Happy Anniversary!

 

Not for Joan and me - our anniversary is in December.  Today is the 25th Anniversary for Steph and Dan.  They are a good couple - they support each other.  They do things together: they work at the same school district, they work together to raise and train the Guide Dog for the Blind puppies (although Dicha looks pretty full-grown to me); and most importantly, they make life decisions together.

Joan and I send our congrats to these two.  And wish them many more years of wedded bliss.

They just got back from Wisconsin yesterday; having gone back there for family celebration (Dan's family is from WI).  Joan and I took care of their 3 cats while they were gone - I know those 3 kitties missed their human Mom and Dad... I could see a difference in their expression and behavior.  But, now, all is good again. 

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Out for a ride this morning...

I got out on my ebike a bit later than usual; as in: around 9:00.  It wasn't terribly hot, yet.  I wanted to try the new Meta Adventurer Glasses on the bike.  First still image...

 It looks to be the same image quality as the Wayfarers and Oakley Vanguards.  It has the slight left perspective of the Wayfarers, since the camera is on the left side of the glasses; and the wider field of view of the Vanguards.

I did shoot some video, which I may do something with later.  Mostly wanting to check out the resolution and stabilization.  That said, towards the end of my ride, the glasses stopped responding... when I stopped to check it out, I found the glasses were recording video WAY beyond the 3 minute limitation.  As if the glasses had been put into a "live streaming" mode.  Which I did not do.  Which took the battery down to 15% in just a few minutes.  To the point that I manually turned them off and finished my ride.  I will look into this.

Update: I did a manual reset on the glasses - they had discharged to the point that they didn't want to do anything.  So, charge 'em up.  And while downloading the test video, they got too hot and stopped the download.  And, another reset.

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Yesterday evening, while walking in the courtyard with Murphy, he jumped up on the hot tub - and was looking rather regal.  I got out my phone to take a photo...

 Nope - he wasn't going to look at me for nuthin'.  Seems he wasn't in the mood for a photo shoot.  He laid down and I tried again...

 Nope - looking anywhere but at me.  I documented trying to get a photo with my glasses...

 Steph said, "That's a nice profile shot."

Yep; not was I was going for.

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Joan was telling us about a new BBQ place in Goodyear - it's called Mission BBQ.  It was discussed as a possible for Father's Day, but we went to Babo's instead.  Today, I suggested we try Mission as an outing...

 It reminded us of a upscale Dickey's; not a bad thing, 'cause I always liked Dickey's.  I had the pulled pork plate, Joan got a brisket sandwich - two enthusiastic thumbs up!

Since we had to drive right by it on the way home, we decided to go to the new Buc-ee's in Goodyear.  It has been open a week now, and I thought the hoopla would have died down.  I was wrong...

 The traffic detour that had been implemented was gone, and we were able to get into the lot after one rotation of the stoplight.  Finding a parking place was the issue: it was like the old days of going to the mall right before Christmas - we had to circle and wait for someone to pull out so we could get a space.  Once inside, it was lousy with people...

 

There wasn't anything particular we needed, but we walked around, threading through the crowd.  They are sold out of the only t-shirt I was interested in (the one with a guitar headstock on the front and "tour dates" on the back).  Joan did stop to check out several shelves of cat stuff...

 Nothing either of us couldn't live without.  I did suggest we check out the bakery for a possible sweet treat... no way was I going to stand in line to get a 99¢ cookie, then stand in line again at the front to pay for it.  They didn't have the raspberry scones Joan likes, so we departed empty-handed.  That said, in another month or three when the crowds ease up, we'll make another pass through there.  Probably.  We didn't even need gas today.

 

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.

 

Refreshing!

 

Mother Nature cut you a break?  No, highs this week are supposed to be in the 100-and-teens.

That said, at 5:30 this morning, it was 76º.  I was feeling the need to take advantage of that.  It will be in the 80s for overnight lows the rest of the week.

I took care of my morning routine, including getting Murphy some outdoor time.  I had to chuckle at the local morning news: the NBC affiliate is at Buc-ee's - they were counting down to the 6:00 am "doors open" time.  Yep, a big crowd.  Some people camped out in line to be one of the first ones in the door.  I like Buc-ee's, but not enough to stand in line to get in the door.  But, I don't stand in line (anymore) for concert tickets, Black Friday sales, or the latest iPhone.  It's OK, people, they will make more Beaver Nuggets, brisket, and jerkey.

My refreshing time: out on the scoot.  I put the trickle charger on the battery last night - it has been sitting for a while.  I checked oil and tires, and fired it up.  I was a bit concerned when the fuel gauge was still showing two bars; that's where it was when I last rode it.  And, it stayed on two bars through the ride.  I was concerned that maybe the fuel sender was stuck.  I "shook it down" pretty good.

There was almost no traffic on the mountain.  Nothing in my lane and only 5 or 6 vehicles going the other way.  That was refreshing.  And the relatively cool air in the shade of the mountain on some stretches.  I stopped to take a couple photos of the valley...

 Pretty desert scenery (those photos were from less than half way up the mountain), and decent visibility.  I stopped to rehydrate at the top, then back at it.  The fuel gauge was still showing 2 bars.  Same when I got off the mountain.  When I did stop at a gas station on the way home, I discovered why the gauge wasn't moving: 91.5 miles per gallon.  This scoot is entertaining and economical.

I needed to get out for a ride.  Summers are brutal here in the desert.  Early morning is the only time - it isn't safe to ride when the heat is above 110º.

Great start to the day!

 

Happy Father's Day...

 

And happy Summer Solstice!  And, in spite of what you might read or hear, this is not the "longest day of the year."  The days all have the same 24 hours.  This is the day of the year with the most daylight; from today on (until the Winter Solstice) the daylight hours will get less each day.

And Father's Day?  It doesn't get any less - it is still the best.  I would say it is my "favorite job," but it isn't a job, it's an adventure... if you said, "That is the recruiting slogan from the US Navy from 1976 to 1986," you get 30 bonus points.

I'm having a good Father's Day.  We were all up early for breakfast out at Black Bear Diner; yes, the second of my Father's Day meals, but this one actually on the day.  We got to Black Bear a few minutes after 7:00 this morning - obviously not the only ones with that plan and timing.  Within a few minutes of getting seated, the place was full.

Once back home, it was time to be adored.  While I am always pretty adorable, this is also a day to get cards and gifts.  Murphy and Stella got in on the action, with traced paw prints as the signature on the card from them.  Yes, it was very cute.

But, the best part of Father's Day here in Arizona: I get to see our kid.  And that is an almost every day occurrence. While I am not a fan of living in the desert, being next door to Steph and Dan (and the critters) makes it all good.  It is a very nice Father's Day.

 

Clean It Up...

 

The RoadTrek smashed a lot of bugs in this last trip.  This morning, at 5:30, it was 76º... yep, that's as good as it's gonna get until around November or so - time to get that van cleaned up.  We brought it in from storage last night, so I was ready for it.  Well, as ready as you can be at 5:30 in the morning.

I got out the ladder (gotta clean those solar panels on top), the hose, the car cleaning soap, the brush, the cleaning cloths.

 Notice something besides the van in the driveway?

 That is Steph's new car - a Buick Envista Avenir.  They went yesterday morning "just to look."  And came home with that.  She traded her Lexus for it.  It is a good-looking car; rides nice... they took us to lunch yesterday; a "joint decision," to avoid the Father's Day crowds.

 Did I mention: cool new car?

OK, back to the cleaning... a bit over 2 hours later, my part was winding down.  6 rounds of soap/scrub/rinse on the front of the van (all those bugs, remember?).  Wiping it all down.  Joan came out to do the windows (a lot of windows) and the interior.  Looking good!

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And, back to the feline portion of our program:

The little one can be a bit of a goof-ball... 

 Yeah, that's off the side of the cat tower.  And, here she is swatting her brother...

 A bit of drama on Murphy's part.  They're cute together.

Naps...

 

I hear that is a good thing for old people like you, Jim.

I would consider that snarky... if it wasn't so true.  It is good for cats, too.

Murphy and Stella enjoy naps.  And lately, they have been enjoying them in close proximity to each other...

 You get a good view of the size difference with this "overhead" shot.  But, what I notice most is how sweet they are together.  I think two weeks in the "closeness" (is that a word?) of the van brought them together even more.  On the bright side, if there are middle of the night zoomies, they are generally happening somewhere besides our bedroom.

I've read that cats sleep 16 hours a day.  I haven't found that to be the case, but these two are working on it...

 And, later...

 Yeah, I may be a party of one who appreciates these images.  Well, Joan likes 'em, too, since the first two photos are hers.

So you don't get the idea that these two do nothing but sleep, this shot was taken shortly after the one above...

 And, Stella's turn in front of the camera...

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Buc-ee's is almost ready!

Monday, June 22nd is opening day for the new Buc-ee's in Goodyear, AZ.  "Is that a big deal?" you ask.  The local NBC affiliate (Channel 12) will be doing live broadcasts from Buc-ee's throughout the day, including two streaming broadcasts.  Motels close to the Buc-ee's location are reporting being sold out for rooms around that date.  There are special traffic procedures being put into place by the City of Goodyear for the streets surrounding Buc-ee's, including "no turns across traffic" (you will have to go a half mile beyond Buc-ee's, do a U-turn, then come back so you don't have to cross traffic to enter the Buc-ee's.  Arizona DOT has a camera set up to monitor the roads on the entrances to Buc-ee's.  I-10 drivers are being encouraged to take alternate routes on opening day and the week following; and are advising drivers that there may be Interstate ramp closures during that time.

So, yeah, it is apparently a big deal.

 

Steph and Dan are treating us to a Father's Day lunch today (to avoid the crowds on Sunday) a mile or so away from that new Buc-ee's location.  I'm guessing we should be away from the fray.

 

Everything Old Is New Again...

 

When Stella first started coming out of the catio, we put a second cat tower (a hand-me-down from Steph and Dan) in the living room.  It gave both cats a place to play.  I thin it was beneficial in bringing those two together, but... right in the middle of the living room.

In time, Joan moved both cat towers to a wall, and the cats lost interest in them.

Since we have been in this house, we have moved one of the kitchen bar stools (with a cooling pad on it) to the patio door.  It was Murphy's "happy place," where he could nap and keep an eye on what is going on in the courtyard.  When we brought Stella into the family, she would watch Murphy sit on that chair... and would hop up onto it when he vacated it.  The solution to both cats getting a comfortable place for courtyard viewing: two kitchen bar stools by the door.  That's a lot to move when you want to go out the door.

Joan gave it some thought and came up with an idea: what if we put casters on the bottom of a cat tower and put that by the patio door?  Plenty of room for both cats to have a raised view.  Casters on the bottom because the towers are heavy and awkward to carry.  She ordered a set of casters with brakes.

This morning, it was "only" 82º when I took Murphy outside.  More heat is coming (supposed to be highs of 114º most of next week) - this would be my window for getting the casters installed.  And outside, so I could put the tower on the tall table out there horizontally so I could work on it at a comfortable height.

The screws that came with the casters were just the right length.  15 minutes later, I bought the tower back into the house to test it out: with two brakes on, it is solid.  The cats looked at it with suspicion...

 And then, acceptance...