Back to the Water

It's a Tuesday, and the first of my three days of swimming instead of the treadmill. I don't think I'd be super happy with either activity being a six-day-a-week requirement, but three days and three days works really well for me. I don't get bored. Of course, I never truly get bored. I listen to Sirius radio's "Turbo" while on the treadmill (good music is always a help when doing boring things) and I listen to my latest audio book while doing my laps in the pool. I don't particularly like repetitive actions, and exercise is exactly that. So, I make it work for me by joining it with audio. 

I was quite disappointed to discover that Target no longer 
carried the Skull Candy brand of earbuds. I've used them for 
years and they're dependable and inexpensive. I bought 
the brand they're currently carrying, but I also ordered a set 
of Skull Candy buds from Amazon since I had a cart in progress. 

I did buy a new set of headphones yesterday at Target. Unfortunately they no longer carry the Skull Candy brand, but I got what they had that was inexpensive and added a set of Skull Candy to my current Amazon shopping cart. I'll be ready when this set of earbuds dies - I'll have one set in reserve. There's nothing much more boring than being on the treadmill without tunes. LOL Swimming without an audio book is like crickets - I have no patience for it. 

Calendula cream was recommended by my Radiologist 
when I was undergoing cancer treatments. I've found 
that it works super well on anything requiring a bit of 
first aid, and my hands which react very poorly to 
the chlorine in the swimming pool are much happier 
when I regularly put the cream on. So, I ordered some 
more because I'm running low. 

I've found that my Calendula Cream which I was given to assist with any burns from the radiation treatment works splendidly on my chlorine-based skin issues. I refuse to give up my swimming - it's an essential part of my weekly exercise regime. But I'm very sensitive to chlorine, and my right hand has two areas where the skin dries up and breaks open if I don't keep things moisturized. Standard hand lotions or creams don't work to heal, but my Calendula cream has been working very well indeed, and I'll keep on using it for as long as necessary. So I guess there were some good things to come out of my cancer treatments, the discovery of Calendula cream being a major benefit. 

Byerly's always has excellent sushi available. It's made 
fresh daily and they sell a lot of it. On their Wednesdays, 
when they have $3 off all sushi, they bring in two extra 
workers to make the sushi - they go through that much! 
It's always fresh, though, and I always enjoy it as a 
treat. 

DH and I treated ourselves to sushi for dinner last night. Although they didn't have the hot honey version I was hoping they would have, they still had a nice variety of rolls to choose between. We both ended up with very delicious rolls for a nice meal. I generally eat sushi fairly often - usually at least once a week, sometimes more. I've been known to pop back to the store in the afternoon just to check if my hot honey version has been made and is available for purchase. Yes, I like it that much. Of course, since the store is only a mile from my house, it's not a major trip either - LOL. 

I was hoping they had their newest roll available when I 
got there after work last night. The Mike's Hot Honey roll is 
awesome and so VERY tasty. They didn't have any left, 
but I still found a nice dinner in the choices that they had. 

I'm off to the pool. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

A Delivery, A Story and the Election - So Many Things Going On!

Back to the pool today, hurrah! In the saga of my package ... I did tell you about my package, did I not? I ordered a couple of items from Amazon. My delivery hours are CLEARLY stated on the page that is given to the delivery driver - standard business hours, Monday through Saturday ONLY. The driver was quite incensed that I refused to drive out to the shop late Sunday night to pick up my package. No! Deliver it during stated open hours! 

I never have problems receiving my Amazon shipments, but 
I've got a delivery driver from Hell this time, and he's as 
stupid as a felled log. *sigh*

I was expecting it to be redelivered yesterday, and found a notification that the driver was collecting the shipments for delivery at 3:30 pm, which made it doubtful that he/she would arrive before we closed at 5:45 pm. So ... I contacted Amazon directly and talked to their customer service people, who agreed that the hours were clearly posted and available for the driver, and that the driver was in the wrong. Contrary to my norm, I put in a formal complaint against the driver. This was POOR service, to say the least. I'm hopeful that I might get my package today. Maybe. *sigh* 

I'm hopeful, at least, although it's looking like I won't 
actually get my package until today. Still, I can deal 
with today if it actually occurs! 

So I'm off to the pool to work off some of the stress that Amazon has caused me. Ugh. I ordered a fair amount of things from them and have never had this issue before. Since it included one item I truly need, having this long delay is NOT making me happy. I'll leave my frustration in the swimming pool. 

I posted my story in LJ Idol yesterday. It's an open 
letter to my Hubby - I'm unsure if I'll actually let 
him read it or not. But, that's what occurred to me 
with the theme, so that's what I went with. 

I posted my latest story in the Last One Standing competition yesterday, and I hope you had a chance to read it (if you're interested in doing so). I'm pleased with my efforts on the theme of "Without You". I posted links yesterday, and I'd love your comments and, when the voting opens, your votes. As I recall, all stories had to be posted no later than today, so voting will probably start tomorrow. But, I write for all of you, so your comments are more important than your votes (although BOTH are very appreciated). I'll let you know when the voting begins. 

 I heard her talk to a group of people yesterday, and she's 
good. Really good. We've got a chance with her. She's 
sharp, witty, quick to respond, and thoughtful. I'm suddenly 
looking forward to the campaign and the election. 

And Kamala - what a wonderful speaker. I really hope some idiots out there get past the fact that she's a woman and just concentrate on the good that she can accomplish as a leader of this nation. If you're a Trump voter, that's OK, just ... well, I'm NOT a Trump supporter - never and ever! I don't speak about politics, but I think it's wonderful that in all the years of other nations electing women into the highest position in the land, we've never done so. It's our opportunity now, and I'm hoping we'll succeed. Now to find some Kamala merchandise to purchase. LOL Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

LJ Idol - Thanks SO Much For Your Votes - and An Amazon Shopping Spree (Within Reason)

 I'm trying to get this done quickly, because of several things that got me totally off schedule today. 

Thanks to EVERYONE who was kind enough to read 
and vote for my story about my childhood in Aspen, 
Colorado. I ended up tied for second place this 
week - the highest placement I've EVER had in this 
competition. I'm SO grateful for your reading and 
your votes. 

First of all, THANKS to all of you who voted for my story about my childhood in Aspen, Colorado in LJ Idol. I ended up with 21 votes, tied for second place this week. I'm amazed and grateful and so very thankful that all of you enjoyed that writing enough to put in a vote for it. 

This is the third electric scale I've ordered since 
I started WildFit during COVID. I guess I go 
through them rather quickly. I like this one 
because it's no nonsense. It doesn't have every 
bell and whistle, but I don't want that. All I want
 is my daily weight - something I've been taking 
since I was 12 years old. 

Second, I got tied up on Amazon for a little while. My electronic bathroom scale died this morning. I put in new batteries, but no. It was truly DOA. So, I quickly went on to order a new replacement - I don't need all of the fancy bells and whistles, just an accurate measurement of my weight. I ordered another one of the exact model I'd just had. It wasn't expensive, and did what I needed. 

I ordered this small 4" knife - it's a size that I use 
a lot. And I also ordered a 5.5" version of the 
same brand. That will give me three decent 
knives to use in my cooking. I'm pleased. 

While I was on there, I quickly searched out two smaller chef knives of the same manufacturer as the large one I purchased maybe six months ago. I really have enjoyed that large knife - it holds its' edge beautifully, and cuts like a dream. After dealing with crap knives for decades, it was like heaven. But I wanted a shorter blade, and then one closer to a paring knife, so I added those onto my cart. Then I also added a new rolling pin onto the mess. A straight, metal one with thickness disks (that are optional) for when I need them, and it comes with a silicone rolling mat. I'll be much happier with this one than my old wooden one. 

I finally decided on this rolling pin. A straight metal one, 
with spacing rings and a silicone pastry mat. I thought 
I'd get the most use from it, and because it is stainless 
steel, it will be easy to keep clean, and it can be easily 
chilled if needed. 

And, my new dehydrator arrived at the shop yesterday. I'll be cleaning out the cupboard where I'm going to store it today, and also starting to dry the herbs that simply wouldn't dry properly in my smaller dehydrator. I really liked my mini dehydrator, but it seemed to be happiest when working at a medium temperature and above. I don't just do meats and fruits. Herbs must be dried at the lowest setting to dry appropriately, and I don't want to waste all of these gorgeous herbs DH bought for me to grow. 

This is a novel - that said, it's well 
presented and well researched, and it 
has a kick to it. I recommend it, but it's 
definitely not for everyone. I'm adding 
it to my WWII collection of historical 
books and fictional writings. 

So, I had a $100 spending spree at Amazon this morning - shame on me. But, my day is actually starting out really well (except for the broken bathroom scale). I've got no complaints. I'm reading a book called "The Things We Cannot Say" by Kelly Rimmer. I recommend it to you - it's a novel, but based in straight fact, and although it's an easy read, it's hard because of the subject matter, so I'm reading it little bit by little bit. Check it out for yourself and see if you're interested. That's it for today. I need some hot tea! LOL Have an excellent Friday and I'll  be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

I'm Clumsy - ARGH - But It Was a Good Computer Day

Argh - I was just grabbing my pedometer after my shower after my 2 miles on the treadmill, and I dropped the darned thing onto the tile floor of the bathroom. Busted! After I was dressed, I immediately went on to Amazon, found the style I had been using, and put another one on order.  Unfortunately, I won't have my new pedometer until Thursday at the earliest, but I'll just have to make do. I really liked the pedometer I've been using because it didn't need to be calibrated. Getting a pedometer calibrated properly is a total PITA in my opinion. It's measuring steps, trying to be consistent, etc. This one self-calibrates based on movement so set-up pretty much doesn't play into it. I wear it attached to my clothing and it's been keeping great track of my steps ... until I dropped it. *Sigh* - Klutz ... that's me. 

My lime green one was sold out, so I ended up 
ordering a yellow one instead. I'll live with it. 
I like the pedometer, but didn't want a bold 
color that might show through some clothes. 
This one should be mild enough. 

While I was on Amazon, I also picked up an inexpensive immersion blender. I've been wanting one of these for my Ogre Juice for a while. When I remove the protective plastic wrap from the surface of my drinks at work, sometimes the oil has separated a bit. An immersion blender would take care of that quickly, so voila. 

I also ordered an immersion blender. I've been wanting one 
for quite a while now, and this one was inexpensive 
enough, with enough good reviews, that it seemed worth 
the gamble. If I don't like it, I'll return it to Amazon. 

I spent almost all day yesterday working on Etsy. I pulled my 8mm cubes from the site, and uploaded the 6mm and 4mm cubes. I've been working on the revision of the 8mm cubes and think I have those ready to upload also, but have a bit more work to do on them. I found a way to link each item with its' corresponding photo, and also how to deal with variable quantities of each item. As the saying goes ... "I'm cooking with gas" - LOL. 

Back to that 2018 photo once again. (It's so strange to 
see me with hair - LOL). This bat-wing blouse is one 
of the two I'm having my tailor make smaller. She's 
taking in 2-3 inches on each side, and there will 
still be plenty of room for movement and to pull 
it on and off. I need to figure out something to close 
the bat wings. I have a photo in my mind's eye, but 
haven't been able to find something like it in the 
physical world yet. Time for a serious internet hunt 
through fabric trim shopping sites. 

I also took two of my Renaissance Festival bat-wing blouses and two of my velvet skirts to my tailor yesterday. She'll make them smaller and less bulky. I wanted her to do a fastening down the open bat-wing sleeves, but we were interrupted by a phone call telling me my alarm service guy was at the shop. So I left it with just the resizing and headed over to the shop to meet with Blohng Vang (my preferred service tech) and get his opinion of what had been causing the false alarms. He checked everything, recommended we have one sensor disconnected (which he then did), and he was on his way. Things should be working properly again now and no more interrupted nights for false alarms.  

I do love a good Poke bowl. I had a Blazing Dragon 
bowl yesterday, but their salmon bowls are also 
delicious. 

So I returned home, treating myself to a sushi bowl on my way home for my lunch. I deserved it - LOL. I dove back into the computer and Etsy and barely surfaced until it was time to go to bed. It was a good day off, though. Busy, but a lot accomplished. I wish I had been able to spend a bit more time outdoors, today we start moving into a heat wave for the next few days, but I was on a roll and didn't want to move everything out to the patio, then back in again later in the day. On that note, I'm out of here. I want my breakfast and my morning tea and it won't just happen when I wave my non-existent magic wand. Have an excellent weekend official Juneteenth (Sunday) and I'll be back on Monday. 

Daylight Saving Time Returns and Another Amazon Purchase *sigh*

Sunday was the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, and I didn't realize it. But, I did realize that my microwave and oven digital clocks were off by an hour, so I went around the house, resetting the clocks. The one problem I had was my digital watch. Normally, in the past, it had automatically updated whenever the clocks changed. It didn't this time, and I was confused by that. Looking through the apps on my phone, I realized the watch's app hadn't transferred over to the new phone. So I downloaded the app, but the app didn't work properly. 

I ordered this - a Fitpolo SmartWatch on sale 
for under $40. If it lasts as long as my last 
smart watch, it'll be well worth the expense. 
It's a bit bigger than my last one, but that's 
OK too. I might be able to read it easier. 

Eventually, I decided that my watch, which is several years old, simply didn't work with my new phone's Android program, so I went on to Amazon and bought a new digital watch which should be here on Friday. I think I got my $40 worth from the first watch, and suspect I'll get my $40 worth from the replacement. The only thing that irks me a bit is that I had just purchased new bands for my watch, which will now go to waste. I'm wondering if it might be worth joining Amazon Prime - I seem to be using them more and more over the past 1-1/2 years. Are you a Prime member? Do you think it's worth the expense? 

Verizon put DH on notice that his phone must 
be replaced, something I've been telling him for 
a couple of months. He'll have to get his butt 
into gear and check out what's available, then 
we can get one for him and get his stuff moved 
over before 3G disappears. 

DH got an official letter from Verizon, telling him that he has to get a new phone SOON. I'll be pushing him harder. He hates change. Where I welcome the new experiences, he tunnels into his log and prefers to live in a limited world. The world always catches up with us, though. I know the pain of learning a new operating system, and there is a possibility that some of his stuff won't transfer over properly because that's always a chance, but we'll have to deal with that when we have to. 

I'm looking forward to my corned beef. I picked up a 
lovely piece of American Wagyu corned beef, and it 
should roast up beautifully. 

I picked up a lovely corned beef to make on Wednesday for Thursday's St Patrick's Day dinner. I'm looking forward to it. I'm not doing potatoes, and I doubt I'll do any cabbage (except as usual, in my nightly salad), but the meat will be very nice to have for a few meals. I might pick up more salmon for dinner on Friday when I'm at the store on Wednesday. That was a lovely meal, and very easy to make. DH is enjoying his Fillet of Fish sandwiches with fries from McDonald's, and will probably ask for that again. No problem - that's an easy one. 

DH loves his McDonald's fish fillet sandwiches 
with a large fry for Lent. I used to also love 
these as a special treat, but I don't eat stuff like 
that any more, and I'm finding that I'm just 
fine with that. I'll buy them for him, but I'm 
not even tempted to have a single French fry. 

Oh, and we didn't get to the only chore we had on the agenda for yesterday. We didn't clean out the light fixtures in his bathroom. But ... the dirt isn't going anywhere, so I'm sure we'll get to it eventually. We watched the war, and watched golf, and generally had a nice, relaxed day. Have an excellent Monday, I'll be back tomorrow.