Good Things Happen to Good People Too

When I left for this long Greyhound Bus & rental vehicle trip I packed up everything I'd need & a back up for each item I packed. 😂 Seriously though that's a statement not too far off the actual mark!

I happened to own a few of these. Two were direct for wall outlet use, one only had the USB port to connect directly into a vehicle's intended outlet. Out of what I had brought I knew which ones worked best & which ones weren't as reliable. I knew to bring each of them because there's always the chance that the one I would bring with me would be the one which would stop working & then I'm be bummed with myself thinking how I'd need to go & spend money on another when I already owned a few others "back home".

It was "back home" while growing up that Dad (definitely Dad more so than Mom) emphasized the importance of using items we owned until their bitter end. If it still worked, there was no point in pitching or replacing whatever "it" was. It is for this reason that, even when I'd be using one of these and suddenly realize that it's not working, unless I adjust its input or lean it against a surface somehow, that's exactly what I'll do. And then it'll be working again.

"Common man" would have just gone & bought another. Not me. I had a few where none of them were completely reliable. And I just managed from there. I'd know which one was temperamental for which outlets. And I'd play the game.

Then, while riding the bus back home the inevitable happened. The particular bus we were riding happened to have its outlets on the side panel next to the window seat, not between the window & aisle seats under the legs, nor on the backside of the seat in front of the passenger. The side panel, where the window was, created something of a ledge. For someone who enjoys an ottoman & having one's legs & feet propped up it was only natural that my left foot would slide into place. And that it did.

And I was talking. I was chatting. So a bit of mindlessness was involved. And then my left foot relaxed. And, no, I wasn't paying close attention. And then I heard a crunch. I think I felt it too.

Then I reached down & I pulled the piece, slightly out of sorts, from the socket. And at first I was bummed because I could've been paying better attention. And at the same time I wasn't paying attention because I'd asked another passenger that I'd befriended to sit & talk with me in an effort to calm through the evening/nighttime portion of that day's ride.

Everything was fine. I did still have another charger, I really didn't need to be using my phone [read: everything about my phone except actually using it as a phone - of course! 😜] & I'd officially be back in my home state in less than 24 hours.

I knew it was time to go for it. Time to make it happen. The day I got back I went & got myself one of these & one of these, although the one I got was blue 😊. And I did get it in blue because blue's just a great color, however I quickly came to appreciate its color difference sitting among the similar black cords & knowing which cord I meant to grab for its purpose.

The former, I intentionally got because it's a bit shorter & has its practical goodness in not taking up as much space, yet being available & useable on the occasion of potentially mere desperation. Hence, I stow it in the front pocket of this. Remember this post?

The latter I selected because, well, we all need some cord length from time to time. 😏😉😊 Kind of like the conveniences with having an extra long cord on one of these. 😎😄😜 S-t-r-e-t-c-h from the wall outlet, whether it be one of these, or one of these. 😏

I initially wasn't crazy about the cords being designed as separate from the outlet portion although I now realize the brilliance (likely a cost production strategy as well) that the cables can be changed out to be inserted directly into a USB port or, essentially adapt for a wall outlet.


So the initial "accident" that someone might say wasn't a good thing, technically happened rather conveniently. I knew, without a doubt, that the most logical solution to the overall situation was to toss what I had (&, I'm a "keeper" so the "tossing" was a "big moment" for me!) & not be trying to use any of this to repair them & continue on with their use.

It did become a good thing that my foot slipped, the break did happen & I needed it to...I needed to break away from continuing to rely on essentially broken items...broken pieces. Now inserting the charging cable's port into the base of my phone & feeling it snapping in tight...there's such peace & security...a serenity in that. And my phone seems to charge more quickly too.

All because instead of getting frustrated that something I owned got a little bit messed up, I embraced that it was just as well & I was probably all the better of a person for it! (As soon as my foot came smashing down on that plastic!)

It's a "good thing" that it happened after all! 😁

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Wrist Gizmo

This device has increased my confidence. It's encouraged me & provided me with much needed security. Looking back at these first two sentences I write as if it's a love story & that I've fallen in love with this inanimate object I fasten atop my wrist while I run. --So maybe I have. 😏

Being totally honest, I'd gotten rather used to locating places where I could just loop rounds & knew that the distance was roughly a mile...in so that I'd mentally keep track of "approximately" how far I'd run & be content with that accrued mileage.

With this I find myself concentrating on other things. Like the important things. Such as pumping my arms (which is easier since I include strength training nearly daily), good runner's form, realizing that that the runner or runners who've just passed me - that I could pace with them for a bit, that when the mile marker on this sounds off, I could glance at it for the encouragement...That, if I'm running laps around a building, lake, parking lot, track, etc., rather than nauseate myself actually keeping track of how many laps I've run around [insert random particular location here] (which, because I've managed to lose count in the past 😓), I can just glance down to my wrist & quickly learn of my progress.

Or...if I'm itching to feel good about my progress, & I'm nearing, say a five mile mark, I can glance down & see if I'm at about the time I'd think I should be &, if my body [read: my mind] is in the mood for it, adjust myself accordingly & maybe accomplish something great & new in the remaining short mileage until I do. Otherwise, glancing down at my wrist would only prove counterproductive in the case that I'd be hoping to learn that I'd not been running with such poor form & pace, only to find out that the cement feet & general sluggish-ness I'd feel would've been all too true & then I'd be getting myself down & out about it.

I'd had another wrist tracker, & with most things in life more recently I've learned something that's of reasonable quality is sometimes worth the little extra effort. Besides, when I'd attained the original tracker, I simply could not afford the better ones, so I found myself bidding online for one. What I'd won was a tracker that didn't sit properly in its charger - as in, it needed to be held in place, or pushed down into place atop the metal disc to continue charging. I'd find random things that would sit consistently without gravity getting in the way. Though on that tracker there wasn't a GPS & the length of my stride was considered a factor (& my stride length is anything but consistent).

I'm not of the faster runners in so that I particularly looked for a tracker which would have a longer time frame (definitely beyond six hours). I initially choose this eight hour tracker, it being advertised as a "small size" tracker, then changed to the ten hour tracker of the same design (just "larger") after being counseled on a social media platform that these tracker's do lose time & that "eight hours" won't be eight hours after a while.

I've been thrilled with my selection thus far (not even mentioning in this post each of the "bonuses" for which I particularly enjoy it) & as I'm completing my very first back-to-back marathons in less than a month now, I'll be wearing this (insert link again) around my wrist. And I'll have confidence. 😊 (Even though said confidence will be from reasonable preparation & not just from wearing a suitable tracker!)

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Vroom, Vroom

Or is it "Zoom, Zoom"? 😊

Another reason to be thankful: I've my own vehicle. I've had a few vehicles in my day. I'm not really a truck driving type o' gal, although there's definitely a time & place when having a truck handy, that is the pick-up variety, or, at least in knowing someone who'll "loan" theirs out, is super convenient (like when someone's moving). The most of a truck I've driven is a U-Haul & that was a pretty brief experience. I doubt I logged even twenty miles with it; it was probably more like ten miles.

The vehicles I've had have mostly been of the compact variety. I've had one SUV, this one, which was at the [heavy] suggestion of an at-the-time confidant. The most that I miss about that vehicle is the large amount of cargo space. Of course. 😜 That's kind of an SUV thing. I didn't care for the ease of peering in the vehicle's windows either; I need more privacy with my vehicle. & no, bothering with tinting the windows wasn't an option. I also miss that the 12-volt power outlet remained active while the vehicle was turned off.

I started out with one of these. Well, that's not entirely true. This was the first car I purchased. It was great for me &, as Mom has said, "You loved that car." She's right, I did. I didn't know much about hatchbacks & the brilliance of having one's car end at the back window (& the ease of backing up & other confidences that come with the hatchback). That first car & I got along pretty good for well over a decade. It became my little "half classic". 😎

I've written before about the awesomeness of using pull-through parking spaces when parking (check it out here 😁). Another thing I've found to be awesome, which is more specific to just compact vehicles, is their ability to be tucked further into a parking lot space. Say when there's plenty of parking lot traffic & there's hardly any spaces, (like a weekend such as this one that's currently commencing), & a driver is going 3 to 5 mph through a parking lot, & they suddenly think they've seen an open parking spot. They pull up to it with great anticipation, & then, boom, nope! There's a tiny compact car that's parked as far back into the spot as possible making it seem that there's an opening where there actually isn't. I've been the loser of this situation, & I'm sure I've been the cause of it as well. That's just how that one goes sometimes.

I didn't get my current vehicle from the dealership, rather I got it from a resale shop. I was between it (a violet gray hatchback) & another compact (blue sedan); each was a different make. There I was, needing to make this "one or the other" decision, where I really wanted the hatchback to be the blue vehicle, & it was a lovely shade of blue. When I'd purchased this car I was glad it was available in the green that I bought, because even though I adore blue, I didn't think that the blue shade the maker offered was ideal on this car. By this maker, however, it was.

So there I was, on a dark weeknight, 'round this time of the year, & the salesman brought the two vehicles, the hatchback & the sedan, into the service area where I could view them more realistically for their more real colors, away from the parking lot lighting, & away from the fluorescent lighting of the showroom (where I'm not so sure any space existed either).

After just having had the beauty of the SUV hatchback, I selected the compact car - with the hatchback once again. I really do love that, when locking the vehicle, there's the option with one click to just hear a tiny confirmation click, although with a double click, I can listen to the standard "beep" (which, incidentally, I do find rather frustrating 😡). There's a trunk on this hatchback, though a bit smaller than a sedan would offer. It comes with a removable lid flap to either add space, or provide more privacy, whichever the user most needs; I use each option regularly. I'm able to use my vehicle as a refuge & I'm thankful for that. It can be shelter from a storm, the UV rays of the sun, pounding rain drops, the cold of winter, & even the heat of summer.

Thanks to this, which, no it didn't come with the vehicle 😂, I bought it separately, I'm, once again, able to use my vehicle's 12-volt power outlet even when the vehicle isn't turned on, just like it worked out back when I had the SUV. 😊 Only this time I can easily charge my laptop, use my tiny shredder, charge my phone, & other minor electrical outlet needs, all within the confines of my car (oh, & I could charge my tablet too, though I'd have to dig it out, & make use of it for it to need to be charged 😏😂). Sometimes my tiny little hatchback is the best place for me to "hang". Knowing that, along with some neighborly Wi-Fi access (typically when my "hanging" is somewhere 'round a local park), I can plug in from the front seat of my vehicle & get done what I need to most anywhere.

There was a time, decades ago, when I managed my day via public transportation. I worked a daylight shift, Monday through Friday, & it was in downtown where the local public transportation ran the most; it only made sense to leave my car back at the house as I'd have had to pay a steep price to park it nearby the office.

Riding public transportation is just that, public & transportation. Riders wait in all sorts of weather & precipitation for their buses, though when it's cold they don't wait for the bus to warm up, & when it's hot out, they don't wait for the bus to cool off 😎 (unless the a/c simply isn't working on that particular bus, then this is another story 😧). They're expected to not eat or drink while on riding the transportation. Commuting with items, anything bulky, is also complicated. There's no guarantee of silence, if preferred, or even a pleasant conversation. Riders are only guaranteed a ride when there's room to board a bus; they're not guaranteed a seat. Riders often stand for the duration of their commute. This might be before & after their workday.

There's likely to be a walk, a stroll of some sort, for a distance between the bus' stop & where each rider needs to be (which, if perceived positively, can be a welcome, healthy stretch - it had been one for me 😍). There's no stalling on the bus; when it gets to where it needs to be, riders need to exit the bus. This is the same case, in reverse, for boarding the transportation system.

When driving a vehicle it's easy enough to leave a few minutes earlier or later, & when plans get scheduled after the workday's commenced, it's the rider, not the driver, who needs to check their bus schedule to ensure a successful trip back to their bed at the end of the day.

Filling up the gas tank, intermittent oil changes, carwashes, general wear & tear, auto insurance, topping this off, replacing these, needing new ones of these, all do happen. These are all conveniences & inconveniences of public transportation versus riding in/maintaining one's own vehicle. Yes it can be possible to nap aboard a bus, & not so much while behind the wheel of one's own vehicle, though I'm loaded with thankfulness for the security my vehicle brings to me. 😊💗




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Saving Up Our Light

Daylight Savings Time comes to an end in just a few days. We've been watching the daylight dwindle now for a few months. Two minutes in the morning; two minutes in the evening. The next day comes & we did it all again. 😂

Seriously though, there's beauty in this process. It prepares us for the blossoming of Springtime. And besides, we get to enjoy an extra hour of sleep (or, however you choose to make use of your additional hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning 😜). On these days which, at first glance appear to be ultra wet & dreary, gloomy & messy, they come next in so that we're better able to appreciate the awakening Mother Nature has coming for us in Springtime.

*****

I've exhausting memories of meticulously synchronizing the clocks throughout the house. Of jumping over furniture, racing around it, & doing my best to wait to the exact moment when one clock's next minute arrives in order to truly put in place that same time, nearly down to the same second, on the next nearby clock, sometimes on a nightstand just on the other side of a bed. I say "exhausting" & it truly was. Mom knew of it to be an event that was my own & I just accepted it. There were things assigned to me in my childhood that I preferred to do more & some things that I preferred to do less. My meticulous nature made me the understood ideal candidate for the task, & never the one to enjoy (I'd be pursing my lips instead) watching a clock's blinking lights when we'd lose power or seasonally rearrange the furniture, I basically did walk myself into the "childhood-long" task, though the way I handled it I'd always thought to be expected of me; never to falter.

Through the frustration & disappointment of losing my precious daylight, through the transition & the need to update all these many clocks, I'm still thankful, I'm still in appreciation, & that is because so much of the reason why it even takes place - it's all because - well, the morning commute. 😂 Next week at this time the morning commute might be a gloomy & dreary one, yes, though at least the sun will have crested over the hill. 😂

For some "real" specifics about this whole changing of the clocks now in the Fall, click here. 😑

*****

We are fortunate in these days of First World Needs to have a point to put to use Daylight Savings Time. We are also fortunate that so many of our time pieces are automated. Our smartphones, laptops, & tablets, many vehicle clocks, these. Not these 😂. I am of an old enough generation that I still use one of these, which definitely needs to be manually adjusted for accurate timing.

There are also the set of individuals who choose to "be strong" & just not adjust their timing mechanisms to Standard Time knowing that, soon enough, it's to be time to set them back once again to Daylight Savings Time.

I'm guessing there's also the grouping of people who've come to decide not to really have many time pieces. Living with others or in a small apartment, it's quite possible that a smartphone, tablet, & laptop are the most of the time piece accessories which one may have procured. None require time updating. A microwave would be the only haunting item, which might just be the one to wait around until Spring (or, remain at "0"). 😏😉

Until then we'll spend some time in Standard Time, at least for a few months out of the year. 😊


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If you'd like to shop my general Amazon Store, click here & Thank You!

Walking in Stride

Dad's never been a runner, though he's been a strong advocate for fitness, exercise, & movement in general throughout our lives. Hiking while on vacation (camping! 😍), backyard badminton, occasional neighborhood walks, & some other times too. He's definitely always loved a good walk.

I recall one Memorial Day Weekend camping trip where we'd hardly even been set up more than a few minutes - in fact - I don't recall us being completely set up - I think the party lights - Dad's favorite (remember this post? 😎) - & the camper's awning - had yet to be put in place. Yet Dad wanted to make the most of the day - well, probably the weather - maybe me & the age I was at that current moment. We didn't go far. Just a quick stroll (I really want to write "down memory lane" right here 😂 - it feels so appropriate, & yet, well, we didn't; we hardly spoke at all during this stroll) around a portion of the campground which cut into the area where our campsite was situated.

I also recall back when I running [read: jogging] with the cross country team in high school, & I'd see Mom at the top of the final hill, where I so desperately longed for her to be at the bottom of the hill, the bottom of the stairs below the hill, & at the sideline of the track where our school's cross country course happened to finish. I'd have no energy, though I'd still do my [pathetically] best to motion to her & weakly (cause I really was worn out) cry out, "Go down. Go down."

To which she'd reply in a, 'Gee, I wish I could. Though with my knees...' tone, "Dad's down there. I'll be able to watch you finish from right here where I'm standing. I'm proud of you. You're doing so good." She was right. She could see me from where she was standing. She could watch, pretty much, all of the rest of the event & all of the camaraderie from that spot, though there was some minor tree blockage. And I'm sure it was relatively difficult for her (although she never focused on making any changes in order to make this situation any different) because she couldn't be right there among the other mothers who'd managed to come out to the school & the track to support their sons & daughters listening to their chatter & contributing to their conversation. I think so at least. From where she "had to" wait it was a bit odd, though it was an unspoken understanding since it was obvious she wasn't able to be standing alongside her husband fully supporting her children as they participated on their team. Also, I'm sure that Dad filled her in on the scene as he saw it in order for her to "keep up with the Jones'" among the team's parents.

Dad was there though. He did come down to the track. I'd just completed another 3.1 miles & I'd accomplished that. He knew that I knew he was there for me & if every other teammate was too busy & caught up in their own conversation (remember I was the last one & many might have already been on their way with the remainder of their day) I could count on him if only for a jovial, "You made it!" "Good job!" "You finished!" and generally just being present. And sometimes this moment would also include a father/daughter hug. (Did I mention I'd have been rather sweaty & he'd have been in his work clothes? ...Which would have been a dress shirt, Dockers, & likely a tie too.) He did his best. He did what he could within the limitations of what he had available.

At a time, years later, Dad & I decided to optimize that same track. With me running & with him walking. I ran & we paid attention to see how often I lapped him. I think, during that "event" I ran two miles. I also think that during that "event", I lapped him twice. I probably didn't use the opportunity as well as I could've. It's only been in more recent years that I've done better with paying attention to my form & goals while I run rather than allowing my mind to dilly dally...Which is what happened that day, resulting in my not making the most of it, & not working better to lap Dad more frequently.

*****

Since Dad's retirement he's joined in a walking group that meets up at a local park. They use these (each member purchased whichever model worked best for their personal taste) to calculate their distance & steps & track miscellaneous information. There are prizes for various accomplishments, which, as any ordinary "group" might need, is their overall motivator.

He kept at the group for quite some time & knew that he needed something better than what he'd been managing with since he'd joined. He also knew that if he gently mentioned it to me, I'd likely work on figuring out something for him. That I did. 😊 Yep. That's exactly what I did do. I worked on some homework to pick something that'd likely work best for his situation. I cross referenced with a few brick & mortar stores. Then I selected this & had Amazon mail it directly to him. He responded with a quick (that's his style! 😊) & joyful email that he'd received the package & it was just what he wanted.

I won't lie. 😏 It did feel good that the homework efforts I put into my purchasing decision were all for the good. 😄



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If you'd like to shop my general Amazon Store, click here & Thank You!

Pens Week: Modernizing Writing in Ink

Pens have progressed a lot since my days of admiring then in the stationery aisle. There had been a pen variety where the shaft of the pen changed colors, even if just to a different color tone, once the user's body heat had been applied to the pen's shaft for a few moments. This was very impressive, though I'm not convinced, as I write this, that it still remains so.

It was a nifty, cool, quirky something different in ink writing options & I took to it. Our family was out on a special trip, thus justifying this otherwise unlikely acceptable purchase.

Popular options today seem to promote gel, like these, & erasers of every matching kind, like these. I wonder today that I'd be less enthralled with the available "nifty writing options" manufacturers are offering consumers. It's a different generation out there (have you read the Mindset List? 😂)...One that's enamored in all things digital & in using data. Thus, writing implements are of another world. (Might those children even ask, "What is an 'implement'?)

I used to highly dislike the fine tip pens, preferring only to write with the rollerball (medium point) ones - though now manufacturers have blended these two together & gel pens seem to be offering the same writing stability that I once relied on the rollerball pen options for. I'd find that, as I held the pen's shaft, dragging it along the paper, no ink would appear, & it wasn't because the pen had run out of its ink. It was because it wasn't a rollerball pen. I'd not had these same difficulties with rollerball pens & so I came to rely on them, disregarding any which weren't ... Then these gel options came along somehow mixing the best of both worlds.

There's still a pleasing reliability to the writing edge of those basic rollerball pens of yesteryear & when the going gets rough & we all just want to "go back to the basics" we can always pick up one of these or these, smile & be content.


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If you'd like to shop my general Amazon Store, click here & Thank You!

Considering Options in External Laptop Mice

On an old laptop my touchpad mouse became fidgety. I'd click on one thing & another would happen, or I'd think I was clicking on something, yet my screen was showing no activity leaving me to keep on clicking absentmindedly hoping to establish a successful connection: no-go. Eventually the touchpad ceased to work at all.

Enter a need for an external mouse. Initially a cordless one, one that would be battery-operated, seemed most sensible. These had their pros & cons. Though they aren't corded, they still take up one of the laptop's USB ports in order to digitally connect. Also, as they aren't corded, they are battery-operated. Being battery-operated means the battery will need to be replaced from time to time. And on what surface the mouse is used can affect how quickly the batteries will need to be changed.

In an office, using a cordless mouse atop a desk, the battery may last six months or more. In a home environment, along a bed comforter, a lap-pad, or carpet, the batter may only last a week to ten days. This is also cause for having replacement batteries on hand, otherwise it's back to that hopeless touchpad which led to the need for the external mouse in the first place.

Then there is the equally convenient corded mouse. These mice will still be taking up residence hogging a USB port, yet concerns regarding its wearing out are basically nonexistent. A corded mouse uses no batteries. It's plugged in; it works. And the cord is plenty long to be dragged for quite a distance. It seems using it from its further reached, one would hardly be able to clearly see their laptop's screen anyway.

Another perk to an external mouse (battery-operated or corded) is its roller ball. That feature, omitted from many a basic laptop touchpad, is convenient & useful. So often it's necessary to move the mouse over to the far right of the screen only to then realize it's necessary to also figure out, out of the few scroll bars located in that space, which one it is that is connected to the work you're intent upon. By then mental rhythms have dispersed & dissolved. A roller ball allows its user to stay on-task, holding the work right in place, yet efficiently moving along. The user remains content & productive as they continue their progress.

On Charging My Laptop While in My Car

As of late I’ve noticed how often I use my laptop on the run. I cart it to & fro. I’ll be at the library; I’ll be at a franchised retailer or restaurant; maybe a park; I’ll be out. I’m typically out & about. This is when I get the most accomplished. However, my laptop can only be charged from a wall outlet. I don’t have a car charger, or an adapter, for it.

I’m also the type of person who likes to have enough, maybe even more than enough, of what I typically need to have available. Enter a strong awareness of my remaining battery charge when I’m not plugged in. Also, a higher likelihood of fretting (read: anxiety) that I’ll likely lose too much battery power before accomplishing as I need to, or a task which must be completed by a deadline. Deadlines…eeeeewwww… Scary with the suggestion that the freedoms of a laptop (being able to “move about the cabin”) might actually be limiting. Power, that is, a computer with sufficient charge equals accomplishment & completion.

I’ve investigated the possibility before, & now I’ve revisited the notion. Getting a car adapter seems to be a viable solution. One that will make for greater efficiency & much less stress. I’ve already a USB car charger, so an adapter which includes one, or two spots for USB charging ports is unnecessary for me. I’m much more interested in the quality, the price, whether or not there’s multiple outlets on the adapter, & yes, the color. The price seems reasonable, it has two outlets, & it's a convenient neutral shade.

Now while on-the-go I can connect my laptop while in my vehicle. I have Wi-Fi via my smartphone, so I’ve been able to access the web. Even if I only wish to use MS Office, or any other non-Wi-Fi program, still requires I keep my laptop charged.

The Convenience of the Power Strip

Power strips have come a long way over the decades. Way back when there were only a few outlets on each & those outlets were often so close together that they weren't always useable since the items being plugged in would be larger & take up too much space. More versions were added to the market so that products could all fit together without wasting space. Also, power strips moved into modern times; they updated for three-prong usage. Eventually surge protectors came along. These days USB connectors are available, & power strips have taken on a whole different look; a whole new angle. They aren't just strips, they're towers too.

Some of the brilliance of a power strip is that in a location where there's typically not a wall outlet, or definitely not enough of them, plugging in a power strip can solve the situation with ease. Cord lengths come in long lengths now in so that they can trail around a room for any user's need, no matter where they are, & they can move & shift with great ease - very much unlike a wall outlet where measuring & cutting & wiring are also necessary.

Another great thing about power strips is their cost savings. By this I'm not referring to the time & money saved by not installing more wall outlets, I'm referring to the power strip's on/off switch. Turning off that switch when the strip is plugged into the wall, yet none of its outlets are being used (even if items are plugged into the strip) saves on energy & electricity.

Bedside lamp not turned on? Turn off the power strip. Laptop not being used? Turn off the power strip. Smartphone completely charged? Turn off the power strip. You've finished ironing the pile of clean clothes? Turn off the power strip. Electric toothbrush no longer blinking that it has a low battery? Turn off the power strip. Curling iron & hair dryer finished being used for the day? Turn off the power strip.

Have power strips on hand; you never know when they'll come in handy. They come in a variety of shapes & sizes, as well as colors (black to blend in with your electronics, green for holiday decorating, many versions of neutral shades), & remember to turn them off to conserve energy & keep a few more dollars in your bank account.

Ring...Ring...

Memories flood in of how I didn’t like to answer the phone (still don’t, ha!) & I’d get told that everyone else in the family wasn’t able to get to the phone (in the bathroom, not at the house, etc.), so I’d need to answer it soon after it began ringing. If I didn’t (ten + plus rings later), then the caller would assume no one was there & we’d miss the call.

I was so bummed & uncomfortable. The phone was so foreign to me. How would I ever manage? Serves me right. These days, no one calls me. Really. My phone doesn’t ring. If it does ring it’s the spam caller from Windows to tell me I’ve a problem on my computer. Yada, yada, yada… I’ve added them as a contact to simplify dismissing them.

There are a few people I know who can still appreciate an actual phone conversation & even enjoy (I think?! 😁) them with me. Since upgrading from a flip phone, something I found very difficult to do…I had the super old-fashioned type for so long, the kind that is always “open”, basically a smartphone without the data & without the rectangular shape of a smartphone. When I did upgrade to a flip phone, I loved it. The phone was in the shape of a receiver; somewhat curved to my face. It made so much sense. Sadly, by the time I got to being a flip phone user, most mobile phone users were already beyond the flip phone; they just gave me the sad smile look over my excitement & continued on their way.

Then I became convinced to move on too. I began using *data* (read that sing-songy). It was somewhere years into my smartphone usage when I took notice of the length of my outbound phone calls. Seems the tiny number of those I did find myself chatting with on the phone, I conversed with for more than just a few minutes. Holding a rectangularly shaped object up to my face for these engagements wasn’t cutting it.

Ever the old-schooler, I decided to consider an “old-fashioned” option. Enter a detachable receiver. Whenever I’m about to phone someone with whom I’m likely to chat for more than a moment, I attach my receiver (coil & all) first. It attaches just the same as earbuds into a phone, or musical device (my first instinct was to share a Walkman analogy! 😂) Best of all, for me at least, this receiver is available in blue! It’s a win-win for me.