Should I Get Into The Hot Tub...

 

If you said, "Eddie Murphy, in a Saturday Night Live skit, playing James Brown, getting ready to get into the hot tub.  Season 9, 1983," you get 75 bonus points.  Partial credit will be given for a correct partial answer.

It is time: the hot tub is due to be emptied, cleaned, and refilled.  Sunday morning wasn't blistering hot, so Murphy and I went to work on it.  We have a 120 volt sump-pump that I put on the floor of the hot tub and run a hose from that to drain it...

 Ah, if only it was that easy.  The first hose I attached to the pump must have disintegrated from the inside (one of those "expandable" hoses)... water barely trickled out of it.  I attached a different hose, but it was quite long enough to drain where I wanted; I went to attach another hose to that one... a kink in the second hose stopped the flow between them, and I got sprayed.  Thoroughly.  Oh well, it is warm out and that feels moderately refreshing.  Moderately, because the water is at temp (101º).

I got the hose situation straightened out (literally) and the tub started draining...

 While that was going on, I cleaned the filters.  Got out the special "filling filter" that attaches to the hose when filling the tub.  When the tub was empty, I wiped it all down in preparation of refilling.

I had cut the power to the tub before draining it - you don't want the and pump to run while the tub is empty.  When the tub was full, I plugged it back in and...

 No air lock, jets flowing just like they are supposed to.  Program the tub for the self-cleaning/filtering, set the time and temperature, and it is good to go.  Fresh and clean.  With the summer heat, the water temp coming out of the hose was 101º... no warm up necessary.  I added sanitizer and water conditioner - good to go.

Photos for this post were taken with the new Meta Adventurer AI Glasses.

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Full Moon...

And last night...

 The actual time of the full moon is 4:56 pm today; so the moon will appear full last night and tonight.  For those keeping track, this is the Strawberry Full Moon.  Not because it will appear red, but as a harken back to Native American naming and time to harvest strawberries.

 

New Glasses Day!

 

Again?  How many sunglasses do you need?  Like guitars: just one more.

These are a brand new model (Meta Adventurer) - released less than a week ago.  They are made by the same companies that made my Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses and the Ray-Ban Wayfarers, but a completely different style.  It is a joint effort by Meta and the giant sunglasses conglomerate from Italy: EssilorLuxoticca.

And the best part about them: it was a Vine acquisition, meaning that we didn't pay for them.  We will be responsible for the value of the glasses ($379) as taxable income.  A few nights ago, Joan was looking on Vine and asked me, "Could you use another pair of Meta Glasses?"

"Tell me more," I said.  I was truly amazed that Vine had some of these (a very limited quantity).  Like being the 350th caller to the radio station to win concert tickets - this was all about timing.  I was able to get exactly what I wanted: the Adventurer model with Transition lenses.  To me, these look similar to the Wayfarer glasses by Ray-Ban - except these are less thick in the frames.  I like them better than the Wayfarer - definitely more comfortable.  These have the adjustable nose-pieces and the nice hinges.  And, with the Transition lenses, I can use them indoors (the lenses get darker in the sun, and turn clear when you come back inside).

A few photos...

 I made an unboxing and first look video...

 Like the Oakleys I have, these can take still photos and video; they have speakers built in so you can answer your phone (without pulling out the phone), listen to music, podcasts, etc; and they have the same AI engine, so you can ask it questions, tell it to remind you of an upcoming task, or have it translate if someone is speaking to you in a foreign language.

 

Let's Go To The Letters...

 

Well, e-mails.

I ordered some guitar picks of a different style: they have "a wing" on them, presumably to allow for a better grip on them.  Old hands, a bit of arthritis; looking for a solution to ease my grip.

I have discussed picks here over the years.  In my younger years, I bought guitar picks by the box or "fist-ful."  It used to be Wabash Blue.  For decades.  I needed them by the fist-ful because I dropped them or broke them.  They were cheap.

Over time, I moved up in pick thickness.  And in the last 10 years or so, I discovered "boutique" picks: made by hand, beveled, and out of "space age" materials... they don't break or wear out.  And, I don't lose them, because they are expensive.  How expensive?  Thanks for asking - $20 to $35.  Sometimes I get 'em on sale.  A few of them were given to me in exchange for marketing ideas.  I pretty much have a particular pick (shape, size, material) that I like best with each of my guitars.  I keep each one on the guitar strings...

 

What does any of this have to do with e-mails?  Good question.  The guy that owns the company that makes the picks I just ordered sent me an e-mail, asking what my preference is for size and shape.  And also asked what my grip is like and how do I hold the pick in relation to the strings?  He suggested I send him a photo or two.

I had to get a guitar down and look at my grip and the pick in relation to the strings.  Never thought about it before.  I had Joan take a couple photos...

 I guess I would describe my grip as "thumb parallel to the strings."  But, really, is there any other way?  Or maybe I've just been doing this so long that I can't imagine any other way?

So, I sent the photos to my new friend, Marc.  We'll see what he has to say about this.  Oh, and the picks... 

 

Those black bits on the edges are raised, allowing for a better grip.  Probably.  We'll see.

You said, "E-mails"... as in plural.  On any typical day, I get a couple dozen e-mails, not including spam.  Another one that caught my eye was from Shady Ray's - the company that makes sun glasses.  Did you know that today was "National Sun Glasses Day"?  Me, neither.  How did I miss that?  Seems I just barely got my Juneteenth Day cards out and now I find I missed getting Happy Sunglasses Day cards out.  ;-)

 I'm beginning to suspect that this may be a made-up holiday being promoted by "Big Sunglasses" just to sell more sunglasses to a gullible public.  (tongue firmly inserted in cheek)  For the record, I am not in dire need for more sunglasses... but, I do like the selection offered by Shady Ray's.  I'm also beginning to think that Ray isn't necessarily "shady," but that reference might be in regards for what the sunglasses do for your eyes.  Hmmmmm.

Other e-mails were from my close friends at Lectric (the ebike company), Emerald (the carbon fiber guitar makers), and various other businesses who have concerns for my interests.  I appreciate that they are thinking about me.  And taking the time to send me personal notes.  ;-)

 

 

Stats...

 

An abbreviation for "statistics."  Just the numbers.  Another milestone this morning: the number of views on this blog topped a half million for the month so far.  Last month was a record, with over 400,000 views.

"I'll take 'Sounds like bullshit to me' for 1000, Alex."  Yeah, it does.  No, I don't know why.

 Last night, Joan said to me, "Do you have any interest in another pair of Meta glasses?"

"Tell me more.  Is it on Vine?"  I had read that Meta was releasing a couple new models of glasses that aren't Ray-Ban or Oakley.  Yep - they had both the Adventurer and the Fury (sounds like motorcycle model names).  I knew that wouldn't last long, so I looked over her shoulder.  "Oh, go for that one!"

She clicked on it, and... the order came up.  Frequently, on something popular on Vine, actually getting it is a bit like being the 350th caller to a radio station for concert tickets.  In this case, 30 seconds later, they were no longer available.  So, we'll see if the delivery actually comes through.  In the past, there have been things she ordered on Vine (a program for reviewers on Amazon) that "get lost" before delivery.

We have gotten a lot of interesting things on Vine.  And a lot of "less than as advertised"... either way, Amazon (and the maker of the product) is looking for a review of the product.  At one time, there were over 120,000 items on Vine; once the tariffs were instituted, that number dwindled to less than 40,000.  Things have improved lately.

I have explained the premise of Vine before, but a short recap: as a Vine reviewer, you don't pay for the product... but, the retail value of the product becomes taxable income to you.  If the product is good and it is something that you might have otherwise bought, it is a good deal.  If the product is crap, you are still responsible for the tax impact.  We have become more selective about what Joan orders.

So, we'll see. 

More Riding...

 

Out on the Lectric e-bike this morning.  That's 3 bike outings in 4 mornings - I took yesterday off, 'cause I had music with the guys.

The bike...

 All photos today taken with the Oakley Vanguard Meta glasses.  Another hot one.  Well, to be fair, from now until October, they're all going to be hot ones here in the desert.

Getting 5 cats fed prevented me from getting out too early.  It was 95º at 7:45 when I rolled the bike out of the garage.  Through the neighborhood and towards the park.  The walking/jogging/biking path...

 There were sprinklers going in a good portion of the park...

 The sprinklers drop the temperature by a couple degrees as you ride through the mist spray.  A couple photo on the walkway around the pond...

 Very few people out, but I did have to take care riding by the ducks and geese...

 It was a good ride.  I grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge on my way out the door - 45 minutes into the ride, it was luke warm.  Not as refreshing as riding by the sprinklers.

From the park, I rode through a couple neighborhoods.  I could feel the heat wearing on me.  Joan had cautioned me, "Don't push it - it's been a while since you've ridden."  Yes, stating the obvious.  I was good tired by the time I got home.  A different kinda riding from the motorcycle or scoot.

For the record, I don't use the ebike as an "electric motorcycle."  While it has a throttle on it, I rarely use it.  Yes, on the pedal-assist.  Mesa (a suburb of Phoenix) just enacted new rules for those riding ebikes: age restrictions, no riding on the sidewalk, helmet required depending on age, and more.  The problem isn't the ebike - it is people using them in stupid ways... parents buying an ebike for a 10 year old who rides it on the street with no traffic training... and groups of kids riding them, "terrorizing" pedestrians... and dumbshits riding them at 30 miles per hour on the sidewalks.  All of those issues can happen with a non-e-bike, but local legislation gets put into place as a way of deal with the problem.

 

Hot Town, Summer In The City...

 

If you said, "The Lovin' Spoonful, 1966," you get 10 bonus points.  "Only 10?"  Oh, come on, this one was easy.

What's not so easy: living with summer in the city.  Today, the high in Phoenix is going to be 112º - the hottest day of the year, so far.  Yeah, that's hot.  If you said, "The signature line from Paris Hilton," you were probably a child of the 90s and don't get any bonus points for that.

Murphy and I went out at 6:30 this morning; it was already 93º...

 If you look close, you will Murphy sitting by the steps to the hot tub (near the center of the image).  The boy instinctively knows to stay in the shade.  It was his choice to come back inside.  But, I was right there with him.

I have music today with Mark and the guys.  I think it has been a month or so since I've been able to participate.  This is not with the Hip Replacements; it would be with the "big group," but there will only be 4 of us there today... summer travel schedules.  

We won't be traveling for the next 5 or 6 days, for sure: Steph and Dan are going back to Wisconsin for a family gathering, and Joan and I will be doing kitty care for their cats.  I do the feeding and Alfie's meds, Joan does the litter, and we work together to give Tasha her meds (it is a two-person task).  I am reminded that "that's why you moved here: so we can support each other."  And, 5 cats to take care of.

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Oh, the four of us making music today worked up "Summer In The City."  Coincidence?  I think not.  ;-)

 

 

Not Quite As Refreshing...

 

Yesterday, it was 76º when I got up at 5:30.  It didn't hit 90º until 9:00.  Today, it was 84º when I got up at 5:30, and 90º at 8:05.  You feel the difference.

That said, I got out on the CTX this morning.  Like the Burgman, it is "two wheels and a motor."  They are very different from each other.  I enjoy them both, but the CTX is a motorcycle; the visceral feel of it is different from the Burgman.  The Burgman is fun and easy - think about going through a twisty road curve and this bike does it.  The CTX is heavier and more planted.  More muscle... in the torque of the motor and the effort it takes to ride it on the same twisty road.  Both are a lot of fun to ride.  The best thing about the Burgman on a twisty road is the ease.  The best thing about the CTX on a twisty road is that Dual Clutch Transmission, and the ability to downshift at the push of a button.

Today, it was the CTX's turn.  I did take a couple photos of the road...

 Early in the day, so a bit of sun flare looking east.  A shot of some desert mountain scenery...

 And, a stop to get a photo of the bike...

 I may be a party of one, but I think the CTX (fairing model) is a good looking bike.  It reminds me a little of the Harley FXRT I had in 1983.  For the record, that model wasn't a big seller for Harley, either.  The CTX isn't a sportbike, though it has 17" wheels.  It isn't a cruiser, though it has a feet-forward riding position and a long wheelbase.  It isn't a sport touring bike, even though it has a fairing and matching saddlebags were an option.  I consider it a sport-cruiser... but, that's a category I made up... and a bit of an oxymoron.

The riding was good today.  Definitely warmer than yesterday.  Light traffic once again.  And another good start to the day.