Filler: Here’s how to splice “into” a wire without cutting it
Posted By RichC on May 17, 2026
Tool tips share on social media always get my attention. I’m not sure this wire splicing tidbit will come in handy for me, but it is still impressive.
Do you dare mention anything during your yearly wellness visit?
Posted By RichC on May 16, 2026
It is time to schedule my wellness visit for 2026 and I’m afraid to mention anything … although in my case it has more to do with having to make another appointment or additional billing by my PCP. If not that, I’m sure he’ll request additional labs or refer me to a specialist! $$$
Doctor: “Your LDL is still high. I’m adding a second statin.”
Patient: “I’m already on one. My legs ache.”
Doctor: “That’s a known side effect. I’ll add CoQ10.”
Patient: “And I’m tired all the time.”
Doctor: “Fatigue is common. I’ll add modafinil.”
Patient: “My memory is foggy.”
Doctor: “Cognitive effects can occur. Donepezil should help.”
Patient: “I have a cough now.”
Doctor: “That’ll be the ACE inhibitor I prescribed last visit.
We’ll swap it for an ARB.”
Patient: “I’m not sleeping.”
Doctor: “Zopiclone.”
Patient: “Heard that’s addictive.”
Doctor: “We’ll taper you with mirtazapine when the time comes.”
Patient: “My blood sugar has gone up.”
Doctor: “Statins can do that. Metformin.”
Patient: “I get diarrhoea on metformin.”
Doctor: “Loperamide.”
Patient: “I’ve gained weight.”
Doctor: “Ozempic.”
Patient: “I feel nauseous.”
Doctor: “Ondansetron.”
Patient: “I don’t want to be on twelve medications.”
Doctor: “Anxiety is common at this stage. I’ll add sertraline.”
Patient: “What if I just stopped the statin?”
Doctor: “Absolutely not.”
Does driving an older EV with less range make sense? #YMMV
Posted By RichC on May 15, 2026
Our 2019 Tesla Model 3 SR+ is not really the best vehicle for road trips, but eventually we’ll learn feel comfortable stretching its limited range (realistically we’re currently only comfortable in calculating about 120 miles between stops). That said, the EV works well for our 380 mile round trip to Katelyn and Drew’s house 
in Whitehouse, Ohio with an 85% charge on both ends … and a 30 minute stop both ways in Lima, Ohio.
- Original EPA Rating: The 2019 SR+ was rated at 240 miles of combined range.
- Real-World Expectations: Due to battery degradation (typically 8–15% by 2026) and driving conditions, actual range often falls between 190 and 210 miles on a full charge.
- Highway Driving: At steady speeds of 70 mph in mild weather, real-world range typically drops to 170–190 miles.
- Winter Driving: In cold conditions, range can decrease by 30–40%, resulting in approximately 120–150 miles on the highway.
The financial part of owning and driving an EV is also making far more sense than originally thought, at least by me. Since we normally drive my BMW X5 35d “diesel” on most road trips, which achieves about 22-24 mpg, the $100 trip price (diesel currently at $5-6/gal) is significantly more than in years past. This means charging the Tesla while using the actual variables from our last trip to Toledo saved us about $60. The total estimated cost of electricity to charge at our home, at Katelyn and Drew’s and at a DC Fast-charger is about $40 (although electricity costs are going up, so as they say, “your mileage may vary” or the YMMV acronym for the idiom – also see my EV Cost Calculator for another one of my coding attempts). 😉
Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy 40th Birthday to my daughter
Posted By RichC on May 14, 2026
There are FOUR “happies” in front of “birthday” because Katelyn is now 40 … although it is hard to believe she is FORTY years 
young (Hm, I think “happies” is the plural for “happy?”)
Drew took her (and the girls) to Chicago to “Stars on Ice” for her birthday weekend. Across from their hotel happened to be the American Academy of Pediatrics — who knew! It looked like a very nice place to stay and I know the girls enjoyed the pool … and the great weather to visit the city.
The photos of the skating looked amazing as well and I detected 
a little “wish I were there” in our families group text thread from Megan. 😉
After the skating they heading to Navy Pier and Cloud Gate … which triggered memories of the last time I was there with Katelyn 21 years ago (in the early days of my blog – photo right).
So Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy 40th Birthday Katelyn. I hope we are around for our granddaughters’ 40th birthday celebrations!
Strange birds: Noisy Geese on our roof and chimney cap!
Posted By RichC on May 13, 2026
We always have mourning doves (basically suburban pigeons, in my opinion) nesting around our house and sitting almost every evening on our roof, but not all that many geese do the same. This year it is not only on the roof, but on the chimney cap.
Strange enough, over the years there have been blue herons and hawks … and Great Horned Owls hooting down our chimney. There was even a time when a crazy woodpecker hammered on the metal chimney cap!
As Americans, we should civilly debate and discuss our politics
Posted By RichC on May 12, 2026
An apology is required as I may have been premature and somewhat defensive in voicing my frustration last week over my unrequested commentary submission to TheHustings. The editors instead decided to request a left-counter and add their center-column two cents in order to make it a weekend subject — well done.
So if you’re into a place for “civil media” discussion, perhaps give their website a look … or better yet … submit a comment?
Music Monday: “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones
Posted By RichC on May 11, 2026
Although Rolling Stones music has been included on MDB before, “Gimme Shelter” from 1969 hasn’t been highlighted appropriately for a Music Monday (it was included but YouTube restricted on the post “Thoughts of war, a nuclear exchange and our human condition.”) The song is ranked up there with some of the all time great music by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It was rank as #13 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (2021) and is considered the band’s best song by the magazine.
For me, it is up there with MY Rolling Stones “bad parenting song.” 😉
Gimme Shelter is the opening track from The Rolling Stones’ 1969 album Let It Bleed, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The song, known for its intense, apocalyptic tone, reflects the turbulent era of the late 1960s—marked by war, social unrest, and political violence. Its iconic guitar riff was inspired by Keith Richards seeing people scrambling for shelter during a sudden London storm. The track features powerful, haunting vocals by session singer Merry Clayton, whose performance—recorded in a single take while she was pregnant—became legendary. She famously screams, “Rape, murder! It’s just a shot away!” before the song’s chilling conclusion.
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.