SEPTEMBER 2024
Sunday 2024.9.29
More About Those Ants
As mentioned last Sunday, I assembled some ant bait traps with the skin from the Salmon Jerky I made in my new dehydrator. I placed a packet in the cabinet under my kitchen sink. It's a favorite hangout for my ants and I don't need to see them. They swarmed to the packet and kept returning for several days. However, the number of ants diminished with time and this week I've been seeing very few ants under the sink. This morning I saw none at all. It doesn't mean they gone for good. They always come back.
Thankfully, the bait packets are easy to prepare. Just put a few strips of skin in a plastic bag, add a small amount of boric acid powder (maybe ¼ teaspoon), seal the bag and give it a good shake to dust the skin with the poison. Then cut a little hole to allow the ants inside and leave it undisturbed where the ants can find it.
It also gives me a good excuse to make more salmon jerky.
Hurricane Helene
I wrote to my brother and his wife in Southern Florida. They live far enough away from the hurricane center to be spared the worst of the weather. They had some rain and some wind, but saw no damage to their area. They are also far enough away from the coast to see no storm surge flooding the local properties.
It also gave me a good opportunity to tell him about my fall and dislocated shoulder. As we get older we like to keep each other informed.
He wrote to say the wind blew out two screens from their enclosed patio. There was debris to be cleaned up around their home, but they're fine. And their electricity never went off. They have a whole house generator and they've needed it in the past.
Legal Again
Early last month I mentioned I was on my way to the DMV to renew my driver's license when I fell and dislocated my shoulder. I've been driving with an expired license for the past two months. On Thursday I corrected that problem.
Grrr to practice test questions. I took the written test and I passed with three incorrect answers. Some of the questions were similar to the practice questions, but some were not. I guessed.
I was issued an interim driver's license. I won't know when I might be required to report to the DMV for another test until my license arrives in the mail and I can see when it expires.
The important thing is that I am relieved to have passed. I was worried.
Food Dehydrator Plans
My next dehydrator project will be dried frozen vegetables. They're supposed to be really easy because they're already blanched. Just arranged them on trays and dry for 10 to 12 hours. I like this idea because I can store them in jars to take up less room in the freezer. I can store the jars out in the shed and I can use the veggies for my winter soups.
SNL
Saturday Night Live was wild last night. It was their first episode of the 50th season. I'm glad I recorded it. I'll watch it a few times before I erase it. The cold open is available on YouTube. Just search for SNL 50.
Finally, a Little More OCD
Two LEGO-like kits arrived this past week. One of them is the vintage car I mentioned in Wednesday's blog post. I really dislike the packaged. There were seven bags numbered "1" and 15 bags with "2" on them. They're not used in any logical order. For one step there might be parts in several different bags. I spend more time searching for parts that I do assembling them. If I'm going to waste so much time looking for parts, I might as well pre-sort them into a logical order before I start building. I did the #1 bags yesterday. I'll start the #2s today.
Wednesday 2024.9.25
Nuisances
The security camera I mentioned in Sunday's blog arrived on Monday afternoon. I gave it a mediocre review. The camera was difficult to mount at my window. Once installed, it worked reasonably well on my smartphone. There is also an Android app that works on a tablet. I installed that too. Everything seemed to go okay until I started to get messages saying my tablet's available memory was dangerously low. I suspect the camera was filling the memory with videos.
I couldn't find the videos on the tablet. There was nothing in the user's manual about deleting videos. I tried for hours, then gave up and did a factory reset of my tablet. Of course, that meant I lost all my other apps. The following day I tried to reload those, but nothing worked. It was an awful two days. I'm heartbroken about it.
I still haven't solved the problems and I'm too frustrated to try again. Most painful was the loss of my teleprompter app and foot controller. I used those when I videoed my Kitchen Vlogs.
As for the camera, I got it from Amazon Vine. I didn't pay full retail, which was around $440. I would have taken it down and thrown it in the trash; however, the app on my smartphone appears to be working, somewhat, and, as far as I know, it isn't filling my phone's memory. The phone keeps losing connection to Wi-Fi; so, the camera may go into the trash eventually. I stopped using it.
On the Positive Side
Yesterday's mini golf game went well. All three of us got a hole-in-one on the same hole. That never happened before. We played two courses. I won one and lost the other.
And I am still enjoying Only Murders in the Building. It's something to watch when there is nothing worth watching on TV, which is often. I've been telling friends I would buy the episodes if they were made available on Blu-ray. Now I don't need to. I have high-def copies burned to Blu-ray disc blanks.
Of course, it's football season. It seems like there is at least one game on TV most days of the week. And on Saturday, more than 20 college games might be available, sometimes as many as six games being broadcast at the same time. There is plenty to choose from.
Amazon Vine
My use of Vine has changed again. I put a STOP on my wish list where I have "nitrile gloves" listed. I have enough gloves to last at least a year.
Paper towels and disposable plates are still among my favorites. I just ordered a box of 600 napkins/towels and I have two smaller packages on their way.
Although I'm not ordering LEGO-like building kits like I used to, I still can't resist something that looks like a good bargain. This morning I requested a kit of a Model-A coupe automobile. My only complaint is the ugly wheels. Green? If I decide to keep this kit, I'll look for some silver paint.
It will give me something to build while I wait for December. I have those two Christmas kits I mentioned in earlier blogs. The plan is to build those while watching some of my favorite Christmas movies.
Healing
I'm still healing from my dislocated shoulder injury. I have most of my movement back; however, there is still some pain. It's not in the joint; it's in the upper arm muscles. I assume the doctor bruised those muscles when he forced my humerus bone back into place.
It has been eight weeks. Supposedly it takes two to three months to completely heal. At my age, longer seems normal.
Sunday 2024.9.22
Welcome to Fall
Today is the Autumn Equinox, the beginning of fall. The days get shorter most rapidly this time of year, tapering off toward winter's shortest days of the year around December 21st. Here in SoCal there isn't much to notice at the change of the seasons. As I like to say (and pardon me for repeating myself), there are only two seasons here — summer and sort of summer.
As for the rain mentioned in Wednesday's blog, I was not surprised to see the probability of rain on Thursday change from 50% to 10%. On Thursday no rain fell. I checked the county Rainfall Summary and only two stations reported any measurable rainfall.
Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits
As mentioned in Wednesday's blog, I ordered an electric shaver I saw on Vine. It arrived Wednesday afternoon. I put it to the test and it works great. I got a smooth shave without any irritation. I gave it a good review.
Feeling encouraged by such a well groomed face, I dared to cut my hair again. As I've been saying, after dislocating my right shoulder I've had difficulty reaching above my head. My hair was a nuisance, getting into my face, eyes and ears, but I couldn't do much about it. I've been working on my arm, trying to do more, and on Wednesday afternoon I successfully cut my hair. It wasn't a good haircut, but it doesn't look bad either. I've done worse. There were no chops this time. And it feels good to have short hair again.
Taking a Risk
Last week I ordered the most expensive item I ever requested from Amazon Vine, a $440 security camera. Here's the story:
Many years ago I wanted a way to monitor my front door. A "friend" was going through a divorce and he'd make the rounds to all his friends, visiting them to complain the entire time about his wife. I didn't want to answer the door, but I needed to know who was knocking.
In my search, I found only two types of cameras. One, similar to the Ring system, requires a paid subscription to a service by means of which the camera sends the video to them and they relay it back to a smartphone, tablet, computer, etc. The other camera required wiring the camera directly to the home base.
Ultimately, I chose a web cam that I put inside my home at the window. I fabricated a little hood with a mirror for the outside. The camera monitors my front door through the mirror. I've blogged about it in the past. I call it my Door Cam.
This past week Vine appeared to offer the security camera I've wanted. There is a cable, but that connects to a 110-volt electrical outlet. The camera sends its video directly to a tablet or smartphone via Wi-Fi. No subscription service is required. Bluetooth is also used, but I'm not sure how it all comes together. And to view the video I'll need to download a free app to my device. I'll know more when the camera arrives tomorrow.
More About the Allergy
On Thursday I ate three pieces of Salmon Jerky to see if I would experience an allergic reaction. No rash. No hives. No itch. So now I'm left to wonder if it might have been something outdoors that my window fan brought inside. A neighbor was weed whacking his yard.
And there is another possibility. Earlier this year I mentioned a neighbor who was killed by a car when crossing the street. Her coach was sold to the park owner. It was old. This past week the coach was pulled out and the space was cleared for a new coach. Her sheds were known to be infested with mice and rats. Who knows what went up into the air when those sheds were torn down?
Disgusting But Effective
After eating the salmon jerky I decided to experiment with the skin. I always peel the skin off the jerky before eating. I put three pieces on a napkin and placed them on the kitchen counter where I knew the ants would find them. I also dusted them with boric acid powder, a poison the ants bring back to the colony, which helps eradicate it. The ants swarmed the jerky skin.
It's revolting, I know, but I learned something new. I can make ant bait packets with the salmon skin I normally throw in the trash.
Oh Joy, Oh Rapture
I've blogged about it before. I'm a fan of the Hulu series, Only Murders in the Building. I was able to find seasons 2 and 3 on the newsgroups, but never season 1. I wasn't willing to pay for Hulu for just one season of old episodes. A friend and his wife gave me their login and password, and thus I finally got to see it, which helped make sense of the following episodes. Then Disney bought Hulu and clamped down on membership sharing.
I did some looking around on the newgroups on Friday and found season 1. They were passworded, but the poster provided the password. They are in German, but the secondary audio and subtitle tracks are in English. So now I have all three seasons burned to disc to enjoy whenever I want. I binge-watched the entire first season.
The fourth season is currently running, but only the first two episodes are available so far. I'm sure the entire season will be ready for download someday. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the first show again.
Wednesday 2024.9.18
How About A Little OCD?
Well, maybe more than a little.
One of my complaints about the LEGO-like Chinese knockoff sets available on Vine is the sorting of pieces. The bags are numbered, but there might be five bags with the number 1 on them. A single assembly step might require bricks from multiple bags. If I remember correctly, genuine LEGO kits assemble the pieces in bags to be used one bag at a time and consecutively. There is only one number 1 bag.
During the weekend I tried to re-sort the pieces for another RV kit I ordered — Cousin Eddie's Christmas Camper from the Christmas Vacation movies. It was tedious work. But the plan is to assemble the RV during December while I'm watching Christmas movies. The pre-sorting also pointed out a missing brick. Oddly, the exact same brick was an extra in a similar RV I built last month.
Maybe also worth mentioning: I ordered the Christmas Griswold Holiday House Building Kit, also from the Christmas Vacation movies. That kit arrived yesterday and the bags are better numbered. There are a dozen of them. The instruction book has 300 steps; so, this kit will take longer to build. The plan, again, is to build the house in December while watching Christmas movies.
More About Vine Again
As I've mentioned before, I no longer search for items I might want on Vine. I have what I need and it will last for months. Now I only look on the Recommended For You page. This week I saw an electric shaver that looked like an item worth having. I requested it. It's supposed to arrive this afternoon.
More About the Fish Allergy
I did a little experimenting. I cooked up two pieces of shrimp and ate them. No rash. No bumps. So, I can eliminate shellfish as a cause for hives. I'll wait a few days to allow the shrimp to clear my system, then I'll try a piece of the salmon jerky.
And I learned something new this week. Some people have an allergic reaction to sulfites. Molasses contains sulfites and this was the first time I added molasses to the marinade for my salmon jerky. I'll continue to experiment.
Some food allergies can be temporary. I did some research online. Unfortunately, a fish allergy can last a lifetime.
How About the Tomatoes?
Well, they are continuing as they have all spring and summer. It seems difficult to believe that they never grew up tall like my plants did last year. I wish I knew what went wrong. I'll continue to water them regularly during the winter. Maybe in the spring they'll flourish. If not, I'll buy fresh plants and potting mix and try again.
How About A Little Weather?
This is the time of year when I start to see predictions of rain. The forecasts start off at relatively high probabilities of precipitation, like 50%, then dwindle as the day approaches. Finally, the prediction is down to 10% and no rain falls at all. This time the probability has been going up. Initially it was 0% for tomorrow. Now it's 50% chance of rain.
I normally don't take such predictions seriously until after the Thanksgiving holiday. That seems to be when the rainy season really begins in this part of Southern California. Tomorrow we might actually see our first rain of the season.
Sunday 2024.9.15
Riddle
What's pink and bumpy and itchy all over?
Me.
I learned something new this week. A person can develop an allergy to fish even late in life.
I'm 73. After making Salmon Jerky again this past week, using my new food dehydrator, a rash started developing on my arms. It spread to my torso during the evening and when I got out of bed in the morning my legs were all red with hives too.
From what I learned online, one doesn't have to eat it to get a rash. The reaction can occur from handling fish or even working around it, such as in the same kitchen.
The rash went away in 48 hours. It returned when I ate some of my dried salmon. All I can do at this point is leave the jerky in the freezer and wait until my skin is completely clear. Then try one small piece and observe what happens.
And maybe worth mentioning: I also ate some shrimp last week. So I'll need to experiment with that too, maybe next week.
Meanwhile, I edited the video and uploaded it to YouTube. The performance started slow, but it's doing well now, slightly above average. My original Salmon Jerky video continues to be my second most popular, after Fish & Chips.
New Mini Golf Course
As planned, on Thursday we played the new mini golf course, Mars Gardens. We played for three hours and I was exhausted afterward. My friends play while sitting in their living room. They need to putt the ball forward, away from them. It works, but I can't do it that way. I prefer to stand with my VR controller clamped into the end of a golf handle. It feels like a more natural way to play golf. However, standing for three hours is tough on my back.
The course is beautiful. There are dozens of gardens growing various fruits and vegetables. The holes are gracefully curved. Some are very challenging. There are lots of Easter eggs. Standing in front of each of the many digital panels display a message about the biodome (or about student pranks).
And speaking of Easter eggs, we found a new one at the caddy shack at the beginning of the game. To the right there appears to be a door. That leads to some stairs that go down into a work room with a locker room to one side. There is nothing to do there, but that is typical of the creators of the Mighty Coconut Mini Golf game. They like to hide Easter eggs in many places. I haven't explored all the possibilities of Mars Gardens yet.
More On the Debate
The news coverage after the debate was what I expected. Few, if any, media outlets said anything positive (with the exception, maybe, of the extreme right). Here are a few of the headlines I captured on Wednesday:
CNBC: "Trump says Harris debate was 'rigged,' ABC should lose license, but 'we did great.'"
ABC News: "Early polls say Harris won the presidential debate"
The New Republic: "This was the beginning of Donald Trump's Final Unraveling"
New York Times: "Pundits said Harris won the debate. Undecided voters weren't so sure."
USA Today: "'Only losers do that': Democrats celebrate, GOP regroups after Harris, Trump debate"
The Atlantic: "How Harris roped a dope"
NPR: "During Tuesday's debate, Harris was in command; Trump was incoherent"
As I said on Wednesday, I don't see how this might immediately affect the November election. I'll need to wait. However, I am doing my best not to pay attention to any polls. After the debacle of the 2016 election, I can't trust polls anymore — at least, not yet.
Putting It Together
I've wondered why there is so much enthusiasm for Trump among his devoted followers. This week I read an article in HuffPost (formerly The Huffington Post) that helped me make sense of it.
I've often said, "Some people love to hate." Whether its Jews, Mexicans, African Americans, gays, Republicans or Democrats, they hate them, sometimes vehemently.
Jen Golbeck is writing a book about the psychology of MAGA crowd. They attend his rallies. There is almost a carnival atmosphere among the crowds outside. It reminds me of the craze among sports fans outside an arena. Think tailgate parties with barbecues and plenty of beer. They get drunk at Trump rallies too.
One line put it together for me:
They love that Trump created a space to speak their minds, which, in many cases, means being able to spout racist, sexist, hate speech that was all but forbidden in public life just a decade ago.
They revel in their hatred, and Trump makes it okay.
Risking It
I took a risk on Amazon Vine yesterday. I ordered a WiFi security camera. It was the most expensive item I've ordered from Vine yet, and it will add about $100 to my taxes at the end of the year.
Here's the thing: For years I've looked for a cordless camera for the other side of my home. Every one I saw required a paid subscription service that relayed the camera images back to my computer or smartphone via the internet. The one I ordered requires no subscription. It connects via WiFi directly to my device.
The risk is whether or not it will work. It requires a minimum WiFi power and I'm not sure I have it, and I don't know how to test for it. I guess all I can do now is wait for it to arrive.
Wednesday 2024.9.11
New Mini Golf Course
Walkabout Mini Golf is releasing another new course tomorrow — Mars Gardens. This one is designed inside a vivarium on the planet Mars.
I can already see this is going to be a challenging course. As in the course Alfeim, the walls around each hole are curved. That makes it more difficult to judge how to bounce a ball off a wall at the best angle to get it close to the pin.
My friends in Kentucky and I usually play mini golf each Tuesday during his lunch break. That is one of the features I enjoy about the Meta Quest 3. Someone can be thousands of miles away, and yet we can play as if in the same room. I can hear their voices as though they are standing next to me.
Tomorrow my friend is taking an extended lunch break. For a new course we try to play the challenges together. Each course has two versions — easy and difficult. On the easy course there are 18 lost golf balls hidden somewhere around each hole. As we discover them we help the others find them. When enough are collected, the difficult version is unlocked.
Besides the difficult one being more challenging, the course contains a "fox hunt" challenge. Each clue leads to another one. Although the first clue is placed at the first tee, the others can be anywhere on the course, or even way outside the course. Collecting all the clues makes available a new putter designed from that course. The putters can be used anywhere among all the courses. Again, we work together, helping each other find all the clues.
Another new course, based in Las Vegas will be released this fall. Each course is available for purchase for only $3.99. That's a bargain, almost as good as getting something for free on Amazon Vine. Speaking of which…
Skillets
Yesterday I resisted the temptation of requesting a $119 5-ply stainless steel skillet from Vine. I already have too many skillets, about a dozen. Some are aluminum, some are stainless, some are copper core 5-ply, and one, my favorite, is carbon steel. I mostly use only two, the carbon steel and a nonstick pan, which is easier to clean when I'm cooking eggs.
I watch Vine every day. Mostly I look in the Recommended For You section because those are typically the best bargains. The rest of the site, which can have more than 100,000 items available, is all made-in-China POS schlock. Even that skillet is made in China, and therefore I can't be sure I can trust it.
On Monday I did request a nonstick aluminum quarter sheet for baking. It's made in the USA and I wanted it mostly for using in my dehydrator when working with very wet foods, or maybe even dehydrating liquids such as chicken stock. If I can reduce homemade chicken stock to a powder, that would save a lot of room in my freezer. It's something I want to experiment with.
The Debate
I watched the debate. I wasn't going to. I looked to see what was on the other channels. There was nothing; so, I turned to MSNBC to watch the debate.
I wrote a few notes. Trump kept returning to his pet scare tactic, illegal immigrants entering the country to murder members of your family, and now eating your pets. At first, I was surprised the moderators allowed Trump to commandeer the debate several times to get in the last word. However, I began to think they chose to let him do that because every time he spoke out of turn he said something damaging to himself.
Kamala Harris truly dominated. She took the wind out of Trump's sails and deflated his ego several times. She clearly won the debate. Does it guarantee she'll win the election in November? Certainly not. However, I am feeling more and more relieved that Trump won't be in the White House for another four years. That thought frightens me.
Sunday 2024.9.8
Fire Weather
We have been under a Red Flag Fire Weather Warning for the past few days. The daytime temperatures, especially inland, were forecast to be very high with low humidity and gusty "sundowner" winds up to 40mph. Those are the conditions the arsonists like. The winds blow from northeast, down the mountains to the ocean, typically starting around sundown. It's hot, dry air, ideal for fires.
Not all forest fires are started by arsonists, of course. Lightning strikes, a careless camper, or a downed power line can trigger a fire. I watch the CalFire news page on the internet to be alerted to possible fires in the local region. Thankfully, this past week there were none. I also listen for heavy airplanes and helicopters taking off from the local airport. Those might be an indication of fire fighting aircraft.
As I've often mentioned in this blog, our electric transmission lines come to us through the mountains. A fire beneath the lines can knock out electricity for hours, maybe even a day or two. It has happened before.
Heat Too
It was very warm here on Thursday, 103°F (39°C), and even hotter on Friday 111°F (44°C). This is the time of year when I need to run the office air conditioner to keep the computers and myself comfortable, but the AC could barely keep up. Iced coffee never tasted so good.
Enough Is Enough
I tolerated the heat in the living room. The office air conditioner ran during the hot spell and therefore I spent most of my time in the office. However, on Saturday I wanted to watch college football on my large screen TV.
I recorded a daytime high of 106.7°F (41.8ºC) yesterday. Although slightly cooler than Friday, it was way too hot to sit in the living room. It was time. Yesterday morning I connected the living room air conditioner to the window and plugged it in. It didn't cool the home to a crisp 72°, but it kept the room comfortable enough for watching football on TV.
This week the daily temperatures are expected to return to normal.
Another Food Dehydrator
The Brod and Taylor "Sahara" arrived on Friday. It is better than I expected. Someone asked me how it compares to making salmon jerky in the oven. I ran some numbers to compare drying space and storage needs. (You can skip over the numbers.)
Drying Area:
Home oven (two baking sheets)
12 x 16 x 2 / 144 = 2.66 ft²EpicuTech (ten racks)
10 x 7 x 10 / 144 = 4.86 ft²Sahara (seven racks)
19.5 x 11.5 x 7 / 144 = 10.9 ft²Storage Size:
EpicuTech
12.5 x 13.5 x 15 / 1,728 = 1.46 ft³Sahara
22 x 12.5 x 3.5 / 1,728 = 0.56 ft³
With rack storage bag
22 x 12.5 x 5.5 / 1,728 = 0.94 ft³
The important measurement is that it has four times the drying space as my kitchen oven and more than double the space of the EpicuTech dehydrator I blogged about on Wednesday. And, I can use the Sahara outside if I don't want the odor of drying fish in my house. Comparing the racks of the two appliances, the smaller racks of the EpicuTech look almost cute.
I can store the folded dehydrator on the book shelf where I kept my sausage making equipment. I am feeling less inclined to make my own sausages, so that box will go out into the shed. That leaves the case that hold the racks and silicone mats. And then there is the carrying case, which should arrive tomorrow. I used part of this morning to shift some books around, lower and shelf, and fit everything back in the bookcase. And there was space for my new mandoline.
It was too hot this week to do any work in the kitchen. I froze the remaining salmon fillet. I'll defrost it and make salmon jerky again this week when the days are cooler.
Latest Vine
I've been doing fairly well on Vine lately. I occasionally find a few odd things to request, like that dehydrator I mentioned last week and a mandoline to slice foods to dehydrate. I usually only request disposable items I know I'll use — paper towels, coffee filters and nitrile gloves. However, I'm so well stocked on those items, I probably have enough to get me though the remainder of this year and all the next.
Nitrile gloves are my biggest weakness. I typically use five per day, doing self-cathing. This morning I counted my inventory — more than 1,000 gloves, enough for almost seven months — and yet I ordered another 200 this morning. Note to self: No more gloves!
So now it's mostly single items I might not be searching for, but they're too good to ignore. This past week I found a pair of slippers that retail for $100. I usually buy slippers at Costco during the fall. That unusually expensive pair of slippers grabbed my attention and I couldn't resist.
And, actually, I rarely search for anything expect those three items mentioned above. I look mostly at the "Recommended For You" page because there are fewer items to see (usually fewer than 20) and those are some of the best offers. Even better, they don't disappear quickly. I have time to do some research before I decide to request them.
Blood Glucose
I haven't mentioned it in a while. There isn't much new to report. It remains elevated, but well within the safe zone.
Wednesday 2024.9.4
Pleasantly Surprised, Many Times
I was surprised to see my dehydrator delivered on Monday, the Labor Day national holiday. I didn't know the postal service delivered on holidays. Someone said it is an arrangement with Amazon, to deliver all seven days of the week. Something to do with Amazon Prime, of which I am not a member.
I was also surprised when I opened the box. From the picture on Amazon, I thought the metal case might be painted with a boring beige enamel.
It isn't. The entire outside shell is brushed stainless steel. I was also pleased with the window in the door. Transparent plastic? No, glass. The racks are also stainless. Even the back and bottom are all stainless steel.
My first project, as I said in last month's blog post, was to make Salmon Jerky again. I haven't made it in a long while. Yesterday I drove to Costco to buy salmon and yet again, another pleasant surprise.
When I went to Costco late last week, they only had farmed Atlantic salmon. It's okay, but I prefer wild caught. It has better flavor. Yesterday there was fresh wild caught Alaska coho salmon in the store. It was expensive, $48.25 for two filets, $10.99 per pound. But, another surprise, it cost less than the farmed salmon, which was $12.99 per pound.
If things go according to plan, I'll upload a review video to My Kitchen Vlog channel on YouTube later today. Meanwhile, I'm nibbling on salmon jerky.
How About Another Pleasant Surprise?
I received a delightful email from Brod & Taylor. They are sending me a Sahara dehydrator to review in a video. I like the Sahara because it folds up to about the size of a briefcase — so much easier to store than the boxy EpicuTech I requested from Amazon Vine.
Mandoline
I used to have a very good, and expensive, mandoline. I cut myself several times. I could use the protective pusher to keep my hands away from the blade, but try to wash the thing without cutting yourself. I donated it to a charity thrift store.
I was pleasantly surprised again to see one offered on Amazon Vine. It isn't an expensive one, but it's stainless steel and it comes with safety anti-cut gloves. I ordered it because I expect I'll use it often when slicing things to put in the dehydrator. And I'll wear the gloves when I wash it.
If it lasts long enough for me to know whether or not I really would benefit from having one, when something breaks on this cheap one, I'll order one of the expensive all-stainless mandolines sold on Amazon.
Finally, Some Weather
The National Weather Service is predicting high temperatures in the US Southwest. Thankfully, I live near the ocean. Although it will be warm here, it will be mild compared to areas inland.
Sunday 2024.9.1
Still Recovering
It was one month ago, on August 1st, that I fell and dislocated my right shoulder while crossing the avenue. I'm feeling much better. I can almost fall asleep lying on my right side now. I still can't reach up high above my head, especially when holding something heavy (such as when trying to place a box on a top shelf), but everyday gets a little better. From what I learned online, it can take two to three months to fully recover from a dislocated shoulder injury.
New Morning Routine
I'm developing a new morning routine for my coffee. As mentioned in my last blog of last month, I like iced coffee on warm summer afternoons. I have a Cold Brew Coffee pitcher, and a recipe (more of a procedure) on this web site. It works, but it requires too much effort.
As I mentioned last month, I set aside the first cup of brewed coffee in a heat-sealed pouch to chill and enjoy in the afternoon. The next cup is my morning coffee. The routine has been working well for me. And it's so easy. I am really enjoying my afternoon tumbler of iced coffee. Why did it take this long to come up with the idea?
You can do the same thing for yourself, if you enjoy iced coffee in the afternoon. You don't even need a heal-sealed pouch. I use one because I have an impulse heat sealer. Simply make your first cup in a mug, cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Use another cup for your morning coffee.
As for that huge Keurig coffee maker that I wished I hadn't ordered from Vine, I gave it to a neighbor. I never even plugged it in. It was still new in box. I was happy to get it out of my home. I didn't want to store it in the shed. Speaking of which…
Shed Purge
I continue to work on the shed. Not every day. But when I think about it I go out to the shed to look around for something I know I can live without. Typically, it's something I haven't used in years, or maybe never used at all.
One example: I have a spare laser printer in my shed. I bought it because it was on sale for about $15 more than a replacement cartridge. My thinking was I'd have both a new cartridge and a new printer, all in one box, when I needed it.
I did a little research on line. Toner degrades over time. Most laser cartridges have a shelf life of two to three years. That printer has been out in the shed a lot longer than that.
Returning to LEGO
I hadn't built a LEGO-like kit in more than a month. They're available on Amazon Vine. I built so many in the past, many are listed on my Recommended For You page. This past week I saw one I couldn't resist. It's the Eagle 5 from the movie Spaceballs.
It was fun to build and it is one of the best LEGO knockoff sets I've seen. The pieces fit together so well, I was able to assemble the entire kit without glue.
And, Finally, Football
Yesterday was the beginning of college football season. There were as many as six games on TV at the same time. I watched most of the day. I don't have any favorite team this year, but I'm sort of leaning toward the Penn State Nittany Lions. They won yesterday.