Smart Cart Adventure

Today was my yearly eye exam at an optometrist's office close to where we used to live. It was also grocery shopping day. Hubby Tony and I divided up the list. He went to Aldi, which had the largest list, and I hit the stores where we only needed one of two things.

After my exam was finished I headed to the strip mall across the street that has a branch of a Schnucks, a local, family run grocery store. As I walked across the parking lot I remembered that about a year ago the store announced they were offering 'smart' shopping carts in select stores, and this branch was one of them. In the lobby I saw rows of conventional carts on one side and a small selection of "Caper Carts" on the other. I decided to try one out.

The cart looked like a regular cart with a touchscreen and pay station attached to the handle. The screen offered a tutorial, where I learned the important points of using it. As I put an item into the cart I had make sure of the sensors in the corners of the basket scanned the barcode. For things without a barcode, like produce, there was an option to type the PLU code into the touchscreen. The scale in the basket automatically calculated the weight of the produce.

The screen showed me the available sales and coupons, what I had put into the cart, and a running total of the cost. When I had all of my items I checked out using the attached pay terminal, and had the option of having a receipt emailed of texted to me.

I enjoyed the novelty of trying something new, but not everything on the cart worked well. Putting in a produce PLU was a clunky process, because it took several seconds for each numeral to be recognized by the cart. When I tried to add a loaf of bread from the clearance rack (where the store had attached an additional bar code over the original one) the cart never picked up the new information. It kept asking me if I had added something to my cart, and if so I should make sure to scan it first. I ultimately put the loaf of bread back on the shelf. 

Five years ago today: Author Unkown

Dog Days

I've heard the phrase "the dog days of summer" my whole life, and always thought it referred to the hot humid weather which caused dogs and people to laze around. Tonight I learned that it's much more than that.

The dog days are the period during which the star Dog Star Sirius (the brightest star in the sky after the Sun and part of the constellation Canis Major) rises at the same time as the sun in the Northern Hemisphere, which happens for the 40 days between July 3 and August 11. 

The event has been noted by civilizations starting with the Ancient Egyptians. The Greeks gave the star its name, and the Romans blamed the star for the extra heat that happened at that time of the year. Now we have a much more scientific explanation for the occurrence, but the expression has stuck around.

And here's a song that always reminds me of the dog days.  Enjoy!

Five years ago: Too Good To Be True

For The Sake Of Research

I've been so busy filling my days with nothingness that I forgot to mention the cool stuff coming up.

You may remember that I completed a Parkinson's Disease smell test and submitted my results online. I figured I was done with the procedure, but then I received an email from a researcher at the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) Study at Indiana University. She asked if I would be available for a call from their team about the next step in the study. I was.

During the call I found out the study is enrolling people both with and without Parkinson's. I was chosen because of the results of the smell text, my age, and sex. No specific result details were given, but they asked if I was interested in completing a DaTscan diagnostic imaging test for research purposes. I was.

I figured that with the excellent research hospitals in St. Louis I would be commuting across town for the test, but the closest facility is in Chicago. In early August Hubby Tony and I will travel to the Windy City. I will spend the better part of one day testing, then we come home the next day. All expenses will be reimbursed.

I'm looking forward to it.

Rawpixel

Olympiad Opening

Hubby Tony and I were looking for something to do this afternoon, and when I learned via Facebook that 9 Mile Garden (an entertainment and food truck venue) was showing the Olympics Opening Ceremony on their big screen we decided to go and watch the event outside.

The view from under my table umbrella

I would have thought that more people would have come out for the ceremony, but counting us there were only a couple dozen there. I guess the early afternoon start (12:30 pm) kept working people away. It was also hot. Tony and I found seats at one of the tables with umbrellas. Between the shade it threw and a sporadic breeze it wasn't too bad to be outside.

There were two food trucks lined up along the east side of the park. We got some iced coffee from the first, and later ordered tostones (twice-fried green plantains) from the Colombian food truck. The crunchy circles were starchy like a potato and came with a container of salsa for dipping.

As much as I would have liked to have stayed for the whole opening ceremony both Tony and I had things we needed to do, so after ninety minutes we headed back to the car. I knew that I would be able to catch the rest when it was rebroadcast later tonight.

Five years ago today: If Only I Could Be This Flexible

Holy Cow! I'm In Fashion!

Now that the weather is late-summer hot and humid, for the foreseeable future I will be walking inside. This morning I was at the mall before it opened, which meant I got to hang out with the real mall walkers. The early morning small groups or solos move with purpose. Everyone goes in the same direction, which makes it easier for the power walkers to weave around the slower ones. I haven't really tracked it, but it feels like the music may also be a little more upbeat to accomodate the people who are looking to get some exercise.

During my walk I took the time to look at the merchandise in the store windows. It seemed like just about every store that caters to young people had some type of cargo pants, with exterior patch pockets. Something like this:

Since most of my wardrobe comes from thrift stores it's not often I have items on the cutting edge, but the pants definitely reminded me of a pair that I take with me on warm weather vacations:

I've had my pants for years, and they've been washed so many times they're nice and soft. There are two deep front pockets, two back pockets with button flaps, and pockets on each side that close with a D ring. The waist can be cinched in on each side with a strap/D ring combination. The legs roll up and secure with a strap and more D rings, which turns them into capris (which means one less item I have to put into my suitcase).

Five years ago today: Say Hello To My New Wheels

Worth The Price I Paid?

Several years ago I decided to start giving store marketing campaigns a fake birthday date to reduce the chance of identify theft. That's also given me the opportunity to take advantage of 'birthday' promotions all year long.

At the beginning of this month a soap and body product company sent me an email and let me know I could come in and get a bath bomb or shower fizzy for my special day. I had heard of the former, but I can't remember the last time I took a bath. I had no idea what a 'fizzy' was. When I got there I learned a fizzy was a type of aromatherapy you could use in a shower.

I chose a fizzy that described itself as citrus-y. When I picked it up to take a sniff I could smell notes of lemon, lime, and orange through the plastic covering. According to the label, the ingredients were all natural-sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), citric acid, fragrance, mica, and titanium.

I saved the fizzy for a day that I didn't have to take a rushed shower, which was a couple of days after I brought it home. Finally it was time. The directions said to place the fizzy on the shower floor under the direct stream of water, where it would dissolve and release its fragrance.

I followed the directions, setting the water temperature so it was nice and warm. However, after an initial burst of fizzing and scent releasing the partially-dissolved disk just laid there. I finished my shower, removed the remaining product, and moved on with my day. Later my friend Google suggested the shelf life of my product was about six months and after that time they would become less potent. At least I got some enjoyment out of it.

Vector Portal

Five years ago today: It's Good To Make A Plan, But Also Good To Be Flexible

Peachy Fun

Hubby Tony left Thursday night and will return tomorrow after lunch. While he's gone I've had a great time setting my own schedule.

We're having a lovely stretch of weather and I decided today I wanted to do something outside. In the community paper I learned that today Downtown Kirkwood was having a Peach Festival, which included music and lots of peach-inspired samples at the Farmer's Market, and a sidewalk sale throughout the commercial area.

My standard Saturday plan is to take a Cycling class at the Kirkwood YMCA from 8-9 am, then come home and shower before moving on with the rest of my day. The Farmer's Market is only two blocks from the Y. It didn't make sense to drive home and then turn around to go back. The Festival wasn't scheduled to start until 10. I decided to bring a change of clothes and shower at the Y, then walk from there.

Everything went according to plan. The vast majority of people who use the locker room are taking aquatic classes. It was there in between, and the area was eerily empty. The most annoying part of the whole thing was drying my thick hair. Normally I let it air dry for an hour, which cuts the blow dry time to five minutes. Starting with completely wet hair tripled that time, but finally I was ready.

Even with the extra hair work I still had time to kill. I found a shady place to sit and people watch, then headed to the Farmer's Market. There was a bluegrass band playing. The promised peach samples were available, along with beef jerky, melons, sausage, and cheese. My produce bins were full so I left the market with nothing but ideas for next time.

Most of the stores had sidewalk tables, and many also had additional sale things inside. I ended up buying a metal slotted spoon at a cookware store. (It wasn't on sale, but on my list to procure.) The last stop was at an outdoor store, which had a bin containing beautiful lightweight fashion scarves. I need another scarf like I need another hole in my head, but for ten dollars this one came home with me:

On-Demand Confusion And Fun

When the weather is too hot/cold/rainy/snowy to go outside I start surfing the web for interesting sites to explore. The latest one I've found is Maze generator, which has many options for making mazes.

• There are four styles (rectangular, circular, triangular, and hexagonal).
• Some of the styles have multiple shape options for cells.
• A maze can range in height and width from two to 200 cells.
• It can start in multiple places

After you've made a maze you can try to do it on the computer screen or download the result and use a pencil or pen. If you get stumped you can even show the solution!

The resulting images are free for private use. If you were so inclined you could also purchase a commercial use license, which would let you make money with them.

Puddling

Our area had some impressive rainfall today. The official total in St. Louis was 1.86 inches, but in other parts of the metropolitan area it ranged from 1 inch to more than 6 inches. The local radio and television channels were full of stories about flash floods and road closures. Fortunately Hubby Tony and I didn't have any issues in our neighborhood. 

The sun came out mid-afternoon, and the temperature dropped enough to open up the windows and enjoy the fresh air.

After dinner we decided to take a walk. I put on my most comfortable sandals, and we said goodbye to the cat as we left. Our route took us through several subdivision streets. The first time I came across moisture on the sidewalk I tried to walk around it but accidentally got my toes in the water. It felt really good.

For the rest of the walk I actively sought out puddles, just like I did here.  One impressively deep puddle had silt in the bottom, so for a block I walked with grit in the sandal footbed. However, the next puddle cleared the issue up. By the time I got home my shoes and feet were both wet, but clean. 

 Five years ago: How Are Your Money Smarts?

Slow Down And Watch Out For Chicks!

A funny from a friend....

Farmer Vernon lived on a quiet rural highway. But, as time went by, the traffic slowly built up and became so heavy and fast that his free range chickens were being run over every day. 

So he called the sheriff's office and said, "You've got to do something about all of these people driving so fast and killing my chickens."

"What do you want me to do?" asked the sheriff.

Farmer Vernon said, "I don't care. Just do something about those drivers."

So the next day the sheriff had the county go out and put up a sign that said:

SLOW: SCHOOL CROSSING

Three days later Farmer Vernon called the sheriff and said, "You've got to do something about these drivers. The 'school crossing' sign seems to make them go faster." 

So, again, the sheriff sends out the county and they put up a new sign:

SLOW: CHILDREN AT PLAY

That did nothing but speed them up. Farmer Vernon called every day for three weeks with no results. Finally, he asked the sheriff, "Your signs are doing no good. Is it all right for me to put up my own sign?"

The sheriff told him, "Sure thing, put up your own sign." He was going to let Farmer Vernon do just about anything in order to have him stop calling. The sheriff got no more calls.

Three weeks after Farmer Vernon's last call, the sheriff decided to contact him. "How's the problem with those drivers? Did you put up your sign?"

Farmer Vernon replied, "Oh, I sure did. And not one chicken has been killed since then. I've got to go. I'm very busy." And he hung up the phone. The sheriff thought to himself, "I'd better go look at that sign... There might be something there that WE could use to slow down drivers..."

So the sheriff drove out to Farmer Vernon's house. The first thing he saw was a whole sheet of plywood propped up against a pole. Written in large, bright red letters were the words:

SLOW: NUDIST COLONY

 Five years ago today: Reserve The Rind

Fortieth Fête

A little over a week ago Son Tony had a milestone birthday. Because of scheduling commitments it took a couple of days, but we finally got around to celebrating it as a family.

Since the birthday boy and his family live in California, it required his parents and one of his brothers to hop on a plane to get there. On July 5th Hubby Tony I were at the St. Louis airport bright and early. (Son Donald flew by himself.) The flight was uneventful, and we arrived at San Jose airport as scheduled. We picked up a car and got ready for fun.

The family wasn't gathering until mid-week. Three house guests were too many for Son Brian and DIL Nicole's small house, so we checked into a motel nearby. Each day we drove a couple of miles to spend time with Brian and company. While there, we: 

• Played board games with the grandsons and completed a large jigsaw puzzle.

• Gathered at a park in Los Gatos for a photo session. (I was unaware that some JCPenney Portrait locations offer outdoor photography, but it was a wonderful option. The photographer did a great job of organizing our group of 13, which included some cranky toddlers. I'm excited to see the proofs when they arrive.) The entire clan ended up back at Brian's for lunch.

• Drove into San Francisco, where we visited the California Academy of Sciences to see the rain forest and aquarium displays. We also went to the Maritime National Historical Park where I stuck my feet in the ocean, and Ghirardelli Square for ice cream.

• Went to a hot pot conveyor belt restaurant for lunch. Each seat in the booth had its own heating element. Everyone ordered their preferred broth and meat, then chose additional items to cook from the selection that passed by the table.

• Visited Topgolf

On Wednesday we packed up our things and headed towards the coast to meet up with Son Tony's family for the next portion of the trip. Each family had a cabin at the Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA. The six grands swam and played. The entire group came together for meals. There was a campfire, s'mores, and a birthday cake.

However, the perfect trip had a less than perfect ending. Before we arrived Grandson Ell had a 24-hour stomach flu, and then Grandson Dee had the same issue shortly after we got there. Both snapped back to normal quickly. Tuesday Donald spent a half day alone at the hotel with intestinal issues (which he attributed to too much hot pot). On Wednesday afternoon Hubby Tony developed an issue and quarantined until it passed. Thursday night after dinner Grandsons Dee and Jay got sick. 

Everyone was checking out on Friday morning, but Brian's group just packed up and left early. Later that night we learned via text that Grandson Ian had also joined the throw up club.

The plan was for Tony, Donald, and I to drive to Son Tony's house for a couple of days before our flight back home. The three of us talked it over and decided to change our plans and fly out early. Thursday morning we packed up the car and headed back to San Jose. Traffic was lighter than expected, so with our extra time we detoured over to the Apple campus and stopped by the visitor's center. The building is pretty much just an Apple store and cafe area, but there was a nice deck on top of the building and an interesting AR (augmented reality) model of Apple Park.

Swing A Round

I must be in my golfing phase. Just last week Hubby Tony and I played some indoor miniature golf. This week I was part of a group that visited Topgolf.

I've seen the massive Topgolf facilities, but had never been in one. It is more of an entertainment complex than an actual golf range. The three-story complex has one side open to an area to hit balls into. Depending on the activity the group chooses, everyone will be hitting their balls towards the large targets scattered throughout the field, or participating in a game that also has a virtual component.

Each group has its own individual bay. There were a variety of clubs available, but the attendant was happy to bring me a left handed set. I have never played a round of golf in my life, but somehow I ended up on top in a game called Block Party (thanks to the lucky bonus points I accumulated).

It was a lot of fun, and I would definitely go back.

Five years ago today: Bearable Bedding

Murphy's Laundry Law

I have a nice collection of shirts in my closet. For some reason the only ones I spill food on are the light colored ones.

Two weeks ago I bought a white tee at Sam's Club. The first time I wore it I ended up with a blob of salsa right in the middle. I treated the spot, then immediately washed the shirt. When I pulled out of the washer there was still an obvious red spot. I treated the area again, this time with a bleach solution. I rinsed the bleach out, and put the shirt back into the laundry. The second time was the charm for removing the stain.

Yesterday I was wearing that shirt again, and got pasta sauce in approximately the same place. This time I wasn't at home to treat it, but a couple of hours later I squirted stain remover liberally on the spot, then saturated a piece of paper towel with remover and set it on top of the stain to soak overnight. I ran the shirt through the washer, and fortunately the shirt came out ready to wear again.

This afternoon I went out to lunch at a hot pot restaurant. I was wearing a light pink shirt, and if you guessed that I got broth splatters on it you would be correct. This time there were about a half dozen red blobs of tom yum broth all over the front. The first thing I did when I got home was change shirts, then I treated the spots with both stain remover and dish detergent and let the concoction sit for a while. Thankfully the stains came out in the wash.

Tomorrow I think I will wear a black shirt. That way I won't spill anything on it, and there will be no extra efforts needed before it goes into the laundry.

Five years ago today: Sleepytime Breathing

A Simple Solution

I always carry a tube of hand cream in my purse. Last month when I was applying some, the lid fell on the floor and rolled away. I searched diligently but never found it. I put the topless tube in a Ziploc bag. For a while I carried it in the zipper section of my purse, but soon the inside of the bag got messy from lotion squirting out. It was time to retire the tube and start fresh

I've been making an effort to reduce my plastic consumption, so instead of buying another tube I purchased a lotion bar which had a solid consistency. I slid the bar into a small recycled container. The holder did a good job of keeping the bar intact, and fit nicely into the side zipper section.

But I recently changed to a smaller purse and the container was a little too big. I found an empty lip balm tube, filled it with pieces of the bar, and labeled the tube accordingly. Now all I have to do when my hands get dry is screw the lotion up and rub it on my hands.

Five years ago today: Three Weeks In Grandma Heaven

Nine Holes Of Indoor Fun

There are 108 cities in St. Louis County, Missouri. Many of the larger ones host July 4th festivities, which include fireworks. Hubby Tony and I weren't inclined to attend any, but Mother Nature helped us decide to definitely stay at home. A storm overnight and this morning brought somewhere between 1.5"-2" of rain, and the weather people are saying that another front coming through tonight will bring more rain and maybe severe weather. Even if they're wrong, the ground would be so wet it would be miserable to sit on.

However, it's still a holiday and I wanted to do something different to make the day memorable. We researched indoor activities, and ultimately decided to check out Puttshack

What is Puttshack? The website says:

From the makers of Top Golf, Puttshack is an upscale tech-infused mini golf game, powered by patented Trackaball technology. (Get ready to ditch scorecards and focus on winning!)

The facility is located at the City Foundry, an old electric motor manufacturing facility that has been turned into an entertainment and retail complex. I made our booking for 11:00, right when the doors opened. When we entered, the attendant at the front desk told us that the display screens would tell us which of the four courses to go to. The Sapphire course was on the second floor

Puttshack

We arrived at the course, where another attendant helped us check in on the video screen. After each check in was complete the kiosk spit out an assigned ball. That ball tracked the number of shots and kept track of the score. Each hole had bonus point opportunities. There were also hazard traps, which subtracted points.

I thoroughly enjoyed the game play, and it didn't hurt that I came out on top by a few points.

We could have stayed and eaten at the facility, or had a drink at the bar, but we decided to save that part of the experience for our next visit.

Five years ago: A Personal Emergency Non-Computerized Information Lifesaver

Four Tea

I don't know where the time went, but today Son Tony turns 40.

Since he lives halfway across the country it's hard to casually find out his wants and needs. For his last few birthdays Hubby Tony and I have sent some type of edible present--chocolates, baked goods, popcorn, or fruit.

This year we wanted to do something extra. It started with a handmade "four tea" card. After printing out the text, I attached a row of four tea bags to a piece of card stock.

While I did that Tony went to the store and purchased an Amazon gift certificate. We slid it inside the card, then put the card in an envelope and took it to the post office.

We hope Son Tony can have fun picking out something special.

License To Do As I Want

Last Wednesday I did my last cooking shift at the church. I prepared pasta, salad, garlic bread, and cantaloupe chunks for the clergy and office staff. The associate priest made his special family recipe for dessert-a four layer chocolate cake with alternate layers filled with marshmallow cream/chocolate chips and chocolate frosting/peanut butter cups, frosted with more chocolate frosting.

After I cleaned up the kitchen I stopped by the parish office and turned in my keys and grocery store payment cards. Both the business manager and his assistant are close to my age, and they both said they were envious of my new freedom.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday flowed as they always did. On Sunday morning, instead of scanning the newspaper before scooting out the door to get to the grocery store before heading to the church to have breakfast ready for the clergy at 10 am I thoroughly read the entire newspaper while enjoying a second cup of coffee. Hubby Tony and I took a mid-morning walk, which freed up the afternoon for time to do nothing.

Today would have been another work shift. Tony and I had our monthly Sunday collection money counting shift. Normally, after that's over I have to hustle to get back home and collect my things before heading back out for the church. Today I had no commitments, and all the time in the world. Tony and I ran errands, then went to a nearby park before heading back home. This afternoon I actually had time to read, work through a crossword puzzle, and tackle a project.

Wednesday morning I'm scheduled to do an exercise class at the Y right in the middle of what would be my lunch-cooking shift. I'm hopeful there will be more time during the day to do whatever I want.

And the good news is that I can repeat this pattern this week, and next week, and the week after that.....