JUNE 2025
Sunday 2025.6.29
A Special Day
June 29, 2011 was my last day of work at my old job. I retired, without any regrets. I worked at a university with a decent retirement plan. I haven't worked for 14 years. I receive a modest pension. My pension and Social Security benefits are enough to pay my bills, plus put a little aside for times when I want to buy something special. Such as…
This week I decided to spend a little of the money I save from getting some items from Amazon Vine. You already know I have a Meta Quest 3 Virtual Reality headset.
I wear prescription eyeglasses. When I first got my headset I was able to remove a pair of lenses from some old glasses and stick them inside my headset with some double-sided tape. They work, but I knew I could do better.
So, my retirement anniversary gift to myself is a pair of prescription corrective lenses specifically made for the Quest 3. They cost $85 with the shipping. I sent them a photo of the prescription paperwork I received from the optometrist after my eye exam this past Monday. They need the numbers to deliver the correct lenses.
I paid with my PayPal account, which, thankfully, still has a balance.
Water
Another water pipe broke here in the trailer park. The pipes are old galvanized. I know from experience, they eventually rust through. I've lived in the park for 31 years and they've never been upgraded. A pipe breaks every few years.
When I had the galvanized pipes in my home replaced with copper pipes, I had the plumbers install a whole-house water filter. My water is cleaner and it keeps residue out of my water heater, which can cause it to age faster.
While the water was turned off, I changed my filter. The filter tells the story. A new one is as white as snow. The old one is filled with rust, which comes from the old pipes in the park. It certainly doesn't come from the water utility company.
Removing the casing is not easy, even though I used plenty of silicone grease when I attached it. It took two wrenches to loosen it. But, the chore is done. I'm good for at least another year. Now, if only I could find those filter refills on Vine. Speaking of which…
Amazon Vine's New Trick
In the past, when I requested something on Vine, Amazon would put a banner at the top of the page to tell me the order was successfully received. Now, Amazon takes me to another confirmation page where there is an agreement to sign up for Prime. I can opt out, but it's a little tricky. So far, I haven't been duped into getting Prime, but I'm trying to be extra careful. I don't like Prime. It's expensive, and if I wait until I have enough wish list items to submit an order for at least $35, I get free shipping anyway.
Progress
I keep returning to that bamboo viscose shirt I am tailoring. Earlier this week I finished the sleeves and the hem. Yesterday I added the sleeve cuffs. Today I'll do the buttons and buttonholes to finish the shirt. I'm in no hurry. Then, on to another project.
Weight
Speaking of progress, I succeeded this week. I exceeded my goal over last week. I am still not seeing any 206s, but I'm trying.
I didn't exercise much this week; although, I joined a neighbor for a walk a few times around the park. I was doing chores — a little plumbing (mentioned above), yard work, repairing a neighbor's scooter, laundry, speaking of which…
I still smile when I do laundry. You'd think such a chore might be drudgery; however, I remember lugging my clothes to the park's laundry room each week. Now that I have a compact washer and dryer, laundry is so much easier.
Wednesday 2025.6.25
Some Good News
On Monday morning I had my yearly eye examination. There is no change in my eyes. She said my retina looks healthy and normal. There continues to be a little yellowing in my lenses, which indicates I might need cataract surgery someday. But, for now, all is good. I can continue to use the same glasses, which I've been using for several years.
I also showed her my numbers for blood pressure and glucose. She said they were excellent. And I tried to get her to give me a prescription for Losartan Potassium tablets 100mg, which is my blood pressure medication. She said she can't do it legally.
It's okay, really. I rarely take them. If my blood pressure is above 140/90, I'll take one. Otherwise, the numbers are a little elevated, but safe, which I've mentioned many times in my past blogs.
More Good News
I mentioned this a week ago. Tomorrow is the day for the release of a new course in Walkabout Mini Golf — Crystal Lair. In a couple of teaser previews there is something about magnetism. A few of us have been sharing the little we know. Needless to say, we are excited about this release. My Kentucky friend, who still works, emailed me this morning to say he's taking a long lunch tomorrow so that we can fully play the game.
As I've mentioned before, there is more to Mini Golf than golf. Somewhere near each of the 18 holes there is a lost ball to find. If ten are collected, it unlocks the difficult course, which provides another challenge. Around the hard course are "foxhunt" clues, each leading to the next clue. Solve all the puzzles and be awarded a golf putter designed specifically from that course. The collected balls and putters can be used on any course.
Mighty Coconut, the makers of Walkabout Mini Golf, release a new course every seven weeks, on average. They're inexpensive, only $3.99 per course. Those who buy the game, which is currently $24.99, get a basic set of eight courses free.
Making Progress
I'm almost ashamed to admit I still haven't finished tailoring that bamboo viscose shirt I started back in early April. The fabric is not easy to work with. It's like some politicians — shifty. However, I started the sleeves yesterday. Today I hope to attach them to the bodice. That will leave three days of work, unless I push myself. This fabric requires patience; so, I'll probably proceed slowly.
The Tomato Chronicles
I've been eating tomatoes. These tomatoes, although Early Girl, the same as I grew two years ago, are different. They're a little smaller and tougher. The plants are getting enough nutrients. They might not be getting enough water.
Two years ago I watered the tomato plant every two or three days, especially when they became large. I wrote a "W" on the calendar on those days. This year I have been relying on a meter to tell me if the soil is wet, dry, or normal. I'm beginning to think "normal" is not good enough.
Sunday 2025.6.22
Happy Summer
Yesterday was the first day of summer. In my youth, it was my favorite time of year because school was out and swimming at the lake or the beach was in.
A Little Ingenuity, Mach 1
Here's the thing: I blogged about my Janome Memory Craft 9850 sewing machine in the past. I embroidered patches for all my kitchen aprons. I also use the machine for basting, buttonholes, and buttons when tailoring shirts. It works great. However, it suffers from one important shortcoming. It doesn't work well for fine knits.
The needle pushes the fabric down into the bobbin case, jamming the machine. The reason is fairly straightforward. The needle plate has a wide curved hole in it for zigzag stitching. What I really need is a straight stitch needle plate. It has one small hole. However, no one makes one for the 9850, not even Janome.
They're available for other models. I suspect those models have a sensor that detects the plate and prevents the machine from going into zigzag mode (see below). What to do?
I may be nearing 74 years of age, but I haven't lost my mind yet. I ordered a standard plate from Amazon. It has the wide hole. I mixed some epoxy glue and, working a little bit at a time, I filled the hole with a plug.
I'm waited two days for the epoxy to fully cure. Then I drilled a small hole in the center for the needle. My one concern was the possibility that the plug would come out of the hole. Thus the patience of waiting until the epoxy was properly hardened. Sure enough, the drill loosened the plug and it fell out. On to Plan B.
Meanwhile, a little detective work seemed appropriate. I looked closely at one needle plate online. In every way it appeared to be identical to my plate, with one exception. There is a plastic peg in one corner on the underside. On my machine, the peg is narrow. On the plate I viewed online, the peg is wide. I suspected it might have something to do with stitch width.
I looked inside my machine. Where the peg fits, there are two little switches. My plate engages one of the switches. The other plate would engage them both. I carved a tiny piece of dense foam and stuck it into place on my plate with a little masking tape, then I put the plate in my machine. Would I be able to select zigzag mode? Yes.
Ergo, that other plate isn't for my machine because the internal programming doesn't detect the switch, even though it is there.
And one other point. All that detective work revealed an issue with my machine. There is a little feeler lever that checks my bobbin. It alerts me when I am low on bobbin thread. That lever was bent upward, probably caused by one of the many thread jams I suffered when trying to work with knits. My machine wouldn't alert me about the bobbin because the feeler wouldn't pass into the bobbin spool; it stopped at the edge of the spool flange. I carefully straightened the lever and now it works properly again.
A Little Ingenuity, Mach 2
Undaunted by my first failure, I tried something different. I glued a small piece of plastic to the needle plate. It's the kind of thin plastic you typically see on blister packages. It's rigid, but also flexible. I also filled the hole again with epoxy. This time, it worked. I put the needle plate on my machine and selected the stretch stitch setting I like for knits. All went well. I was able to test the machine with a sample piece of knit fabric and a ball point needle. No jamming.
Now I'm waiting for two or three days to let the glue fully cure before I use the plate for any knit sewing. I will likely order one of the plates I saw on Amazon, even though it's not supposed to fit my machine (but it does).
Those other plates are for working with knits. They have the small straight stitch center hole, not the wide hole for zigzag stitching. They cost about $60 with shipping and tax, but I can easily rationalize the purchase because of the money I save on Amazon Vine.
Ants
With summer also come the ants. I eliminated the problem for a while, but they're active again. Now that eggs are more affordable, I can use a little scrambled egg mixed with boric acid powder to make bait packets. It works. I have one under my kitchen sink and the ants are swarming to it. They'll be gone in a few days.
Cookies
I just made two dozen Cat's Tongues cookies for a gathering this afternoon. These were a struggle. Although I greased a nonstick baking sheet well, the cookies still stuck. I had the scrape them off with a metal spatula. I greased the sheed again, applied a piece of parchment paper, and greased that too. The second batch came off easily. Sometimes these cookies are easy; sometimes they're difficult.
Weight
It was a fairly good week for weight. It's coming back down, although the average increased a little. I was too distracted by the sewing machine project mentioned above to think about exercise. I'll try to do better this week.
Wednesday 2025.6.18
Happy Juneteenth tomorrow. For some, it will be a holiday. My Kentucky friends and I will play some mini golf tomorrow because he'll enjoy the day off from work.
Obsessed or Passionate?
I have a thing for clocks, especially digital clocks. But I'm fussy. I prefer backlit in some locations, LCD in others. They're all over the house. I just walked around my home, counting clocks. I found ten, not counting the clock on the kitchen stove, the one of my TV cable box, the microwave oven, and my four computers.
On Monday morning I saw a really nice one on Amazon Vine (more about Vine in a bit). It's for people with dementia. The display is large, backlit, and easy to read. It not only displays the time, it also shows the date, day of the week, and whether it is morning or evening. There are programmable reminders, such as when to shower and when to take medications. I ordered it.
More About Amazon Vine
I'm still learning the tricks with Vine. Throughout the day the number of available items dwindles. There are still a lot, like more than 40,000, but the good stuff is gone before the better part of the day begins. However, I found a sort of loophole.
Every night, during the night, I wake up with a need to cath. Usually that's somewhere between 3:00 and 5:30 in the morning, depending on when I cathed before going to bed. During the early hours of the morning Amazon adds items to Vine, and that's when I see the best stuff.
Sometimes I barely have time to read about an item before someone snatches it up. I found it's best to order it immediately, then research it. I can easily cancel the order if I decide I don't really want it. And thus I was able to request that really nice clock mentioned above. If I had waited until I sat down with my morning cup of coffee, it would have been gone.
I still stay with the procedure of requesting only items I absolutely need, and with a retail value of $10 or less, unless I see something I genuinely want, if not too expensive. The clock was $50. And I keep with my goal of four items per week to reach my target of 80 items reviewed for my next evaluation, which will take place in the beginning of November.
More About Dominoes
As I wait for the domino set I ordered from Amazon (not available on Vine), I've been playing a game I downloaded for my computer. It's one of those Microsoft games, like Solitaire, full of annoying commercials. However, the gameplay is fun.
Normally, I would never pay Microsoft for an ad-free use of games. However, I enjoy Dominoes so much, I paid the $9.99. It's almost nothing, compared to what I am saving on Vine.
And here's the thing: I have a friend who calls me almost every day. (I hope he doesn't read this blog.) He easily talks for an hour, and all I do is make noises, like "hmm, oh, yeah, uh-huh, okay," etc.
He doesn't call to enjoy a conversation. He calls to talk. He sees or hears something that amuses him and he wants to talk about it, but he needs an audience. It's especially true if it's something he knows a lot about, because he likes to show off his knowledge. I usually play a game on the computer while he's talking. Dominoes is a good choice.
And Speaking of Games…
This week the mighty people at Mighty Coconut announced the release of the next Walkabout Mini Golf course, Crystal Lair. It's supposed to be a health spa high in the Andes Mountains in South America. It will join the other lairs — Laser Lair, Ice Lair, and 8-Bit Lair.
The release is scheduled for Thursday, June 26. Their pattern appears to be a new course released about every seven weeks.
And, of course, in conjunction with the new course will be new additions to the hallways beneath the caddy shack. They usually add a locked doorway that can only be opened from somewhere in a course. Peering through the door window provides some clues as to which course and where to find the door. They have also been adding some new games, such as catching bugs on some courses. There was also a leaf blower.
The Tomato Chronicles
The tomato vines aren't getting any taller, but the tomatoes are ripening. I had to add more support for some long vines because I feared the weight of the fruit would break the stalks.
I was concerned for a while because leaves were rapidly turning yellow. There are supposedly only two main causes for that (besides a variety of insects) — not enough water and not enough nutrients. The plants are watered regularly. I suspect the fertilizer I was using did not supply enough nitrogen.
I have another brand of fertilizer, but it is in granular form, which takes a long time to dissolve into the soil. I placed some in a five gallon bucket and added about two gallons of water. I set it aside to let the granules dissolve, albeit slowly. When the plants need watering, I pour in the fertilized water, then add more water to the bucket. So far, it appears to be working. The leaves have stopped yellowing, although there are still a few on the vines.
I'd like to see more height, but I can't eat height. So, I'm favoring harvest. And, I let the side branches get out of hand. However, they're producing fruit too.
Meanwhile, this morning I pruned the tips off those side vines. Supposedly, that stops the vines from growing any further. After the tomatoes are harvested, I'll remove the side vines althgether. That should encourage the other vines to grow taller.
Sunday 2025.6.15
Happy Father's Day
My dad passed away many years ago. This might seem a little macabre, but I have a photo of my parents' grave stone. I view it occasionally. At least, he isn't forgotten on Father's Day.
My mother was cremated. My father too. He wished his ashes be placed in the same urn as hers. Their ashes were interred in Mystic, Connecticut. It's hard to believe it has been 35 years since his passing.
No Kings Saturday
Yesterday was the big day of protests across the country, to oppose Trump authoritarianism. I watched some of the news, including the coverage of the parade in Washington D.C. Otherwise, I pretty much ignored the events of the day, other than the war between Israel and Iran. Speaking of which…
Israel's Attack of Iran
Trump claimed he did not approve of Israel's attack, saying he tried to discourage Netanyahu from bombing Iran. I can't help thinking Trump was secretly gleeful of the event, knowing it would take some of the media attention away from the ICE raids and his illegal use of the National Guard and the Marines in Los Angeles.
Something Strange
The IRS sent me a refund check this past week. They said I made a mistake on my taxes and paid too much. I do my taxes three separate times, trying to avoid mistakes. When I am confident my numbers are accurate, I file my return. I really think this was a mistake on the IRS's doing, but I went to the credit union and deposited the check. I'm okay if they discover their mistake and ask me to send them the money, as long as they don't charge me interest and fine me a penalty.
Something Potentially Fun
For a long time I've wondered about the game of Dominoes. I decided to do something about my curiosity. I started on YouTube, looking at videos about how the game is played. Intrigued, I ordered a domino set yesterday. It's supposed to be here by Thursday.
Next Sunday another small gathering is scheduled for a few trailer park residents. I offered to bring the dominoes, if they're interested. I'm learning to play. It's easy and it's fun, even if I lose. I downloaded a dominoes app for my computer. It works well, but all the commercials are annoying. I wish Meta offered a Dominoes game for the Quest 3 virtual reality headset.
Weight and Exercise
The week wasn't a failure, considering the setback of the past few weeks. As I said last Wednesday, I'd really like to see a daily weight of 206 again. The last time I saw that was a month ago.
The most exercise I enjoyed this week was a bike ride to the credit union. Round trip is 14 miles. True, I have an e-bike, which does the difficult work for me, such as going uphill. However, I pedal most of the way, only except while coasting downhill.
One incident worth mentioning: I didn't dislocate my shoulder again. My shoelace wrapped around my pedal and I couldn't disengage my foot to step onto the curb. I fell over. Someone saw me fall and turned around to help me. With her help I was able to free my shoe and get back onto my bike. Note to self: Always double-tie the shoelaces.
Wednesday 2025.6.11
It's the Little Things
Or maybe the short things. I received three USB-C cables from Amazon Vine this week. They're short cables, only 12 inches long, which make my desk look more organized and neater.
Better yet, they cost less than $10 for all three, which won't add much to my taxes next year.
Los Angeles Protests
I have been following the news on TV. Trump is using the event as an excuse to behave more like a dictator. Part of the problem is the way the cable news networks cover the event.
Jake Tapper - CNN: "We tend not to cover the planes that land safely." That's one issue I have with news. They like sensationalism. The context was the protests in Los Angeles. Thousands of people were protesting peacefully. What does CNN broadcast? Cars burning in the streets. Sensational images cause more people to watch. That raises CNN's ratings. The higher their ratings, the more they can charge advertisers. It's more about profit than truth. Anderson Cooper likes to say, "Keeping them honest." I wish he could keep CNN honest.
It's not just CNN. MSNBC is equally guilty. I recorded Monday evening's Rachel Maddow Show because she loves to cover protests, especially when they are anti Trump, ICE, and DOGE. She is covering Trump news the way Keith Olbermann used to report on George W. Bush.
No Kings Week
This is No Kings Week. Thousands of protests are scheduled to take place around the country on Saturday to reject authoritarianism. Saturday is also the day of Trump's big, beautiful military parade in Washington. It's also his birthday. He likes the way North Korea and Russia parade their military weapons in the streets. Maybe Trump believes he needs a display of strength. He has never appeared weaker than he does now.
The Tomato Chronicles
My first tomato wasn't quite the fruit I hoped it might be, but it's the first one.
I didn't plant cherry tomatoes; I planted Early Girls, which usually produce average-sized fruit. There are much larger tomatoes, still green, on the vines.
Sunday 2025.6.8
Pesto Sausages
In Wednesday's blog I mentioned injecting pesto into Italian sausages and grilling them. I did it, but it wasn't worth doing again. The flavor of the sausages is too bold. It overpowers the flavor of the pesto. However, it was worth an experiment and the sausages made a good dinner with pan seared mixed vegetables.
More Than a Spare
On Wednesday I blogged about replacing my Meta Quest 3 VR headset. It arrived on Wednesday afternoon and I spent a few hours updating it with all my favorite apps. However, it behaved the same way as the older one — the battery was charging slower than normal.
My guess is that maybe one of the latest operating system updates changed the way the headset uses the battery. It's only a guess. But now I have two headsets.
Should I return the newer one to Costco? It's kind of difficult to justify when there is nothing wrong with it. "I ordered it by accident" seems valid enough. Costco would accept it. But I need to think about that for a while. Meanwhile, I now have a spare VR headset.
Amazon Vine
Mostly I am keeping within my goal of four items per week, all under $10. My total for four items last week is $34.95. This week I saw another head strap for my Meta Quest 3 VR headset. It was $21.99. I ordered it for parts. Some of the plastic pieces break easily. The Meta product is good quality; it's the made-in-China accessories that are not well made.
Some Politics
Many were predicting the bromance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk wouldn't last for long. The breakup has been spectacular, both boys (dare I call them men?) throwing hissy fits at each other. Anderson Cooper on CNN described it best — "A breakup of operatic proportions."
I'm looking forward to the mid-term elections next year. What will Trump do if he loses control of one, or both, chambers of Congress? Probably issue more executive orders, I suspect.
Weight
My weight wasn't a disaster this week (like it was last week). I lost less than half a pound. I long for the days when I saw a few 206s in my daily weights. Surely that was water loss.
I wasn't disciplined about exercise early in the week.
Wednesday 2025.6.4
I Love a Spare
Some people know me for liking to have a few spares lying around, usually in the shed. Lately I noticed the head strap for my Meta Quest 3 VR headset getting hot where the battery plugs in. This past week the battery was failing to charge the headset.
Back when head straps were being offered on Amazon Vine, I ordered two of them. One came with one battery, the other with two batteries and a charger. The extra strap went into the shed.
On Sunday I retrieved it from the shed and attached it to my headset. The battery stayed cool, but the battery didn't charge my headset. I changed cables. Still, no change. The spare didn't solve the problem, but it helped me troubleshoot it. The problem must be in the headset, not the strap. So, I ordered a new one from Costco.
The price for a Meta Quest 3 from Costco is the same as Amazon, $499.99; however, Costco was offering a $50-off promotion. It was easy to justify the expenditure. I've saved much more than that on Vine.
When It Rains It Pours
2025 is shaping up to be an expensive year for me. First I needed to replace my old 1993 Nissan Pathfinder SUV. Above, I mentioned my Meta Quest 3 not charging like it used to. Then, yesterday, one of my computer monitors died. It was an old Dell, probably 20 years old. I heard a sound like something fell. As one friend said, "You got your money out of it."
I drove to Costco and bought a replacement. I moved up from 24 inches to 27 inches. I'm happy. And the resolution is better. It's easier on my eyes. And for some unknown reason, attaching the new monitor changed my audio settings. I fixed that this morning.
Meanwhile, the hose on my WaterPik flosser cracked and squirted water all over the bathroom vanity. A new flosser costs $80 to $160 at Costco, depending on the model. But then I saw that I could buy a replacement hose on Amazon for about $12. I ordered one and I felt like I dodged a financial bullet. The replacement hose will arrive tomorrow.
I Love a Spare 2
That isn't quite the end of the WaterPik story. I remembered a small travel flosser came with my WaterPik. It was one of those "value added" packages Costco is known for. The hose is the same. The wand is different; it's smaller, but it works. I switched hoses. The flosser is usable until the new replacement hose and wand arrive.
Pesto Chicken
I had an idea this week. I removed the bone from some chicken drumsticks without cutting the skin or meat. It was a little tricky, but it can be done. Then I put some pesto in a marinade injector I have and squirted that into the channel left by the bone. I wrapped the chicken and placed them in the refrigerator overnight to allow the pesto to flavor the meat. Then I grilled them on the barbecue the next day. They were delicious.
Maybe when I feel up to it, I'll do a video.
I'm On a Roll
This morning I filled the marinade injector with the remainder of the pesto and squirted it along the center of two Italian sausages. I'll grill those for my dinner.
Miniature Golf
I rarely win a session of mini golf with my friends. Yesterday, I finally won a game. It was the difficult version of the Cherry Blossom course.
The Tomato Chronicles
Some of the tomatoes are changing color, from green to yellow. They are starting to ripen.
I was hoping to harvest my first ripe tomato by the end of June. I might have one a little sooner.
Sunday 2025.6.1
This and that:
Something New
I learned something new yesterday. A neighbor friend is a diabetic and she said blood sugar is always highest in the morning. She checks hers in the morning and also in the evening. While she was here I checked mine. It was 107, down from 136 that morning.
Amazon Vine
I fulfilled this week's goal of four Vine items. My goal is to satisfy the quota of 80 items by the beginning of November without an expensive increase in my income taxes.
Only one of the items, a shower curtain to replace a plastic liner that was cracking, was more than $10 ($34.09). The other three items were under $10, one of them less than $5.
DOH!
Sometimes it takes a while for me to think of something. I've been using a wedge-shaped doorstop to hold my back door open on warm days. I have scrap fabric. I have river stones. Why not sew a bag, fill it with rocks, and stitch the top shut? Duh! I did that and it works much better as a doorstop.
Haircut
And this week I also gave myself a haircut. I needed it. I don't like when my hair gets in my eyes, ears and face. I wasn't fussy this time. My hair is much shorter and that's good enough for me. I am thankful I have my father's barber tools.
Grilling
I continue to enjoy the almost-summer season by cooking outdoors. This week I tried something new.
I have a fryer basket I bought when I wanted to make fried clams. Then I learned there is a fishing moratorium on sea clams. I use the basket when making Popcorn Chicken. This week I put some frozen vegetables in the basket and placed it on the grill while cooking some chicken. It worked well.
I've seen tubular vegetable baskets on Vine, but those look difficult to clean. The fryer basket worked well and it was easy to clean.
Tomato Plants
This week the marigold seeds arrived. I planted some around the perimeter of the large pot that holds my tomato plants. From what I found online, the scent of marigolds confuses potentially invasive insects. The package says to watch for aphids. If the plants can keep the aphids, and maybe the white flies, away from my tomato plants, that will be mission accomplished.
Weight
It's the same problem all over again. As my weight declines, my body fights back. Stored fat is money in the bank to get us through a famine. The body doesn't care that there are three grocery stores within walking distance of my home. As the fat stores decrease, the hunger increases. I can tolerate some hunger, but too often I give in and eat.
And this morning I weighed the same as I did one month ago. I need to try a different tactic. The average for the week put me back in the obese category.