Carolina Gold Smashburger

While walking the main drag in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, looking for lunch, we decided to find something different and stumbled upon the Daiquiri Shack & Grill Margaritaville.  We walked up a flight of stairs and were happy to find plenty of open seats at the bar.  I chose their Carolina Gold Smashburger (see below): seasoned ground beef, American cheese, Applewood smoked bacon, pickles, pickled red onions, and Carolina Gold BBQ sauce.  It was absolutely delicious, and if we had more time to spend, I would have had (at least one) of their frozen daiquiris.  

https://www.daiqshack.com

Over-The-Top Halloween

If there's an affordability crisis in this country, it does appear to have impacted those people who jam their front yards full of Halloween "decorations", like the Milford Drive house in Kettering that you see below.  A Boneyard band, skeletons, both human and animal, a wheelbarrow full of skulls, and a sign saying "No Trespassing. We're tired of hiding the bodies" are some of the "highlights."  I don't think the "Keep Out" sign was really needed.

Altocumulus Clouds

As I walked outside a few weeks ago, I looked up and saw the cloud formation you see below, which I had never seen before.  I asked AI what it was, and its answer was:

These are altocumulus clouds, featuring a distinct, rippled, or scaly pattern that is often referred to as a 'mackerel sky' because it resembles the scales of a fish.  They are frequently seen on bright, pleasant days, but if you notice them thickening or lowering, they can sometimes indicate that a weather change or a front is approaching.

I have made this the wallpaper on my Mac and my Pixel 7 phone.  I've made the image public, and you can get it by clicking the link below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15wgyI8vIupSe8eA04U-a2enfqZlNlU4e/view?usp=sharing

Hydrocolloid Bandages

Even using a nice pair of leather gloves, I wore off a few layers of skin on the palm of my right hand, and it hurt just to touch it.  I knew a regular Band-Aid would not stay on, so I went to AI to find a solution.  I had never heard of the hydrocolloid bandages, but from its description, I thought I'd try it.  I found the bandages you see below at our local Meijer, a box of six for less than $3.  You can see the bandage on my hand, and it stayed put for a couple of days, and I only replaced it because nine holes of golf wore the edges down.  I was amazed that I could grip and swing a golf club, which would have been too painful without this bandage.  You can read more about them at the link below.

https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-in-hydrocolloid-bandages

 

Three Different Prices

We decided to replace the headboard on our bed and headed to Morris Furniture, where we bought our dresser, chest of drawers, and nightstands.  Working with the salesman to get the right price was a real head-scratcher.  Using the exact same ashleyfurniture.com link to the headboard you see below, we came up with three different prices.  I had $499 on my phone, Elaine had $549 on her phone, and the salesman had $599 on his computer.  How could the same link get us this result?

It took a good 10-15 minutes of puzzled looks before the sales manager saw she had the wrong zip code on her computer.  Same on my phone.  When we all changed it to 45429, we all got the same $549 price.  Wish it would have been $499; $549 is still way better than the $1,299 non-sale price, which we would have never paid.

https://www.ashleyfurniture.com

Philly Philly!

We did not expect to find a great pizza at the Gatlinburg Brewing Company, but the "Philly Philly!" you see below blew us away.  It's the perfect size, at ten inches, for the two of us to share, and it costs only $14.99.  It's a combination of white American cheese sauce, shredded steak, green peppers, red onions, and mushrooms, and it truly tasted like a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. 

Their pizza oven was nothing like we've seen before, featuring a brick turntable that rotated, with a large gas flame at the back.  I presume that design allows pizzas to be added or removed from the front and eliminates a lot of moving things around to get things cooked properly.  Pretty cool.

And the beer was tasty too.

https://gatlinburgbrewing.com

Where's The Candy

Our local Meijer grocery store recently went through a makeover, changing the location of certain products.  We absolutely hate it when they do that, but we adapt after a few bouts of cursing.  The change that upsets me most is trying to find the candy aisle.  I'm not a big sweets eater, but I do like having some Hershey Kisses in a bowl in our living room.  Twice now, I've wandered up and down multiple aisles trying to find their large candy selection because "candy" does not appear on the large aisle signs, like the one below.  Aisle 9 is where the candy is, and why "granola" is listed instead of "candy" must be some dodo bird's idea of being health-conscious by reducing an impulse buy or two, or maybe helping people get in a few more steps.  

https://www.meijer.com

Wigglebutts Spa

While heading to a golf course in Tennessee, I noticed a roadside ad for "Wigglebutts Spa."  I thought the name was very strange and wondered what kind of clientele they drew.  A short search revealed it was a spa for dogs and cats.  They offer services like "Face, Feet & Fannie", "Quick Wash Only", and "Full Spa Treatment".  You can find some really cute pictures at the link below.

https://www.wigglebuttsspa.com/fun-photos

Wamsutta Sheets

We fought for years with fitted bedsheets that would not stay on.  Part of that was having a pillowtop mattress, and part was that we couldn't find deep enough pockets.  Gourmet Chef Elaine solved the problem when she found the Wamsutta sheets you see below.  The pockets on these sheets are 16 inches deep, more than enough to fold under our mattress and stay put.  A much-appreciated tag that says "TOP or BOTTOM" allows us to put the sheet on properly, as the king-sized mattress is almost as wide as it is high (~76"x78").  

She ordered the following at the Wamsutta link below.

• Essentials "Original" Percale Sheet Set - $200
• Essentials "Original" Percale Pillowcase Set - $40

https://wamsutta.com

Lodge Factory Store

We visited a Lodge Factory Store in Sevierville, Tennessee, and we went in just to look around and see if there was anything interesting.  Indeed, there was, and we left with the collection of items you see below, plus a pair of plastic cast-iron scraping tools I forgot to include.  We didn't need the grill pan, but it was on sale for $19.99, so we couldn't pass it up.  The cast-iron melting pot will be used for melting butter, and the red sleigh will be filled with candy at Christmas.  Impulse buying at its best!

https://www.lodgecastiron.com

Cheesesteak Perfection

Gourmet Chef Elaine made up the over-the-top delicious cheesesteak you see below.  She started with Trader Joe's shaved beef cooked on a griddle and topped it with slices of provolone cheese.  In a pan, she cooked pre-sliced mushrooms, thinly sliced green peppers, and onions.  This all went on a Trader Joe's baguette, to which I added some Duke's mayo.  It was huge, but I couldn't stop eating it until it was all gone.  Philadelphia has nothing on her!

Caramel Apple Martini

On the Walnut Grove Country Club fall drink menu was the Caramel Apple Martini you see below.  It's made with caramel vodka, apple vodka, and Apple Pucker, with a caramel rim.  A caramel sucker is used as a stirrer.  There are a variety of different recipes for a Caramel Apple Martini that you can find using the search link below.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Caramel+Apple+Martini+recipe

Cleaning Wiper Blades

On our trip back from Tennessee, the first few hours were in the rain, and the windshield wipers were very noisy as they did not slide well.  That noise was so annoying that when we got home, I asked AI what caused it and what I could do about it, short of buying new blades.  The surprising answer was to clean the blades with isopropyl alcohol.  That did the trick, so I also cleaned the blades on our other car, which you can see in the picture below.  With all that black gunk removed, the blades are like new.

Watt CS And Ampere

I was having trouble charging my iPad with the six-port charger I carry on trips.  I didn't know if my iPad, charger, or charging cable was at fault, so I asked AI for ideas, and it pointed me to Watt CS, a $0.99 app on the Apple App Store.  As you can see in the screenshot below, my iPad was trickle-charging, which pointed to the charger.  I changed ports, and I got better results.

I thought that might be handy on my Google Pixel 7 smartphone, searched a bit, and found the free (I love free) Ampere app on the Google Play Store, and it delivers the same information. 

https://apps.apple.com/me/app/watt-cs-charging-speed-meter/id6766040428

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gombosdev.ampere

Cutting Board Holder And Baking Sheet Organizer

We store our cutting boards, cookie sheets, and wire trays in two overhead vertical cabinets, as shown in the first picture below.  It's OK, but occasionally, when we went to pull out one of them, several others would come with them and come crashing down.  We solved that problem with a pair of organizers in the bottom picture.  They're sturdy and measure 5.5" deep, 7.4" wide, and 3.3" high.  There are two 1.0-inch dividers and three 0.6-inch dividers, so the thick boards and the deeper cutting boards went in the larger dividers on the left and right of the racks.  Much safer and easier to locate the right board for the job.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H8BXGGFZ

 

Rootie's Blue Cheese

You can find some of the best chicken wings in Buffalo, New York, and on a recent trip, I was introduced to Rootie's Blue Cheese dressing/dip, which you see pictured below.  Best I've ever had!  Ultra-thick and extra-chunky!  Rootie's fans call it "Liquid Gold Mold" and refer to themselves as "The Blue Cheese Mafia".  If you're in a Wegmans grocery store in Buffalo, I recommend you pick one up.  It has to stay refrigerated, so bring a cooler.

You can also order it online at the link below, and they will ship it appropriately packed.

https://buffaloship.com/rootie-s-blue-cheese-15-fl-oz

Premier Protein

I've become a fan of protein drinks, but when my usual CorePower Strawberry Banana doubled in price, from $2 to $4 per bottle, I said, "No way, Jose," and began searching for a reasonably priced alternative.  While I haven't found a permanent solution, I ran across a deal during the recent Amazon Prime Days and ordered the 12-pack of Premier Protein for just $15.56.  I think the Pumpkin Spice wasn't selling well, and they wanted to get what they could.  The taste is a bit over the top, but adding a few ounces of whole milk gets it to where I like it.  

You can search for protein shakes using the link below.  There are a few options for around $2 per bottle, which is my happy price.  

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=protein+shake

Ruggles Ferry

Gourmet Chef Elaine and I took a trip this fall to Tennessee and played 18 holes of golf at Island Pointe and Ruggles Ferry.  Island Pointe was a real challenge, with most holes played next to (or over) the French Broad River.  A couple of days later, we played Ruggles Point, and while it had some water, the course was very wide open, in great shape, and even included a little cemetery, as you can see in the bottom picture.  While it's difficult to see in the top picture, my tee shot on this par 3 stopped two feet from the hole, the closest I've even been to a hole-in-one.  At $73 total for an afternoon tee time, including carts, it was a real bargain, and we would definitely play it again.

https://rugglesferrygc.com

Google Weather Lab

According to Google's Gemini AI...

"Weather Lab is an interactive web-based research platform developed by Google DeepMind and Google Research. It serves as a live platform to showcase and test experimental, AI-driven weather forecasting models, allowing researchers, meteorologists, and the public to visualize real-time AI weather simulations."

It's cool to see what's happening weather-wise across the planet all at once, like the screenshot you see below.  You can look at the current weather at the link below.

https://deepmind.google.com/science/weatherlab

Google Storage

I buy 100GB of Google storage because I've been using it for twenty-one years, so I've collected a lot of stuff.  For those of you who are running up against the normal 15GB cap, the link below is your starting point for reviewing and deleting data.  As seen in the screenshot below, you're presented with a high-level breakdown of what is being used by service.  Clicking on "Clean up space" will give you some suggested items and options to clean up by service.

https://one.google.com/storage

DLM Lobster Rolls

Our local Dorothy Lane Markets feature an outdoor lunch special during the summer months, and when the Lobster Roll you see below was the feature, we couldn't pass up the splurge.  I don't know if it comes through that well in the picture, but this baby was simply PACKED with delicious lobster.  I had to eat some of the pieces to shrink the rest to fit into my mouth.  With the coming of autumn, we'll have to wait too many months for its return, but you can check out the other things going on at DLM's four locations at the link below.

https://www.dorothylane.com/events

Pepino Martini

We recently stayed in downtown Cleveland at the Westin, and attached ot the hotel was the Masa & Agave Cantina.  I was in the mood for something different and decided to try the Pepino Martini you see below.  It's a combination of cucumber vodka, Ancho Reyes Verde (a chile liqueur), simple syrup, and a few other ingredients you'll find in the second image, which the bartender was sweet enough to let me take a picture.  It was a perfect combination of cucumber, sweetness, and heat.  I'll try to recreate it at home, but if I come close, that will be good enough.

If you're not familiar with Ancho Reyes Verde, you can read about it at the link below.

https://www.anchoreyes.com/products/ancho-reyes-verde

DEF

At a recent stop at the Buc-ee's off I-40 at the Sevierville, Tennessee exit, I noticed the letters "DEF" over a few pumps, wondered what they meant, and found the answer interesting and a little gross.  "DEF" stands for "Diesel Exhaust Fluid," and it's used in many diesel vehicles to reduce air pollution by lowering nitrogen oxides using a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system that breaks down harmful nitrogen oxide emissions into harmless nitrogen and water.  So far, so good, until I learned that DEF is a solution made of 32.5% urea and 67.5% deionized water.  Yuk.  In other words, not drinkable.

Buc-ee's sells DEF at those marked pumps for $3-4 dollars per gallon, or you can purchase pre-packaged jugs inside the store and save about 50 cents per gallon.  Sure beats getting it at Amazon for several times the price.  I'll never look at an 18-wheeler the same.  

More information, in case you're oddly interested, can be found at the link below.

https://dieselpowerproducts.com/blogs/blogs/diesel-exhaust-fluid

Love's Rewards

I've written before that Love's is our go-to travel stop on long trips, and while filling up recently at the last Love's before leaving Ohio on eastbound I-80, I noticed that if you download their app, you can get 10 cents off per gallon by scanning the app's barcode at the pump.  I did that and used it to save money at the first Love's on westbound I-70 after leaving West Virginia (my gas tax dollars are going to Ohio).  Not a big savings, but a dollar in my pocket is better than theirs.  I also get points, and my current total of 125 points translates into $1.25.  You can download their app and learn more at the link below.

https://www.loves.com/promos/download-app

Better Mute

I mute almost every commercial except ones that are funny every time, like the Allstate "Mayhem" and the Progressive "Becoming Your Parents".  That's easy enough on the TV remote, but on my iPad it involves repeatedly pressing the volume down, followed by repeated volume-up presses to restore the sound.  But I've found a much quicker sequence.  I swipe from the top right-hand corner towards the middle of the screen, which reveals the Control Center.  I can mute the sound by pulling the volume to the bottom.  So two quick swipes replace the tap-tap-taps of the old method.  The screenshot below shows the mute, but the rest of the screen is not black; that just happens because taking a screenshot does not include any video.

Sausages With Butternut Squash, Browned Butter, And Sage

When Gourmet Chef Elaine tasted this dish at our local Dorothy Lane Market, she knew she had to give it a try, and it didn't disappoint.  Fortunately, the store handed out printed copies of the recipe, but you can find it at the link below.  To make this easier, she went with a bag of pre-cubed squash, and we bought the sausages at our go-to meat market, Dot's.  The brown butter, maple syrup, and fresh sage leaves add a ton of flavor, and this recipe would be great on a cool, autumn evening.

https://www.dorothylane.com/recipes/sausageswithbutternutsquashbrownedbuttersage

Is That Old?

Happy birthday to me!

If I were fifty years younger, I could still walk into a bar and buy a drink.  Whoa!

That makes me feel like I should feel really old, but I don't.  Older, but not old.  Certainly not 71 years old.  

Cheers to collecting another birthday!

I-90 In New York State

While traveling to Buffalo on eastbound I-90 (aka New York State Thruway), I noticed the mile markers were counting down, not ascending as they do on every other interstate I've driven.  So I asked AI and learned that the Thruway was built before the federal Interstate system was established, which set the standard for east/west highways to start at mile marker 0 at the western state line and increase as you travel eastward.  North/south highways' mile markers start at the southern edge and increase as you travel north.  There are apparently a few other exceptions, and I'll keep an eye peeled to see if I can find them.

Scores At A Glance

I get selected sports scores on my Google Pixel 7 thanks to its built-in "At a Glance" feature, as you can see in the screenshot on the left below.  It automatically surfaces live sports updates on my lock screen, home screen, and Always-On Display for teams that I follow.  In the screenshot on the right are a number of other pieces of information that can be turned on.  

To get sports scores on an iPhone/iPad, you need to download and add your teams to the free (I love free) Apple Sports app.  Then go to Manage Live Activities in the app's settings and toggle them on for your teams. Games will automatically appear on your Lock Screen once kickoff happens.

More information on the Google At a Glance feature can be found at the link below.

https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/14884067

Umbrella Storage

With our deck expansion this summer, we now have three umbrellas that we need to store for the winter.  I didn't want to put them in our already-full basement storage room, so I looked around (and up) in our garage to see if I could find space there.  There was space near the ceiling, just above the rails for the garage door.  I bought a pair of Kobalt rails, cut one to fit the wall, and attached it to the concrete block with Tapcon screw anchors.  I attached pegboard hooks at each end and screwed them down.  We're ready to store the umbrellas, but not ready for the cold weather.  And never will be.

Schmidt's Sausage Haus Truck

On Labor Day, we like to go to Kettering's Holiday at Home at Lincoln Park for lunch and a walk through the car show and the numerous booths.  This year's selection was the Schmidt's food truck, where we each ordered a Bahama Mama, one that included German Potato Salad and Red Cabbage.  It may be difficult to see in the pictures below, but these dogs are huge and more than enough for a hearty lunch.  Schmidt's has seven trucks, and you can find the schedule at the link below.  And you can order their sausages and more on their website and find some really yummy recipes.  It's making me hungry!

https://schmidthaus.com/schmidts-sausage-truck-find-us

Half And Half Switch

We've ditched our usual Land O'Lakes brand of Half and Half for the Horizon brand shown below.  It's not that it's organic or tastes better.  We switched because Horizon uses a 1/2"-deep cap, which I can get my 70-year-old hands to get a good grip on.  The Land O'Lakes cap is so short that I have to use a pair of pliers to open it.  Somebody somewhere thought that reducing their use of plastic was a good idea.  We help them reach that goal by not buying their product.  Probably not what they had in mind.

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.

---

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.