MAY 2024
Wednesday 2024.5.29
The Tomato Chronicles
As planned, I pruned off some of the lowest branches on my tomato plants and added another layer of potting mix. The planter is now about 2/3 full. If you followed my Tomato Chronicles last year you know that the plants will now add new roots into the new soil. That will help them to be heartier and better support tomatoes when I allow the flowers to pollinate.
I feel a little bad that I started this process so late this year. I did try early in March, but those plants did poorly. After a month or so I was left with no option other than to discard the plants and the soil, then try again. This second attempt is doing much better.
The plan is to add the final third of potting mix toward the end of June, then cover the top with wood mulch to discourage weeds. As I've said before, I'm hoping to harvest my first tomato by the end of July. I doubt there will be many this year, but maybe I'll experiment by keeping them well watered through the winter months. If no frost kills them, I might have well developed plants for next summer.
De Plane! De Plane!
The catchphrase spoken by Tattoo at the beginning of every episode of Fantasy Island.
Having finished building the tank, I started working on the WW2 propeller plane.
It doesn't look like much yet, but at least it's beginning to resemble a plane. And, as I did with the tank, I'm gluing the pieces together as I proceed. It's less frustrating. No sections fall off when I try to attach another one. And if these are to go to children to play with, it's best if the model stays together as long as possible.
Glue
I am becoming somewhat of an aficionado on glue — specifically, super glue. There are several types available — some for glass, some for ceramics, some for plastics, etc. They all make the same claim. "Sets up in 15 seconds, fully cures in 24 hours." The problem with super glue is that it clogs the nozzle so easily. I ordered a package of 10 spare nozzles for $11.52 with tax and shipping, and then I wondered why. There are bottles of glue available for free on Vine. Use a bottle until its nozzle becomes uselessly clogged, throw it away and open a new one. I ordered several.
Sunday 2024.5.26
Happy Memorial Day Tomorrow
It's a day to remember the fallen soldiers who gave their life for their country. Hopefully, you are enjoying a pleasant three-day weekend.
This holiday also marks the unofficial beginning of outdoor recreation, such as barbecuing and picnics. I have plenty of charcoal briquettes. I've already started using my little portable grill. It will be used a lot this summer and probably well into autumn.
LEGO-ish Tank Kit - Step 3
I finished gluing together the military tank on Thursday. I planned to put it on top of the recycling bin in front of my home for pickup on Friday. I hoped one of the neighborhood children would find it and take it. However, I decided to keep it on my desk for a week, to admire my hard work. It can go outdoors later. I don't want the clutter.
There were a few glue smudges, but nothing that couldn't be fixed in Photoshop. Also, the turret is supposed to turn, but at the slightest touch it would fall off. So, I glued that too.
Next to be assembled is the WW2 propeller plane. As I did with the tank, I'll glue the pieces together. And maybe worth mentioning: The glue is the same as Super Glue, the stuff that can bind your fingers together. I wear rubber (nitrile) gloves.
Meanwhile, I ordered a little bottle of glue solvent from Amazon. It's supposed to work well on Super Glue. The problem is the nozzle of my glue bottle. Dried glue builds up on it and prevents it from being sealed properly. After I clean the nozzle I'll give it a good coating of petroleum jelly. That might reduce buildup. I also ordered some extra nozzles that I hope will fit my glue bottle.
Still to be assembled are the plane, a helicopter and two more military tanks. I'll be busy for a while. And yet to be received is a fishing boat I ordered. I couldn't resist.
Dirty Birds
I have nothing against wildlife. I've caught several snakes in my time and handled them safely. I've never been bit. But wildlife belongs in the wild.
This year some birds were trying to nest in my front porch awning. I won't allow that. Last year it was my neighbor's back door awing and they made a mess of his porch.
Thankfully, a box arrived and there was plenty of bubble wrap inside. I stuffed pieces into the gaps where the birds were going. It was amusing during the evening watching them flying around my awning, looking for a way to get back into their well concealed area. Every path was blocked. By the following evening the birds were gone. Maybe they returned to my neighbor's awning.
Headphones
I love headphones. I don't use them often, but when I need them I really appreciate them. Last night there was a loud party across the avenue. It seems to happen once a year; so it might be someone's birthday. The music was loud until around 11:00 in the evening. I couldn't go to bed.
I have a set of wireless headphones that uses a transmitter plugged into the headphone jack of my home theater system receiver. I was able to watch TV pleasantly until the music stopped.
I bought my headphones at Costco, but they're also available on Amazon.
Wednesday 2024.5.22
LEGO-ish Kit Build - Step 1
As expected, the army kits arrived on Monday. The first to be delivered, by UPS, was a WW2 military tank; so I started assembling that one first. A US postal worker delivered the other two kits in the afternoon — the propeller plane and the helicopter. I'll build those later.
So far, the tank is going together well. The bags are numbered more sensibly, in the order in which the pieces are used. The pieces snap together okay, but not quite as well as a true LEGO kit. The plastic in this Chinese knock-off isn't quite the same either. It feels a little brittle; however, no piece has cracked or broken yet. If I were assembling this kit to serve as a toy, I'd glue the pieces together (see below). Some pieces come apart too easily.
The tank treads were the most work — 122 tiny pieces. I suspect I can easily complete the build in three days, then I'll move on to one of the other kits.
As I mentioned in Sunday's blog, I'm not really into LEGO. I don't dislike it, but I'm not an avid fan. Mostly I ordered these kits from Vine because they're almost free and I want something I can review per my Amazon Vine membership.
LEGO-ish Kit Build - Step 2
I've blogged about it before. My hands frustrate me. I used to repair typewriters. I could replace a cycle clutch in an IBM Selectric. My hands were strong and accurate. I am occasionally reminded of the saying, "Time is no one's friend." There are several sources and versions, but I'll attribute it to Catheryne Valente. We cannot turn back the clock. Aging is unavoidable. I'll be 73 in July. My hands don't work quite as well as they used to. That's one reason I choose to build LEGO kits. They allow me to exercise my fingers doing meticulous little assemblies.
I take breaks. I need to. I generally complete 1 page spread (2 pages) of the instruction manual and then step away to do something else — check my email, write something, search for something on Vine or play a round of mini golf on my VR headset. However, breaks weren't enough. Another source of frustration is when parts don't stay attached together. I gave up. In frustration I disassembled what I had done and brought out the super glue.
Yesterday I completed most of the second stage (of three) of the military tank build. All the pieces were glued together as I proceeded step by step. I'm actually amazed at how much of it wasn't frustrating — actually, none at all. Nothing fell apart as I was attaching more pieces. However, I might have mixed up the colors. It isn't easy to distinguish medium gray from dark gray.
The plan is to finish this by tomorrow evening. Then, when I put out my recycling bin for pickup on Friday, I'll set the tank on top where anyone can grab it. Maybe one of the local children will find it. They're welcome to it.
Break
I'm looking forward to a break today. A friend and his wife will play mini golf with me using our virtual reality headsets. It still amazes me that they are more than 2,000 miles away, yet we can play as if in the same room. I can hear their voices, but they are represented by avatars in the game.
Sunday 2024.5.19
Temptations
Here's the thing: I don't really like LEGO. I've built a few kits. I've attempted some of those LEGO-like made-in-China knock-offs of LEGO kits. They're usually not made as well, but if all the parts are there, the assembly can be completed. The most recent kit was that ugly pink race car.
When I see a kit on Amazon Vine, it's difficult to say No. Do I need it? No. Do I have a place to store it? No. The pink race car ended up in the trash when I was done with it. I kind of wish I had placed it on top of my recycling bin when I put it out for pickup. Some kid might have grabbed it, and I was fine with that. It would certainly disappear if I put a "FREE" sign on it.
This past week three more kits appeared on Vine. One was a WW2 military tank that looked good. I requested it. It was followed a day or two later by a helicopter and a propeller fighter plane, also WW2 era. I ordered those too. The tank will arrive on Tuesday.
I Ching
When I was in college I was into a lot of that Eastern religious philosophy, or whatever it's called. I read a couple books written by Ram Das, who recently passed away.
I was very much into the I Ching, which some regard is a Chinese oracle for predicting the future, but it's really a book of wisdom. The idea is to help a person think about something a little differently, maybe from another perspective, to understand the situation better and therefore know how to proceed.
I mention the I Ching because there was a male pendant on Vine that had the yin yang symbol on it along with the eight trigrams that make up the 64 I Ching hexagrams. I ordered it, not as something to wear, but I thought it might be a good way to keep my I Ching coins.
And Speaking of Chinese…
I received a very nice compliment on one of my YouTube videos. It was also a pleasant reminder to make more. So, I did a video of the shrimp I cook on my new portable BBQ grill.
I call them Chinese Shrimp only because I season them lightly with a spice mix called Chinese Five Spices. It's available in many grocery stores, or you can blend your own. Search the internet for recipes.
There isn't a recipe for the shrimp because it's only a simple procedure — season and grill.
Wednesday 2024.5.15
Good News, Sort of
I previously blogged about my primary care physician noticing a small lump in my right ear. He recommended I see a dermatologist about it, in case it was cancer. I did, and he sent a biopsy to a lab for analysis. I received a phone call on Monday. It's benign, just a "dilated sebaceous oil gland."
Wouldn't a qualified dermatologist be able to recognize a sebaceous oil gland on sight? Was a biopsy really necessary? Well, yes, if you have good medical insurance. I saw a news article recently that said finding quality medical care is a gamble these days. From the billable procedures treadmill to possibly unnecessary biopsies, medical care is far more about revenue than patient care.
I saw something in the local news yesterday. Someone asked why some primary care physicians are now requiring their patients to pay a monthly $50 fee, regardless of any, if any, office visits. One person responded, saying it is because this is Santa Barbara and many doctors believe they are entitled to an expensive lifestyle. My urologist lives in Montecito. What does that tell you?
It reminds me of the time I cauterized my own nose in a Kitchen Vlog video. That was back in November of 2017. It has been 6½ years and I haven't had a single nosebleed since. And I didn't need to see a doctor.
Don't Do This
I wanted a place to store the charcoal briquettes I bought for my grill. The bag has been in the back of my SUV, which was okay. They were dry, if a little inconvenient.
I've had a white five-gallon bucket I used for disolving water softener salt pellets to make brine for killing weeks. It works great. Salt kills everything. But now there are very few weeds in my yard. I thought I might use the bucket for briquettes. But when I opened it the liquid inside looked a little too weird. It's difficult to describe. I should have taken a photo. How best to clean it?
I poured out the salt water and took the bucket into the bathroom to wash out in the tub. That was the first mistake. It's a small enclosed space. Next I poured in a little bleach and some toilet bowl cleaner.
I knew the risk — chlorine gas, which is caustic and possibly deadly. I ran out of the bathroom quickly and turned on some window fans. When I did go into the bathroom, it was for only a few seconds at a time.
I eventually got the bucket cleaned and rinsed, and the gas out, but not before I slightly burned my throat. It wasn't bad. By evening it was hardly noticeable. Was it worth the risk? Definitely not.
I could have cleaned the bucket outdoors using only one cleaning fluid at a time. Brush and rinse before adding another fluid. It would have been much safer. I feel like I dodged a bullet, but I also learned a lesson. Don't do that again.
Meanwhile, my briquettes are in my clean bucket, with a proper lid to keep them dry and stored next to where I use my grill. Although rain is unlikely here in this part of SoCal, the weather report as been predicting days and nights of drizzle.
Sunday 2024.5.12
Happy Mother's Day
If you have a mother, or are a mother, I wish you the best this day has to offer.
More Vine
In the Amazon Vine Voices rules and regulations there is one convenient provision I hadn't noticed before. Under Disposal of Vine Products it says:
All right, title and interest in Vine Products will pass to you when the Vine Product is delivered to the common carrier for delivery to you. You may keep or destroy the Vine Product at your discretion at any time.
That's a little confusing because elsewhere the rules say I cannot give away or sell items I obtain through Vine. If "all right and title" pass to me, doesn't "all" cover everything, such as gifting others with items I don't want to keep for myself? But does it matter? No, not really. I don't sell items on places like Ebay and I rarely give away something.
As I've said before, most of my requests are for disposable items, such as coffee filters, napkins, paper towels and rubber gloves. Obviously, those eventually end up in the trash.
According to the rules, I am supposed to review at least 80 items during each six-month evaluation period. I need to review at least 90% of the items I request.
I don't want to be wasteful, but what if there is nothing I really want or need? I'm running into that problem already. I already have boxes of rubber gloves, napkins / paper towels and coffee filters. What stops me from requesting really inexpensive items solely to discard when they arrive? With that in mind, I ordered a set of silicone straw toppers at $3.99. There are dozens to choose from. I could probably fulfill my review quota on straw toppers alone.
How do you review something you won't ever use? It's easy. Read other reviews for ideas.
I mentioned in an earlier blog the taxable nature of these items. They're regarded as income. So, to prevent my having to pay a lot in taxes next year, the trick seems to be to request the least expensive items.
It's worth it to stay in Vine because occasionally an item is offered I really want, such as that little portable grill I use often. I plan to grill more shrimp this week.
Shrinkflation
Wasn't it President Biden who drew our attention the shrinkflation recently — package downsizing, the process of items shrinking in size or quantity while the prices remain the same?
I shopped at Costco yesterday. There was a time when a package of Kirkland Signature Italian sausages contained 24 links. Several years ago that number was reduced to 20. The latest package contains 14.
While in Costco I tried to order a pepperoni pizza to go. I called the food court several times. They never answered the phone. Instead, I bought a box of frozen pizzas. Those cost less than $3.50 each and I can dress them up with a little additional mozzarella cheese and oregano.
And, surprisingly, this morning's blood glucose level was the lowest in the past two weeks, despite eating an entire pizza yesterday.
How Goes the LEGO-ish Kit Build?
I believe I am in the final stretch of building this ugly pink race car. If I were to buy a Ferrari, it wouldn't be pink. I can accept the challenge of tailoring and wearing a pink shirt, but I draw the line at automobiles.
The Tomato Chronicles
The new tomato plants are doing well. They look like they're thriving in the new soil. I pruned off a few flowers to encourage more plant growth. They will eventually be strong enough to support tomatoes. And, as usual, I'll tie the branches to the tomato cage to provide additional support.
My sister-in-law emailed me this past week. She and my twin brother have already harvested 21 tomatoes from their plants. That's encouraging. Their plants did not do well last year.
Wednesday 2024.5.8
First, Some Bad News
I'll get this one out of the way. On Sunday the US Postal System supposedly delivered the camping chair I wanted to use while grilling outdoors. No package was left at my front door (we do not have problems with "porch bandits," people who steal items off front porches) and there was no parcel locker key in my mailbox.
I put a note on my mail box and on Monday I spoke with a postal worker. He said he'd check. Still, no parcel and no key, but he removed my note. I am left with assuming that a neighbor got the key, opened the package and thought it was worth stealing. I am very disappointed.
I spoke with the same postal worker again yesterday. Without actually saying it, he fairly well confirmed my suspicion. And also without actually saying it he suggested Sunday deliveries are usually sketchy because the postal worker that day is not very intelligent.
Meanwhile, I tried to get a replacement on Amazon. There is no option for specifying an item was never received. I did what I could and I saw this morning they are shipping me another chair. I should have it by Friday. So, the story ends well.
Now, Some Good News
On Monday I was notified by Amazon I had completed my six-month evaluation period for Vine Voices. My account would be evaluated to determine if I qualify to be upgraded to the Gold Tier. Evaluation can take up to four days.
However, the following day, on Tuesday, I received notice my account was promoted into Gold.
In the Gold Program I can request up to ten items per day and there isn't a $100 item value limit. I should probably explain that the items are not 100% free. They are regarded as taxable income. If my tax rate is 22%, a $100 item will actually cost me $22 when I pay my taxes next year. I don't mind. Nearly 80% off retail is a bargain.
To remain in the Gold Tier I need to review a minimum of 80 items during the next evaluation period (also six months) and at least 90% of my orders. That might be a challenge because I already have most of what I want. Now I typically request disposable items, such as rubber gloves (used when cathing), coffee filters, napkins and paper towels.
LEGO-ish
I know better than to attempt a fake LEGO kit made in China. I tried once before and the pieces didn't fit together correctly after I had completed most of the build. But, I was tempted to try again.
This time it's a race car. I ordered it from Vine. Unlike LEGO, the parts are not organized in a logical way. I spend way more time searching for parts than I do actually assembling them. However, so far so good. I've completed 59 of 295 steps.
The pieces snap together well. They're snug and the fit is correct — no gaps or misalignments. When done, it will be an ugly pink car. Who thought pink would be a good color for a race car? Well, it's made in China and they like garish colors.
Sunday 2024.5.5
Another Year, Another Doctor
I think I mentioned a while ago I had another "wellness exam" with my primary care physician. It went well, except he saw something in my right ear that concerned him. It looked like it might be a small cancerous tumor. He recommended I let a dermatologist look at it.
I waited a while. I've had cancer issues before, but they've always been benign, something I don't need to worry about. When I saw my urologist on Tuesday I noticed a dermatologist office in the same building with a sign out front, "Accepting new patients." I went inside.
Due to a recent cancellation he was able to see me two days later. He examined my ear and did a biopsy to send to a lab. He said the result would come back in one to two weeks. And so I wait.
Some Perspective
Alas, o woe is me. Sometimes it's easy to feel sorry about ourselves. And then we learn something that tells us life could be worse — a lot worse.
A friend called me. He was called upon to help a former girlfriend's mother. She had a broken foot. Evidently, it was something she'd had for a while. It wasn't getting any better. He talked her into going to the hospital. The physician found maggots in the wound. As disgusting as that sounds, they might have spared her from gangrene and saved her foot.
What had she been doing? Lying in the sun with an open wound on her foot? Maggots don't happen unless flies get on there and lay eggs.
Something More Positive
I have really been enjoying my portable grill. It is way easier to use than the large Weber kettle grill I bought several years ago to do cooking videos. It only takes minutes to start a dozen briquettes, which reach their full heat potential in about half an hour. That gives me time to prepare my food to grill.
There has been one negative. I want to sit outside while the food is cooking, but there is nowhere to sit, except on my porch steps, which isn't comfortable. If I wait long enough on Vine, something will eventually show up. This past week I ordered a folding camping chair. The reviews were good and I liked the way it fits into a pouch for storage. That should store easily in my shed. So, I ordered it.
A beverage holder would have been nice, but I'm not going to complain about something I got for free. It will be here later today. The web site says it's "out for delivery." I'll test it this afternoon when I grill more chicken.
I found something else I wanted. A few years ago America's Test Kitchen reviewed automatic hands-free liquid soap dispensers. You hold your hand near the front of it. It detects your hand and dispenses soap. I put one on my wish list, but I never got around to ordering it. One showed up on Vine this week. I quickly requested it.
And for those who might be unfamiliar with the Amazon Vine Voices program, selected items are made available for free. We can request them at no cost. Our only obligation is to write an honest review. Although there might be more than 50,000 items to choose from, most are schlock I wouldn't want in my home. I might request one item per day, if any at all.
Tomorrow I will have completed my evaluation period. I met all the requirements. I expect to be promoted into the Gold Level. In the Silver Level I could request a maximum of three items per day and they are priced below $100. In Gold there is no price limit and I can request up to ten items per day. I doubt I will request more items — most will still be schlock — but it will be interesting to see what is available at the higher prices.
Finally, Blood Glucose
It was 7.5 mmol/L this morning, which is encouraging.
Wednesday 2024.5.1
Charcoal Starters Revisited
As expected, the cardboard tubes arrived on Sunday afternoon. While I was waiting I thought about how I might cut them and assemble my starters. Obviously, I couldn't cut across the tubes with scissors, but a hacksaw blade works very well.
Each tube is slightly more than three inches in length. Cutting one into three pieces seemed like the best choice. I'll call those mini-tubes. To seal the mini-tubes for holding the wax mixture, I glued a piece of paper to one end using a little white glue, like Elmer's.
I mixed shredded paper and paraffin in roughly even portions. I then filled each mini-tube with the mixture and pressed it in fairly well. Then I glued another piece of paper on top. That gave me handy little starters that should store well until I need them.
Another configuration I tested was cutting the tube in half lengthwise. This makes slightly larger starters because I get two from each roll rather than three. And probably worth mentioning: If I were using a chimney to start a lot of briquettes to use in my large Weber kettle grill, I'd make starters using the entire tube.
Sunday's weather was typical SoCal glorious. It was a good opportunity to test one of my new starters. It lit the coals well enough. I was a bit concerned at first because the fire from the starter was small. However, within the usual amound of time — about half an hour — all the charcoal briquettes were white. I don't need a conflagration.
I have one of those IR thermometers. The temperature of the coals beneath the chicken ranged from 800 to 1,000°F — plenty hot enough to cook my chicken, which was two boneless thighs with the skin still on. I bought them bone in, but I prepared them specifically for grilling.
After grilling them to an internal temperature around 170°F, I mopped them with some barbecue sauce and cooked them a few minutes longer. Then they were ready to eat. As usual, they were delicious.
The Tomato Chronicles
I gave up. I'm not sure what I did wrong with those two tomato plants, but after two months they looked awful. The leaves were small and there was almost no new growth. I uprooted them and tossed them in the trash. Then I dug out the soil mixture in the pot and discarded that too.
Meanwhile, I went to Home Depot and bought two new plants. These, however, were well along with their growth. I also bought another large bag of potting mix.
The plants were more expensive — the larger one was $20 — but I'll just assume that is the cost of making a mistake. And speaking of mistakes, I thought I bought an Early Girl. It's a Celebrity and it's a determinate. I drove back to the store and bought an Early Girl. So once again I'll have three tomato plants in my planter — an Early Girl, a Big Beef and a Celebrity. I hope to have my first tomatoes by the end of July.
And this also gave me confidence my outdoor soil sensors are working. The meter in my home said the soil was moist. When I dug out the old planting mix it was indeed moist.
Finally, A1C
I learned something new this week. I saw my urologist yesterday and I mentioned my A1C. He said the number is not a daily figure but an average over two or three months. It's better to track my mmol/L, which is a daily measure of my blood glucose. The goal is 5.6. Yesterday it was 8.6. It needs work.