Paw Protection

I've never cared much about what was on my feet. In fact, I used to find it fascinating that people knew specific brands and models of footwear. I have never noticed what shoes someone has on. 

Of course, I grew up in canvas sneakers with a new pair each summer. I do not really remember owning pairs of Adidas or Nikes. I sort of assumed expensive shoes were not better, but just more expensive because of the company's advertising and constantly changing styles. 

One's never too old to change one's opinions.  

As I have a renewed interest in walking as exercise, I bought some slip-on Skechers a few weeks ago. They are called GO WALK something or other. And they make my outings seem like heaven, assuming that one walks on clouds there. My feet are suddenly much happier. 

I ordered another pair for our upcoming winter although I've been wearing sandals nearly exclusively from November to March since we retired in 2014.  These are a different style and require lacing up.

I just had Jay order a pair too. We walk a whole lot when we're travelling and it makes sense to have suitable shoes. So after six and a half decades of walking on earth, save for the first few, I've become interested in shoes.

Accessorizing

Earlier this month, I walked into the Berlin Zoo with a hat but left without it.  I'm not very good at keeping track of personal items when outdoors.  Thankfully, I've never misplaced a wallet or something important!

I have a few baseball hats, but I sort of missed that somewhat goofy hat. I often wore it in the summer sun because the rim was wide.  I politically-incorrectly sometimes referred to it as my elderly Chinese lady's hat.

I was able to forget about my formerly favourite hat until we went out for Canada Day yesterday.  July 1st was a bright, sunny day.  

When home later in the evening, I remembered to see what was on Amazon.  It's hard picking something like a hat online.  It's impossible to know what the material is like.  It's also a guess as to what the colour will really be like.  Online shopping for clothes, even for a hat can end up with a delivery of something that doesn't fit.

Our Amazon delivery guy just left the replacement.  I guess I am happy.  I'm going to call it my 'fishing hat'.  I don't fish, however.

Caveat emptor!

These Hawaiian shirts would've been perfect if they had actually been 100% cotton as the description stated. I think, in fact, they are 100% polyester. It's not a good material for a hot climate and completely defeats the purpose of this style of shirt. I should know better than trying to buy clothes online.

   

Rather than being delivered by our usual Amazon guy, they came via a shipping company called, Intelcom. I hate seeing that an item is due to arrive via them as their drivers are too lazy to bring packages to our doorway. I've never been impressed with that company. Now, however, they have to arrange to come back and pick up these as a return. I can count items I've needed to return over the years on one hand.

A Heavy Metal Band

The excitement of an Amazon delivery can quickly wear off if the product isn't what one expected.  However, today I was pleased with one item which was dropped off. 

I got a Google Pixel watch when they were released last fall. Overall, I'd say my feelings can be summarized as muted satisfaction.  First, I suppose it's useful to read the header when an email arrives right on my wrist.  And being able to see phone app notifications with the phone still in my pocket can be convenient.  More importantly, I like the integration with Google Wallet, so I can hold my wrist near a cashier's terminal and safely pay with a credit card.  Specifically, the activity tracking features are what I find most useful. I've been tracking steps for at least a decade with other devices. I also find Fitbit's constant information about my heart rate and sleep stats useful.  

So after six months of use, I'm pretty used to the device now.  My main complaint would have to be its poor battery life.  I can't say having to charge it so often is welcomed.  

 

The watch came with a comfortable but uninspiring silicon band. Yesterday though, the Amazon guy brought a package containing a metal Miimall® band. I have rather small wrists and had to remove two links. However, the package came with an easy-to-use tool. In a couple of minutes, I strapped my Pixel watch back on. I'm happy with the quality of the build and how it looks and feels.  For the price, it was a great purchase.

More Bottles to Take on a Trip

As one gets older, it becomes harder to get good quality sleep. I found a way to achieve much deeper sleep though. I read in an article that as one gets older, it becomes more difficult to absorb an optimum amount of magnesium simply through one's diet. We do snack on nuts and get a pretty sizeable intake.  However, supplementing is a safe option.

You can keep your prized bottle of melatonin as it does nothing for me. However, as soon as I started with just one capsule of magnesium bisglycinate in the early evening, I enjoy much better sleep. I just ordered more from Amazon.

 

No Elephants Planned

Some hand towels just arrived from Amazon. I got to know their Amazon Basics products through electronics and small devices such as our ceramic heater and a great little tea kettle. I love the quality of the wires and cables they sell under their Basics brand too. 

So we'll give their towels a try. 

I don't think the ones that came tonight will ever become a temporary animal, such as this elephant on one of our beds on a former cruise.

 

Modifying the Balcony's LED Strip Lighting

If you'd have asked me when I ran the cheap LED lighting strip the width of the balcony, I might've replied that I put it in last summer.  So, I was surprised when I looked it up right here and discovered I ran a strip along under the balcony doors in August 2019.  That is going on two years ago and longer than I thought.

I was never very happy with the old wifi controller that worked with an app called, Magic Home.  Not only was set up tedious, but the controller often disconnected.  This is important is because I control my balcony lights with Google Assistant.  I would often request, "Hey Google, turn on the balcony LED strip," but hear a response saying, "Sorry, the LED strip isn't available right now."  

So, last week, I ordered a new set of LED strips on Amazon with a different type of controller.  Most all my lighting and plug products work with an app called Smart Life.  It is dependable and I wanted the same for my LED strip.  The box came with 2 reels which could've wrapped around the circumference of the balcony but I ended up putting up an existing unused reel I already had.  The newer ones were more water-resistant but cheap ones with fewer LEDs per meter.  

If I had wrapped around the entire balcony, the installation might have looked a bit tacky.  As I just replaced along the wall of my apartment, five meters were sufficient.  However, as my electrical box is in the center, I figured cutting the strip into two sections made sense.  Before I had to run an extension cord to one end of the balcony to plug them in.  Now the strip is powered in the middle with each half on a separate connection.

"Okay, Google.  Turn on the LED strip and change the colour to green."

The Road Ahead is Here

I realized that I've become a little spoilt by Amazon. When ordering via Prime, I have come to expect my order either the next day or, at most, two. The world has little patience nowadays it seems and I'm a prime example, so to speak!  Proudly, I'll mention I've come across a fairly effective cure though. 

Yesterday, I downloaded the AliExpress app.  When ordering junk from China, I will have to wait a minimum of two weeks and sometimes even up to 74 days for something to arrive.  For sure, this will cure 'my need for speed'.  Like a good zen master, ordering off this site will teach me patience.

However, there's a big difference in what I can order from these two online marketplaces.  Amazon has come to feel like it is for our few, boring necessities of life.  You know, there are bulk food orders or boxes of ordinary household items.  On the other hand, AliExpress is full of poorly-worded marketing for exciting, new items fresh out of China. 

I went in search of a Mi Band 6 rather than buying a simple replacement strap for my Mi Band 4.  With that in the basket, I could not help but keep looking around.  There were just so damned many gadgets vying for my attention

Okay, Jay likes laser pointers.  I'll have to get him a $15 green one which can supposedly light a match at the distance of a meter.  Also, I loved the look of an electronic cigarette lighter with a dragon on the side.  I don't smoke but everyone needs a lighter, right?  In addition, it really is time to replace the tired old wifi LED strip on the balcony.  I hate the Magic Home controller as it constantly disconnects.  Obviously, it's time I buy one that will work the Smart Life app.  What else?  Oh my, there are just so many things to catch my eye here.

My need for instant gratification is now being replaced with a desire for totally unnecessary, impulse purchases.  That is an improvement.  Isn't it?

It's Not So Far to Tipperary

It feels cold to us. It was colder last night than we'd seen during the whole winter in Mexico. In fact, it is only supposed to be around 6°C or 7°C during the nights for the whole upcoming week. It was very cloudy this morning but the afternoon has cleared. Still, looking at the forecasts during the first week of May shows a lot of rain. Sometimes we can leave for the entire Lower Mainland BC winter and still get an ample taste of one after we return from away.

 

We stopped at Tipperary Park near New Westminster's City Hall. It is a delightful little place nestled in the middle of a residential city. We were returning from a drive uptown. We picked up a 5-lb package of whole wheat flour at Walmart. 

I ordered a bread maker on Amazon that'll arrive tomorrow. We do get plenty of good deals on healthy, sprouted Silver Hills® bread. But it's been a dog's age since we had a bread machine.  I ordered one that is supposed to include a more traditional, horizontal pan. I think I liked the West Bend model because it shows dual kneading blades and supposedly can make a loaf up to 3-lbs. Of course, as with any appliance nowadays, only time will tell if it lives up to its positive, online customer reviews.

It'll be nice to smell bread baking in the apartment.

The Little Joys of Quarantining

About a year ago, we were ending our quarantine after arriving back from Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Now we're doing it again after spending five months in sunny Mexico. You'd think we'd be pretty good at it this time around.

   

However, this is day #5 and I'm finding little to blog about. That's why this picture highlights mere washcloths. The Amazon guy dropped off a package of 24 at our door this afternoon.  I bought a mixed colour set.  So, that is THE major news item for us today.  How exciting, eh?

Oh, I also ordered the Emily Carr print I was thinking about back in Mazatlan a couple of weeks back.  It seems as if some of this blog's news may have to come delivered to our door for the remaining nine days of self-isolation.

Until You Drop

This morning, I went to clean my teeth with my rechargeable water flosser. I really like the cheap Chinese model I got last year on Amazon. It is small and travels with me. This one charges via USB but runs for a week or ten days before needing to be plugged in. Today, nothing! During the last several days I've had a little trouble turning it on or off as the buttons wouldn't react quickly. It did not work at all today.

Was it fate that today was Amazon Prime Day? Another cheap Chinese device is on its way but it's a different model and brand. The Amazon guys delivered another big package this afternoon. 

   

However, we went to the uptown Mall too as we needed bananas from Walmart. There are so many opportunities to buy stuff in an urban area. Apparently, the dollar store is ready for me to stock up on some additional Christmas crap. However, our box with Christmas decorations has seldom been unpacked since we retired in 2014. It most likely won't this year either as we hope to be away again. Because of this, we did not need to look for anything in this aisle.

 

The Old Way Works Just Swell

For a few weeks, I've been shaving like my grandfather used to. The entire experience has been a positive one.

Amazon delivered the heavy Wilkinson razor at the end of August. So, I've had enough time to make this type of shaving a part of my routine. I like it. I need to shave daily and do so in the mornings. My face seems so smooth! It really doesn't take longer to prep for a real shave because I use gel from a can. Time isn't a problem anyway as I've not had to rush to work for about six years. 

There's something downright manly about dropping a new blade into the razor. The sharp, two-sided blades are wrapped in paper and come in little plastic packs of five. There's a slot to store the used ones 'neath the fresh ones. 

I shave the right side of my face with one side of the safety blade and the opposite with the other. I've found a blade will easily last a week.  Today, in fact, after shaving, I put in a new one. This means on Mondays I'll always wake up to a new blade and, on Thursdays, I'll flip it over. It'll be time to switch it out next Sunday. I guess I find routine comforting in the morning. 

There's a world of practitioners for whom blade-brand choice remains paramount. Amazon Canada sells blade variety packs so one can pick a favourite from the dozens of offerings. Being slightly more practical, I simply chose the 100-pack with the best reviews and cheapest cost. My Derby Premiums were manufactured in Turkey. They boast chromium-ceramic-platinum-tungsten and polymer coated edges. Wow!  All 20 five-packs cost a total of CA$ 9.60. So, for a mere US$ 7.20, I have a two-year supply.

My Fire is Being Extinguished

A bit over a year ago, I ordered a 10" Amazon Fire tablet. I remember the date as we were outside the gate on an airplane but I was still connected to Toronto airport's wifi. The purchase was a bit spur-of-the-moment and I'd not really done my homework. I wanted a larger device for Snapseed photo editing and the Amazon hardware had a 1920x1080 display.

The Amazon was pretty cheap but I've found it a very uninspiring piece of hardware. I was expecting a cleaner version of the Android operating system; I had to jump through a lot of hoops to load the tablet with the software I require. Although I'm a Prime member, I don't need much of the bloatware that Amazon designed inhouse. It has been a very disappointing purchase.



When waiting for the new MS Edge to load earlier today, I thought, "Enough." I have been checking to see what was now available in Android tablets and it's a pretty grim picture. Most have crappy displays and Samsung products cost much more than they should. By chance, I somehow ended up at the Lenovo Canada site.

I now have a Lenovo Tab M10 FDH (2nd gen) being processed for shipping. I like that it has a free charging stand and will work as an ambient display for my Google Home. I expect it to charge on my bedside table displaying one of my Flickr albums during the day and the dimmed time at night.

Recreational Shopping?

What kind of a day was it? Even though we walked to the other end of downtown, my Mi Band shows I've travelled just 3.29 KM. I have another clue that I was a little bored. It's not like having that feeling has ever bothered me. In fact, I'm proud of how well I can handle doing little. Everyone needs to be an expert at something, even if that something is doing nothing.

My main accomplishment of the day involved Amazon Canada. I realized I had no active orders and had to work hard on figuring out something I could buy. I nearly selected a little electronic label maker and all sorts of extra label-tape. Then, I wondered if that'd be something I would use only for a week and then put away in a never-opened drawer. It also seemed a bit of overkill when I have tablets and computers which can all connect to our wireless laser printer.



So, this item seemed like a more suitable choice. I hate trying to use scissors for cutting along an imaginary line. Today's order won't come until after the weekend but making one gave me something to do.

One, Two, Three and Soon Four.

I have had three iterations and just ordered the newest one on Amazon. Even if one totals them all up, the cost is still less than a single smartwatch or brandname activity-tracker.

Released during the summer of 2014, the original Xiaomi Mi Band simply had few LEDs. It was a workhorse that'd go for a month without a charge. Several years later, the second version had a fully-functional screen but not such a secure band. This model had heart-rate monitoring and sleep stats. I liked it a lot. Last winter, we came back to our place in Malaysia and my band had an empty hole. The device had come unseated while we were riding the bus. I immediately replaced it with the third model as I'd become addicted to seeing my daily statistics. I was using it the day after I'd lost the older band. This third model had a larger screen and was better fitted to its band. I just gave it to Jay to wear around to check on steps and heart rates even though he won't' be using the phone app. Jay refuses to bother with a smartphone!

I saw that the price is nearly the same for the Mi Band 4 which came out this summer. Its screen has grown a bit and had gotten a bit colourful. Supposedly, it still goes two or three weeks without needing to be recharged.

How I Saved a Couple of Bucks

What's bigger than a bread basket, can stay underwater for 72 hours, and won't easily burn up in a house fire?

This really isn't a riddle. It's just I figured that a few personal documents and some of my computer media deserve better storage than in an old shoebox. This Sentury®Safe medium-sized fire chest fits the bill nicely.



My purchase proves that one should look around when buying online. This morning, I got this model CHW20201 delivered from Staples as their price was $12 cheaper than Amazon's and $5 less expensive than through Walmart.

Something to Smile About

I've been told I have a big mouth. However, it wasn't big enough for all my adult teeth. To prevent crowding, my parents had the dentist of my youth pull a few healthy ones. There's that and then the time I broke my lower jaw in a car accident in Kuwait. Needless to say, I do not have a mouth of perfectly aligned specimens.

As an adult, I've come to rely on a Waterpik® device. Mere flossing cannot extract all the food which can sometimes get caught between my teeth. Besides, having a clean mouth simply feels much better.

I finally replaced my travel Waterpik® that I've been using daily for a few years. My new one does not sport that famous, brand name though. I have been unhappy with my last purchase from that company. It was designed for travelling but only came with large, clunky 120v plug. We are overseas a lot and require alternative power. Secondly, it never held enough electrical charge to last more than one session. Perhaps, most importantly, it literally screamed during operation. That purchase always felt like a downgrade from the counter-tank versions I'd owned prior to it.

On Amazon, I ordered an ABOX FC2561 water flosser developed by a Chinese company. The package was delivered yesterday, on a Sunday no less! My new device is great. It overcomes each of the problems mentioned. The more-than-ample battery charges via a standard USB outlet. So far I've run it six times and there's no sign of any battery discharge. It is nearly silent, but powerful with a solid feel. The 'nozzle heads' seem rather cheap but it shipped with at least a half dozen different ones.

All this is almost enough to make me smile!

Another Plastic Gadget?

I can appreciate irony.

Yesterday's geek-ish entry was all about my foray into smart-home technology. I explained how I set up 'Google Home' to control lights and switches in this apartment. This morning I rolled out of bed and said, "Hey Google, Good Morning." Rather than having the fake fan switch off, hearing my calendar entries, and learning about the day's weather, I heard an announcement saying the speaker could not connect to the Internet.

I'm not sure if the fault was connected with a reported power outage in some neighbourhoods of New Westminster, or not. I do know that I called our Internet provider on my cell phone. Our regular phone is VoIP so that didn't work and neither did our TV as our local channels come to us over IP too. I did manage to use my phone as a hotspot to catch a bit of the TV news and listen to news radio.

I realized I was not able to actually tune into over-the-air broadcast radio. Of course, we live in an earthquake zone here and when, not if, the big one comes, we may not be able to count on Internet service. So while still connected to my mobile data plan, I ordered this cheap emergency radio with a hand crank. It has been a long time since I was a boy scout, but I have not forgotten about the importance of ... being prepared!

How Big's a Trillion?

I ordered a set of folding chairs from Amazon Canada. The four-pack arrived today via FedEx.

Oddly, these seats were shipped from Brampton, Ontario. It seemed strange to me that the 23 kg box wasn't sent from a closer distribution center. I understand Amazon Canada must have inked special deals for its free shipping. Yet, I was surprised such a heavy item was shipped 4,200 km for a two-day delivery.

It seems as though brick and mortar stores would have a leg-up in proving an efficient distribution model. However, I am not factoring in the dramatically increased costs in maintaining the facilities, utilities, and staffing. Perhaps shipping my chairs across a great part of Canada to my door was cheaper than providing these chairs in a standard retail environment.

The company must be doing something right to have amassed a market cap of $US 978.9B as of yesterday.

Where's My Calendar and Calculator?

Yay, I have an Amazon Canada Prime membership with free 2-day shipping! So today's order will arrive on Wednesday, July 10th. OK, thanks.