Goodbye

I began this blog on September 7, 2009 and today is the 366th and final installment.  This year I began to think it was about time I stopped subjecting the internet to my ramblings every week.  As I thought more about it I decided to end with blog number 366 so that there would be one blog post for every day of the year – including leap year.  I considered having the last blog appear with a link to a blog topic for every day of the year.  This would be similar to the page a day calendar that is popular for cartoonists or for “word of the day” calendars.  After consideration; I decided it would take too long to do.  I am sure you will find a way to make it without my weekly contribution to your life.

Thanks for reading.  I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Back To School

Back To School

It is that time of the year when schools are beginning again after the summer break. Some schools will start shortly and others have already begun.  Today I will take a look at the good and the bad of back to school.  I wrote about back to school memories in 2012 as well, click here to read what I had to say.

The good:

• Traffic gets better with fewer people on the road during morning and afternoon rush hour.
• High School football games offer a fun way to spend a Friday night.
• Child care expenses are greatly reduced. Having nearby relatives has substantial benefits.
• Going shopping for some new clothes. I typically wore jeans and T-shirts in high school but was made to dress up in elementary school.  Getting bell bottoms was a big deal.
• Seeing your friends again on a regular basis. Things might be different in today’s connected world.  We did not have Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Skype/Face Time, cell phones or the internet when I was in school.
• Having your mind filled with knowledge and to continue your lifelong journey of learning. (I am sort of serious)

The bad:

• For the kids, it is the homework, getting up early and the lousy slop that they call pizza at the cafeteria.
• Finding out that you have a first period gym class or worse a challenging subject like calculus or physics.  After the summer off and sleeping in you don’t want to tax your body or your brain that early.
• The drama associated with the bus ride for the elementary school kids. On top of that, it seemed like every year I would get on the bus first in the morning and be the last to be dropped off in the afternoon.  Spending 45 minutes on a bus is no fun.
• Traffic gets worse during the morning and afternoon rush hour.
• For the parents the running kids to various school related activities.
• For the parents they also have to deal with homework every night making sure the assignments get done. I personally think they assign too much homework these days.
• For parents taking a hit to the budget to get clothes for the new school year can be a shock.

I hope this brings back some memories for you and I hope that back to school is mostly a good thing for you. Have a great week.

Honda CR-V Review – One Year Later

He Likes Me; He Really Likes Me

Last year I purchased a Honda CR-V and wrote a review after 3 months of use. I spoke of some negatives and after driving it for one year I can say that the biggest problem that remains is the lack of automatic headlights. The other problems I spoke of turned out to not be that big of a deal. They were the lack of true intermittent wipers and a dash-board display of tire pressure.

The positives noted in the initial review still ring true and it drives well with little body roll and the engine and drive train provide great acceleration or throttle response. The lack of XM satellite on a base model still aggravates me but we bought an aftermarket option that is adequate.  It was installed by the retailer in a poor location on the dash and the antenna frequently disconnects and has to be fixed by jiggling the connection. This is more than mildly irritating.  If the installation was better perhaps this would be fine.  As it is we are satisfied but not overjoyed with radio.

The fuel economy is astounding and we could not be happier. It gets about 30 MPG around town and about 36 on the highway.   We have not had to do any repairs and the only money spent on it has been routine oil changes.  We thought about buying an aftermarket rear compartment cover to hide anything stored back there but after a year the need seems less important. The cost is only about $100 but we never seriously pursued it after initially thinking we might.

The bottom line is; I rate this purchase a 94 out of 100 and would recommend it to anyone in the SUV market.  Happy motoring.

Tennessee Vacation

7 states on a clear day

This summer I was fortunate to take a couple mini vacations.  In June I went to Gatlinburg, Tennessee to check out the mountains and enjoy the wildlife.  I avoided nearby Pigeon Forge and all the tourist attractions.  I did see a black bear and several deer and even a turtle that was crossing the road as I toured the Smokey Mountain National Park.  I visited a farm that was founded in the early 1800’s by rugged pioneers.  This place was remote even in 2016; I can’t imagine what it was like then!  I cooked some juicy steaks on the grill and enjoyed a swim.  It was in the mid 90’s even at the higher elevation so a dip in the pool was quite refreshing.

About a week later my wife and I spent a long weekend outside of Chattanooga at a bed and breakfast.  We visited Rock City which was nearby and spent an evening in downtown Chattanooga checking out the local scene and stopped in at a wine bar to escape the nearly 100 degree temperatures.  We also checked out the Riverwalk and an outdoor flea market by the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga football stadium.  We browsed local produce, arts and crafts and had to buy some kettle corn that was made as we watched.

After the flea market we had lunch at a BBQ restaurant and headed back to the B & B to check out the pool.  They served locally roasted coffee all day long and I enjoyed some with my frequent snacks that were also served in the afternoons and evenings.  The breakfast offerings were very good with a breakfast burrito one day and Belgian waffles the next.  Again I enjoyed the coffee to wash it down.

On Sunday night we decided to travel about 30 minutes west of town and have dinner at a local winery that overlooked the Tennessee River. The wines were made from California grown grapes but were made, bottled and aged on site.   We sampled a flight of their offerings and had dinner there.  They had a wood fired oven that made a very tasty pizza.  You can’t beat pizza, wine and a terrific view on an outdoor balcony to end the day.  We took home a bottle of wine to enjoy and remember our trip.

It had been a long time since I had a chance to get away and relax.  I recommend it!  If you can’t get away before summer ends, try a fall excursion to view the colorful leaves as they reach their peak in you area.  Have a great week.

Tennessee River

Don’t Call Us We’ll Call You

Obsolete

No, I am not giving you the stiff arm. I am no longer in possession of a traditional land line telephone number.  As of early June I cut the cord to the land line and now we rely on our cell phones.  This move was made easier since our 2 year contract was up and in the past two years the cell phone reception has improved.

This elimination of a seldom used resource saved about $34 per month. This is not a large sum of money but why pay for something that provides no value?  The question you might ask is; what are we going to do with the $408 annual savings? Lucky for you I have a list!  Check it out below.

• Pay for a modest a weekend getaway – the saving should cover the cost of a hotel for two nights and money for activities. I don’t have to add in dinner as a cost since we normally go out to eat on Friday and Saturday night.
• Four new tires for one of our cars – not sexy but I would rather have fresh rubber on my ride than a useless land line that only gets calls from telemarketers.
• Trick out my bike with lightweight wheels – replace MPH that is lost by aging with technology!
• Drive 4,896 miles for “free” at $2.50 per gallon and at 30 MPG.
• Buy about eight candy bars per week every year at $1 each. Not recommended but you COULD do it.
• Sponsor a child overseas for $1 a day.
• Contribute half of it to a good cause and use the rest to pay down debt.
• Save the $34 each month at 4% and in 15 years you would have $8,367.10 to blow however you like.
• Depending on your age, buy a term life insurance policy for $100,000 to $300,000 face value.
• Get the neighbor kid to cut your grass every other week for six months. I like that idea!
• Buy a chair for the living room that only you are allowed to sit in like Archie Bunker.
• Buy a gift for your spouse and treat her like she deserves – unlike Archie Bunker.

Maybe you can find a way to save a few bucks each month and have fun deciding what to do with it. Have a great week.

Transparency Versus Deception

Why Charge Extra For Hi Def?

I recently changed from Satellite TV to a Cable TV provider and this is my story. I had been getting mail from a Cable TV provider for some time and finally decided to make the effort to switch from Satellite.  I could have done this a year ago but the laws of inertia were working in the favor of the incumbent provider.  See my blog about inertia by clicking here.

I called and asked about the $89 per month offering for a TV and internet bundle. This was the lowest tier offered but it was comparable to what we had with the satellite.  After dealing with these larger companies for cell phone, TV and internet in the past I suspected I would not be paying $89 per month but a larger number after taxes and hidden fees were applied.

Little did I know how much these hidden fees and taxes would amount to. Here are the details of my actual monthly bill with my comments to follow after the total is enumerated:

Deception? You Decide.

Incidentally, with my very first bill that arrived they announced price increases of $1.75 for the broadcast TV fee, $2.00 for the regional sports fee so my new monthly bill will be $43.04 higher than the teaser rate of $89.99 which is almost 50% of the original rate. The taxes and governmental fees of $11.10 are out of their control so I can give them a pass but the rest is deceptive if I can’t get the package without paying the additional fees.  It is like restaurant offering an entrée for a stated price and then charging for the tablecloth, napkins, dinnerware, and a chair to sit on.

Let me go further into the absurdity of some of these charges. They are charging $13.94 for high definition receivers!  Even I, Mr. Late adopter of technology, no longer own a low def tube TV.  I don’t think you can buy a TV that is not high definition and that probably has been the case for three to five years.  Why charge extra for something that is essential?!

I also take exception to the broadcast TV fee and the regional sports fees. They are part of the package and if these are simply charges that are passed on to the customer please include them in the base price.  They don’t sell cars with an up-charge if you want tires.

Despite the additional charges I am still saving about $25 per month and have internet speeds that are double what I had previously so I am satisfied with the switch but am already disappointed that they rolled out another $3.75 in charges on my first bill. That really says thanks for being a customer, now that we have you locked in for two years let the gouging begin.  It is a shame that I am resigned to expect this from a company.  Have a great week, if you can, after reading this.

Favorite Movies

Lights, Camera, Action!

• The Great Escape – This is from 1963 and has a large ensemble cast including Steve McQueen, James Garner, Donald Pleasence, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and David McCallum. It was aired annually in the 1960’s and 1970’s and I grew to enjoy it.
• Sole Survivor – This was a TV movie from 1970 that was very memorable and made big impact on me when I first watched it as a kid. The ending was what made the lasting impression.  I recently re-watched it and it had much less effect on me.  In fact the main plot centered around a General who was a young navigator on a doomed plane who bailed out and left the rest of the crew flying blind.  This was mostly lost on me when I originally watched it.  It starred William Shatner shortly after Star Trek ended.
• Wizard of Oz – I liked it as a kid when it scared me and appreciate the comedy scattered throughout as an adult.
• A Christmas Story – Despite the constant showings around Christmas I still like to watch it.
• E.T. – I knew it was going to be a classic the first time I saw it and was right. I even insisted that my parents watch it but they were not impressed.
• Gran Torino – This stars Clint Eastwood and that is all I am going to say about that.
• Forrest Gump – That is all I am going to say about that.
• Breaking Away – I saw this when it was released at the local drive in theatre around 1979 or 1980. This was a movie that was about some friends in High School who were going through changes as they graduated.  A bicycle played a part in the plot. Who knew I would become a bicycling nut about ten years later.

I guess that is about I can recall, I am not a movie enthusiast. I have other favorites that are universally liked but these are ones that made a significant impression on me for one reason or another.   If you haven’t seen any of these I would recommend them without hesitation.

Have a great week.

Ten Things To Do Next Weekend

Summer

We are approaching the mid-point of summer and perhaps you are running out of ideas for what to do keep things fresh and different on the weekends. Good news; I have a list of ten things you can do that you probably haven’t thought of that might interest you.

1. Go fishing – why not? Sitting on the shore under a tree sipping a beverage with some tunes on and snacks of your choosing is a lot like being on the couch. On Monday you can tell people you went fishing and impress your friends for having diverse interests.
2. Complete a home improvement project. Choose something that will not take too long but still can brag about. How about put up a clothes line in the back yard? You can say you are doing your part for conserving energy and if you do it right it can double as a runner for your pooch.
3. Go to a flea market and browse. You can people watch, find a treasure and snack. That sounds like a winning combination and your spouse might like it too so the bonus points will rack up.
4. Go to the city park and take in a free concert. You are supporting the arts and being community minded. That is another great way to sound more interesting to your friends. Pretty soon they won’t think you are a boring Neanderthal who only watches baseball.
5. Take a trip to the town down the road and go to their local museum or other attraction. You might learn something and then you can also eat at their local restaurants that might be new and different. Your spouse may also like this.
6. In case it is going to be a rainy weekend plan to clean out your garage, closet or basement. You need to do this any way and if you clean out your closet you can donate the clothes to charity. After you drop off the clothes you can have lunch or dinner and the nearby eatery.       You deserve it you were charitable!
7. Another good idea if it is going to be a bad weather weekend is to make that old recipe that takes too long to prepare during the hectic week. If no recipes excite you, bake bread for the first time or the first time in while.
8. Paint your bathroom or other room to give your house a little extra pop for the rest of the summer. Small things can make a big difference.
9. If you are able in your neighborhood, have a small bonfire and invite your neighbors to an evening of trash talking and bragging how great you were back in the day. Of course there will be food and beverages to kick things up a notch.
10. Work on a craft project to get a jump on Christmas gifts. Nothing says I love you more than a handmade sweater, quilt or if you are less ambitious a couple of pot holders. If you are old enough, you can relive your youth and make the kids some tie dyed T-Shirts.

I hope this list will get you thinking of things to do for next weekend. Have a great week preparing for something different.

Ten Things I Would Change If I Ran Starbucks

Coffee

I don’t have an obsession with Starbucks and probably average 2 visits per month for a coffee. I like their coffee and their stores.  From my casual observation, I think these suggestions would make sense but might not be practical or possible.

1. Make all stores going forward and possibly retrofit existing ones for a second floor that had a more private area of tables for use by people for meetings or as an office away from home during the day. In the evening, use it for acoustic music and to tie in better with their expansion into alcohol sales. Music and coffee houses go together.
2. Reduce the clutter in the floor space and add more tables. Display as much merchandise on the wall shelves as possible and leave it at that.
3. Brew decaf coffee at night! That is the only time I want it and after lunch they do not brew any. It makes sense to them but not to me.
4. Have a TV that would provide updates for news, weather radar, stock quotes and sports so we would not have to rely on our Smart phones. The content could be customized with the Starbucks customer in mind.
5. Have a splash of local flavor at each store. I understand the need for uniformity and brand consistency but I have been to stores all over the country and they look too much alike. I can’t tell if I am in Akron, Ohio or Zephyrhills, Florida. (There nearest Store to Zephyrhills is about 20 miles away)
6. Get a store in Zephyrhills, Florida to make my story better!
7. Be a little less hip/edgy. Or at least offer a more welcoming environment to older folks who love to drink good coffee and hangout. I am no geezer and I feel this would help. Why not offer a small discount for those over 65 in the slower traffic hours like mid morning and mid afternoon? Maybe play music from the 60’s folk era to help. They were probably at coffee houses drinking coffee and listening to folk music in the 60’s and it might be a nice ambience for them.
8. Give up on the cool sounding sizes like venti, grande and just have small, medium and large. This is a personal thing with me as I can never get it straight.
9. Offer wrapped coffee stirs in plastic or paper. I don’t think it is sanitary to have the loose wooden ones in a container on the shelf.
10. Devise a better sleeve that keeps your hand cooler and that does not fall off. If we can put a man on the moon….They actually have a suggestion box on their website; maybe I should submit these gems and win free wooden coffee stirs for a year!

Have a great week.

Television Commercials Can Be Missed

No Commercials Can Cause Problems

I have enjoyed my MLB.TV subscription for several years now. I enjoy it even more this year knowing the price for the season was reduced by $20 to only $109 for every out of market game I care to watch (subject to some restrictions).

I have one problem with the product and it is an odd problem to have. During the commercial breaks between innings or for a pitching change, the screen displays a message that a commercial break is in progress and nothing else but dead silence. For some reason, I find that unsettling and wish they would play something to break the dead silence. I would welcome a commercial and frankly don’t understand why they don’t sell that time and distribute the proceeds to whomever should receive it.

I know that this sounds odd but you should try turning down the sound during the commercial breaks and see how you like it. It gives me little to no choice but to hold a conversation with the person sitting next to me. I sometimes take the opportunity to spend quality time with Jimmy Sad Eyes. This is usually by having him chase a ball or a stuffed animal around the house while I chase after him. I guess it gives me a chance to burn a few calories which is not such a bad thing.

I did notice in late April that they now have “Presented By Amazon” written on the screen below the commercial break in progress notification so maybe they are moving towards having commercials.  I would especially appreciate them lowering the price another $20 per year by using the commercial revenue as a subsidy as a tip of the cap to their loyal viewers. I have plenty of ideas for what to do with the money. I could use a Florida room off of my kitchen for example.

Thank you for reading about my peculiar problem, have a great week.