The Grand Marlin

Our final night in Panama City Beach, Florida, saw us try The Grand Marlin, an upscale seafood restaurant, for dinner. My appetizer of a half dozen oysters is shown below, and they are some of the largest and most delicious oysters I've ever had. On the left is my entrée, rare Yellowfin Tuna, one of their specials that changes daily depending on what the boat brings in.  If you're looking to dress up and have a special dinner, this place is for you.

https://pcb.thegrandmarlin.com

Grand "Blue" Lagoon

I like trying something different quite often, and the Grand "Blue" Lagoon you see below, from Schooners in Panama City Beach, was certainly that.  It's an upscale combination of Patrón Silver Tequila, Grand Marnier, Blue Curacao, Lime Juice, and Agave Nectar served on ice with wedges of lime and lemon.  Just the thing to drink while staring out at the waters of the Gulf of America.

https://www.schooners.com

Sandbar Cruise

We spent a leisurely 2 1/2 hours on the floating tiki boat doing a Sandbar Cruise around the calm waters between Panama City and Panama City Beach, Florida.  We stopped at Sandy Point for a walk around its beach and watched the rougher waters of St. Andrews Bay.  The captain was very informative, alerting us to the various sites and their histories.  It's a BYOB tour, but mid-afternoon is too early to get serious about that, so a tall mug was all we brought aboard.  

https://cruisintikis.com/panama-city

Lawn Mower Blade

I took our lawnmower to Greive Hardware for a full tune-up, and they replaced the spark plug, changed the oil, and sharpened the blade.  I normally just remove the blade and sharpen it, like I did late last summer.  They let me know that I had reattached the blade upside down and that the mower would work much better now.  Properly installed blades lift the cut grass upwards so the mower can cut them again, hence, that's why it's called a mulching mower.  I think it's a design problem when a blade can be installed upside down; it should really just go on one way.  Lots of mower blades have something like “Grass Side” stamped on the blade, but if ours did, it's either worn off or painted over so many times it's gone.  I now know that the bent metal on both sides of the blade needs to be pointed up to be installed properly.

https://lawnmowerguru.com/which-side-of-the-lawn-mower-blade-is-up

White's Illusion

Look at the darker gray bars in column A and then at the lighter gray bars in column B.  Your brain sees them as different shades even though they are identical.  This is an example of White's Illusion, where an area's lightness is influenced by the part of the surroundings to which the area appears to belong.  In column A, the gray bars appear to be part of the long horizontal black bars; in column B, they appear to be part of the long horizontal white bars.  If you believe your eyes are different, do what I did: take pieces of paper, cover the black and white portions, and watch as they become the same shade.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White's_illusion

Honey Rainbow Carrots

Bugs Bunny might like his carrots raw, but I'll take mine as you see them in the picture below.  Gourmet Chef Elaine bought multi-colored carrots and coated them in a blend of honey, olive oil, cumin, salt, and pepper.  30 to 40 minutes in a 425-degree, preheated oven is all it takes.  The simplistic recipe is at the link below.  Colorful and delicious!

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/239779/honey-roasted-carrots-with-cumin

Tequila Sunset

The Tequila Sunset you see below was my choice for an afternoon sipper at Cantina Del Mar in Panama City Beach, Florida.  Like its cousin, the Sunrise, it features tequila and grenadine but replaces the orange juice with peach schnapps and pineapple juice.  Its presentation is enhanced with a pineapple wedge and a skewered maraschino cherry.  Will be making a few of these as the summer temperatures arrive at home.

https://cantinadelmarpcb.com

Porcupine Grass

At the northwest corner of our backyard, we used to have Viburnum bushes, but they were half-dead, and we decided to rip them out and replace them with a variety of Purcupine grasses seen below, specifically Miscanthus sinensis 'Strictus'.  It's similar to Zebra grass, but its stronger blades keep it upright in windier conditions.  It's a variegated variety, which is prettier in our opinion, and these should grow 7-9' tall, spread out, and eventually make a nice visual barrier that will provide additional privacy.  You can expect additional blogs, maybe yearly, as they grow up.

More information on caring for Porcupine grass can be found at the link below.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/maiden-grass/growing-porcupine-maiden-grass.htm

Yellow Battery

At the top left of the image below, you see a battery level of 83% and a yellow background.  That background happened on Gourmet Chef Elaine's iPhone 16e a couple of months ago, and I had no clue of its meaning.  A quick search found that a yellow background means the iPhone is in low-power mode, and that can reduce or eliminate functions that eat up the battery.  For example, the Auto-Lock delay is reduced to 30 seconds, 5G is disabled on some models, and background refresh processes like email fetch and others.  We have no idea how that turned on, but I suspect an overzealous button-pushing finger.

Read more, including how to turn it off, at the link below.

https://www.howtogeek.com/846726/why-is-my-iphone-battery-yellow

Tipped House

We were strolling down Gulf Drive from the Treasure Island Condominiums in Panama City Beach toward Schooners restaurant and found the house in the image below.  Its tilted fate is due to a tornado that ripped through the area over a year ago on January 9, 2024.  The locals told us it's still in place because insurance companies are arguing over who covers what if its demolition causes damages to the house it's leaning on.  Not only that, but the same house, years before this incident, had another issue that caused it to lean against the house on the opposite side. 

At the ridiculously long Google Maps Street View link below, you can see what the house looked like in August 2023.  You can also click on "See more dates" to get a few other views.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Schooners/@30.1406788,-85.7535722,3a,75y,229.11h,87.7t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1soYtLIHFfPMZzTp8IymX1Ew!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D2.303273399880922%26panoid%3DoYtLIHFfPMZzTp8IymX1Ew%26yaw%3D229.11314069825033!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x8893863247a05acf:0xfe3dec11a232f3cd!8m2!3d30.1411659!4d-85.7544332!16s%2Fg%2F11b778pjpz?hl=en&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Soft Shell Crab

My first candidate for dinner of the year is the fried soft shell crabs you see below from Uncle Ernie's in Panama City, Florida.  Two very large crabs, lightly breaded and served with remoulade sauce, were absolutely delicious.  We returned a couple of days later for lunch, and I had the soft shell crab sandwich, which was also very good.  You can look at their complete menu at the link below, which will surely make you drool.

 

https://uncleerniesbayfrontgrill.com

The Rosary

I'm not entirely sure if the drink you see below, called "The Rosary," is named as a twist on the rosemary garnish, or if you'll be saying prayers because it's so good.  It's Woodford Rye bourbon with a rosemary simple syrup, Angostura and orange bitters, garnished with rosemary and served in a smoked rosemary glass over a large cube of ice.  I had a couple at Uncle Ernie's.  More on that tomorrow.

https://uncleerniesbayfrontgrill.com

Digital Driver's License

Ohio drivers can add their state-issued Driver's License or ID card to their iPhone digital wallet.  Those of us on Android can only hope we'll get the same treatment soon.  This allows you to keep your physical driver's license and not hand it over as you're used to doing.  The major place where this may be handy is at select TSA airport security checkpoints, currently numbering more than 250 airports across 15 states, and includes my most often used airports, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) and John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH).  When available on my Pixel 7, I will load this just to maintain my image as a geek.

More information, including how to use your Apple Watch, is at the link below.

https://bmv.ohio.gov/dl-mobile-id.aspx

Can I Lick It

Somebody took the Periodic Table of Elements and created the "Can I Lick It?" version below.  It makes sense that all the elements that are present in the air (e.g., nitrogen, oxygen, argon, neon) are safe, but it is a surprise that yttrium (Y) and cerium (Ce) are OK.   I would stay away from licking lithium (Li), osmium (Os), and any of the other yellow elements, even if it's listed as "not a good idea".  Interestingly, fluorine (F) is a "really shouldn't" when fluoride, the negatively charged ion of fluorine, is used in toothpaste and drinking water.  Overall, there are a lot more "OKs" than I expected.  

https://imgur.com/gallery/can-i-lick-b605IbZ

White Foam

Part of the benefit of writing this blog is that I'm always looking for the next topic, which in turn makes me curious and questioning about everyday things I see.  So after sixty-nine-plus years on planet Earth, my brain finally got around to asking this simple question: Why is beer foam white?

Whether it's a light, yellow lager like in the image below, or my favorite, a black Guinness stout, the foamy head is white.  And when the head slowly settles, it turns back into the beer's color.  

In truth, beer foam isn’t exactly white, but because it's so much lighter than the beer below it, it appears to the eye much more white than it is.  That effect is called “White’s Illusion”, named after Michael and Tony White, not the foam's color.  More on that in a future blog.  Beer foam appears lighter because its structure is almost impenetrable to light, and the reflected light is scattered in all directions, making it appear white.  The same effect as the top of a cresting wave will be white as light is scattered by millions of tiny water droplets.

https://www.brewingwithbriess.com/blog/what-is-the-color-of-foam

Birria Tacos

I'm the type who loves to try new items on the menu, and when I spotted the new-to-me Birria Tacos on the menu at Cantina Del Mar in Panama City Beach, Florida, I decided to give them a try.  WOW, WOW, WOW!  The Birria-style meat was full of flavor, and after it was dipped in consomé sauce (that bowl at the bottom right), the flavor was off the charts.  Those three tacos were more than enough for a meal, but I made I didn't leave a morsel behind, barely touching the rice.

https://cantinadelmarpcb.com

Funky Monkey

I had the Funky Monkey shown below at Lizas Munchies at the Treasure Island Resort Condominium in Panama City Beach, Florida.  While not the best one I've ever had, this frozen blender drink features the awesome combination of banana and chocolate flavors, a couple of rums, and coconut milk.  You can see the full recipe at the link below with a better picture, including a banana garnish.  Can't wait until the temperatures here reach the 90s.

https://www.rumtherapy.com/2015/04/funky-monkey

Block Juice Jacking

I got a couple of the USB devices you see below from Technology First, a local trade organization I've volunteered my time for the past 20+ years.  All it does is allow the two power pins to pass through while blocking the two data pins.  Juice Jacking is the term for hacking into your device while appearing to be a free and easy way to charge your device.  By blocking the data pins that can't physically happen.

If you're the paranoid type or simply want to eliminate a real risk for a few dollars, you can pick up a 2-pack for $10 at the Amazon link below.

https://www.amazon.com/Rixmie-Elimination-Transfer-Possibilities-Juice-Jacking/dp/B0DQTWPQBT

Unlimited Essentials

I use Google Fi as my wireless carrier and, until recently, didn't rack up much for data charges, but now that we're traveling more often, my monthly bill reflects that increase.  When I spotted the new Unlimited Essentials plan, I found a solution.  The plan includes unlimited calls, texts, and data, with 30 GB of high-speed data in the U.S. for $35/month, plus taxes and fees (of course).  That cost will be a few dollars cheaper as my average bill has been for the last 16 months, and it will be nice to have it the same every month and not have those annoying larger surprises.  I gave up a couple of features that I hardly ever use and will easily live without, like free calling to Mexico and Canada.  I can always use Google Voice if the need arises.

Google offers a few other plans, which you can read about at the link below.

https://blog.google/products/google-fi-wireless/10-years-unlimited-essentials

Honey Points

Gourmet Chef Elaine and I use the Honey browser extension to automatically find coupon codes on our purchases.  Most times it finds nothing, sometimes it finds enough to pay for the sales tax, and every once in a while it unlocks a $30 or even $80 discount.  Recently, she received an email saying she had received some Honey points, which led me to see if more points had accumulated.  As the screenshot below shows, she had accumulated $144.77 in redeemable points.  That's the happy kind of surprise that can make your day.  We transferred that money to PayPal and from PayPal to our credit union.  

https://www.joinhoney.com

Panko Shrimp

A single 2.5-pound box of Costco's Panko Shrimp gave us four dinners.  These are fairly large shrimp in a crunchy panko breading (a Japanese breadcrumb made from crustless white bread) and their secret blend of spices.  In the link below, they describe how to make your own at home, which they fry in oil.  Gourmet Chef Elaine baked the Costco ones, so it's a bit healthier.  Quick and easy main course.  

https://kitchenjournal.net/how-does-costco-cook-panko-shrimp

Lawncare

It's been a bumper crop of dandelions this spring, and many houses would appear to be in competition for the award on who can grow the most.  But we have a clear winner, and it's a lawn a few houses east of us.  The sign you might not be able to make out in the picture below is from PureLawn Organic Lawncare.  We have know way of knowing how old that sign might be, but we're hoping it's in the last few days.  If so, this is a really bad way to advertise, and it might have been wiser to wait until the weeds at least began to die before planting the sign.  

Day Of The Week

For whatever it's worth...

I grew up (that's debatable) in an age without a computer (I'm old) in my pocket or within shouting distance, so I learned ways to solve problems in my head.  I still do that for things I want to calculate without a computer's aid.  One common question that I have a quick in-my-head solution is what day of the week a future event will occur.  For this example, I'll use the question "What day of the week is October 8 (i.e., my birthday)?"

I solved that quickly using two numbers:

1. Which day of the week is the current month's 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th (which I remember)?
2. The number of days in each month (which I know by heart)
• 31 for Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Aug, Oct, Dec
• 30 for Apr, Jun, Sep, Nov
• 28 or 29 for Feb

May 2025's 7-14-21-28 dates fall on Wednesday, so

• Since May has 31 days, June's 7-14-21-28 will fall on Saturday (+3)
• Since June has 30 days, July's 7-14-21-28 will fall on Monday (+2)
• Since July has 31 days, August's 7-14-21-28 will fall on Thursday (+3)
• Since August has 31 days, September's 7-14-21-28 will fall on Sunday (+3)
• Since September has 30 days, October's 7-14-21-28 will fall on Tuesday (+2)
• Knowing October 7 is a Tuesday, my birthday will fall on a Wednesday

The reason for using 7-14-21-28 is that I know that sequence by heart, but with any other, I have to do the addition, but the solution will work for whatever sequence you want to use.

Scrape The Shoe

In high school, I would run on the pavement at Deweese Parkway in North Dayton, a few blocks from my childhood home.  It was common for me to run at a 5:05-minute pace, which is middle-of-the-pack on a high school track team.  I also ran very quietly, not sure why, but if I was coming up on you from behind, I could very easily scare the living crap out of you.  It's difficult to yell a warning when you're pushing your limits, so I developed the "scrape the shoe" method as a warning, starting about 20 yards away and continuing until the person would turn around to find out what the noise was and see me coming.

Recently, I employed the same method, but I was walking towards a woman who was walking their dog with her face buried in her smartphone.  I wouldn't have really cared all that much if I startled her, but you never know what a dog will do when approached.  A couple of scrapes, she looked up, got her dog next to her, and let us by.  I'm glad there were no smartphones back when I was running Deweese Parkway.  I probably would be the cause of many broken phones.

Mainframe Computers

When I began pursuing a Computer Science degree at Wright State University way back in 1974, there wasn't an Internet, personal computers, or smartphones.  In the basement of their library, there was an IBM 360-65 mainframe computer like the one in the picture below and rows of dishwasher-sized removable disk drives and reel-to-reel tape drives.  Starting my sophomore year, I worked for the computer center as a student programmer, and unlike most students on campus, I was able to go into the computer room and see all the hardware that ran our class-project programs.  After my junior year, I took the open junior systems programmer job and really began to sink my teeth into the layers of technical details involved in these "Big Iron" computing beauties.  The YouTube video at the link below is a tour of Clemson University's Computer Center in 1970 and explains a lot about mainframes.  

Big shout-out to my buddy Nick for this blog idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnSmme5s8Zc

Halved Baked Potato

Here is a simple way to make a perfect baked potato.  Cutting the potato in half lengthwise reduces the baking time.  Placing them face down on a cookie sheet allows the skin to get crispy.  Just rub them in oil with a little salt and pepper and use parchment paper to make cleanup a breeze.  All the details and thoughts on jazzing up your potatoes can be found at the link below.

https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/baked-potato

Bad Wrap Job

While stopped at an intersection a few weeks ago, we noticed the incredibly bad wrap job on the van you see below.  The "Premier Health" at the top had the left side too low, and the "Infusion Therapy" in the middle had the left side too high.  I can't fathom a reason why they accepted such a bad job and didn't have them correct it.  This is the kind of bad marketing that leads you to wonder how good they are at their day jobs.

Coming In Closer

We like to use the self-service kiosks at Meijer, and while we were checking out on a recent visit, I positioned our small cart, as you can see below, to get it closer and make the process easier.  While we were doing that, a lady saw it and said that for all the years she's used the kiosks, she had never seen a cart in that position, how that would make things much easier, and thanked us for the tip.  Sometimes, paying attention to how others do things can really pay off.

iPhone 16e

Gourmet Chef Elaine's iPhone 11 was due for an upgrade, and we planned to do this sometime in 2025. However, with the unknown factor of tariffs flying around, we figured sooner was safer than later.  Her new iPhone 16e is shown below (with our grandkids, of course), has twice the storage (64GB->128GB), four times the camera resolution, and is 80% faster.  The folks at the Apple store transferred all the photos, contacts, etc., but couldn't transfer her cell phone number since it was with Total Wireless.  Best, and most unexpected, was the $130 credit for trading in the iPhone 11.

She called Total Wireless to get the number transferred and was met with an accent so thick that everything he said was almost incomprehensible.  That's when her technology assistant (me) took over and took it over the finish line.  

I can't wait for an English-speaking Chatbot to do this kind of support.

https://www.apple.com/iphone-16e

Homemade Sign

We saw the sign shown below as we headed out on one of our three-mile walks, and I was curious to know what was below the "T" written on top of the piece of tape.  How did they misspell "ESTATE"?   What could the hidden letter be?  I was so tempted to pull the piece of tape off to satisfy my curiosity, but I resisted, not wanting to mess up their sign.

On the way back, I wanted to snap a picture and from the other side of the sign, I had my answer.  It was the letter "A".  They apparently wrote "ESA", immediately realized their error, and used tape to hide and write over it.  

Encrusted Mac & Cheese With Bacon

Every January our local Dorothy Lane Market grocery store has their BaconFest event.  Just some of the selections are a Butterscotch Bacon Tart at the bakery, a Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball at the deli, a Cajun Bacon Cheddar Sausage at the meat counter, and a Bacon-Wrapped Sea Scallops in the seafood section.  We walked away with some of the Encrusted Mac & Cheese with Bacon you see below, which was awesome.  

https://dayton937.com/dayton-dining/baconfest-is-back-at-dorothy-lane-market.html

Flexible Tailpiece

I mentioned in last Tuesday's blog that I needed to buy a longer PVC tailpiece.  I expected to get one that was longer than needed and cut it down to the size needed, but what I bought is what you see below, an accordion-looking tailpiece that extends from eight to twelve inches.  The other advantage of this design is it can be bent to handle misaligned plumbing connections.  More product details can be found at the link below.

https://www.doitbest.com/product/400649/do-it-best-1-1-2-in-x-12-in-white-plastic-tailpiece-400649

Hottest Times

A few weeks ago I blogged on my life's coldest times.  Now, over on my Life Experiences blog at the link below, I cover the hottest times.  There are not that many compared to the cold ones, but these four stick out in my memory as self-induced puddles of sweat and lessons learned.  

https://lifeexperiences.paulishing.com/2025/04/the-hottest-times.html

New Vanity

One upgrade we've been wanting to make is replacing our upstairs bathroom vanity with the model shown below.  With my brother-in-law's help (really the other way around), we first removed the old vanity which was so strongly caulked it took several tools, including a crowbar, to finally pop it free.  The new vanity posed its own challenges.  The holes for the faucet handles were not predrilled wide enough so it required a trip to the hardware store to buy a rounded file.  Three of the drawer handles needed two long flat-head screws, but only four were included, so that took another trip to the hardware store.  One more trip to the hardware store was needed to buy a longer PVC tailpiece (more on that in a couple of days), bringing the number of trips to three, which is about average for a project like this.  The result was beautiful and worth the work.

Huge shoutout to Albert for taking his morning to make this a reality!

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-Decorators-Collection-Clady-31-in-Single-Sink-Deep-Blue-Bath-Vanity-with-Silver-Ash-Cultured-Marble-Top-Assembled-HD2030P2-DB/315622122

Food Bank Donations

Gourmet Chef Elaine and I signed up at St. Charles Church to make this April's deliveries of all the charitable items donated at the entrance to the church to the Catholic Social Service food bank near downtown Dayton.  The first week resulted in filling the back two rows of our SUV (shown below) and unloading fifteen crates of beef ravioli, canned corn, peanut butter, pasta, cereal, soups, paper products, and more at their donation site.  We learned they had provided food to about 130 families that morning and that their food bank is just one of many in our region.  Pretty impressive operation and much-needed help to people in need.

https://cssmv.org

Lebanon Bologna

I love Lebanon Bologna (shown below) but never thought of why it's named that.  A quick search led me to the Wikipedia link below where I learned that Lebanon refers to Lebanon County, Pennsylvania where the Pennsylvania Dutch developed it about 240 years ago.  I also learned it's not so much akin to bologna as it is to sausage.  It's cured, smoked, and fermented to impart its signature robust taste.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon_bologna

Strawberry Mule

The Strawberry Mule shown below is from Cooper's Hawk.  It combines Tito’s vodka, strawberry puree, and ginger beer with garnishes of sliced strawberry, lime, and a big sprig of mint.  You can make this without the puree, but I like the extra sweetness.  This basic recipe can be used to make tons of different flavors, with peach and watermelon next on my list.  Bring on summer!

Bottle Protector Bags

I ordered an 18-pack of the inflatable bags shown below from Amazon for $20.  That's way more than I needed but the price was OK, so I got them anyway.  They come packed flat and include a hand pump that worked one time before it broke, so I resorted to my battery-powered pump instead, which was way easier.  It's a bit tricky to inflate and I wasted a couple of bags before I got that hang of it.  I inflated two bags all the way and that made inserting a bottle difficult, so I inflated a couple more about three-quarters, which worked much better.  These bags are great for packing bottles in my suitcase and not worrying they may break.

The link below now points to a 36-pack of bags for $30, so you might want to shop around for other options.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098DCV7X7

Resident Alien

Like most folks I talk to, my list of must-watch streaming series includes Yellowstone, 1883, 1923, Lioness, Tulsa King and pretty much everything currently being put out by Taylor Sheridan.  But when I take a moment to watch a series that Gourmet Chef Elaine wouldn't like, I've been watching Resident Alien on Netflix.  Without giving too much away, an alien (shown below) crash lands on Earth during their mission to wipe out all human life.  It takes on the form of Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle and tries to complete his mission, however, becoming partially human complicates things.  The show can be a bit off-color at times, constantly humorous, and plot twists are aplenty.  Most episodes end with Harry explaining his greater appreciation of humanity.  You can see a preview at the link below.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8690918

Grippier

Last November I wrote about using a pair of pliers to twist off the lid on a quart of Half-n-Half.  Well, perhaps that post and a lot of complaints got to the geniuses that designed the cap because as you can see below, they have recently increased the height of the cap and changed the design of the vertical ridges to make it much easier to grip.  It's still difficult, but at least at this time, I'm able to open it without resorting to my toolkit.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

A tuna casserole was a mainstay when we were kids, but until recently we haven't tried one in years.  Gourmet Chef Elaine used the recipe at the link below to faithfully recreate Katie Lee's dish and the highlights are the egg noodles, a homemade béchamel (butter, flour, milk), and the cream cheese.  Start to finish in 40 minutes makes this a perfect weeknight dinner.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/katie-lee/tuna-noodle-casserole-19576702

Creamline Whole Milk

The milk bottle shown below is from Homestead Creamery, a dairy processing plant in Wirtz, Virginia, and distributed near us by A Bushel & A Peck Bulk Foods in Clayton, Ohio.  It contains Creamline Whole Milk, a type of milk that is minimally pasteurized and not homogenized, allowing a layer of cream to rise to the top.  The cream creates a two-inch plug, so you either have to turn the bottle upside down for a while or use a knife to cut a hole to get to the milk.  I used it to make homemade mozzarella cheese, as I demonstrated back in 2016 at this blog link.

The link to Homestead Creamery below includes a Where To Buy search function.  

More on A Bushel & A Peck is at the second link.

Big shout out to Dan and Kim for a half-gallon of this natural wonder!

https://www.homesteadcreameryinc.com/our-products/milk/whole-creamline

https://www.abushelandapeckbulkfoods.com

Locate Your Apple Watch

Even easier than training your faithful dog to find your misplaced Apple Watch (and other devices), your iPhone, iPad, or iCloud account's Find Devices takes a lot less time and effort.  For example, on your iPhone you go to the Apple Watch app, tap My Watch, and then tap All Watches.  Tap the Info button next to your watch, then Find My Apple Watch.  If you suspect your Apple Watch is close by, tap Play Sound.  If you believe you left it elsewhere, tap your watch to see its location on a map.

More information on Find Devices can be found at the link below.

https://support.apple.com/en-my/guide/watch/apdd3f9d7bc6/watchos

Dishwasher Wheels

It's unusual to do a repair on a household appliance and be pleasantly surprised that it was easy and cheap. When the wheels on our lower dishwasher rack fell off and could no longer snap back into place, I went to Amazon to find replacements.  They don't sell separate wheels but have the whole wheel mechanism, and a four-pack only set us back $10.  The old ones snapped off with a little help from a screwdriver and the new ones just needed a good shove to install.  Good as new.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWY44GXC

Deep Tissue Massage Gun

This might be the best $40 investment we've ever made.  Believe it or not, getting older comes with increasingly more frequent aches and pains, but this massage gun and its ten replaceable massage heads can reach deep to relieve the soreness, loosen up knots, and in my case, eliminate a bicep pain (most likely a little scar tissue) that I've had for about fifteen years.  All its features can be found at the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083L8RNJR

Easy Parmesan "Risotto"

Gourmet Chef Elaine makes some seriously delicious risotto, but the constant stirring is tedious and time-consuming.  This recipe from The Kitchen makes a faux "risotto" (pun intended) and starts with Arborio rice and chicken stock in a Dutch oven and baked, covered, for 45 minutes.  The remaining ingredients are added and stirred for a few minutes; it's ready to serve.

All the details can be found at this link.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/easy-parmesan-risotto-recipe-2172312

Wild Watermelon

Stopping at Buc-ee's on the drive from Austin to College Station, Texas is a must.  They have the largest, cleanest restrooms on the planet and there is always something new to try in its huge, 56,000-square-foot emporium.  I spotted their version of an Icee machine (they had several) and it was an easy decision to get the Wild Watermelon, a real treat for $0.99.  It made the remaining one-and-a-half hours on the road very pleasant.

Collectable Crypto

The Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently put out a statement classifying a meme coin as a type of collectible that is not subject to the agency's rules on securities.  So it's sort of like comic books, baseball cards, or stamps that people invest in hoping they will go up in value.  But unlike these examples, a meme coin, which is inspired by internet memes, characters, current events, or trends, does not actually exist as a tangible object., but is purely a digital asset that exists on a blockchain network.  Why in the world anyone would want to buy something with absolutely zero intrinsic value, is beyond me.  It's even crazier that dogecoin, the most popular meme coin, currently has a market cap of over 24 billion dollars.  

The SEC statement related to meme coins is at the link below.

https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/staff-statement-meme-coins

iPad Charging Phone

If your phone is low on power, one option is to charge it using another phone or a tablet like the iPad shown below.  Since both my phone and iPad have USB-C connectors, I just needed a cable with USB-C's on both ends.  I didn't have that, but I improvised using a USB-to-USB-C cable and a small USB-to-USB-C adapter (which I bought several for my MacMini), the darker thing sticking out of the iPad on the right-hand side.  I now carry that cable in my laptop bag which I always take on trips.

https://www.iphonelife.com/content/charging-your-iphone-ipad-it-possible

MPerks To Wallet

We like the benefits of our Meijer Mperks card, like getting useful coupons in the mail and redeeming points for dollars off our bill, but the worst part is fumbling with their mobile app in the checkout line, trying to bring up the needed barcode.  Recently I noticed that there was a selection to "Add to Google Pay", but adding a rewards card as a payment method seemed pretty stupid, so I ignored it for a long time.  But when I had a moment, I decided to see what that would do and found that Google Pay is now Google Wallet, and storing the bar code there made perfect sense.  With that done, I did the same for Gourmet Chef Elaine's iPhone and now we can both easily bring up the barcode without accessing their annoying app and needing an internet connection.