My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on October 4, 2019

Last week, Amazon authorized my invitation and gave me a promo code for the Echo Auto Alexa device for the car (it was a long wait, but they did discount to $24.99 for invitation holders). For the passed several months I’ve been using an Echo Input (no speaker) in my BMW X5 35d in an attempt to simulate the Echo Auto set-up (I picked one of those up for $14.95). It has worked surprisingly well, although the WiFi takes longer to connect than the bluetooth Auto version – both require a smartphone connection. 

As for ordering and installation, the new device arrived within a few days and I simply replaced the wired Echo Input with the EchoAuto. Initially I did try to connect the audio to the Avin Android based Nav PLUS display – really not all that great … and very difficult to keep multiple devices connected. So instead, I stuck with the AUX cord that I was using for the Input device. That aside, what I was surprised with, besides how quick it connected to my iPhone, was that it will hand-off what ever streaming audio that I’m listening to in the car to my After Shotz bluetooth headset when I turn off the car. Nice!

So far I haven’t tried much more than the basics … questions, leaving Alexa messages and “dropping-in",” setting audio volume, controlling lights and home devices and streaming SiriusXM or Pandora … but will soon try it for navigation and phone calling (unsure if it dials and switches to my iPhone or using Amazon two-way communication?) So far I think Amazon has a winner … and expect they’ll work a deal to build in their Echo devices in new cars.

Category: Alexa, Audio, Automotive, BMW, Gadget, Personal, Technology, Travel | No Comments »
Tags: Alexa, amazon, auto, avin, BMW, echo, echo auto, echoauto, input, invitation, Music, Navigation, review, streaming, tech friday, techfriday, x5 35d

Posted By RichC on October 3, 2019

Late in the spring of 2019,  I ordered three new refrigerator filters from an Amazon seller for Crystala replacement filters. I’ve opted for third party filters before and really didn’t think much about it … but as more vendors use Amazon Marketplace, consumers need to be more careful since their support isn’t what we might be use to from Amazon or local retail stores.

In late summer I replaced the previous filter with a new one and noticed the taste wasn’t quite right. After running a few gallons of water through the filter, I started to wonder if these were “discount” filters and didn’t have the charcoal component that removed some of the chemical taste in our chlorinated city water.

I opted to switch out the first filter with another one and noticed that it would not install easily (see below) … almost as if it didn’t fit our Samsung Refrigerator? About that same time, I started a conversation with customer service who indicated that I was past my return period (I didn’t open for a few months). After a gruff reply from me in getting no support, and post to Amazon complaining about lack of support, a supervisor named Luke responding as “Crystala Filters Support” under the Express Parts Amazon Marketplace email address, contacted me. He had me install the 3rd filter about that time I noticed that the top rubber o-ring was missing (see photo). This must-have permitted the water to bypass the filter and caused the “unfiltered” taste. In the back of my mind, I wondered if the o-ring may have either been missing or stuck in the red cap … then thought about the difficult fit inside the refrigerator. Hm, could the o-ring have prevented the correct seating of the filter in the mount?

Never the less, the supervisor would not replace the 2 filters, but said he would credit back 30% of my purchase price – one filter. Personally, it should have been both defective filters, but since I only threw away one of them, I can probably use an o-ring from the installed third filter an add it to the second in order to get it to work. All in all, I’m glad to have figure out the problem.

Category: Misc, Personal, Photos, Shopping | No Comments »
Tags: amazon, complaint, crystala, customer service, express parts, filters, issues, o-ring, oring, refrigerator, replacement, review, samsung, water

Posted By RichC on October 2, 2019

Although they are not venomous, the people I know  don’t like to go swimming with snakes … Northern Water Snakes in this case (I think – see screen grab below).

After being away for a week, once again the local wildlife has decided to make our pool their home – it has been dry. I tried the “Snake Shield” repelling granules in the spring and will reapply again to see if I can keep them out of the pool house and pool. Thankfully this little guy was just feisty and is not poisonous, but he wasn’t easy to fish out of the pool as they are good swimmers. BTW,  when bigger, they do like to bite.

(more…)

Category: Environment, Nature, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: anigif, backyard, gif, northern, pool, snake, snakes, water, wildlife

Posted By RichC on October 1, 2019

My son Taylor was in hot water most of Saturday afternoon trying to delay Megan from arriving early to the TV sitcom ‘Friends’ 25th anniversary birthday surprise hosted by her parents. He used the “watching college football” excuse and did everything he could to keep Megan from arriving early.

Denni and Dave did a fantastic job of hosting a VIP room at the theater and decorating it with photos and ‘Friends’ memories (a favorite show for Megan and her mom). A bunch of Megan’s friends were their as well as some of her family and us. We enjoyed the show and a great dinner … as well as surprising Megan for an early 30th birthday party (the actual date is still yet to come). What a fun time.

Category: Entertainment, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: birthday, family, friends, megan, movie, parents, party, surprise, taylor, theater

Posted By RichC on September 30, 2019

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Category: Music | No Comments »
Tags: 1967, mp3, Music, music monday, musicmonday, pandora, rolling stones, ruby tuesday, siriusxm, spotify, streaming

Posted By RichC on September 29, 2019

This must be what it was like to live in the Jurassic era … or camping in the Everglades as mating season begins for the gators in Florida? (been there, done that!)

A post on Facebook from the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens in Naples, Florida shows three alligators bobbing in the water, making loud growling or roaring sounds.

A person nearby can be heard comparing the sound to dinosaurs.

“It sounds like something out of Jurassic Park,” the person is overheard saying.

According to the zoo’s caption on the video, alligators bellow all year, but they do it more often during mating season.

LINK

Category: Environment, Nature, Video | No Comments »
Tags: alligator, bellow, dinosaurs, facebook, florida, jurassic, mp4, naples, video, zoo

Posted By RichC on September 28, 2019

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Category: Memories, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: annalyn, babysitting, brenda, family, ohio, park, perrysburg, playground, richc, slides, swings, waterville

Posted By RichC on September 27, 2019

An interesting article this past week’s Wall Street Journal detailed the "distraction" and "attraction" boys seem to have with video games in comparison to girls. Vice versa, girls are far more attracted to social networking (big surprise) on their devices, but are better at juggling their time.  I suspect this is just a new twist on an old problem?

Girls vs. Boys: Brain Differences Might Explain Tech Behaviors

In this column I’ve chronicled the aggression some boys exhibit when they have to shut off videogames and transition to other activities, as well as the problems some young men face when they go to college and have to juggle game time and school work without mom and dad’s help.

That led some readers to question why girls don’t appear to be having these problems. Of course, girls have issues of their own, such as smuggling “burner” phones to keep up with forbidden social media accounts. It’s just that when it comes to videogames, most girls seem to have a better handle on when to stop.

According to a 2017 survey conducted by Pew Research Center, 41% of teenage boys said they spend too much time playing videogames while only 11% of girls said they do.

MORE

Category: Gadget, Human Interest, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: boy, brain, distraction, gadgets, girl, social network, tech friday, techfriday, Technology, video games, wsj

Posted By RichC on September 26, 2019

For those who follow or check on MyDesultoryBlog.com regularly, you know my daily musings are split between posts on a variety of newsy and topical interest items … and personal goings-on and project updates. This week has been pretty much all personal with a recent trip to check on Encore and work on Condo1718 updates.

Besides the mounting of mirrors (before Brenda works on her mosaic tile), I pressed on with the cutting new cushions and working the new upholstery for our wicker couch and loveseat. It was a substantial amount of work, and dollar investment, and would have been less expensive (when calculating my hours) to have purchased new furniture. Besides the pride of "doing" this project, upholstery is probably one of those jobs that should be outsourced to experienced professionals. I’m not sure what they charge nowadays, but they are probably worth whatever they charge! 

That said, I’m pleased with the new upholstery … even though I still am planning to add a layer of 1 inch low density foam under the batting on the seat cushions to fill out a few wrinkles and give a little more poof to the cushions.

Final note, I added a heavy cotton duck wrap to the plywood base that I added years ago when the webbing degraded and failed. Hopefully the smoother fabric to fabric surface will give longer wearablility to the Olifin fiber upholstery fabric that we picked out.

Category: Archive, Misc, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: condo, condo1718, cushions, delray beach, encore, florida, olefin, Personal, remodel, sewing, update, updates, upholstery

Posted By RichC on September 25, 2019

Following up on my weekend post and a few of the projects that I’m trying to complete (or get started) during my few days in Florida is the “somewhat new to me” upholstery project. It has bogged down my to-do list schedule, but I was able to get the master bathroom corner mirrors and glass shelves between the vanities finished up (well I’ll take the mirrors down when Brenda adds her mosaic tile frame). “I love it when a plan comes together,” as actor George Peppard on the A-Team would say.
🙂

Besides having an excellent drive down, the weather has been tropical … a few quirky clouds or contrails, some nice sunsets and less we forget, it is still hurricane season with occasional wind and rain (video below).

Category: Archive, Misc, Personal, Photos, Travel, Video, Weather, Woodworking | No Comments »
Tags: a-team, condo1718, florida, master bathroom, mp4, remodel, richc, selfie, update, upholstery, video, weather