Doug I don't believe it... well friend, you better believe it

Do you know what this is?  It's my last incandescent light bulb, a 60 watt GE Reveal.  Way back in the summer of 2011, the news reported the US was going to stop manufacturing these types of light bulbs effective January 2012.  The next day at work, a couple people were talking about it and my friend Candace said "You better stock up, they'll be gone sooner than you think."

And then one night I got off the bus after work and saw a sign in CVS window, a 'Final Sale' on GE light bulbs.  For years I'd been buying the Reveal bulbs, they were the perfect tone of white/not too bright.  I went in, grabbed a cart and put around 30 4-pk boxes of light bulbs in it.  Every 60 watt Reveal they had in stock.

I almost did a blog about this 15 years ago, but when I saw the top of my linen closet filled with light bulbs, I thought it looked a little crazy.  Still, as everyone flocked to the newer bulbs I rubbed my hands together and went "Heh heh!"  and continued using my old school energy-inefficient bulbs.

Around 4 years ago, I stopped using them in my bedroom to make my inventory last longer for my living room.  And now, I'm down to my final bulb.  So until this one burns out, I will get to hold onto that old timey incandescent glow just a little while longer.

Speaking of the bedroom (and my lamp in there), do you see the denim floor pillow on the right?  I bought that pillow way back around 1990-91, when I lived in my first apartment in the city.  My sister Shawn often drove up for the weekend, and we'd go to Waterworks Mall, do some shopping, see a movie, sometimes have dinner there too.  

There was a Pier 1 Imports we always visited and where I got that pillow--they had some cool stuff.

I don't use the pillow regularly--only when I get a backache.  I'll take a book and sit on the floor and prop myself up against Old Blue.  It's very dense but squishy soft.

Over the years I've wiped it down with a damp washcloth, what else can I do?  It's not like I can throw it in a washer.  And then 2 days ago I was wiping it off and my washcloth snagged on something--a pull tab for a zipper.  I've owned this pillow 35 years and didn't know I could remove the cover.

It was difficult, but I managed to unzip and remove the denim cover and soaked it in some Tide and cold water.  The water turned yellow in a couple minutes.  The pillow insert inside was surprisingly white and the manufacturer tag read Pier1 Imports 1990, 100% goose down.  

Anyway, I guess Ol' Blue is good another 35 years!

I saved the best for last.  This one's a biggie.  Back in 2012, DC Comics announced Paul Levitz had written a GINORMOUS BOOK COVERING THE DIFFERENT AGES OF DC COMICS.

For you non-comic experts out there, older comic books are broken down into 3 ages:

The Golden Age, from 1935-1956

The Silver Age, from 1956-1969

The Bronze Age, from 1970-1984

I began reading DC comics in the late sixties, and stopped collecting them in 1984.  I still read reprints on occasion, no interest in the current stuff.

Anyway, I wanted this book--at the same time, I didn't want it.  Where the heck would I put it?  Fortunately, DC came to their senses and re-issued the book in a smaller format, broken up by the ages.  But they were still LARGE volumes and weigh 10 pounds each.

So look what I bought 15 years ago... love those foil covers.

I paid $59.95 each for them back in 2011-2012, and they've been in my closet all these years.  They've also become collector's items, the Silver Age book with the Flash on it?  It retails for $455.00 now. 

Believe it or not, mine are in mint condition.  They're still in their plastic shrink wrap.  (That wasn't my intention, I just never got around to opening them.)

And finally, here was a nice little surprise.  When I was removing these from their paper sacks for this blog post, I was surprised to see each book had an alternate cover on the reverse.  Nice.  😎

Meanwhile, life goes on: Thinking out Loud, June 2026

A couple days ago my sister Courtney sent this photo of her & her husband Robert's 3 dogs--Stormy, Shiva & Ace, following her into the basement of their home in Cincinnati Ohio.  For some reason it reminded me of that big dog licking Richard Mulligan's face in the opening of that '80s sitcom "Empty Nest".  

"Life goes on, and so do we... how do we do it is a mystery..."   

I'm sitting here in my customary spot on the floor in front of my couch on a cloudy afternoon, no plans of course (except what I'm making for dinner--a pot of chili) and feeling better than I have been in awhile.

From the neck down, I am healing up nicely.  My four belly incisions from my gall bladder surgery aren't pretty, but no longer hurt.  My stomach's monster swelling has gone down, and last night (for the first time since the surgery) I was able to lie flat on my back at bedtime.  

From the neck up however... the long covid pushes on.  Burning eyes, dry mouth, pressure in sides of my head.  But there is improvement. 

I feel I need to apologize to anyone reading this, as I have a difficult time keeping mum about my health issues.  I've driven a couple people in my life away since the whole long covid thing began, and I'm not sure I'll be able to get them back and frankly I don't think I even want to.  But at the very least I want to thank all the friends and visitors who take the time to come here and read my blog.  I feel guilty sharing so much here, but it sure helps to get it out.  

On a lovelier note, here's a recent photo of my niece Sophia with her beau Luke.  Is it just me because I'm her uncle, or is this young woman as beautiful as I think? 

Heavens.  And speaking of family (and long covid), the morning my whole gall bladder adventure began, I was talking to Sophia's mom (my sister Shawn) who asked if I'd heard about nicotine patches being a possible aid in reducing long covid symptoms.

I did, but never really looked into it until that call.  There's no official studies of course, or documented findings, but some researchers claim 7mg of nicotine daily for 30 days seemed to help a number of cases.  So I figured, why not.

I'm not crazy about the notion of wearing a nicotine patch again (I quit smoking nearly 20 years ago) but at least it's a very small amount of nicotine and right now I'm willing to try anything.   I have an appointment with my surgeon this Thursday (I suppose he wants to review his handiwork) and if everything looks okay, I think I'm going to begin the nicotine patch regimen next week.

Well, that's all I have for now.  After a week of eating oatmeal, bananas & chicken paste I am craving something red.  I'm anxious to see if I can tolerate a bowl of chili without too much inflammation or oral pain.  I normally add a lot of spices to my chili--garlic, ground red pepper, chili powder, etc. but not this time.  My body is way too tender for anything more than ground beef, tomatoes and beans.   Thanks for stopping by, it's much appreciated.

I have Frankenstein's stomach, other weirdness and for 19 things there is a first time

Wednesday morning I got a call from someone named Colleen, my "case manager" at UPMC.  I almost didn't take the call but I'm glad I did, she was knowledgeable and honest.

She had a pretty good understanding of my week in the hospital, and asked what my stomach was looking like.  I said it looked like Frankenstein's stomach, with red slashes and covered in green, blue and brown bruises.  

I said it was also tender to the touch and EXTREMELY swollen. I've eaten so much less since this whole thing began yet my stomach feels and looks like I was 9 months pregnant.

I'm not making this up--I came very close to sharing a photo of my monster belly here but was too embarrassed.

She told me the average patient gains between 10-15 pounds following surgery and a stay in the hospital (from being sedentary and receiving IV bags of various nutrients 24 hours a day).  As for all the swelling and soreness, I have a lot of enflamed organs right now. 

I told Colleen that I was just concerned why I'm not feeling lots better.  A few people have sent me articles or videos on what to expect following gall bladder surgery, people often go home the same day or the next morning, not a week later.  She said "Yours was emergency surgery, not elective.  Plus you underwent two surgeries two days in a row.  And then you got those infections and the pneumonia, so your outcome was different."

I asked her how soon I can begin doing some light exercising again (I always liked to do arm & leg stuff while watching tv) and she said "Nope, none of that.  You can start taking some light walks in 2-3 weeks."   Oh well, I'm still being forced to sleep upright because of breathing problems.

Colleen said I also run the risk of getting a hernia right now, and to avoid picking up anything heavier than a gallon of milk for another 3 weeks.  Easier said than done.

The surgeon wants to do a follow-up with me on June 25.  I hope I'm well enough to go, my dear friend Kim has graciously agreed to go with me.  

As long as I'm doing a health update here, I'm still wrestling with these long covid symptoms.  The left eye and temple inflammation have been subdued for over a week now, but still lots of soreness and weirdness inside my mouth, tongue & gums.  Things like chocolate, salt, tomato sauce are like eating red pepper.  It sucks, but could be worse.

And finally, something I never thought I'd do--I bought groceries online today from Walmart.com.  There was an extra $15.00 added to my bill for delivery & driver's tip, but all the items I requested showed up at my doorstep.  (And no broken eggs.)  A nice convenience but I like my walks to Kuhns.

C'mon, this is what $52.76 is supposed to look like?

This shouldn't have surprised me, but it did.  I was at the market, adding these up in my head as I went along.  I estimated the total was going to be around $38.00.

Wrong.  When the cashier rang me up, she said my total was $52.76.   How is this even possible?   

At least a couple of these items I rarely buy.  The large-size raspberry jam was $6.50, the aluminum foil was nearly $7.00.  Those 2 items will last me 3 months, easy.  

I still don't see how the items in this photo came to over $50 though.  (The title says $52.76 but one of the items isn't in the picture, a box of Rice-A-Roni.  I set it by the stove for my dinner.)  

Anyway, I'm only responsible for the care and feeding of one.  I honestly don't know how families out there are even doing it.  At least the Rice-a-Roni was only $1.59, but frankly I think that was overpriced too.  

I don't want to sound like one of those old men yelling about bread once costing 10 cents, but I remember when this box of rice was 29 cents.

20 million people can't be wrong...

Things could be worse, but things could be so much better.  A couple days ago I tried going to the store (for some items I didn't really need, was just looking for an excuse to go somewhere) and couldn't do it.  Too much pressure in the temples and inflammation in the face.

It hurts to put on my eyeglasses and I cannot go outside without 'em.  

Tried again yesterday... nope.  So I went today (and here's my sore mug, trying to look normal) after coming home, and now my head and eyes are super hot and I am wiped out.  Just for a walk to the store and back.  

It's hard to believe, but this time a year ago I was finally showing signs of real improvement.  I was experiencing good days every 2-3 days.  By mid June things were mostly good.  I was 90% my old self and started visiting the senior center again.

I still waited 3 months before seeing a dentist in mid September for a couple cavities.  If I had known those shots of Novocaine would reactivate the long covid virus, I would've waited a year to get those fillings.  

(I only found out afterward that people recovering from long covid and undergoing dental work or injections to the head or face were experiencing full relapses.)

Anyway, since it's return this past September... it's like back to square one.  I get good moments here and there, but have yet to get any good days.  I worry this isn't going to get fully better anytime soon.  Just continuing to take things one day at a time.

Two nights ago, I was in my kitchen washing dishes and heard the term "long covid" on the news and came dashing into the living room to see who said what.  A health expert said the latest covid variants were showing less risk of developing into long covid, but it's estimated 20 million Americans are currently living with this condition.  They're known as silent sufferers, as they've stopped seeking medical treatment.  

It made me think of my first trip to the doctor in January 2024 and being misdiagnosed with a severe sinus infection.  I went back in February 2024, then to the ER in March then to a neurologist that summer.  After that, I knew no one had any answers.  

In all honesty, everything after 2023 seems like a dream.  Like none of this was meant to happen.  I guess a lot of people in car accidents or slip & falls say the same thing.  It just feels like this could've been so easily avoided.  I'll never know for sure.

And finally, a friend of mine noticed my post with Eve Plumb's book had gotten a lot of comments, and jokingly asked if I was becoming an 'influencer'.  I'm not even sure what that is.  She said if I was trying to sell the book on my blog by talking about it and getting a kickback, I had to disclose that.

No, I was just writing about it, that's all.  Meanwhile, have you tried these Ricola Lemon-Mint Drops?  Not only are they sugar free, they're made with natural ingredients, soothing Swiss herbs and the perfect oral anesthetic for someone like myself with inner cheek and oral inflammation.  I just love them. 😉

A dirty secret no more, the return of Barb Wire & a paper sack for retirement

20+ years ago, I worked alongside Mike Cullen, a guy my age who was single like me.  He was also twice as good looking, in much better shape and dressed twice as nice.  He even had better hair than me.  Normally I avoid guys like this but I loved Mike.  He was a rascal, but kindhearted too.

One time he told me we should sign a pact.  Whoever dies first, the other would enter the deceased one's home and remove any embarrassing things.  A key to get in and location of the nasty stuff would be supplied in advance.

I didn’t really have anything but didn't want to let Mike down, so I said I had some adult stuff on an old laptop in my bedroom closet.  When I asked Mike what he had, he just laughed and said I'd find everything hidden in his oven.  Surprised, I said "Don't you cook?"  

He just smiled at me and said yes, but not in the kitchen.  

Anyway, it seems that every time I put something in my oven I think about Mike because of the nasty stuff I've been hiding in mine.  About 5 years worth of grease and grime.  How did I let it get this bad?  I bought rubber gloves, large sponges and oven cleaner a couple months ago, but was waiting for the weather to warm so I could tackle this with an open window and plenty of ventilation.  So with Spring arriving this week... ta-da!  

I thought this would take about an hour and I wound up spending almost 3.  But this turned out better than I hoped for.  Y'know, I have an air fryer in my cupboard (a small one).  I'm going to try and cook more with that going forward, every chance I get. 

A couple days ago I ran up the street to Kuhn's to get some eggs and other things.  When I walked down the dairy aisle, I saw Barb--aka Barb Wire--looking at the cheeses.  I wrote about this woman last August, she's in her upper 70s, maybe 80.  She always wears the same thing; a skin-tight black jogging suit and black baseball cap with her ponytail coming out the back end.  She's pretty fit.

The woman has some peculiar issues though--the first time I met her at the Senior Center last summer, she asked me if I grew up in the city or somewhere else.  When I said in the country, she snapped "I think you're too soft to be a country boy!  I think you're a liar!"   

But I haven't seen her since September, so I figured I'd let bygones be bygones and say hello.  I walked up and said "Hello Barb, do you remember me?"  She turned around and frowned, and said "You look familiar..."   I told her I used to be a regular visitor to the center but haven't been there since last fall because of health issues.  She said "How did you know it was me from behind?  BECAUSE YOU WERE CHECKING OUT MY BEHIND!"

Sigh... I'm looking forward to returning to the center, hopefully this summer.  I'm not so much looking forward to that. 😣

Finally, I've had this paper sack with "For retirement" written across its front for umpteen years in my old apartment's storage locker and now my current one, and I honestly can't remember what I put in here.  

It's pretty heavy, I'm guessing a stack of books.  I decided it was time I opened it up and took a look.

Inside were unopened dvds of Babylon 5, a sci-fi tv series from the 1990s that I've never seen.  There are 5 seasons in here, plus a box labeled Babylon 5 Movie Collection.  

When did I buy these?  According to Amazon, they were purchased in November 2007.  It's a little kooky that I can remember conversations with my friend Mike from 20 plus years ago, but draw a blank when it comes to these dvds.  

Are there any sci-fi fans out there that have seen and liked this show?  Is it worth watching?  These hologram boxes are pretty cool, but there's so much here and frankly I feel done with 90s television.  I don't know what the me from 2007 was thinking. 😐

These might be relics now, but I am still the Trek Master

Recently, my friend Margaret from the blog 'Stargazer' posted a photo of a little dog with snarling teeth and a horn on his head, and a black cat wearing a gold Star Trek tunic.  She wrote "It's Trivia Time, does anyone know what Star Trek episode this dog is from?"

It took me 0.02 milliseconds to recognize the dog from the Star Trek episode "The Enemy Within", where a malfunctioning transporter begins beaming things up--twice.  It was a brilliant episode, and a frightening one as well when a duplicate Captain Kirk goes on a violent rampage.

After I responded with my answer, she said "Right!  The black cat is from the episode with Gary Seven, do you remember that one?"

I almost spit up my Romulan ale; did she seriously just ask if I remembered the 1968 episode "Assignment: Earth"??  That would be like asking if I knew the name of the spaceship that Captain Kirk & Mr. Spock flew on!

All joking aside, I am very grateful to have good friends like Margaret from Washington, Jase from Colorado, Roger from Georgia, and Chuck & Robin from Canada who enjoy Star Trek too.

I thought I'd use this as an excuse to show off my Star Trek TV dvd collection.  I told my Trekkie friend Roger recently that given the awfulness of the new show Starfleet Academy, I was streaming Star Trek: Deep Space Nine on Paramount Plus instead.

He said "You should consider buying Deep Space Nine on physical media, DVDs are making a comeback."

I do not believe dvds are making a comeback, but I still almost choked on my Tarkalean tea.  I DO own Deep Space Nine on dvd!  I own all the Trek shows, movies, everything!  I am the Trek Master!

But in a way, Roger is right.  I don't own the "official" episodes of DS9.  When they were first released in 2004, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was $599.99 for the boxed set.  I couldn't bring myself to pay that much, so I began looking in some pretty shady corners of the internet.  

I found a Chinese company that sold bootlegs of Trek TV shows, and I got all seven seasons of DS9 for $79.00 total. 

The set arrived in these wonderful silkscreen boxes.  I loved their packaging so much, I didn't feel guilty for buying bootlegs.  The discs were high quality, affordable--and even had an option to hear the episodes in Mandarin!

Finally, a couple years before I retired (and was still in my old apartment) I found a graphics website RixGrafix where you could download his artwork and make your own DVD boxes.

I wanted a more uniform option to display my Star Trek dvds, so I downloaded the art for all the Trek series, and printed them at an office supply store on hi-grade paper on my lunch hours.

I bought 50 dvd cases from a DVD container warehouse, and they turned out really nice.  The first picture below is my Star Trek: The Next Generation dvds in their fan art boxes.  

The second photo shows Star Trek: Enterprise, Original Series, Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager.

When you line them up on your shelf, the spines form a spacey Trek collage.  😏

I no longer display them.  When I moved to my new apartment in 2017, I sold or gave away my bookcases, and all of my Trek dvds went into storage.  As long as I can stream them on Paramount, that's where I'll watch them.

Oh and for the record, I went on Amazon last night to see if ST:DS9 was available to purchase, it is.  But unlike that $599 price tag in 2004, they're only $66.00 now.  I'm not buying, but good to know. 

Has anyone else done this? I'm giving it a go

Have you heard of this?  Getting prescription meds over the internet without seeing a doctor first?  A couple weeks ago I was watching a news story about online pharmacies, and how 95% of them were bogus--selling questionable or phony drugs.  I couldn't help but wonder if any of them were legit.  And how did this work, anyway?

I've been taking 10mg Amlodipine daily since 2019.  I'd gone to the hospital for a kidney operation, and they informed me there was a problem, my blood pressure was too high.  They put me on two meds, monitored me for a couple days then did the surgery after.

I was then prescribed amlodipine, which came with side effects like swollen ankles and dizziness when I stood up.  When I complained about the swelling, they gave me a smaller dosage but my BP numbers shot right back up.  I went back on 10mg.

In 2022, I checked into the hospital for a 2 day drug screening to try other BP meds.  They were unable to find an equally effective drug.   They would write me a 3 month prescription, sometimes with a refill for another 3 months, then require I come in to renew the prescription.

In 2024 when I got long covid, my pill supply was shrinking and I had no refills left--I was in too much pain to leave the house, my primary care physician would only say "I'm sorry but you have to come in to get your prescription renewed" so I took my remaining 1 month supply and cut them in half to make them last 2 months.  Smart, huh?

Then one day soon after, I was feeling better and went to the senior center to see my friends.  A nurse was there checking people's BP numbers.  She did mine and said "You need to go to the hospital right now. Your blood pressure is in heart attack or stroke territory.  I mean it, go now."

I called my PCP, he saw me the next morning and I stopped chopping my pills.  My BP was back to normal in a couple days.

So here's my current story.  I called my PCP a couple weeks ago to see about getting a refill.  He said he already did this over the phone 3 months ago, for my next refill I had to come in.  I told him I couldn't, I was sick with the flu.  I asked if I could have a Facetime appointment like I do with my neurologist.  He said sorry, it would have to be in person.

That's when I began checking out online pharmacies prescribing drugs, and found the one above (TelyRX).  I asked AI about them and got this:

TelyRx appears to be a legitimate, U.S.-based telehealth platform and online pharmacy, featuring LegitScript certification, HIPAA compliance, and a 4.9-star rating on Trustpilot. It offers FDA-approved medications without prescriptions, but requiring a review by a licensed U.S. doctor. Users generally report fast, reliable service.

At first I said "No way.  I get my prescription at NO COST thru my current insurance plan."  TelyRX is charging me $49.00 for a 90 day supply--but they were offering a 20% discount on my first order, and an even bigger discount on refills.  

It's actually a bargain, as my doctor's office is in West View.  It's $35.00 to get an Uber ride there, another $35 to get a ride back.  My PCP is $25 for a standard visit. 

So it would cost me $95.00 to get my refill the traditional way, or TelyRX who is sending my prescription in the mail for $44.00.  I know I can't do this forever, but if this can save me the hassle (and added expense) of going to the doctor for now... why not?   In several months I'll be switching from private insurance to Medicare, and hopefully a new doctor with a closer office.

I still don't get how this is legitimate though.  TelyRx asked my height, weight & age.  They didn't ask for my medical history, or how much I take of the drug.  I had to sign a declaration that it's a prescription drug I already take, the Amlodipine is only for myself and I would use them in a responsible manner.  

These just arrived in the mail ten minutes ago.  I asked if I could get a six month supply instead of 90 days and their doctor approved it.  Let the pill popping begin.

Doug the Handyman at your service

The other day, my blogger friend Margaret posted a picture of her guy John installing a new thermostat in her refrigerator and it inspired me to be a handyman too.

For the last couple years I've been wanting to replace my toilet seat.  You can't tell from the photo above, the lid is closed--but the seat is a real mess.  

DO NOT USE CLOROX BLEACH WIPES ON PAINTED WOODEN TOILET SEATS.

Over the past 3-4 years, the bleach from those wipes ate into the white enamel, causing streaks and splotches.  It gave the appearance of being an unclean seat.  

I walked up the street to my local hardware store (and was woozy and soaked when I arrived, I think I'm still recovering from that flu last week) and was surprised at the number of toilet seats they had.  Plastic, wood, soft close, padded, round, elongated.  Those padded seats looked nice, but I worked in Home Improvements in the 1980s, and padded toilet seats never seemed to last long.  

Also, I need the ability to stand on the lid if need be, to hang Damp-Rid bags in my bathroom ceiling in the summer.  Seats ranged from $14.95 to $32.95, mine cost $25.00.   I thought they'd be more.

Ta-da!  To be honest, I had a heck of a time removing the bolts from the old one, you definitely need a wrench for both the removal and installation.  But this new seat fits like a charm and now I won't have to go into a frenzied explanation if a houseguest asks to use my powder room.   

My work for the day is done, think I'll go make a late breakfast.  🛠

Kuhn's before & after--and a little guilt, and a little rage

The picture on the top is my home away from home, Kuhn's Supermarket.  It's your average 1960's-sized supermarket, and has always suited me just fine.  I've been shopping there 35 years.

The bottom photo (I took this Saturday) shows the NEW Kuhn's they're nearing completion of, and it's MAMMOTH.  It's the size of 3 of the old Kuhn's lined up next to one another, and is slated to open this summer.  When I walked to the store on Saturday and saw Mike (the manager) I expressed my surprise and asked what they intend to put in there.  One of the cashiers said "We're going to have our own bakery, pizza shop and a big hot foods station, right Mike?"  He said yes, and a few more surprises.

I'm excited, but a little nervous too.  I know life is all about progress, but do we really need a superstore in my little neighborhood?  My belly may be rounder than average, but there's only so much it can hold.  I'd love to know what they're going to do with the original store.  More to come... stay tuned.

This may sound silly or dumb, but I did something the last two nights and I don't feel great about it.  When it comes to tv, I watch the Roku Channel & Peacock for free.  I watch HBO Max & Paramount Plus, which I pay for.

I pay an annual amount of  $139.00 a year for Paramount ad-free, and $159.00 a year for HBO Max ad-free.  They are both coming up for their yearly renewal in March.

So, two nights ago I'm looking around for something new to watch on HBO Max, and wasn't that impressed.  Curious, I went to my Accounts page, than my subscription page and saw a "Cancel Subscription" button.  Wonder what would happen if I clicked it?  So I did.

Right away I got a "Don't Go" pop-up, and an offer of  $40 off my next renewal on March 21.  I never had any intention of canceling, I was just playing around.  But sure, I'll take a $40 discount.

So last night, I'm sitting here watching Paramount Plus and thinking "I wonder if I could do that again?" and went to my Paramount subscription page, saw my annual payment was due March 3 and clicked 'Cancel Subscription'.  I got this.

I hit "Redeem Offer" and just like that, my annual price of $139.00 dropped to $69.00 on my billing page.  

(If you subscribe to HBO Max or Paramount, and pay an annual amount like I do... you might want to check this out, and save yourself a few bucks too.)

The thing is, I wasn't looking to save and wasn't planning to cancel either.  I like both services very much and feel I get my money's worth (especially as I don't have to sit thru any ads).  But it was my understanding Paramount Plus was underwater and here I am, squeezing them further?  They're just a big corporation, right?  I still feel guilty.

Finally, is anyone using TurboTax Online to do their taxes?  I'm ready to hurt somebody.  I get on there to do my taxes, I keep getting interrupted with "Do you want  Expert Help?  Say the word!"    

After completing the Income portion of my taxes (where they graciously offered to download my investment documents from Vanguard and I accepted)  I kept getting "Before we can proceed, you need to review."   I checked the various numbers I'd entered with the numbers on the forms they downloaded, they all matched up.  But every time I hit proceed, I got "Unable to continue, you need to review."

Finally an emoji of an Asian woman appeared, saying "Expert help is here!  Click on me to take over for $59.95!"  NO THANK YOU, ASIAN LADY.  I gave up and signed off, and went to bed.

As I lay there in the darkness, I wondered if it was something on their end, not mine.  I got back up, looked at the online document and what they downloaded.  That's when I noticed Turbotax chopped off the "CO" in the payer name.

VANGUARD FIDUCIARY TRUST CO  (the Payer Name on my investment form)

VANGUARD FIDUCIARY TRUST        (the Payer Name that Turbotax downloaded)

I added "CO" to the Payer Name they downloaded to my tax form, hit enter--and sure enough, the "review" box disappeared. So, they wanted me to pay them an additional $59.95 to locate THEIR typographical error??

If that Asian lady emoji had a neck, I'd strangle it--just kidding!  Okay, deep breath... relax... back to my taxes.

Silly but True Stories, Volume 1: The Bionic Woman & The Man who drank Coffeemate

NOTE:  I've decided to start a new blog category, Silly but True Stories.  It's for when I have something weird or dumb I want to share, but it's small and not really worthy of a "full blog post".  So if you'll indulge me, here we go...

If you visit my blog regularly, you know I'm always talking about my trips to Kuhn's, my local grocery store.  There's a cashier there I like greatly named Carol.  She's in her mid to late sixties, loves to chatter but is a little ditzy.  I'm not fond of that word, but that's what she calls herself.  "Ditzy Carol, that's me!"

In the last few years she's had several medical procedures done: she got a knee replacement 4-5 years ago, then a hip replacement, then another knee replacement.  Two years ago she got some kind of ball bearing inserted into one shoulder, then last year an operation on her collarbone.  She wears something now on her lower arm, for an upcoming wrist operation.  Awhile back I began calling her the Bionic Woman.  (You know... the woman from the 70's tv show with the replacement body parts.)

So one day recently, I went shopping and got into her checkout lane.  (I just aim for the first empty lane I see.)  When it was my turn and I began loading up the belt with my groceries, she smiled and said good morning, then held up my bottle of Hazelnut Coffeemate and said "Sir, is this the only one?"

I said yes, and she said "Ok but there's a sale on these right now--buy one get one half off!"  

I said that was okay, I only wanted the one.  I added "Besides, I'm pretty sure I got the last one on the shelf."

Carol said "Oh really?  Uh-oh!  That spells trouble!"  I asked why.  She said "We have a man that comes in here 2-3 times a week.  He never leaves without one or more of these bottles in his cart!  Personally I think he must drink the stuff!"

I laughed and said wow, that's a lot of Coffeemate.  She said "Well, I don't wanna be here if he shows up and that shelf is empty, that's for sure!"  I said "Is he an angry person?  Does he have a temper?"  

Carol said "Oh, he's nice enough.  I got a bunch of medical stuff done and he likes to call me the Bionic Woman!  Isn't that a hoot?"

Yes Carol, he sounds like a real hoot.

Like it or not, you usually DO get what you pay for (zzz...)

I've shared this on here a couple times before, but a couple years after I retired and moved into this new apartment, I got rid of my big clunky bookcases, big clunky sofa, big clunky dining table, big clunky bedroom furniture.

I got a new bed from IKEA with a modern metal frame (above) that I just loved and still do--but the mattress sits on wood slats, not box springs so it's much lower to the floor.  I had some difficulty adjusting to it, until it occurred to me to buy a mattress topper.  I bought one from Bed Bath & Beyond for $119.00 and it was just right.  Well made, alternative down filling, a nice loft.  I rotated or flipped it every 2 weeks when I changed my sheets.

But it only lasted so long, and after 5 years it was time for a new one.  That particular one was no longer available, so I bought (what I assumed was) a comparable one from Amazon for only $55.00.  There's a reason why it was so much less in price--it was rough, scratchy, lumpy, uneven.  I complained about it to my neighbor who offered to take it off my hands.

I bought another one from Amazon that was a little better, but not much.  I grudgingly used it these past two years, then a few weeks ago decided to replace it with a good one like I had before.  This time I went to Wayfair.  I searched for "FULL SIZE ALTERNATIVE DOWN PREMIUM TOPPER" and then for one with the most positive reviews.

I wound up with a couple to choose from, but both cost under $65.00.  That worried me.  I wasn't looking to save money, I wanted quality more than anything and was willing to pay for it.  But I went ahead and bought one anyway.

Big mistake--in the days waiting for it, I was bombarded with emails from Wayfair, 19 emails in 3-4 days.  (In the days that followed, another 13.)  When it arrived, the package was so small it surprised me.  12"x 18", the size of a standard pillowcase folded in half.  It was encased in an inch of packing tape and Chinese symbols, and said "NO KNIVES!  YOU MUST CAREFULLY REMOVE!" and then in tiny print, to let it decompress for 72 hours.  I did as instructed, and wound up with a floppy, oversized (too big for a full size mattress, smaller than a queen) topper with puckered stitching, a funny burnt smell, a papery-feeling exterior and a cobwebby feeling interior.   I really got scammed.

Disgusted with Wayfair, disgusted with myself I bunched it up, took it downstairs and piled it into the dumpster behind the building.  I will never buy from Wayfair again.    

A few days later I'm on my laptop, did a google search for "higher end mattress topper", scrolled past all the sponsored links and came up to a few names I'd never heard of before.  Boll & Branch, Sferra, Parachute.  I went on the Parachute website and found a mattress topper that looked great, for $260.00.  That's a lot of money!  I decided I needed to think on this.

A couple days after Christmas I returned to the site and saw it was part of an After-Holiday sale for $180.00.  It also said "Number remaining in stock: 17".   When it suddenly dropped to 13, I decided to stop pussyfooting around and bought one.

For a company located in Culver City, California it came amazingly fast, in 2 days via UPS.  (Shipping was free.)  I was surprised when I went downstairs to the lobby and saw a 4 foot tall box down there.   It was HUGE.   Doesn't theirs come compressed like all the others?  Nope.

Brought it upstairs and lifted a very large white handled item from the box that looked like a piece of soft luggage, with PARACHUTE on the side.  Fancy.

Pulled out the topper--absolutely wonderful.  It's dense, very heavy, but in a good way.  The material felt luxurious, premium.  It has a 100% cotton shell, made in the USA  and doesn't mash down easily.  First rate construction and the exact same size as my mattress.  No smell whatsoever.   

Here's 2 photos of the new topper.  Just letting you know, I'm not getting paid to write about this or receiving a discount or anything for putting this on my blog.  This isn't one of those phony blog ads!  I'm just relieved & happy to find such a good quality topper.  

Maybe I could've found one of comparable quality at a lesser price if I had shopped around, but at this point I don't care.  I got EXACTLY what I was looking for.  And I wasn't deluged with thirty "Please take our survey" "You might also like" "Douglas check these out!" "Rate Your Experience" etc. emails either.  Sometimes you really do get what you pay for.

 

Better feet, a lousy face & 60 billion cultures can't be wrong (hopefully)

I'm going to be brutally honest here.  Ever since I went to the hospital on Sept 28 with a "blocked bile duct" (their diagnosis, I'm not so sure) I've been dealing with stomach issues.  A constant sore stomach, bloating, cramps, bouts of severe constipation or like this past Saturday, severe nausea and constant going.  13 trips to the toilet in one day, I kid you not.

My doctor diagnosed me with IBS back in 2019 when I was going thru something similar, but I think that's their blanket term for "you got bathroom problems and it could be anything".   I know I'm always dealing with health issues and you probably think I'm a hypochondriac.  I'd happily confess to being one, if there wasn't so much pain & discomfort involved.  

Anyway, I saw a news story recently about probiotics helping people with IBS symptoms, so I did some research and got these a few days ago.  People swear these "gut flora" capsules have changed their lives for the better.

On a positive note, my belly has been behaving itself for 3-4 days now.  I think it's much too soon to give credit to these things, but I'll still be taking one daily for the long-term.

Another positive note, the plantar fasciitis is finally easing up.  It's still hurtful to walk on hard floors without something on my feet, but a good pair of tube socks will do the trick.  And my feet are no longer in pain for an hour after I get out of the shower.  

On a lousier note, I'm still wrestling with this long covid relapse.  (It returned on Sept 12, the day after a 3 hour dental visit.)   It seems to follow a cycle... one day I am pain-free and happy as a clam.  The second day, stinging in my left eye and temples, and a constant smell of baked beans and burnt hair.  The third day... swelling in the face, lots of orofacial pain.   It can last for several days too.

I was signed up to go with the senior center to the Sea Shell Restaurant on Wed, Oct 15.  I talked to my friend Mary from the center Monday night and was feeling mostly ok and hopeful.  Then Tuesday night I'm talking to my friend Diana, and smelling baked beans and burnt hair.  I told her I had a bad feeling.  Wednesday morning the pain returned and I had to call the center and cancel.  

A real bummer, I haven't seen my friends or my gal Evie in weeks.  (At least I got to talk with Evie last night, she recently took a fall and I hope she's okay.)

Right now it's difficult to schedule plans, so the next time I get a good day I plan to get back to the center and hopefully see some friendly faces.  I'd happily contend with Cussin' Connie calling me a #$%^*# hypochondriac if I could just see her again and give her a hug!

Finally, I feel the need to apologize for being so wrapped up in my own problems.  As much as I try to avoid the world outside my apartment, I still see what's going on and the scary state of things.  As much as I'm glad for those protests for democracy, it's like my covid relapse, just a big waiting game.

Picture of the Day: Gotta love (and fear, a little) all this new technology

This is my new Asus laptop on the left, it replaced my 2011 Toshiba which died a little over a week ago.  I went from a Windows7 operating system to Windows 11, and it's been a giant leap.  But this Asus is super-fast with helpful tools, and I am learning new things every day.

The computer on the right is a budget laptop, a silver Lenovo with a mind of it's own.  More on that in a second.  

A few days ago I awoke to pouring down rain, and the local weather said it'd be an all day thing.  The last time we had inclement weather, I cleaned out my linen & front room closets.  Today I'd tackle the big dawg--my wall length bedroom closet.

In the far back was a long skinny box and when I pulled it out, saw LENOVO across the front.  When I opened it on my bed, a silver laptop was inside.  My memory of purchasing it was vague, but when I went on Amazon and looked at my Order History... I remember now.  It was bought during their Black Friday 2022 sale for a hundred off the regular price, only $224.00.

I remember registering my MSN account on it, then packing it away.  At the time my Toshiba was still hanging on, and I wasn't ready to learn a new operating system.  This would be my "In Case of Emergency" machine.  I honestly forgot all about it.

So it's been hidden away almost 3 years.  Does it still work?  I plugged it in and turned it on.  The Lenovo awoke from it's deep slumber and asked if edougmorris was still the owner.  Yes.  It asked if wireless network TEEPEE2 was mine.  Yep again.  It asked me to provide pins for both.  

It said "This computer has detected 163 Windows and other software updates.  Proceed with all updates?"  I said yes, why not.  It said to leave it on and plugged in.  So I did, and went back to my closet cleanout.  

A couple hours later, lunch.  The Lenovo was still sitting on my bed, doing God knows what.

I came into the living room, watched Perfect Murder on HBO Max, got on my Asus, checked my emails.  Around 3:00 I went back into my bedroom.

The Lenovo screen now displayed "Updates are complete and computer is ready for use."   The wallpaper is different, but it's somehow a clone of my Asus now.  The same folders, documents, desktop icons.  The internet browser has my favorite websites, everything.

Even Microsoft Office I bought for my Asus is on here too, working.  (I discovered MS Office automatically detects and copies itself on up to 5 of your MSN devices.)

The screen resolution on the Lenovo is low compared to the hi-def Asus, it has less memory and a smaller processor too.  The keys aren't backlit, but they don't need to be--they're a bit larger and easier to see.  Here's the real shocker, the Lenovo screen is a touch screen.  Wait, is my $600 Asus a touch screen?  Nope.  

I'll be dam--darned, I'm liking the budget Lenovo as much as the Asus, and I paid 3 times as much for that Asus!  

Well, at least now I really DO have an "In case of Emergency" machine.  

Giving things a go with Bachelor Apron I mean Blue Apron

The other day I was on my tablet, reading an article from Bon Appetit about the “new” Blue Apron.  If you’ll recall, Blue Apron was the one that started the whole meals-in-a-box thing.  Anyway, Blue Apron was reinventing themselves.

Single serving meals, no more weekly subscription required, a once-monthly shipping charge.  Most of these outfits charge $15-20 a box to ship.  Blue Apron will now charge a flat $9.99 a month, regardless of how many boxes you have delivered.

I’ve been wanting to try one of these services for awhile, where the meals are mostly prepared.  I’m sorry but I just don’t have it in me to learn how to cook more than hamburgers or chicken, but I still need healthier options in my diet and more variety.  So it was either this or start flirting with 70 year old Dee next door.  Now that woman can cook!

When I visited the website, I saw they still had their traditional dinner kits, new “Bake in a Pan for Two” meals, and lower calorie single-serve “Dishes”.  I signed up for a one month trial that included free shipping and 30% off my first couple orders.

I got this box with 5 single serve meals and a pizza kit.   With the promotional discount, this wound up costing me $36.00.  

• Four-Cheese Enchiladas
• Creamy Red Pepper Fettuccine & Uncured Bacon
• Cavatappi Beef Bolognese
• Southwestern-Style Turkey
• Chipotle Cheddar Pork Sausage & Potatoes
• Truffle Honey White Pizza Kit

The pizza kit smelled delicious, I could really smell those loose ingredients.  The other meals were airtight, under 600 calories.  Not a lot, but I’m trying to cut back anyway.  You have 5 days to eat them or freeze ‘em.

You can either microwave or bake in the oven; I baked the red pepper fettucini with asparagus & uncured bacon first

I do plan on ordering one or more of the “Pan Meals for 2” next time.  They claim to serve 2-3, have more traditional components, and those pan meals (baked in an oven) should be enough for a couple dinners.

Here’s my first Blue Apron “Dish”, which I served with a small salad & garlic bread.  I think I baked it a few minutes longer than necessary, but I’m not taking any shortcuts via the microwave.  It was very tasty (and very spicy) and did fill me up.

 

Here’s the second “Dish” I had, the Southwestern Turkey.  It contains turkey, brown rice, guajillo chili pepper sauce, corn, peppers & onions, black beans, monterey jack cheese, jalapenos.  I added a dollop of sour cream, which pretty much made it perfect. 

It may not look pretty, but this was also filling and I was surprised how delicious it was.  (Very, very hot—but delicious!)

Finally, here’s the Truffle Honey Pizza—strangely, it cost the same as one of the single-serving Dishes, but was more than enough for two people.  It did take a lot of prep, but was worth it.  The crust was puffy and soft, the cheeses and toppings were aromatic and fresh, and that black truffle zest gave it a real gourmet taste.

If I order from Blue Apron again, you can be sure I’ll include another pizza kit.

I don’t think I can bring myself to pay $10.00 per single-serve meal after my 30% discount runs out though.  Are these single-serve meals worth $5-6.00?  Absolutely.  $10.00?  Nope.

Maybe this will be a “once a month assortment box thing”, but I’m not doing more than that.  Oh fudge, I better learn how to cook!

Picture of the Day: Loving those drugs from the Sixties

The other day I was coming down Lincoln Avenue in Bellevue and was surprised to see this storefront sign, hidden since the 1960s.  Construction crews were tearing down the front of Rite-Aid Pharmacy, which declared bankruptcy and shut their doors in my neighborhood in December 2023. 

(For the record, I sort of blame them for my long covid; I stopped there to pick up my blood pressure meds after Thanksgiving in Nov 2023.  They asked me to come back on Monday.  When I said “Will you guys still be around?” they assured me they would. 

When I returned, they were closed and had sent my prescription to Giant Eagle.  My friend Susie gave me a ride to Giant Eagle; she had covid but didn’t know it, voila.)

Anyway, Rite-Aid had been my drugstore for 30 years.  But when I moved to Bellevue in 1993, it was Eckerd Drugs, which were bought by Rite-Aid in 1996.

But before it was Eckerd Drugs… it was THRIFT DRUGS.  A Pittsburgh company, they opened in 1935.  And that’s what this was until 1968 when it was bought by JCPenney, who sold it to Eckerd.

Anyway, the construction crew had halted their work on the storefront (which is being converted into office space) but no one seemed to know why.  I thought I’d get a couple pics before they tore it down further. 

I don’t know why I find this so curious, I can’t help but wonder—how long has it been since anyone last saw this vintage sign?  A lady on the street said “I haven’t shopped at Thrift since I don’t know when!  But it wasn’t Thrift Drugs, it was Thrift Drug!” 

My dear woman, that sign is evidence to the contrary.  Anyway, I’d love to go back in time and take a gander at the items for sale inside.  Remember Breck Shampoo?  Prell in a tube?  Dippity-Do?  Hi-Karate Men’s Aftershave?  I wonder if it had a soda fountain?

Well, the good news is my bus drove past a couple days ago and they still haven’t torn it down.  It sure would be fun to see Thrift Drugs make a comeback!