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.

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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