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.

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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

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

Elevate Your House

Two years ago, Clearwater Beach was hit by Hurricane Helene and suffered severe damage to many homes.  As we walked around the North Beach residential area, we saw the unusual solution you see below.  We talked to a local, and he said that some people opted to have their homes lifted instead of having a total rebuild.  The entire house, including the slab foundation, is raised and a new foundation is built.  How high it's raised depends on a number of factors to keep it safe and is ruled by FEMA and Pinellas County building codes.  

This house-lifting job was being done by JAS Builder, which you can learn more about at the following link.

https://jasbuilder.com

Using AI On An Excel Spreadsheet

I have a spreadsheet with names in column A, street addresses in column B, and city/state/zip in column C.  I needed to know which one(s) had the most characters so I could be sure that the labels I create from them would fit in the space I had.  I've done this before by using some Excel formulas, but then I thought maybe AI could do this for me.  I uploaded the spreadsheet, which has dozens of sheets, and asked ChatGPT, "Using the 'Summer 2026' tab, find the longest strings in columns A, B, or C."  In a few seconds, I had my answer, as you can see below, which was 34 characters.  Slick!

https://chatgpt.com

Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta

This recipe takes less than thirty minutes and delivers the buttery and garlicy taste you would expect from its title.  All the messy details are at the link below, but the short story is you cook the pasta, cook the shrimp, make the sauce, add the shrimp, and add the pasta.  "Easy, quick, and delicious: my three favorite dinner adjectives."

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a51270/garlic-butter-shrimp-pasta-recipe

Elemenopillows

We met Karen Larkin at the Columbus, Ohio, airport while waiting for our flight to Florida.  As we talked, I found out that she is the owner of a pillow cover business called Elemenopillows.  She came up with the name long ago when her son asked her, “What is an Elemeno?"  I'm sure you remember learning your ABC's by singing them, and like everyone, we smash together the l, m, n, o, and p together, and it comes out "elemeno p".  She decided to incorporate that into the shop name, and the rest is history.

Karen said she's sold over a million pillow covers over the years, and you can check out all of her amazing designs at the link below.

https://elemenopillows.com

Point-Of-Sale Advertising

Coco's Crush Bar, located in Clearwater Beach, Florida, is home to its famous Orange Crush cocktail, the drink shown on the right below.  Some smart lawyer figured out they could reach their target audience by supplying the paper coasters you see on the left.  Pure (and pour) genius.

https://cocoscrushbar.com

Doodie Calls

On our recent trip to Clearwater Beach, Florida, we came across another cute name for a porta-potty business, Doodie Calls, as you can see in the picture below.  They are one of Florida’s largest portable sanitation companies and offer standard portable toilets, high-rise units, ADA-accessible units, hand-washing stations, and luxury restroom trailers.  And you have to love their phone number!

https://doodie-calls.com

Using AI To Get A Proper Pronunciation

There are a few street names where it is not obvious how they are pronounced, so I turned to the Google Gemini AI chatbot for help.  I asked, "How is Schuyler pronounced?" and it not only gave me the proper pronunciation "SKY-ler", but also the information you see below on its Dutch origin.

The second street name is Lefevre, which is broken down phonetically as "luh-FEE-ver" in English-speaking countries and "luh-FEHV-(ruh)" in its native French (make sure to roll that "ruh").  

I have a bug about me that wants to know how to properly pronounce words, and AI makes quick work of that.

https://gemini.google.com

Spaghetti

We recently took a cooking class at Dorothy Lane Market from our favorite chef, Mary Cooney.  One recommendation she made was to be selective about the pasta we buy, and she named De Cecco as one of the best available in most supermarkets.  That's all we've been buying since.  The pasta is extruded through bronze plates, creating a rough, chalky, and porous surface, which allows sauces to cling perfectly to the noodle.  They use coarse-grain 100% durum wheat semolina, slow-dry it to preserve the natural sweetness, aroma, and color, and knead it with cold Majella mountain spring water.  We buy the #11 thin spaghetti that ends up expanding to the size of regular spaghetti.

https://www.dececco.com/us_us

Sad Sign

At our golf course, Walnut Grove, the driving range is next to the 18th fairway, and the people practicing have to stop hitting when golfers are coming down that fairway.  The club decided to make signs to remind both the golfers and those practicing, and made sure they were visible by putting them directly in their line of sight.  It didn't take long for an errant tee shot to knock a hole in the sign at the 18th tee.  The ones at the practice tee faired much worse.  The replacement signs are now safely off to the side and (probably) out of harm's way.

https://walnutgrovecc.net

Relative Finder

I have done the genealogy on several family trees, and recently needed to find out how two people were related.  I found Relative Finder (the link below), a free (I love free) website that works with FamilySearch.org, the free (ditto) genealogy website.  I signed on, selected the "Connect" option on the left-hand side, then selected the "See the relationship between two deceased people" option.  I entered my FamilySearch ID in the first input box and Robert Jacob Fleckenstein's FamilySearch ID in the second.  The results are shown below, but I did have to perform some cut-and-paste to make it readable.

The relationship of "1st Cousin 1 time removed" takes some explaining.  The "1 time removed" means Robert and I are separated by one generation, with Robert being older. "1st Cousins" would normally mean we share the same grandparents, but since we are a generation apart, that's not possible.  Our common ancestor, Joseph Eggenschwiller, is Robert's Grandfather, but my Great-grandfather. 

 Relative Finder can be found at the link below.

https://www.relativefinder.org

Flag Pole Holder

Some very heavy winds pulled our previous flag pole holder right out of the brick and mortar.  I replaced it with the super-heavy-duty holder shown below, made of 316 marine-grade stainless steel, a high-corrosion-resistant stainless steel alloy commonly used in marine, coastal, chemical, and outdoor environments.  I drilled the two top holes in the mortar with a regular drill.  To drill through the brick, I borrowed a hammer drill and bought a new masonry drill bit.  After a half-hour of effort, I had one hole drilled and the other one started.  I went back to the hardware store and bought a different brand, the one at the second link below, and finished the second hole in about ten seconds.  If I had to do it again, I would drill all four holes into the brick, as it's much stronger.  One more lesson learned.

Flag Pole Holder > https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTHCFWS9

Hammer Drill Bit > https://www.amazon.com/Diablo-DMARG1100-SPEEDemon-Granite-Carbide/dp/B089KWGSD5

Using AI To Plan A Cruise

We're fans of the Celebrity cruise line and, in particular, their newest Edge-class ships.  However, digging through their website, trying to find a cruise that might meet our date range and other requirements can be time-consuming and frustrating.  So I turned to ChatGPT and requested, "Find all the Celebrity cruises in January through April 2027 that are on Edge-class ships lasting at least seven days and have a stop in Aruba."

ChatGPT's response was:

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I found only a small number of Edge-class Celebrity cruises between January 1 and April 30, 2027 that are 7 nights or longer and include a call at Oranjestad, Aruba.

The Edge-class fleet consists of:

Celebrity Edge

Celebrity Apex

Celebrity Beyond

Celebrity Ascent

Celebrity Xcel

Matching Cruises

Sail Date         Ship                     Nights Itinerary                      

Jan 4, 2027 Celebrity Ascent 11 Southern Caribbean

Mar 8, 2027 Celebrity Ascent 11 Panama Canal & Southern Caribbean

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It likely would have taken me an hour to come up with this short list and ChatGPT took a few seconds. 

https://chatgpt.com

Avocado Toast

During a Memorial Day weekend visit, our daughter-in-law, Deborah, made the tasty avocado toast you see below.  She started with a slice of toasted multi-grain bread and topped it with a blend of smashed avocado, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  She medium-boiled eggs and mashed them with cottage cheese, which went on top of the avocado.  Next came the unexpected pickled onions, and finally, diced tomatoes.

That's some fancy, nutritious breakfast!

Ohio's Physiographic Regions

We stopped at one of Ohio's newly rebuilt Rest Areas along I-70 and spotted the infographic shown below.  It describes Ohio's five physiographic regions (classification of these landforms based on their geological structures and histories), which include the Till Plains that Dayton, Ohio, is part of.   It is characterized by gently rolling hills carved by glaciers 20,000 years ago during the last Ice Age.  

You can read more about all of Ohio's physiographic regions at the link below.

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=286210

Big Green Tractor

We visited Jason Aldean's Kitchen + Bar in the North Shore district in downtown Pittsburgh (or "dahntahn" in Pittsburghese) during a recent trip.  Their signature feature is the green tractor you see below, which is part of the main bar.  Of course, that's a tribute to his 2009 #1 hit song, "Big Green Tractor." 

https://jasonaldeansbar.com/pittsburgh

The Grumpy Gardener

Southern Living magazine is packed with interesting articles, and Gourmet Chef Elaine and I enjoy The Grumpy Gardener the most, penned by the award-winning author, Steve Bender.  He offers up advice on a range of gardening issues, with a bunch of humor thrown in.  He's also the co-host, with Nellah McGough, of Ask Grumpy, one of the top-rated gardening podcasts, which airs twice a week.

You can read more about Steve at the following link and read some of his articles; however, the humor appears mostly reserved for the printed magazine.

https://www.southernliving.com/author/steve-bender