Love's Dog Park

We stopped at the last Love's Travel Stop on Eastbound I-70 before getting to West Virginia, and this one had a Dog Park, a feature we've not seen at other Love's.  Love's is the best place to stop if you're towing a trailer, driving a semi, or any other extra-long vehicle.  Since Love's caters to long-haul drivers, having a Dog Park makes a lot of sense for those that bring their pooch along.  So while you're grabbing a shower, your driving mate can watch the dog as it gets a bit of exercise and vice versa.  

https://www.loves.com

Using AI To Recognize Fraud

I noticed the sign you see below and wondered what this is all about.  So I uploaded the photo to the Google Gemini chatbot and asked, "What is this all about?"  The answer you see below was enlightening, particularly the legal pitfalls of selling excess supplies paid for by Medicare or Medicaid.  It's a big help to simply upload a photo and get a very complete answer.  

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Signs like the one in your photo—often referred to as "Cash for Diabetic Supplies" signs—operate within an unregulated "gray market," and you should approach them with extreme caution.

While the act of selling personal, unused medical supplies is not inherently illegal in the United States, these operations are frequently associated with significant risks and consumer complaints.

Areas of great concern:

High Risk of Scams: Many companies that operate through these types of signs or websites have been reported for failing to pay customers after receiving their supplies. Some have received "F" ratings from the Better Business Bureau due to a high volume of unresolved complaints.

Legal Pitfalls: It is illegal to sell medical supplies that were obtained through government programs like Medicare or Medicaid. Engaging in this activity could lead to legal consequences for the seller.

Safety Concerns: The FDA and the American Diabetes Association have warned that resold test strips may be unsafe. Because these items are often transported and stored outside of regulated supply chains, they may be exposed to improper temperatures or humidity, which can cause them to provide inaccurate blood glucose readings. Using inaccurate strips can lead to incorrect insulin dosing, which is a serious health risk.

Predatory Practices: These businesses often target individuals who are struggling financially or who may have accumulated a surplus of supplies. In some cases, patients may even be discouraged from testing as often as they should just to sell the "extra" strips for cash, which is dangerous for their health management.

If you are looking to manage excess medical supplies, it is safer to contact your healthcare provider or pharmacist, as they may have recommendations for how to safely donate or dispose of unused items. If you believe you have encountered a fraudulent business or suspect Medicare fraud, you can report it to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) at oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/ or call 1-800-HHS-TIPS.

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Hillbilly's Choice

The yummy Jalapeno Honey Mustard and Apple Butter BBQ Sauce comes from Hillbilly's Choice, which is located in Wadsworth, Ohio, south and west of Akron.  These are just two of the almost one hundred choices you can find at the link below.  The mustard is awesome on hot dogs, and the apple butter addition to the BBQ sauce is uniquely delicious.  

Big Shout-Out to my son and daughter-in-law for this tasty Father's Day treat.

https://www.cowboychoice.com

Spiced Watermelon Paloma

The Spiced Watermelon Paloma you see below is a combination of Patrón Silver Tequila, watermelon, lime, and grapefruit juices, topped off with club soda and served in a glass with a Tajín rim.  It's a refreshing heat-of-the-summer alternative to a margarita and is considered by many to be the true favorite, everyday tequila cocktail in Mexico.  Paloma literally translates to dove, which I have no idea why they named a drink after a bird.  Life's mysteries.  Full directions are at the link below.

https://mybartender.com/recipe/watermelon-paloma

Cleaning With Cubes

Cleaning the griddle you see below has been made 75% easier by loading it up with ice cubes right after I've finished making smashburgers.  Before, I would pour a large cup of tap water on it and wait for it to cool down enough to handle, and then it would take me several minutes to rinse and scrub before it was ready to be seasoned with oil.  Using the ice cubes, it's ready to clean right after dinner is finished and takes only about a minute.  

Big shout-out to Gourmet Chef Elaine for this time-saving tip!

Corduroy Tote Bag

I've had a small cloth bag that we got years ago at the Sundance Resort in Utah, and it's served as my tote for our trips to the swimming pool at Walnut Grove Country Club, holding my phone, car keys, earbuds, etc.  It was falling apart, and I needed a replacement, which I found at the Amazon link below.  As the picture illustrates, it's a simple gray bag with a button clasp.  Not shown is an internal pocket compartment that's handy for something you want to find quickly.  Not bad for $9.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7QJQPWD

Using AI To Find Hidden Features

Gourmet Chef Elaine and I frequently take three-mile walks, and she uses her Apple Watch to record our distance and pace.  Every time we stop for a red light or to get a drink of water, it takes multiple swipes and taps to pause and resume our workout.  Since her watch keeps going even if we're not moving, I wondered if there might be an option to automatically pause.  That's a great question to pose to an AI chatbot, which I did below. 

While her Apple Watch does have an auto-pause feature, it doesn't apply to walking.  But Google Gemini offered up a "Pro-Tip" at the bottom, which gives her a two-button, one-hand option to stop and resume our walks by pressing the crown and side button at the same time.  One more of life's annoyances solved.

https://gemini.google.com

Blackened Shrimp

Here's another super-quick and spicy recipe, and it takes only three ingredients.  We like the Costco wild-caught shrimp that comes already cleaned and deveined.  You toss as many shrimp as you like in a bowl and mix them with as much blackening seasoning to get your spice level.  Add a little olive oil to a skillet and cook for about two minutes per side.  This is the tricky part.  Cook too long, and it gets rubbery real fast.  Pull one out at the two-minute mark, cut it, and take a look.

If you're more of an air fryer fan, you can find those instructions at the link below.

https://addapinch.com/simple-blackened-shrimp-recipe

DLM OJ

The fresh-squeezed orange juice at our local Dorothy Lane Market stores is the best.  It's a bit pricey, but on these hot summer days it's an indulgent treat.  On a recent shopping trip, we spotted the OJ taster you see below.  Just a little cupful is enough to make you smile in delight and throw a quart in the shopping cart.  But I couldn't resist getting a second cupful.  Am I bad?

https://www.dorothylane.com

Dirty Dog

I get a kick out of business names that make me laugh, like the "Ooh! You Dirty Dog!" name for a grooming salon we saw in Williamsville, New York.  It's a good way to stand out and get a unique name that people will remember.  They offer all sorts of grooming options for your pooch, including one I just can't bring myself to type here.  You can find it at the bottom of their Services page, linked below.  Just say I warned you...

https://ohhyoudirtydog.com

End Cap Covers

Gourmet Chef Elaine rightly noticed that the exposed bolts in the bottom picture below could cause a nasty injury and asked if I could find a solution.  I first turned to AI to find out what I should look for, and it gave me "Rubber End Caps."  Armed with that, I found just what I needed at the Amazon link below.  Sometimes just knowing the name is 90% of the battle.  The end caps are shown in the top photo.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKHLZSB6

Using AI For Ideas

The trellis you see on the left was my lame attempt to cover up our unsightly electric meter and cable box, and it's better than nothing.  Wanting some other ideas, I turned to the Google Gemini chatbot and asked for other ideas.  It responded with four alternatives, one of which was a slatted door.  I further asked for what that might look like, resulting in the cool design you see on the right.  It even figured out that I needed access to the boxes and provided a latched door.  The last request was for a complete parts list and assembly instructions, which were very nicely produced.  Looks like I have a project for later this year.

https://gemini.google.com

Homemade Hashbrowns

We made the homemade hashbrowns you see below using the technique shown in the YouTube video.  I peeled one potato and used a box grater sitting in a bowl of water to "hash" it into little pieces.  The potatoes are rinsed twice in cold water to remove excess surface starch, the culprit behind gummy or soggy hashbrowns.  I placed the rinsed potatoes in a sheet of cheesecloth and squeezed as much water out as possible.  I heated a little avocado oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, spooned enough potatoes to make a nice-sized patty, and cooked them until you see the beauties you see below.  The YouTube video at the link below has all the details.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWUTc9XvsaE

Bird Nests

Last year, I installed gutter guards, and they have done a great job of keeping debris out, but with the ends not completely sealed, it gave some enterprising small birds an opening to build their nests.  That's a genius move on their part since the gutter guards are a great defense against other birds or animals.  But they made a poor choice on which end of the gutter to build on, since the nest was being built directly on top of the downspout.  So I reluctantly had to undo all their hard work to keep the gutters flowing.  On the happy side, they had not yet laid eggs in the nests, giving them time to rebuild before the chicks are hatched.

Tampa Trolley

The TECO Line Streetcar, pictured below, is a free (I love free) transportation option in Tampa, Florida.  It has 11 stops along a 2.7-mile path from downtown Tampa north and east to Ybor City.  We took it just a few stops to the Sparkman Wharf area, which features many dining options, including The Back Bar, where we ate lunch before walking the riverwalk back to our car.  The streetcar runs every 15 minutes, seven days a week, and the hours of operation are available at the link below.

https://www.tampa.gov/mobility/transportation/streetcar

Chevy Equinox

Our rental car for our recent trip to Clearwater Beach was a Chevy Equinox, and that ended up being quite the challenge.  Instead of a shifter in the normal place between the front seats, it was on the column, as you see in the first picture below.  It took a couple of minutes to figure out how to get it in reverse, which involved pulling the stick towards me, then pushing it up.  To go forward, pull the stick and push down.  Push the button on the right, and you put it in park.  

If that wasn't bad enough, operating the wipers was a totally confusing mess.  While shifting gears occurs when you're not moving and you have a moment, needing wipers happens while you're in motion, and you shouldn't take your eyes off the road, made even more important on unfamiliar roads.  The second picture shows the unusual design where you twist one of the two mechanisms for the front wipers and the other for the back.  And you push the button on the end for wiper fluid.

Finally, it took me a solid five minutes to figure out how to turn the volume up.  I looked all over for the normal plus and minus signs or anything else that might indicate volume.  Nothing.  I found the power on/off button you see in the final picture, with its typical power icon.  Then I thought maybe it was also a twist knob.  Bingo, that was it.  

I've driven many, many rental cars over the years, but nothing came close to the confusion this caused.  Having this very unconventional design in a rental is a really bad idea.

Labeling Alarms

We just found a great way to simplify taking medications, in this case, eye drops.  In the iPhone screenshot below, we used the Label field on each Alarm to indicate which eye received which of the three drops needed at that time.  The pink, tan, and gray refer to the color of the lid on the bottle.  After the initial setup, there's no trying to figure out what you need to do when the alarm pops up; it's right there on the screen.  Pretty clever!

Cove’s Fried Shrimp

Most of our meals during our trip to Clearwater Beach, Florida, consisted of (really good) bar food or a sandwich or hot dog at the condo.  During one of our daily walks, we ran across Cove Kitchen and Bar at the south end of the island, and being impressed with the menu, we made dinner reservations.  Turned out to be the right call and will forever be our go-to restaurant on the beach.  

I had the Cove’s Fried Shrimp, which they describe as Syphon vodka tempura-fried, colossal shrimp served over sticky rice and topped with spicy crab and Kewpie mayo, ponzu eel sauce, furikake, fried onion, and garlic.  While I don't know what half of those ingredients are, the result was the equally beautiful and tasty creation you see below.  Yum!

https://www.shephards.com/dining/cove-kitchen-bar

Kettering Text-to-911

My home city of Kettering, Ohio, has introduced a new feature to its 9-1-1 service: the ability to receive text messages.  While they urge you to call if you can, there are situations where talking could make your situation more dangerous, or you just may have speech or hearing impediments that make regular 9-1-1 calls impractical.  

Kettering asks that you put 911 as the recipient and:

• Send your exact location first
• Briefly describe the emergency
• Answer questions from the dispatcher
• Don't use emojis or abbreviations

You can read more about the announcement at the following link.

https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/cincinnati/news/2026/06/01/kettering-now-offers-911-texts-instead-of-calls

Tailscale

If you don't know what the acronym VPN means, you can't hit delete fast enough.  

I have never been a fan of using a Virtual Private Network on my Mac, Pixel, or iPad, as the complexity it adds outweighs the benefits.  But I recently found TailScale, available on all my platforms (and more), a free (I love free), for personal use only, solution that is easy to install and configure, and doesn't require opening ports on my Internet router.  I run it all the time on my Mac and activate it on my iPad or Pixel when I need to access files on the Mac or route my Internet traffic through my home Internet connection when using less-than-trusted WiFi networks.

To test this, I used the https://whatismyipaddress.com website.  On the left in the image below, it reported my IP address as 172.56.125.79, one of a block of IP addresses owned by T-Mobile, which is the cell network behind my Google FI service.  On the right, now with the Tailscale VPN active, my IP address is 184.57.183.13, which is owned by Spectrum, my current home Internet provider, and I recognize as my home Mac Mini.  That validates that my Internet traffic was flowing through the VPN to my home before going to the Internet.

Learn more about TailScale at the link below.

https://tailscale.com