Ugh

Ugh. No more Subway sandwiches for me. I used to like them. There was a time when I probably had a Subway sandwich at least once per week. In the past two days I've tried their sandwiches again. They're terrible ... dry bread and flavorless sandwiches as a whole. How can sweet onion chicken teriyaki sandwiches be flavorless? It's inexplicable. The other one I tried was seafood; used to love it, but not this one I just had.

There used to be a Blackeyed Pea restaurant near us. We like the food until it got waaay too salty. So we stopped going there several years later we gave it another shot. Still too salty. Several years after that, the restaurant shut down. It's a different restaurant in that spot now.

If Subway doesn't get their act together, they'll be losing too much business as well. Our other options in the area include Quizno's and Panera. So far we love Panera. We're going to be leaving Subway sandwiches alone for a while ... possibly a long while.

some promising lighter weight mobility scooters

The Ewheels Speedy EW-01

• good looks
• solid seat with back rest (no arm rests, though)
• very respectable top speed of 11mph
• 30 miles per charge under the most ideal of conditions
• 69lbs. including batteries

The Drive Medical Zoome recreational scooter

• not bad looking
• does have a seat (though rather small and has no back rest or arm rests)
• whopping top speed of 15mph
• 20 miles per charge
• 78lbs. (probably includes the batteries)
• it has tighter turning radius and higher curb clearance than the Speedy EW-01 ... unfortunately this also translates to more cramped leg room and bump in the deck may make it difficult for the user to mount this trike

Of the above two, I'd pick the Speedy EW-01 based on what I know about the user I have in mind. The solid-looking seat, the step-through deck, and the more traditional "mobility scooter" look win out.

But there is plenty of room for improvement. The 69 lbs of the EW-01 is 29 lbs more than the lightweight and very "bare-bones" 40-lb Smart Scoot. That's quite a bit more, and I hope the weight of these things will continue to drop in future designs. Carbon fiber, anyone? Lighter weight wheels? Their videos never demonstrate how you would get it in and out of the trunk of your car. And as far I as can tell, the battery is not normally removable.

For prices on these scooters, please do an internet search for them and the various vendors will have the prices.

Happy Easter!

Wishing everyone Happy Easter! For the next fifty days!

nativity scene?

A baby was found at a church manger scene. According to the news story, the church is Holy Child Jesus of the Diocese of Brooklyn. So for real, there is a manger scene at this parish, before Thanksgiving, and before the first Sunday of Advent?

leaking at the hose bib?

Several years ago, I purchased a new water hose with brass connectors. I was quite disappointed when I connected it to my hose bib in the backyard and it sprayed and leaked all over the place when I turned on the water. I just thought something was wrong with it. I had an old hose and it too leaked when I hooked it up. I figured it was just old. 

I have a third water hose which I use almost all of the time. At this point I should explain that the water hose always gets disconnected, drained, rolled up and put away after each use. This third one that I use almost exclusively is lighter than the others and probably the shortest of them all. It is my go-to hose since it was easier to handle.

I finally was convinced that something was amiss when I hooked up my go-to hose to the backyard hose bib and it too leaked and sprayed at the connection. I didn't have any such problems when hooked up to the front yard hose bibs. As you may have guessed, I don't use the backyard hose bib very often. One winter I did see water dripping from that hose bib. Apparently if it isn't turned off quite tight, it will drip. I don't make that mistake any more.

Putting two and two together, I figured out what was causing the leak. As water dripped from the hose bib at various times over the years, it left a mineral deposit. Over time the build-up is sufficient to cause the threads to not seal correctly. This is particularly obvious in that it was difficult to thread the hose connection onto the hose bib. It would feel rough and wouldn't thread on smoothly. The build up of mineral deposit can be seen upon visual inspection.

I used a brush and a bathroom cleaner intended to remove hard water deposits and scrubbed the hose bib threads. It took a few minutes and quite a bit of brushing to clear off the deposit. Afterwards, it was easy to thread on the hose and best of all, the connection no longer leaked. Easy fix. It only took me a few years to figure it out. :)

Happy hosing to every one.

 

I like it but it doesn't like me

I like the Hunt's Gel Snacks. I like the smooth, firm texture and wonderful flavor. But they give me a tummy ache. It took a while before I figured it out. I would snack on them in the late afternoon. Then by dinner time they would ruin my dinner experience. I don't know what's in it that's not agreeing with me. I just have to ban it from my eating repertoire. Jell-O is fine with me. And so is Dole Fruit in Gel. Just not this stuff.

I believe ...

I believe ALL good comes from God; there is no other source of goodness.

an interview ...

President of Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) comments on the Vatican inquiry and oversight experience:
http://globalsistersreport.org/blog/q/trends/lcwr-leader-end-vatican-mandate-result-growth-understanding-25531
I didn't read it. Despite not having done much of anything today, I am tired. My mind is tired. But I post the link here for those who may be interested.

Odd that I would stumble upon it because I haven't followed any Catholic news in the past several years; I don't even read the parish bulletin. It started with someone wondering aloud what is the Pope's stance on transgender. So I said I would check the internet to see what I could find. And in my wanderings, I came across the above article. So there you have it.

Matthew 6:19-21

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
20 But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

( from The New American Bible, Revised Edition)

...one my favorites

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all! May this be a most blessed Easter Season for you. Let us rejoice in the risen Lord, in victory, hope, and salvation.

cute whale at the MOMAstore

http://www.momastore.org/museum/moma/ProductDisplay_Walter%20Chime%20Whale_10451_10001_172612_-1_26707_26707_172647

cleaning stainless steel dog bowls

just a public service announcement:
 
We have stainless steel dog bowls for our dogs. I don't know what grade of stainless steel. We use them for feeding. Good bowls; they should last forever. I have discovered that powder Comet cleanser works great for cleaning the bowls when dish detergent just isn't enough to cut through the slobber.

another lightweight scooter

SmartScoot: http://www.smartscoot.com/
I like the simplistic design and the use of stainless steel. It looks good as far as simple scooters go. It appears to be well-sized for adults. I think that it's quite suitable for going through indoor conventions, though there isn't any place for collecting stuff. You know, the freebies you get at conventions.

downsides:
I can see that is has almost no storage capacity (no place to put your stuff). Also, the "Y" configuration does not fold. The video shows it to be a bit awkward because it is an adult-sized frame. As with almost all compact scooters, I suspect there will be an "ouch" when going over bumps.

Merry Christmas

I know, we are still in Advent. But Christmas is so close!

My job has been good to me. But it has kept me very busy. As I try to catch up with life next week, I may not have the time to post, so I'm posting now to wish everyone a most wonderful Christmas season. May you have more hope. May you have something to look forward to. May your loved ones be close by, and safe. And most of all, may you grow ever closer to God.

Merry Christmas.

flat Olaf

Made my own Olaf for now. He's flat and fragile. But he looks happy anyways.

mobility scooter

Looks like this might be an improvement on the TravelScoot: the Supa Scoota
http://electric-power-scooter.com/disability_mobility_supascoota_heavy.html

I will have to wait for time to test this product. I typically will not purchase a first-generation of any technology. I applaud those who do, because their money is what funds product improvements.

I'm an Olaf fan

I just watched the movie "Frozen" last week or so. My favorite character is Olaf. I think I'm in love. I'll have to keep an eye out for a REALLY GOOD action figure of this little guy. A quick browse through Amazon tells me that this could be difficult to find.

hmm...here is one
http://www.lazzee.com/plush-toys/frozen-olaf-action-figure-doll.html

cardboard deer head trophy

One of my co-workers has a cardboard deer head trophy, medium and small sizes. It is very good looking.

So I found it online. There are other trophy head designs available such as moose, rhino, giraffe, elephant, and more; some in different colors. The store also has these handsome rhinos:

 

little speaker

Have you heard of the 808 CANZ portable speaker? It can be had for around $30. Check it out at Amazon. I'm not saying it's the best thing around, just that for the price, this little baby is satisfactory for toting around. You might find it at your local Sam's Club, Walmart, or Office Depot.
I also ran across reviews of the Logitech Ultimate Ears (UE) Mini Boom speaker. Seems like a good product. Pricing around $100. I'm just not willing to shell out that much, but if you are, check out the reviews for the Mini Boom.

need some feet?

 

If you are into 3D printing, then you probably already know about Shapeways. You can get the litte feet here.