Ds2’s gf is from Montana and brought us some boysenberry syrup last holiday. I’d never had it, but YUM!
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I learned 2 things:
- I can clear the yard of leaves very nicely using just a regular rake and a small rake ( to get between/ under shrubs) and do not need to use the annoying leaf blower.
- I can figure out how to set up a subscription for another TV streaming service
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That one is easy.
You get your child to set it up for you. Then you pay them back with a free dinner.
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Just found out John’s Hopkins is doing a national cannabis study and sending out up to $100 in gift cards for completing 4 surveys. For more info, The National Cannabis Study - Part of CHRI. Sounds interesting and H and I will likely participate.
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LOL. Or you could let them use your streaming service.
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Sadly the 4 grown ups I know that use cannabis for medicinal purposes don’t qualify. It’s apparently a study for those who think they’d like to try it for medicinal purposes.
H is using it for medicinal purposes (insomnia from cancer). He’s having mixed results. I’m answering as a caregiver, watching him with his mixed results. Caregiver link is Observational Research Registry - Realm of Caring Foundation
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Sure. But I want to learn to do things for myself as much as possible.
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There can be a lot of satisfaction in figuring it out yourself! Especially tech stuff! Because also when that tech stuff goes awry, you’ll have more knowledge to troubleshoot on your own.
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H and I learned how to download and use a Waymo app and use it to ride in one in L.A. to the Last Bookstore, then a restaurant and back to D. (I figured, we could always use Uber if we needed to.) I think D was a little surprised…
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I’m cheating, this was a two day process because I couldn’t watch an eight hour YouTube podcast video in a single day.
The interviewer is Shawn Ryan, a former Navy SEAL. He’s a Christian right wing guy that dabbles in conspiracy theories and odd science, but he does a very good job when he interviews interesting people. He sits back and lets his guests talk…a lot. Silence is a skill, and he’s developed it.
What I learned in eight hours is that his guest, Pete Scobell, is an incredibly interesting, intelligent, driven, accomplished, lucky, talented, broken(physically & mentally), but mostly rehabilitated Naval Academy grad, college athlete, SEAL Team 6 operator, country music performer and husband/father that presents as anything but a toxically masculine tip of the spear killer. If you met him at a party you’d have no idea what he did in his former life.
I have to admit that the ridiculous length was what drew me in initially, though I enjoy Ryan’s interviews with fellow SEALs. I’m a not particularly religious, recovering Catholic, so I tolerated the short religious content on the front and back end that sandwiches the middle seven plus hours of compelling content.
I hit play expecting red meat and tales of badassery in distant lands, under cover of darkness. There’s not much of that, and in the end that’s what made it so enjoyable.
I don’t expect many people to power through eight hours, but at least check out this six minute preview.
If you’re so inclined, below is the entire interview.
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I learned today that whenever I predict how long it will get me to arrive somewhere, I really need to add at least 15 minutes. What’s the worst thing that can happen? I’ll be early? And what’s wrong with that, Oldmom?
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I learned how to make a dairy free pumpkin pie!
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Technically, I learned this yesterday, but it was big news to me. I found out that it is NOT illegal to bike on the sidewalks in my city. I’m working on a project, where if it was illegal, it was going to create a lot more red tape, time and $$$ just to have the same end result. I figured I was in trouble, but start digging. Virginia pushes the decision off onto the localities. I searched and searched in our code, and it is not in there! Later, I asked one of our attorneys who said he cut it out a few years back. Wow. good news for me.
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I learned first-hand that pushing hard in aerobic exercise really improves fitness! As a non-athlete I had perhaps known it but had never invested in trying to apply it.
For many years I’ve done aerobic exercise at work during lunch, then during Covid I bought an exercise bike to workout at home. I’d ride for 45 minutes and during the last 20 or so my heart rate would be around 130 according to the handlebar sensors. But I never improved, I just pedaled away at the same resistance level.
I’ve been reading about how HIIT is supposed to be good for you so 2 months ago I decided to give it a try. I got a Fitbit for better heart rate monitoring and for the last 15 minutes started doing sets of pedaling as hard as I could at my usual resistance level for 1 minute, recover for 2 minutes, repeat 5 times. I do this 2x/week. When I first started I could hit a peak heart rate of 150 but this past Monday I noticed that I’d only get up to about 142 tops. Not only that, on the days that I do my steady level my heart rate only went to about 122 and the last 15 minutes no longer felt challenging.
I realized pushing hard had improved my cardio fitness, and this is in just 2 months of training.
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Join us on the exercise and fitness thread!
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We just moved into a home with a gas fireplace and had a company out to clean and inspect. He used some type of glass cleaner on it and when he flipped it on, the glass began to cloud up. It is now a mass of streaks. He admitted his regular glass cleaner was on back order and that they may have to replace the glass if it doesn’t go way over the weekend.
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I learned today that probability analysis of Monopoly games shows that the best return on investment comes from stopping at three houses on any of your properties, regardless of color. Going to four houses or a hotel usually isn’t worth the extra money because statistically you’re likely to net less money than staying at three.
Thought this was a fun little strategy nugget, especially for anyone playing Monopoly over the holidays 
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I learned today that our cabinets clearance in the kitchen of 25 years are different heights. One is 15”, one is 15 1/4” and one is 17”! They all look like the same height until I measured them for a coffee maker I use when we have guests. I was pleasantly surprised that it fit easily under the one I had been putting it near.
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Learned that if you lose your Medicare card, you can get a new one printed online if you know your Medicare #. I had to text my physical therapist for my # and created a Medicare.com account but thereafter was able to print out a medicare card that is official and can be used at medical offices. I took a photo of the card and it’s with my album of important photos, with a photo of my insurance card. Also the online driver’s license I have in my apple wallet was just fine with the bank for cashing a large check.
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