Unexpected Costco Moment

One of the three Miscanthus sinensis 'Strictus' (aka Porcupine) grasses we planted last spring did not make it, and I dug it out a few weeks ago.  The plan was to wait until spring and buy another, but that changed when we saw the exact same plant, shown below, at Costco.  We didn't know Costco had plants because we usually come in on a different side than where the plants are, we're trying to get a cart, and I'm fumbling for the membership card.  But this time we came in the other side, and when we saw these grasses were only $18.95, instead of the $50 we paid at a nursery in the spring, we jumped on it.  Paying attention sometimes pays off.

https://www.costco.com/live-plants.html

Gemini Image Editing

Whether AI is good or bad for humanity is certainly a debatable topic; it can certainly be funny.  I uploaded the photo I use on Instagram (on the left below) to Google's Gemini and asked that it give me hair like Pierce Brosnan.  I also asked for a better smile.  As you can see on the right below, it did that and made me look about twenty years younger.  Or it just made me look goofy.  That's also up for debate.

You can try Gemini's image editing at the following link.

https://gemini.google.com/app

Calvary Sunflowers

At the western edge of Calvary Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio, on St. Andrews Drive, are two fields of sunflowers, some of which are shown below.  It's an annual tradition and a stunning display.  Calvary is a great place to take a walk, particularly that western edge, which has very little traffic.  With cooler temperatures on the way and leaves changing, I'm going to follow my own advice and take a hike.

https://calvarycemeterydayton.org/news/sunflowers-in-bloom

Uranus Fudge

Before I start, let's agree that Uranus is pronounced "YOO-ran-uhs".

This thoughtful gift, a box of delicious fudge from the Uranus Fudge Factory General Store and a copy of the Uranus Examiner, comes from Gourmet Chef Elaine's brother and sister-in-law.  The original location is in central Missouri along historic Route 66 in the Uranus Missouri Towne Center.  They now have three locations, with our gift coming from the newest location in Richmond, Indiana, near the Indiana Welcome Sign.  Where they pulled that location from is unknown.  Check out all things Uranus has to offer at the following link.

Shout-out to Dale and Kim for the fudge and their sense of humor.

https://www.uranusgeneralstore.com

Harrison's

Harrison's is a cute restaurant in historic downtown Tipp City, Ohio, and after considering many of their delicious sandwiches decided on the All-American Gourmet Club you see below.  Layers and layers of turkey, ham, bacon, Swiss cheese, and tomato on an awesome pretzel bun made getting all that goodness in a single bite quite the challenge.  More of their menu is at the link below.

https://harrisonsrestaurant.com

Custom MultiView

Football season just got better with YouTubeTV's new custom multiview feature.  I was able to select the four specific football games I wanted to watch, instead of the old system where they decided which combinations to offer.  When the game I'm mostly interested in goes to a commercial, I return to the four-panel view you see below and catch up on the other scores.  When I see my game has come back on, I select it to watch it again on the entire screen.  Love it!

https://support.google.com/youtubetv/answer/13418774

Deck Lighting

Our deck lighting has a control that turns the lights on, off, or to come on at dusk and stay lit for 4, 6, or 8 hours.  But at this time of year and at the 4-hour setting, it stays on longer than we like.  We wanted the lights to turn off at our bedtime, so I had to get creative.  The solution was to add a TP-Link smart plug between the outlet and the power cord, as shown below.  I created a pair of Amazon Alexa routines, one to turn off the power at 10:30 pm (aka bedtime) and another to turn the power back on at 10:00 am (well past sunrise).  I set the patio control to its 8-hour setting (way longer than needed), and now the lights come on at dusk and turn off at bedtime.  Pretty slick home automation!

Boxwood Blight

Like all the other boxwoods in the neighborhood, ours have been destroyed by a blight that quickly killed the bushes.  With the recent nice weather, I figured I'd get a jump on removing them instead of waiting for spring and having to see their sad, brown carcasses all winter.  I pulled out my handy reciprocating saw and my new badass Milwaukee Wrecker blade and cut them off at the base, which only took a couple of minutes per bush.  I'll wait for some wetter weather before shoveling out the roots.  

Read more about Boxwood Blight at Ohio State's Buckeye Yard and Garden onLine (BYGL) link below.

https://bygl.osu.edu/node/1359

Quick Fire TV Restart

Like every computer I've ever owned, our Amazon Fire TV Cube streaming device occasionally needs to be rebooted when it starts "acting up".  Before learning this tip, I would have to navigate through several menus to find the restart option, or God forbid, get out of my recliner and pull the power out and back in.  The easiest way to do this is to simultaneously hold the select and play/pause buttons for ten seconds, and the reboot will start.  This is demonstrated at the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gu2pkhp6wMQ

The Silos

I had to include the multiple pictures you'll find below because properly describing The Silos in downtown Dayton can't be done in a single shot.  The Silos is a combination of an inside and outside bar, four restaurants (Nood Bar, Kung Fu BBQ, The Burger Bistro, and Indigo), and outside play areas with various games to play.  This is a very family-friendly establishment, and the menu is sure to please everyone, including those with gluten-free and plant-forward preferences, with options available at Indigo.

https://www.silosdayton.com