kentucky and I will play a round of mini golf while we talk about the latest events in the news (is Iran trying to start a war?) and, as always, politics. It's amusing because he now lives in a deep red state, but he is a California Democrat through and through. Even more amusing, he registered as a Republican in Kentucky so that he can vote against Republican candidates in the primaries.
Vine
Not much has been happening for me on Amazon Vine lately. I already got pretty near everything I ever wanted. Now I have a short wish list. I'd like another office chair to replace one that is really old and breaking down. I have plenty of rechargeable batteries, but I'd like some rechargeable AA lithium. I already have plenty of AAA. I keep checking the accessories for my Quest 3, but there isn't anything I want. I already have a deluxe head strap with extra battery. I'd like a better vacuum sealer, one that can accommodate 12-inch wide rolls and pouches.
Weather
This afternoon the next rain storm is expected to arrive in Southern California. It's already raining up north. Two to three inches is predicted for the area in which I live. Then, after a brief pause, the next storm is expected to arrive for the weekend. That one is predicted to be much stronger, with enough rain for localized flooding and possibly some debris flows in the mountains and foothills. In Sunday's blog post I'll probably have more to say about the weather.
Sunday 2024.1.28
Another Kind of Drought
As mentioned in Wednesday's blog post, we are getting a fair amount of rain. There will likely be no declaration of drought this year. But there is a different drought — Amazon Vine Voices.
I was concerned. For several days no items were being added to the Vine program. The number of available items kept dropping, either because some people were requesting schlock from the remaining detritus or because Amazon was weeding out stuff that wasn't selling. Maybe some items have an expiration date and they disappear from the list automatically.
The little bit of paranoia made me wonder if I might have violated some forgotten rule and maybe Amazon put a cookie on my computer, marking me as suspect and therefore not to be offered new items for a while.
I did some research online and saw a few forum posts in which people referred to it as a Vine drought. It has happened before. Just a little patience is required during the dry spell.
The Drought Ended
Finally, on Thursday evening Vine started listing items again. I requested a lithium battery charger. I already have some batteries on order, but I read they are not supposed to be recharged in a NiMH charger. Not only did I find a lithium charger on Vine, it came with four AA batteries, which I need. So, it was a good day.
My Kitchen Vlog
I've been considering a Kitchen Vlog about my Meta Quest 3 virtual reality headset. The script is written (for my teleprompter). Finding the time is the issue. It seems my days are consumed with two interests — Amazon Vine and my Quest 3 headset, both of which are fun.
I think this evening, after sunset (no need to cover the windows) I might shoot the vlog. It will give me something to do this afternoon as I prepare the teleprompter and camera. Then, when it gets dark outside, I only need to sit at my kitchen counter and record my video. Editing should be easy.
Worcestershire Sauce
I only like Worcestershire sauce on two things — steak (which I rarely eat) and Chex Mix. I have a similar thing with ketchup. I don't like it, except on french fries (chips per some people).
A friend uses Worcestershire sauce with many foods; so I decided to do some experimentation. Besides, the last time I need it (for Chex Mix) I bought a gallon. This past week I made chicken in cream sauce, which I spooned over some cooked noddles. I added a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce when cooking the cut up chicken. It worked. The food was delicious. The Worcestershire sauce didn't stand out, but it added a little something to the meal to give more depth of flavor. Maybe Real Texas Chili is next?
Wednesday 2024.1.24
Spares Revisited
I learned something new this week. I was watching a video about useful hacks for the Quest 3 and a brilliant idea was discussed. But first, a little background.
I keep my old eyeglasses. I have seven of them. The newest ones I only wear when doing a cooking video. The others might be spares, or maybe I am too lazy to recycle them.
Now the hack: Wearing my eyeglasses while using the VR headset is possible. I've done it many times. Someone came up with the idea of removing the lenses from an old pair of glasses and sticking them into the headset with double-sided tape. It works. I don't need my glasses. They're already in the headset. The idea came from YouTube.
The Chair
That chair I received free from Amazon Vine is perfect. It's far from the world's finest chair, but it works really well when I am playing mini golf. I can spin myself around in the game by moving the joystick left and right, but the chair makes movement so much easier. More and more I am really loving that mini golf game.
And Speaking of Vine
I have been seriously ordering a lot less stuff. I added another question for consideration before requesting something — Do you have space to store it?
Now there are really only two items I look for — a desk lamp for my industrial sewing machine (because I don't like the one I have) and another office chair (to replace an old chair that is slowly falling apart). I monitor the numbers on vine. When the available items are declining, there is no point in looking for anything. When I see the number going up, that's when I jump in to look for something to maybe order.
I ordered a little stainless steel food storage container. Storage won't be a problem because it replaces a ceramic butter crock that broke. Blame my clumsy hands. It was a nice crock too, and I was sad to lose it. The stainless replacement isn't pretty at all, but it won't break.
I'm also waiting for an expensive seat cushion. $80 for a cushion? Evidently. It will replace a support thing that I placed beneath a seat cushion in a living room chair. The springs have weakened over the years. The support was supposed to help, but it's too firm. There are slats of wood inside. I went from weak springs to what feels like iron rods. I'm hoping the new cushion will offer more comfortable support.
I ordered a box of 100 single-use pillow cases. I thought they might help protect a new bed pillow I plan to buy at Costco. The paper is tissue thin. It tears too easily to be of any use. And the paper is crinkly, which I find a little annoying when I'm trying to fall asleep. So the pillow cases are now paper towels. They shred too easily for drying my hands, but they'll work okay to wipe the kitchen counter after I wash it.
Some Cooking
A friend inspired me to make some Sloppy Joes. Ground beef, onion and garlic, marinara, cheese on a toasted roll — what's not to like? The mess, maybe. I did make them and they were delicious. I left out the bell pepper. It's not a favorite. Which reminds me of something.
My Italian American mother would occasionally make stuffed bell peppers. I'd eat the filling, which was like a big meatball, and leave the pepper on my plate. It eventually went onto her plate. Eventually she learned. She'd put the filling on my plate and the pepper on hers. She loved roasted peppers.
Finally, Some Weather
The recent rains were helpful. We are at 96% of our normal-do-date rainfall. The reservoir is at 91% capacity and the two reservoirs upstream are full. Maybe another year without drought.
Sunday 2024.1.21
Spares
Thankfully, I am not obsessed with spares, but I do have a few. I have an extra laser printer in the shed because at the time the cost of a toner cartridge was only a few dollars less than another printer with cartridge. It was like buying a toner cartridge that came with a free printer. (These days, I look for free toner cartridges on Amazon Vine.)
I also have a spare vacuum cleaner out in the shed. I repaired my current one two or three times. If it breaks again, it will go into recycling and I'll use the spare.
The issue of spares comes up because I saw another deluxe Meta Quest 3 head strap with rechargeable battery on Vine. Should I request it? I did it because someone commented on the other head strap I have, saying the battery would no longer take a charge after a few months. Now I have a spare.
Getting this free stuff can become a bit addictive. I saw yet another deluxe head strap — basically the same one with a few additional features. I passed on that one. One spare is enough.
Mini Golf
I added a new golf course to my Walkabout game — Around the World in 80 Days. Wow! The environment is amazing. I did some walking around in the course, which is set at the top of the Eiffel Tower and inside a hot-air blimp in 1889 Paris. The detail is incredible. I think the one thing that surprised me the most was the clock.
You've seen those huge clocks in places like Grand Central Station, or even Big Ben in London. In the middle of the interior is such a clock, but it actually keeps time. As I play golf I can check the par of each hole by looking at my right wrist. I also see the current time. It matches the time on the clock. The team that created this course really put a lot of thought into the environment.
Be Seated
The office desk chair I requested on Vine is out for delivery today. I might do an unboxing and assembly video, like I did when I got my portable Haier washing machine several years ago. And I might start disassembling and discarding one of my current office chairs, which is being supported inside by a thick book about Freud. A metal piece inside cracked some time around 2001 and I stuck the book inside so that it wouldn't tilt back all the time.
The new chair might be for gaming. As I am moving around in a game I can turn where I need to, but I don't need to walk around with the VR headset on. I can select a stationary position and that keeps me from bumping into things. I don't want to write about a serious injury in one of these blog posts.
Wednesday 2024.1.17
My Kitchen Vlog
On Sunday I did my first Kitchen Vlog of 2024. I like doing those when I have something to talk about. They're easy. I can sit. There is nothing to cook. And there are no dishes to wash afterward.
I caught up about a few things, like my use of catheters. I also talked about the latest domino falling — type 2 diabetes. And I introduced the two books I started reading lately, which I've already written about in this blog.
Virtual Reality
My Quest 3 finally arrived. I've been having some crazy fun with it. It really is an alternate reality. When I am playing Walkabout Mini Golf, there are times when there is a post or a fence rail close to me and I have an impulse to reach out and hold onto it. Of course, it isn't there.
It's also fun to explore the mini golf environment, which is a bit Peter Pan-esque. There are streams and waterfalls. Gulls fly through the air. There are lost golf balls to be found, but I'm not sure what they do yet.
To keep myself from bumping into things, I sit on a swivel stool. Thankfully I can teleport myself around in the game. There is no actual walking around.
I also got the PianoVerson app. That's fun too. I've only been using it for a couple days, so I'm not a Claude Debussy yet, and never will be. However, I do have this really nice Yamaha digital keyboard and it is fun to tinker with it. The USB-B to USB-C cable works great. It connects the piano to the headset. I can turn the volume all the way down on the piano (so my neighbors won't hear my awful practice when the windows are open), but the music still plays through the speakers in the headset.
Blood Sugar
I checked my blood glucose level this morning. It was 11.1 mmol/L after more than 12 hours of fasting. That equates to an A1C of 9.0%. It's still too high, but supposedly the Januvia takes a while to be effective. I'm not discouraged. I feel okay because I am taking steps to bring my blood sugar down, including testing own blood in the morning. It feels good to be proactive about it. But I will feel a lot better when I see it come down to a safe level.
Sunday 2024.1.14
Eating Better
Who knew that eating more protein, especially in the morning and at the beginning of each meal, would help older persons like myself to lose weight? What were we taught? Less sugar, less fat, fewer carbs, fewer calories.
I'm feeling better about myself with that Whole Body Reset book I mentioned in Wednesday's blog post. Although I've seen my weight go down only a little, it's obviously too early to tell whether this program will work for me. Thankfully, I like protein sources like cottage cheese.
On Thursday I made another pot of Real Texas Chili because I had eaten all I had in the freezer. The trick now will be to eat it without rice.
The problem now is: Where do I put all this extra stuff? At Costco I bought a huge jar of whey protein powder and a case — 12 quarts — of almond milk, plus a big tub (3 pounds) of low fat cottage cheese and another 3 pounds of nonfat yogurt. Foods that don't require refrigeration are going out in the shed. The others are squeezed into the refrigerator where I can find room.
I Learned Something New This Week
In that Reset book I mentioned above, the author stresses the importance of proteins. I'd like to add nuts to my smoothies. Which nut has the highest percentage of protein? The humble peanut. I did not know that. When I shopped at Costco I also bought a can of peanuts.
A Little More About the Diabetes
The doctor said he'd prescribe a blood glucose meter if he diagnosed me with diabetes. He did the diagnosis, but not the prescription. I ordered one anyway.
I searched "glucose" on the Vine Voices program, hoping I might find a free meter; however, no such luck. But what I did find were two 90-day test strip packs. They are for the Medilax meter, which I found on Amazon for $38. I ordered it, along with both free packs of test strips, which retail for $19 each. So, essentially, I lowered the cost of the meter to half price.
I saved even more on my prescription for Januvia. At the Costco pharmacy a 90-day supply costs $2,100. Thanks to my insurance, I paid only $50.
I like Costco, but I dislike their pharmacy. My prescription for the Januvia was submitted on Tuesday. I drove to Costco on Friday to see why it wasn't ready yet. The woman at the counter said, "The pharmacist is working on it now. It will be ready in 30 to 40 minutes." If I had showed up on Tuesday afternoon I would have been told the same thing.
I think it's Costco policy. Make the customer wait 30 to 40 minutes. Maybe they'll walk around the store and impulse shop so that 40 minutes later they'll leave the store with their prescription and $200 in items they didn't come in for. I don't shop. I sit in front of the Pharmacy counter and wait for my prescription to be ready.
Wednesday 2024.1.10
Type 2 Diabetes
I saw the doctor this past week. He renewed my prescriptions for cholesterol and high blood pressure. He also ordered some tests and we talked about the results this morning. Without going through the numbers, he diagnosed me with type 2 diabetes.
Drink Your Spinach
I don't need to be told raw spinach is good for me. I've read enough to deduce that over time. I can eat spinach in a salad, especially if there is a delicious Homemade Salad Dressing poured on top and there are other tasty pieces of fruit and vegetables mixed in. I don't care much for cooked spinach unless the flavor and texture is diluted with heavy cream such as in Cream of Spinach Soup. What about smoothies?
I've taken an interest in smoothies again. Two, maybe three years ago a nurse practitioner discouraged me from pursuing my passion for smoothies, saying they were bad for my blood sugar. I wasn't a diabetic, but I was evidently borderline.
Recently I started reading some books that seemed aimed for me. One is The Whole Body Reset by Stephen Perrine. It's a nutrition plan for older people like myself. The other is the Diabetes Diet Cookbook by the editors of Prevention magazine. If I understand correctly (I have a lot more reading to do), the Reset plan likes healthy smoothies.
And so I made a smoothie again, my first one in about two years. I made enough for two tall glasses — one peeled banana, one cored apple (not peeled), a handful of raw spinach, some milk and some ice.
It was actually pretty good. I could taste the banana and apple. It was only a little sweet. And because the Vitamix does a really good job of pulverizing food, there was no graininess from the spinach.
So here's the plan: I'll use My Kitchen Vlog channel again to talk about this latest domino falling. And I'll use those two books to come up with some recipes for cooking videos.
More Frozen Foods
I'm breaking the rules again. I bought some frozen fish to hold in the freezer. I also made a large pot of New England Clam Chowder, which I then portioned and froze. I still have some frozen foods touse up, but I was running out of options. I needed some variety.
Catheters
Self-catheterization is not a pleasant subject to write about, or read about. However, I reached a milestone this week. This morning I used the last of the straight "soft" catheters, otherwise known as "whites" because they are in white envelopes. This afternoon I'll start using the more rigid catheters with the coudé (slightly curved) tip, or "greens." They enter the bladder almost effortlessly. It two weeks I'll order another 90-day supply, even though I have plenty on hand. It's always good to have backup when it comes to things like this.
And, Finally, the Toy
On Friday I am supposed to receive my Meta Quest 3 headset. Not surprising, it has been delayed.
Sunday 2024.1.7
Piano
A few years ago I replaced an old Casio digital piano with a better one, a Yamaha P-45. I know I'll never be a pianist, but I do enjoy making music with the keyboard, even if it is performed badly.
This past week I watched many YouTube videos about the PianoVoice app that is available for the Meta Quest 3 headset. I'm hooked. By connecting my keyboard to my headset the software will analyze my playing and help me learn to play the piano better. The headset "listens" to the notes directly from the piano.
The one missing link, which really is a link, is the cable that connects the keyboard to the headset. It's a USB B to USB C cable and, thankfully, they're not difficult to find. I ordered one from Amazon at a very reasonable price, $10.99. Of course, I won't know for certain whether or not the cable will be compatible, but I was confident enough to order it.
As I've said below, the Quest 3 is due to arrive around January 12th. I'm sure there will be a learning curve when using the headset. At 72 years of age I'm not confounded by too many things yet; so, I should be okay.
And as I write this blog, I can type these words with my eyes closed. I learned to type in high school and it is one of the best skills I ever learned. 55 years later I'm still typing. Why is that important? Because with enough practice I should be able to play the piano reasonably well. I should be able to play a song with my eyes closed. That's my goal.
Schlocking
If I order anything from the Vine Voices program, it might be only one item per day. I rarely see anything that I want (among the thousands available) and when I do see something interesting, it is usually something I can live without.
Sometimes when I lie awake in bed before I fall asleep I come up with ways to do things better. What would be a good way to keep cold beverages cold without diluting them with melting ice? What if I were to heat seal a few tablespoons of water in small plastic packets and store them in the freezer? One or two might keep my beverage cool without taking up much space. Then I saw something on Vine.
They are stainless steel ice cubes, eight to a package, that can be kept in the freezer until needed. The package even includes tongs.
I'm not sure how well they will work. They are hollow and filled with some sort of liquid that is supposed to hold a low temperature without freezing. The inclusion of ethanol tells me the fluid won't freeze solid, which might crack the stainless steel shell. I would think solid stainless steel would work better, but these ice cubes are worth an experiment. So, I requested some.
Meanwhile, I set up my own experiment. I heat sealed ¼ cup of water in small packets made from a heavy duty food-safe pouch. The pouch was large enough yield four packets. I also trimmed a little off the top of three of them so that they would fit inside my thermal tumbler without interfering with the lid.
After freezing solid, I moved them to the bin where I keep my ice cubes.
Probably 99.9% of the Vine items are made in China POS. I find it amusing to see how they try to translate some things into English. I requested two 50-foot rolls of vacuum sealer plastic wrap because my sealer only takes rolls eight inches wide or less. The diagram was hilarious — the rolls are 8 inches in diameter and the plastic wrap is 50 feet wide.
Even the stupidest of my former friends could have done better than that. You can't make this stuff up.
Oops!
I have two mailing addresses in my Amazon account. One is for my friend and his wife in Kentucky. I sent him a LEGO kit for Christmas. When schlocking, I accidentally sent him a 100% cotton queen size bed sheet set — fitted bottom sheet, top sheet and two pillowcases. When I caught the mistake it was already out for delivery. I told him to keep the sheets if they can use them or gift them to someone who has a queen sized bed.
Tested Again
One of the questions I was asked more than once at the doctor's office was, "Have you had a persistent cough?" I said, "No." However I've had a little bit of a cough, but nothing I would describe as persistent. So, just to be certain, I did another Covid self-test yesterday. The result was negative.
Wednesday 2024.1.3
Looking Forward
I've said it many times: As we get older we lose friends and gain doctors. I lost a neighbor this past year. It actually happened on December 12th, but I only learned about it on December 31st. She was crossing the street at 6:30 in the evening in front of the trailer park when she was hit by a car and killed. She was 84. She had a son with Down Syndrome. A full-time caretaker was brought in to supervise him while his mother's affairs are being settled. I'm not sure what 2024 will have for him.
Now, with that bit of tragedy out of the way, I can think more about my own new year.
I believe it goes without saying, I will continue to participate in the Amazon Vine Voices program. My account is due for review on May 6th. I hope to be upgraded to the Gold Tier then. For those who didn't catch all my previous explanations, in the Gold Tier I can request up to eight items per day and there is no dollar limit on the items.
Having satisfied the minimum requirements to remain in the program, I request fewer items now — maybe one per day, if any at all.
Self-catheterization will continue this year, and likely for the remainder of my life.
I will probably produce fewer cooking videos this year. I am definitely slowing down as I get older. I'll observe my 73rd birthday toward the end of July. And other interests are taking over my spare time. But I plan to keep up my Sunday and Wednesday blog posts.
On the 12th of this month I expect to receive the Meta Quest 3 I ordered from Amazon as a Christmas present to myself. In previous blog posts I mentioned the friends who have one and they use theirs regularly. Two applications interest me at the moment — Walkabout Golf and PianoVision.
I doubt I'll ever learn to play the piano well, however the application might encourage me to use the keyboard I have, which is a good quality Yamaha digital piano. Because it has a MIDI-out port, it should plug directly into the Quest 3. However, there is a catch (there usually is). The port is old style, Type B 2.0. How many USB to USB to USB adapters will I need to connect it to the headset? And will I even need to? The Quest 3 can watch my finger movements on my keyboard after I set it up. I'll know more later.
I can't think of anything more for 2024, but I'm sure there will be plenty to write about during the coming year. There will be the presidential primaries during the spring and summer and then the election in November. Will Trump win a second term in the White House? Currently, I have my doubts. He has his dedicated followers, of course, but will they be enough? He needs a large number of the independent voters and I don't see him capturing their vote. And if Trump loses, then what? Another year of court challenges and claims of voter fraud? I'll be watching.
I hope this coming year will be pleasant and fruitful to you as well as myself.