Swipe To Logoff

Sorry, this is not for iPhone users, just us Android-loyal folk.

I've had Android smartphones for as long as I can remember, and it took me over a decade to accidentally find this feature that I really love.  I have a few apps, mostly financial, that I want to log off when I'm finished, but finding where that option is located — which is, of course, different in each app — takes some time.  But I found that I can just swipe from the left edge of the screen to the right, or the right edge to the left, and that directly brings up the confirmation message you see below.  Nice time saver.

Skeletons

When I took the picture below on Schuyler Drive in Kettering, it was still two months before Halloween, but I guess if you've invested (or wasted, IMHO) this much money in giant skeletons, you want to get your money's worth.  Unless you live under HOA restrictions, you can keep these monsters up year-round in Kettering.  But if they have a neighbor trying to sell their house, I wouldn't want to live next to them.

OUPS

I see "OUPS", like the one in the picture below, painted in various places, and I was curious to know what it means; a quick search led to more information than I expected.  OUPS stands for the Ohio Utilities Protection Service (also known as OH811).  They are responsible for ensuring that underground utilities are located before digging or excavating.  They use these various colors to identify what lies beneath.

• Red: Electric power lines, cables, conduit, and lighting cables
• Yellow: Gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or gaseous materials
• Orange: Telecommunications, alarm or signal lines, phone, internet, and cable TV
• Blue: Potable (drinking) water
• Green: Sewers and drain lines
• White: Proposed excavation boundaries (painted by the contractor before calling 811)
• Pink: Temporary survey markings
• Purple: Reclaimed water, irrigation, and slurry lines

I had no idea that so many different things are run below our surfaces.

Ohio law requires callers to wait at least 48 hours (excluding weekends and legal holidays) after contacting OUPS/OH811 before digging. The contractor must check the OH811 system to ensure every notified utility company has either marked their lines or responded with "No Conflict."

https://oups.org

Oklahoma Onion Burgers

I mentioned Oklahoma Onion Burgers in a previous post, but I haven't shown how to make them yet. Start by placing two 85-gram (3 oz) balls of ground chuck per burger onto a cast-iron griddle over medium heat. Season them with salt, then press a generous handful of thinly sliced onions into the top of each ball. Place a piece of parchment paper over each patty and smash it down to a thin patty with a grill press or a heavy spatula. Cook for 3 minutes, flip, lay a slice of American cheese on each patty, and crown them with the buns. Cook for another 3 minutes, assemble your burgers, then scrape the griddle clean—tossing about 20 ice cubes onto the hot surface makes cleanup a breeze.

If you want to see the entire production, I recommend George Motz's video at the link below.

Big shout-out to my daughter for this every-Monday delight!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wm-rPBkW2o

Frederick's Coffee

I was fed up with ground Starbucks coffee costing so much more at Meijer lately, so I decided to give their store brand, Frederik's, a try. I bought the Espresso Roast pictured below, and I honestly can't tell the difference in my morning cup of joe. I'll still buy Starbucks when it's on a great sale, but it's nice to have a cheaper everyday alternative.

https://www.meijer.com/shopping/c/collections/frederiks-coffee.html

Wavy Sidewalk

Gourmet Chef Elaine and I drove down Magnolia Drive in Sugarcreek Township and encountered the unique sidewalk pictured below. While there may be psychological or aesthetic reasons for this design, the best reason, in my opinion, is to slow down bicycles—especially e-bikes that can reach 20 miles per hour or more. Even if they are legally allowed on sidewalks in some cases, that doesn't mean we should build infrastructure to encourage high speeds.

Pixel Watch 4

The only watch I've owned since I was in my twenties, I used exclusively while running.  But after Gourmet Chef Elaine bought an Apple Watch a few years ago and loves it, I reconsidered, over many, many months, if I should take the plunge.  I knew I would wear it while taking our frequent walks, but would I really wear it for its other features?  When the price dropped by $50, I decided I would never know until I tried it.  

I opted for the Pixel Watch 4 (since I have a Pixel 7 phone) with the larger (45mm) face.  I paid extra for the LTE (cellular) model since I could add it for free (I love free) on my Google Fi cell phone plan, and it has Internet connectivity without having to carry my phone.  I choose the watch face you see below that has the date, time, temperature, heart rate, steps, battery level, miles, and calories burned.  

I'm still exploring its many features, but it has exceeded my expectations, and I wear it most of the time.  I really like its familiar "Hey, Google" voice commands, which allow me to scan my emails, listen to my calendar, take notes, and open apps.  Answering phone calls and listening to music (via earbuds) are my next features to explore.

https://store.google.com/us/product/pixel_watch_4

The Bald Advantage

I received an email from Grok promoting their image creation abilities, and the one that said it could create comic strips looked intriguing.  I clicked on the link that sent me to Grok.  The following script was waiting for me.

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Create a comic strip using the subject from the uploaded image. Style the comic strip in a bold Sunday funnies style with thick outlines, halftone textures, and bright 1980s colors. Pick one clear, exaggerated visual element from the photo and build the story around it, leading to a funny or unexpected payoff. Keep the dialogue short, natural, and easy to read, and make sure the joke lands clearly at a glance with no randomness or confusion.

---

I was surprised at how detailed the script was, and that's a good lesson about using AI: the more detail, the better.

I uploaded a picture of myself and, after crunching for a minute or so, here's what it conjured up.

Quick-Pickled Jalapeños

I had a combination of leftover jalapeños, a few end-of-season ones in a patio pot, and even more that our friends gave us.  Gourmet Chef Elaine found the quick pickled recipe you'll find at the link below, and it was the perfect solution (pun intended) to use them up.  You just bring water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil over high heat until the salt and sugar are dissolved, and pour that over sliced jalapeños in a jar.  Since they don't use the more time-consuming canning process, these need to stay refrigerated.  I wrote "HOT" on the lid to distinguish them from the Candied Jalapeños I make.  The simple recipe is at the link below.

https://www.southernliving.com/quick-pickled-jalapenos-8643492

Primer

I don't believe I blogged here about the twelve words I used to describe how a night of partying in Pittsburgh always played out.  You can read, if you like, about the Capper, Splitter, Slammer, and the others at the link below.  But recently, a friend who had read "Then The Party Really Starts" asked if I had a word that describes a drink you have before you go out drinking.  I said I did not, but I would noodle on that.

With a little research and an online thesaurus, I made a list of words:

• Beginner
• Foreword
• Intro
• Opening
• Overture
• Preamble
• Preface
• Prelude
• Primer
• Preview
• Prologue

I sent out a whittled-down list, and we all agreed that the most appropriate word was Primer, just like the guy pictured below who is priming a pump.  Now I have thirteen words...

https://lifeexperiences.paulishing.com/2017/11/then-party-really-starts.html

Alexa Voices And Speed

We noticed that Alexa had changed its voice recently when we bought a new Amazon Echo Dot Max, and not to our liking.  I found that the cause was the default Alexa+ Voice, called "Feminine 1, upbeat".  That was just too cheery for our liking, and we found seven other options, some of which you can see in the image on the right below.  I changed that to "Feminine 2, relaxed," and it is much nicer.  You can listen to all eight options at the YouTube link below, and per his suggestion, I'm trying "Feminine 4, grounded" to see if that's a better option.  You can also change how fast Alexa speaks, and I made mine a notch faster, another nice change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsTop0BaN7w

Corner Counter Hanging

This is not a picture of me praying in the kitchen, nor did Gourmet Chef Elaine put me in timeout.  I use this hanging position to let my lower body relax and stretch out.  I use gravity to pull down my spine and hips by using my arms to support my whole body weight.  This simple maneuver readjusts me just enough that it can immediately alleviate my discomfort.  

Where Will AI Take Us

Mankind has evolved through a number of "ages," and each one began with terrifying screams about how people would be out of jobs and the world would surely end.  Well, the world has certainly changed dramatically in my lifetime.  I pay for services that my parents never had, such as streaming TV, streaming music (satellite and internet), internet connectivity, cell phones, cloud storage, and the domain name service for this blog.  All those industries employ people in jobs that didn't exist when I was a kid.  Old industries died as the new industries took off.  

Whether or not Artificial Intelligence is the next "age" that will eventually rearrange the world like the three pictured below is debatable, but whether it is or it will be something else is not important.  What is important to understand is why the previous changes did not result in the predicted doom and gloom.  It was the entrepreneurs who created the new industries in a free-market economy.  In my mind, there is no scenario where big government and onerous regulations can lead to future prosperity.  Certainly, the government has its role to play, but the more they stay out of the way, the faster and better the transition will be.  

Just the opinion of one guy, but we can all watch as it plays out in the real world.

Tuna Arepas

At a special Sunday noon fundraising event at Jorrge's in Kettering, Ohio, the menu included a selection of arepas, and Janet makes great arepas.  On her recommendation, I ordered the tuna with pico de gallo and queso fresco option shown below, and maybe tuna sounds like an odd choice, but it was absolutely delicious. It paired really well with a tall glass of George's Bloody Mary, perfect for a lunchtime treat.

https://www.facebook.com/jorrgescantina

Don Julio VIP Margarita

The Mad Mex North Hills is my favorite place for a margarita in Pittsburgh, and my go-to variety is the Don Julio VIP.  It comes with a floater served in an inside-out, used lime shell.  The margarita is made with Don Julio Blanco (Silver) Tequila, Cointreau, a premium orange liqueur, and Mad Mex’s signature sour mix/citrus blend.  I asked for the Tajín rim (a Mexican spice mix consisting predominantly of lime, chili peppers, and salt) for an extra kick.  A full menu and a list of their nine locations are at the link below.

https://www.madmex.com

Proxy Wedding

A neighbor of ours told us that her niece was wed to her husband in a "proxy wedding", a term I had never heard of before.  I looked it up and found, "A proxy wedding is a marriage ceremony where one or both individuals are not physically present and are represented by stand-ins, known as proxies."  The husband is in the military, and proxy weddings are often the quickest way to get married and afford the other spouse financial benefits like legal, financial, and healthcare protections.  

Proxy weddings are only legal in Montana, California, Colorado, New Jersey (active military only), and Texas, so one party must be physically in one of those states, and the other party is represented by a stand-in.  Montana allows a double-proxy wedding with neither party being physically present, but it is available only to military members and residents.

More information can be found at the following link.

https://www.boydlawlosangeles.com/what-is-a-proxy-marriage

You're Not Listening

While out on one of my frequent walks, I heard a mother telling her young daughter, "You're not listening to me."  I listened for a few moments to the exchange, and it was clear that the girl was listening to her mother; she just didn't want to do what she was asked.  That got me thinking more deeply about what was going on.  Sometimes the choice of words reveals an underlying motivation.

I concluded that the mother should have said, "You're not obeying me."  But that would put the resolution on the mother.  By saying you're not listening, she's trying to put the resolution on the young girl, and she wasn't going for it.  The mother is not accepting who's in charge, and she needs to figure out how best to get her daughter to comply.  

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see how this exchange ended.  Did she just give up or try a different approach?  I'll keep my opinion on that to myself.

Long-Handled Squeegee

Windshield bug splatter on a long interstate road trip is going to happen, particularly in summer.  I hadn't noticed before, but Love's has both short- and long-handled squeegees available in their suds-buckets.  Since we typically take longer trips in our larger SUV (Infiniti QX60), reaching the middle of the window usually requires opening the front doors and stepping up to reach.  The longer pole made this an easy, keep-my-feet-on-the-ground chore.  Thanks, Love's!

https://www.loves.com

Tortilla Pizza

This is probably better labeled as a "use the leftovers" pizza.  We started using a couple of flour tortillas that had been around for a while, cooked up what was left of a package of chorizo, some Cotija cheese that somehow hadn't gone bad yet, and some corn and sliced cherry tomatoes.  The only "fresh" ingredient was a few leaves of basil growing in a pot on our back deck.  A few minutes in the oven and it made a tasty lunch and made some space in the refrigerator.  

Fancy Bloody Mary

The wild Bloody Mary you see below comes from Luke Wholey's Wild Alaskan Grille on Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh.  It features a whole fried soft-shell crab that forms a body, arms, and legs, a pickle spear for a mouth, and pimento-stuffed green olives for eyeballs.   Add crispy bacon, jumbo shrimp, and a couple of celery stalks, and you have an afternoon cocktail, a delicious appetizer, and a sideshow for the thousands of people strolling down the street.

https://www.lukewholey.com

Hoarding Disorder

I couldn't resist; I used AI to remove the street address from the picture below.  Too embarrassing.

To be fair, this house has no basement and only 1,040 square feet of living space, so it's understandable that the garage is being used for storage.  Before they cleared a path to their back door, all the stuff in the driveway was also in the garage.  Given that the valued possessions include a green, circa-1940 classic car (or at least the front part, as shown on the left) and most of it is junk, this is way beyond storage and into the realm of hoarding.

As the article at the link below begins, "Hoarding disorder is a chronic difficulty with discarding possessions—even those without any monetary value—accompanied by a dysfunctional attachment to often worthless or unusable items."  It also gives some good advice on how to overcome hoarding.  It's a good read even if you're just trying to do some spring cleaning (or fall cleaning) and get rid of some marginally useful possessions.

https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/anxiety/hoarding-disorder-help-for-hoarders

Double Tap The Back

Unlike yesterday's feature, I wouldn't have thought this might exist.  On both the Apple iPhone and the Google Pixel, you can configure an action to take when the camera detects a double tap on the back of the device.  As you can see below, I've configured mine to take a screenshot, so instead of the cumbersome combination of pressing the power button and the volume down simultaneously, the double tap involves less movement and coordination.  You can read more about the feature at the links below.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/111772

https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/7443425

Volume Button Shutter

I am totally ashamed that I did not know this camera feature until a few days ago.  Instead of using the round white button on the camera app's screen, you can use either the volume up or the volume down button as the shutter.  So instead of holding the camera in one hand and pressing the white button with the other, you hold the phone in both hands, making it much steadier.  Works on both Gourmet Chef Elaine's iPhone and my Google Pixel 7.  

https://www.isumsoft.com/iphone-tips/take-photos-with-volume-buttons-in-iphone.html

Texas Toast Tomato Pies

With this year's tomato crop delivering some of the best we've tasted, Gourmet Chef Elaine found this simple recipe that was a hit.  It combines Texas Toast (our favorite), a layer of Boursin cheese and mayo, and thick tomato slices topped with shredded sharp Cheddar cheese and chopped chives (from our own patio-grown pots).  Directions and spices needed can be found at the link below.

https://www.southernliving.com/texas-toast-tomato-pies-12008235

Knockoff

I ran across the free (I love free) Knockoff browser extension in the daily email I get from Clark Howard.  After you add it to your web browser, it automatically filters Amazon search results based on the seller’s trademark and brand legitimacy.  By default, it just dims to filtered results (like in the screenshot below), but you can configure it to hide them entirely.  As Clark notes in his in-depth write-up at the link below, "It isn’t a perfect solution for keeping your Amazon purchases safe, but it helps save time by eliminating a lot of the junk."  

https://clark.com/shopping-retail/knockoff-amazon-fake-brands

Reloads

Thanks to my son and daughter-in-law, I had some gift card money to spend at Golf Galaxy, and I spent a half-hour wandering through the store looking for deals.  In addition to finding a nice, lightweight Safari hat, I found the like-new Titleist Pro V1 golf balls from Reload that you see below.  The Pro V1 is one of the very best golf balls on the market, and you can pick up a dozen on Amazon for around $58.  I bought two dozen Reloads for that same money, and they look every bit like brand-new golf balls.  Sweet deal!

https://www.golfgalaxy.com

Golf Cart Ports

I recently noticed, after oh so many years, that the golf carts at Walnut Grove Country Club had a little flip-up cover and was surprised to see there were two USB ports underneath, as seen below.  I guess that shouldn't surprise me in today's tech-connected world, but when I think of golf, I think about disconnecting for a few hours.  I'm torn between putting a USB cable in my golf bag just in case, or being OK with running out of power.  

Deplaning Made Easier

I didn't know that the armrest closest to an airplane's aisle could get raised, as you see below, until I spotted, out of the corner of my eye, a flight attendant helping a passenger.  On this particular plane, there was a small lever, circled in red below, that could be pulled to release the armrest.  Having that out of the way makes wiggling this 70-year-old body out of the seat much easier.

Farmer's Casserole

This is a great make-ahead dish to feed a crowd for tomorrow morning's breakfast.  Layer hash brown potatoes in a casserole dish that's been sprayed with oil, then top with pepper Jack cheese, ham, and green onions.  Pour a mixture of evaporated milk, eggs, pepper, and salt on top of that.  You can refrigerate that overnight or go straight to baking it in a 350-degree, preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, then let it rest a few minutes before serving.  

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/22454/farmers-casserole

Dual Alarms

After checking the battery-powered smoke detectors in our house, I found two that were more than 10 years old and needed replacing.  I opted for the model shown below, which has a 10-year battery, saving the time and expense of replacing the typical 9-volt battery every year.  For about $10 more, I ordered the combo Smoke + Carbon Monoxide model.  This alarm also speaks "Fire!" or "Warning! Carbon Monoxide!" so you know which it detected.  Since we have a gas furnace and a gas stovetop, having this dual-alarm model makes sense.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDWB196S

Pantry Outlet

The picture below is from Gourmet Chef Elaine's son's house in Texas.  Instead of their toaster taking up counter space, it sits on a shelf in their pantry.  I've never seen a pantry with an electrical outlet, but it certainly adds flexibility to a kitchen.  Pretty clever idea!

Buc-ee's Red Lights

In the spacious and super-clean bathrooms at Buc-ee's, there are lights on top of each stall to indicate whether it's occupied or not.  With a quick glance, you can find a green light and "off you go" (pun intended).  That's way better than walking past doors looking for a little green on the lock.  This attention to detail is one of the many things I love about Buc-ee's.

https://buc-ees.com

Larriwood Avenue

We live on Larriwood Avenue in Kettering, Ohio.  I really didn't need to add the city or state to that since there is only one Larriwood Avenue in the entire United States.  I figured the name had something to do with someone back in the mid-1950s when the house was built.  I reviewed the original plat books, available at the link below, for an entry for Larriwood Avenue, which turned up these four names: George R. and Miriam E. Steller, Swango & Sons Construction, and C.W. Zimmerman.

George was a Registered Land Surveyor, and he surveyed, engineered, and certified dozens of residential and commercial plat maps across Montgomery and Butler counties from the 1920s through the 1950s.  He and Miriam were prominent local figures and philanthropists in the Dayton–Kettering area of Montgomery County, Ohio, and owned the land our plat is built on.  In 1962, George and Miriam donated 4.4 acres of land at the corner of David Road and Marshall Road to the Dayton YMCA (now called South YMCA).  Our plat is called Miriam Acres, and there is a Miriam Drive a few houses away.  I presume they were named after her.  But no connection was found to Larriwood Avenue.

Swango & Sons Construction, our home's builder, was owned by Stanley Sterling Swango Jr. Again, no connection could be found for Larriwood Avenue; however, it turns out that Stanley Jr. is Gourmet Chef Elaine's 14th cousin twice removed.  How weird is that?

C.W. (Carl) Zimmerman also signed our plat book entry, and his company was the general contractor that built Miriam Acres.  Searching his family tree in familysearch.org, I found he had a son, Lawrence Lee Zimmerman, who died in 1944 at the age of five months.  I believe our street is named after him.

https://www.mcohio.org/DocumentCenter/View/1737/Recorded-Plat-Books-PDF

BBQ Chicken Legs

The recipe at the link below calls for chicken thighs, but when our Dot's Market had chicken legs on sale for $1.49 a pound, we did the old switcharoo.  The legs were marinated in a sweet-and-spicy mixture, refrigerated, then brought back to room temperature before being put on the grill.  We didn't follow the cooking directions in the recipe, opting to cook the legs over indirect heat until their internal temperature reached 165 degrees, then move them to very hot direct heat to crisp them up, and finally cover them in BBQ sauce back on the indirect side.  

https://grilledcheesesocial.com/wprm_print/bbq-chicken-thigh-recipe-grilled-or-baked

Aggravation Off

Back in 2017, I blogged about Stop/Start Technology, the car feature that stops your car's engine when you're not moving and restarts it when you lift your foot off the brake.  I said back then that I was OK with it, but I've changed my mind.  Since neither of our cars has that feature, it continually startles me when the engine shuts off.  I also don't like the extra wear and tear on the starter, which would eventually cause an expensive repair.  

Fortunately, there is a button to turn that "feature" off.  It's the middle button in the picture below, the one with the "A" with an arc around it.  I'm sure the "A" stands for Aggravation.

Deck Extension

After having the hot tub removed, we had to do something with the deck.  We could have just had a railing installed, but instead opted to add the 4'x8' extension you see below.  A friend suggested calling Ryan Struve at Broken 9 Design, and he and his crew did a great job making it look seamless.  Not seen is the third red umbrella that provides shade from the afternoon on.  It's amazing how much bigger the deck looks, and it's more functional.  Yeah!

https://www.instagram.com/broken_9_design

The Little Things

The checkout lane you see below is from an H.E.B. (named after Howard E. Butt) grocery store in College Station, Texas.  Did you notice that the plastic separators are located on the side closest to the customer?  It makes it a bit easier for the customer to grab one, but it's a little more difficult for the cashier.   While just a little thing, it typifies how H.E.B. runs their stores; the customer first.  That attention to detail was a stunner.

https://www.heb.com

Using AI To Explain Ritz Crackers

Gourmet Chef Elaine has always loved Ritz crackers, but recently noticed they didn't seem the same.  I turned to the Google Gemini chatbot to find out if others had noticed changes.  The AI answer you see below shows lots of people have noticed and several of the reasons why.  Then she threw the rest of the box in the trash.

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Yes, consumers have widely reported and noted quiet recipe and ingredient adjustments in Ritz crackers over recent years, leading to noticeable changes in taste and texture.

Key Ingredient and Recipe Shifts

Fats and Oils: The most substantial long-term shift involves replacing older shortening components—following the 2018 FDA ban on partially hydrogenated oils—with modern vegetable oil blends containing soybean, canola, and palm oil.

Texture and Taste Complaints: Consumers note that the crackers feel drier, crumble more easily, and lack the distinct flaky, buttery richness they historically had. 

Subtle Adjustments: Shoppers and food observers report minor adjustments over time, such as changes to sugar prominence, adjustments to salt content, and the inclusion of additives like rosemary extract for preservation.

Shrinkflation: Alongside these recipe murmurs, parent company Mondelez reduced package sizes by roughly 30% while keeping prices steady, increasing consumer scrutiny on overall product quality.

----

https://gemini.google.com

Avocado Toast

Gourmet Chef Elaine and I eat lunch out about once a month, and one of our favorite spots is First Watch.  On our last visit, I had decided to have something really different and selected the masterpiece you see below.  It's fresh-smashed avocado on whole grain toast, two eggs cooked completely, and smoked salmon.  Oh yeah, and some green, leafy things that I left behind.  

https://firstwatch.com/menu/avocado-toast

Bag Of Nuts

The unopened bag of salted cashews you see below came home with us from the Austin airport.  We decided to have a Bloody Mary since we were at our gate with plenty of time to spare.  We found a seat at the bar where we were told they didn't serve alcohol until 10:00 am on Sunday mornings.  A short wait wasn't a bother, but then when we went to order, we found out about the strange Texas law that you had to order food with your drink from 10:00 am to noon.  The kitchen didn't open until 10:30 am, but the workaround was to order one of three snacks, and we opted for the nuts.  Texas law doesn't say you have to eat that food while you drink, and being that we were not hungry, we just packed it away for another day.  Sigh.

Driving Away

I took the picture below in a recent car we rented, which had a feature I've never seen before.  If you're stopped and the car in front of you begins to move forward, a chime rings and the message "Leading vehicle is driving away" is displayed.  It would probably be more accurate to display "Get your eyes off your bleeping smartphone and back on the road where they belong."  

I believe that if you make it easier to be a Distracted Driver, you'll be more of a Distracted Driver.  You can't fix stupid.

Texas Roads

On our way to visit our grandkids in Texas, I noticed road signs like the one below that had the unfamiliar "FM" designation.  Researching what that meant led to an interesting history lesson.

"FM" stands for "Farm to Market" and began in Texas in 1936, and was designed to help farmers get their goods to market.  It was immediately popular, grew quickly, and there are now 3,370 FM roads in Texas.  You will see some signs using "FM" and others labeled "Farm Road".  Same thing.

Soon the ranchers wanted to get in on a good thing, and in 1943 the first "RM", "Ranch to Market" road was completed.  Other designations you might encounter are "SH" (State Highway), "RR" (Ranch Road, a subset of Ranch to Market Roads), "PA" (Principal Artery), "BU" (Business Route), and "SL" (State Loop).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farm-to-market_road

Getting A Photo From A Video

I wanted to capture an image from a video I had of our grandchildren in their pool.  I asked AI how to do this, and it presented several options.  The easiest was to bring up the video, go into Edit mode, slide over to the frame I wanted, and take a screenshot.  Since the image had the entire screen, not just the part I wanted, I needed to crop it.  Easy peasy.  Just tap on the image, and some editing options appear, including cropping.  Adjust the borders and save the image.  

On an iPad/iPhone, the image ends up in your Photos.  On Android, it's in the Screenshots folder.  Other than that, the procedure is identical, and you can find it in greater detail at the link below.

https://www.trustedreviews.com/how-to/get-still-photos-from-iphone-videos-4400675

Mamma DiSalvo's

Gourmet Chef Elaine and I hadn't been to Mamma DiSalvo's restaurant in ages, and while looking for a vegetarian-friendly venue for my family to have dinner, I found they fit our needs perfectly.  I opted for the Shrimp Al Romano shown below and was amazed at the size of the shrimp.  They were huge, and the four were almost more than I could eat, but I wasn't leaving any behind.  If you're up for some great Italian, you can check out their menu at the link below.

https://mammadisalvo.com

Hat Trick

A great perk at the swimming pool at Walnut Grove Country Club is the pitcher of ice water they bring you right after you've picked your lounge chairs.  We used to keep the pitcher out of the sun's rays by putting it under a table, extending the time before all the ice melted.  Recently, Gourmet Chef Elaine wore a hat to the pool, and I repurposed that into the shade device you see below.  We now bring the hat every time we go.  

Total Wireless

Gourmet Chef Elaine's cellular plan has "unlimited data," with the first 2GB being high-speed.  With our recent travels, she blew right by that 2GB and her service dramatically slowed down.  As her administrative assistant, I went to Total Wireless to see how she could get more data and was absolutely shocked to find that I could switch her from her current plan to the Total MAX 5G BYO plan you see below, which has unlimited high-speed data and the other extras.  And the price?  The same $25/month as the old plan.  Shocker!

https://www.totalwireless.com

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