Reading – IndyScan.com

2025 February Update

Photo of The Month:
Our featured photo this month is the backside of an Acura I was sitting behind at a light while driving to work. This is a current photo but that license plate is almost 5 years expired!

Still can’t top this gem I spotted while in line at Costco waiting for gas back in 2021…

What’s Going On:
Del Taco unveils plans to open 10 restaurants in Indiana – I’m excited for this. We tried these for the first time several years ago while in Las Vegas and immediately noticed how much better they were than Taco Bello Bell (I know that’s a low bar).

It does not look like any of the new locations will be in my city but I’ll drive a little bit to get some more of those tacos.

The battle over AG1—the influencer-famous, $100-a-month green supplement—is coming to a vending machine or grocery store near you – If you’ve watched any YouTube videos in the last few years you have no doubt seen the AG1 sponsorships. I had a co-worker that shared some with me and it was much better than I expected (a little gritty), but not worth $100 a month, in my opinion. I’ll be curious to see how it’s packaged and sold in retail & if it will make it to the shelves of Costco anytime soon, where I might give another try.

What I’m Buying:
I finally decided to get an Air fryer. I know, I’m really late to the game, but I jumped onboard early with the Insta-Pot and was disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, it will cook a good meal, but it misses the depth of flavor you can only get from a long slow braise in the oven. I’m told it makes excellent yogurt and spaghetti (not together).

So far I’ve only experimented with a few things like frozen personal pizzas, French fries, and potato skins but it’s turning out to be a really good (processed) food cooker! I need to roast some chicken breasts for an upcoming dinner so we’ll see how that goes.

I was surprised at how quiet it was and how quickly I could cook a batch of (frozen) potato skins. Cleanup was really easy too with the parts being dishwasher safe. While not a substitute for a real oven, it’s been handy during the week when I just want something hot for dinner and don’t want to spend a lot of time making it.

What I’m Eating:
Tous Les Jours – I saw this place was opening a location on Main Street in Carmel and we checked it out on MLK day. WOW, this is a great little bakery with some unique items. While at the store enjoying some sweet treats, I looked them up on line and discovered that not only were they a chain they has a mother location in Castlelton, of all places. Turn out this is the same little French/Asian bakery inside the Saraga International Grocery store! In fact, the local kitchen is in Saraga and they bring the pastries to Carmel from that location.

Hanna’s Banh Mi bakery and Cafe – This place was originally going to open on Allisonville Rd (north of 116th), but the “coming soon” signage disappeared. Fast forward about a year & I find it in Castle ton, next to Saraga! We stopped in for an early(ish) lunch and ordered a bowl of Pho and a roasted pork Bahn Mi. Both were delicious but the Bahn Mi stole the show with the delicious combination of fatty pork, creamy sauce and the lightly pickled vegetable ton top of the freshly baked French roll. By the time we left, the Saturday lunch rush had shown up with a line to the door.

Bubbies Pickles – Babish Culinary Universe has been doing these Ranking videos where he trues every variety they can find of a particular product. I really enjoyed the pickle ranking episode & after seeing how well the Bubbles Spicy Kosher Dill Pickles scored I decided to grab a jar to try. I found them at my local Fresh Thyme, and while on the higher end of the pickle purchasing spectrum have found them to be a delicious addition to the refrigerator shelf. Just a noticeable spice that goes well with a sandwich, or alone as a snack. They have a very satisfying crunch and a very clean pickle taste. The brine is a little cloudy (from the lacto-fermentation) so don’t let that keep you from trying these!

Where I’ve Been:
The Pioneer in Brookville, Indiana – We visited earlier in the month to continue exploring the Indiana Chicken Trail. Brookville actually has 3 stops on the Official Trail. The other two are the Dairy Cottage (also home of the Super G, their version of the Big Boy) and the local VFW (website link not working). I ordered the chicken planks and they were batter dipped and quite tasty. My parents ordered the chicken dinner which they really enjoyed. We were talking so much I forgot to take any pictures!

Carmel Winter Farmers Market – These Winter markets are MUCH better than they have been in years past. I was very impressed with the Broad Ripple market and equally impressed with what we found in Carmel! A lot of vendors have booth in both, and some alternate between the two. Either one will get you some good quality products and even a freshly cook breakfast if you’re hungry.

What I’m Watching:
Reacher season 3 is on Prime Video and this year Anthony Michael Hall (from the Breakfast Club) plays the bad guy. Episode 1 was very good and left me wanting to watch more.

What I’m Reading:
Frostbite by Nicola Twilley – The study of “Fridgenomics” was a fascinating read about how the invention of refrigeration, something we take for granted today, was feared in the beginning because it was making people sick!

Tower Dog: Life Inside the Deadliest Job in America by Doug Delaney – We have been lead to believe Alaskan Crab Fisherman had the deadliest job in America, but back when the telecommunication network was expanding across the nation with cellular services, Tower Dogs (climbers) were dying at alarming rates, often falling to their deaths from dizzying heights, as they built the backbone we all use today. It was told from the perspective of a former Tower Dog that needed to return to the business to make money to support his family while also trying to sell his story to Hollywood.

What Else:
Spotify Premium has 15-hours of Audo Books available every month for Premium subscribers. I thought this was something new but evidently it’s been available for over a year. I did a little digging and found several newer titles that I was waiting for on Libby to be available right now on Spotify, so this is a good alternative for the casual Audio Book listener (like me).

And Finally…
Meanwhile at a Cincinnati Bengals game…

2025 January Update

Photo of The Month:
This month’s featured image was taken facing West on Ohio St in Downtown Indianapolis while I sat at the light. I enjoyed the blue-skied sunrise behind me and the moon’s brightness above the horizon to the west.

What’s Going On:
A lot has happened since my last post in June 2024 (mostly good!). 2025 is a new year, and I was fortunate to have 2.5 weeks off work at the end of the year to reflect and reset. I felt it was time to fire the blog back up with monthly updates and a familiar format that allows me to add to it as the month progresses. I also decided I should start adding context to the Featured Image each month when it’s a picture I took.

What I’m Buying:
I rearranged my reading nook in the front room to make it more cozy and added a few elements. I’ve been dedicating at least 2 hours most evenings to reading and reducing my TV time (which consists of many YouTube videos). The Kindle Paperwhite has been getting a workout. I’ve seen wireless page-turners previously and was intrigued. Since you have to touch the screen of the Kindle to advance to the next page, it limits how you can sit and hold the device. With the page tuner, you can sit however you want, prop the Kindle up (I put it on a raised leg or a small folding stand on the end table), and push a remote button to advance pages. It’s a small thing, but I can sit for hours reading without interruption or discomfort.

I also picked up a mug warmer to keep my coffee/tea warm when I’m really into a book. I got tired of grabbing a cold mug after 30 minutes. I thought the rechargeable Ember mugs were interesting but they are really expensive. The mug warmers are under $20 and the one I purchased has 3 heat settings and an adjustable auto-off timer.

I bought the new iPad Mini 7 in October, which has 512 GB of storage and a cellular modem (basically the maxed-out edition). It was not cheap, but I have been amazed by the little mini’s versatility! The cellular modem allows me to have always-on internet and not have to try to find Wi-Fi (or hot-spot off my phone) when I’m out and about.

What I’m Eating:
I guarantee I’ve eaten every day since my last post, so I won’t bore you with that. Lately, I’ve been visiting Broad Ripple to check out the Winter Farmers Market and Ripple Bagel & Deli on non-market days and on the way into the office.

Located inside the old BR High School (now a middle school?), the market is bigger than I remember in years past, and it has a nice mix of vendors. Shout out to Schacht Farm for having some of the best meat I’ve had in a LONG time. Their sage breakfast sausage, chorizo, bacon, and sandwich ham are all very high quality, and each one is delicious. I plan on dedicating a shelf on the garage freezer to their products soon.

Another vendor I was very impressed with was U-Relish Slow Cooker Meals. They used to have a stall in the Indianapolis City Market, and I honestly never paid much attention to them. Shame on me because I have been missing out on their products! I picked up a black bean chili mix, and the owner recommended I add some chorizo to it if I wanted a little kick. So you know who I visited next!

Ripple Bagel & Deli has a dizzying array of options on its expansive menu!

When I was in London in 2023, the Salted Beef Bagel was a game changer, and the Brick Lane Beigel Bake will be my first stop when I return. Ripple Bagel & Deli has a menu item called the Monon Roadkill that is about as close to the London sandwich as I can get in Indy. It consists of Pastrami, double Swiss, and horseradish on an onion bagel, and it scratches that itch for now. I need to remember to add pickles the next time I order it.

Where I’ve Been:
Since the last post, I’ve not traveled much, but I ended up in Boston for work last September. I really enjoyed the food we had there. Our group tried to catch a game at Fenway, but it ended up gettingrained out.

I attended a Teivery Corporation concert at the Vogue. It was my first time seeing a show there, and it was the best concert venue I’ve ever been to. I’m not much for loud noises, and the acoustics and sound levels for this show were very nice. I had a very enjoyable time.

During the holiday break, I traveled over to Dayton to the Wright-Patterson Air Force Museum (an amazing facility that everyone should visit at least once)

What I’m Watching:
I use TV Time to track all the shows I watch. It allows me to find out when new episodes become available and to remember where I left off when I don’t watch for a while.

Anthony Bourdain – No Reservations (rewatch from the beginning)
Hell’s Kitchen Season 23
Below Deck Sailing Season 5
Northern Exposure (rewatch from the beginning)
Squid Game Season 2

What I’m Reading:
Colony Mars (7-book series) by Gerald M. Kilby
I’m through the fourth book and was hooked from the first one. I’ve never thought of myself as a sci-fi fan, but this series is a good way to dip your toes in because it’s not so far-fetched. I could see this being somewhat realistic in 20 years (if not sooner).

What Else:
I traded in the trusty Subaru Crosstrek for a new Subaru Ascent. It’s a night and day difference in size and performance, with that familiar Subaru look and feel. I only have a couple thousand miles on it so far, but just about everything about the car is perfect. Gas mileage is much less than the Trek’s, but it’s worth it for the capabilities and capacity I’ve gained with their flagship larger SUV.

I’m still “playing radio” (Amateur “Ham” Radio) when I have time. So far I have been in contact with 127 countries and have exchanged QSL (post) Cards with about 50 stations from around the world. I may make a gallery on the Blog to showcase more interesting ones I’ve received.

And Finally…

2024 June Update

What’s Going On:
June went by just as fast as May. I’m sensing a pattern in 2024 as the days blend together, and the weekends go by WAY too quickly. Our office was closed on July 4th and 5th (and I took the 3rd off as a PTO day). So, at least, I feel like I’ve gotten a break. I have a busy couple of weeks at work coming up that I need to prepare for.

I just realized that in June, I had lived in the same house for 20 years. It doesn’t seem like yesterday, but I was surprised to see it was 20 years ago. I’m doing everything I can to pay off this place before I even think about retiring. There is nothing like NOT having a house payment when you decide to give up the 9-5 grind. I don’t see myself retiring 100% anytime soon, but not having a house payment gives you more options to do something different.

Luckily, I moved from a career that could be a daily grind (IT Consulting) to something I enjoy (Operations). I’m still involved in the IT aspects of the company, but I like the other parts, like organizational operations and HR the most. We’re moving our office in October, and that’s a project I enjoy being involved in as well.

What I’m Buying:
If you’ve never tried a shampoo bar, it’s a game changer. It’s like a bar of soap, but for your hair, it’s much easier to travel with than liquid shampoo. C.O. Bigelow sells the Badger brand shampoo bar, and I ordered one a few months ago.

As soon as I used it for the first time at home, I ordered another one for my DOP kit. They seem to be out of it at the moment, but I was able to find it on Amazon at the link above.

Speaking of DOP Kits, I ordered the Tom Bihn Standard Spiff Kit (in Sangria 210 Cerylon) for my shorter trips in June. I have an awesome canvas DOP kit that I use on longer trips, but for 2-3 nights away, I wanted something a little smaller as I have learned how to pack lighter and NOT check a bag. In fact, I traveled over a week in Thailand last February with only a carry-on and a personal item. My Switzerland/Paris/London trip last September taught me never to check a bag again if I could help it.

I had never heard the term “Kitchen Candle” before reading this article in Food and Wine. I ordered a Vanilla Kitchen Candle from Amazon, and there really IS a difference! The scent is a lot less strong and helps cover up those smells left over from the last dish you cooked. I’m a fan and will keep one of these around from now on.

I love my flashlights, and I finally pulled the trigger on the (newish) Olight Arkfeld Pro. It has upgraded specs from the original Arkfeld (now in my car), but now it’s “Pro” and has a green laser! This one is now in my EDC because you never know when you need to laser-point something. 🙂

What I’m Eating:
I watched a YouTube Video from America’s Test Kitchen about Cast Iron Pizza a few weeks ago. I love pizza and had to try this out. Let’s just say I’ve fixed two in the last two weeks, and I’m never going back to frozen or delivery. The cheater’s move is to purchase pre-made pizza dough (and sauce) from Fresh Thyme. It saves you a lot of time, and they both taste delicious.

I was in Huntington, Indiana, the other day and finally got a chance to try the tenderloin at Nicks Kitchen. The place is pretty small, and they had a decent lunch crowd. I sat at the lunch counter and placed my order (with pickles, mayo, mustard, and onions).

This sandwich did not disappoint, and it lived up to the hype! The crinkle-cut fries (with Mama Selita’s Jalapeno Tomato Ketchup) and freshly made iced tea rounded out the meal. The total price was around $20 with a tip. Service was attentive, and I’d 100% return here again when I was in the area.

What I’m Watching:
I started the latest season of The Bear, and it’s just not holding my attention. The other two seasons were just OK. It’s just not living up to the hype for me. I do enjoy the chef cameos and the random Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the shows, but I’m not sure I’ll finish it any time soon.

What I’m Reading:
I just finished a 13-hour audiobook by A. American called Going Home. It’s the first book in The Survivalist Series (I’m looking forward to starting book two called Surviving Home). I didn’t realize I liked the dystopian genre, but I enjoyed this book. In fact, I decided to start watching “The Last of Us” on HBO because of it. I’m only 1 episode in, but I really like it so far.

I tried Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited 30-day trial but can’t justify the $11 a month when I have had good luck getting books from the local library using Hoopla and Libby. That’s where I got the Going Home audiobook (for free).

What Else:
Chat GPT released a desktop app for the Mac, and I have been playing around to see if it’s helpful. So far, when it comes to writing, I’ve found Grammarly to be easier to use, but at $150 a year, I might not be renewing. Some AI features in an upcoming MacOS release will render Grammarly an expensive add-on that will probably no longer be needed.

And Finally…
The most significant Security Flaw in North America

2024 February Update

What’s Going On:
I just got back from a 10-day visit to Thailand! It was a LOT of flying (24 hours each way) but worth every minute of the journey once I arrived. I have a 2-part blog post I’m working on this month and should have the first part out in the next week or so.

March is somewhat of a quiet month, but as the temps warm and spring gets closer every day, it’s time to start planning some outdoor activities. I reserved a campsite for an overnight trip later this month to try my hand at a Ham Radio Parks on the Air activation. This combines my love of the outdoors with my newly refreshed passion for Ham Radio.

What I’m Buying:
Woot! is an overstock site connected with Amazon, and it occasionally has some really good deals. Earlier in February, I bought a refurbished Dyson V10 Animal for less than half the cost of a new unit. It’s an older model but better than the V6 I purchased years ago. It arrived in generic packaging, but there was no indication the unit had even been turned on, let alone used at any time. I was immediately impressed with the increased performance of the V10 and am very happy with the purchase. The V6 still has some life, so it will be used for smaller house tasks, including cleaning the cars.

What I’m Eating:
Lots of Thai food while on my trip. I flew Turkish Airlines, and their in-flight meals were very tasty. I was pretty impressed with the quality and quantity of the food served while we cruised at 35,000 feet. It was funny to see the standard USA chains on my layover in Istanbul. Burger King & McDonalds were prominently placed through the airport and had a lot of customers.

I went almost two weeks without eating American or processed foods and could feel a difference in just a few days. For some reason, I always assumed Smoothies all had dairy (something I avoid) and quickly learned that was not true. I enjoyed several fruit smoothies while abroad and also enjoyed their incredibly low price. We’ll see how well my blender holds up after my next smoothie supply run to Costco. I might be in the market for a Vitamix in the future…

Where I’ve Been:
I saved about $1000 on my airfare (and a 2-hour flight leg at each end) by flying out of Detroit. It’s only a 3.5-hour drive from my house and was worth it. I used some of the savings to upgrade my seats for the 4 flight legs. More on that in a future post…

I only had one stop in Istanbul, Turkey, before I went to Bangkok, Thailand. Once in Bangkok, I met my brother, and we took a short flight up to Chiang Mai, where we stayed for most of the visit.

Toward the end of my trip, we returned to Bangkok for a few days before I hopped on an early morning flight to return to the US.

I returned to Detroit via Istanbul again and landed around 7:30 pm. Customs was a snap, and I was returning to Indy by 9 pm. I arrived home after midnight and was still pretty awake, even though I had been up for approximately 36 hours. Once settled, I slept like a rock and enjoyed the extra day of PTO on my return. Adjusting back to Indiana time was more complicated than I thought, considering I didn’t have any issues adjusting to the 12-hour time change in Thailand.

What I’m Watching:
I downloaded a lot of content to my iPad Pro for the travel legs and consumed quite a bit. YouTube always has something to watch, and I wanted to watch a few movies on Netflix. Being able to download content to your device is a great feature that I wish more streaming services would provide. The in-flight entertainment was available, but I only used it once to watch a soccer match live at 38,000 feet.

What I’m Reading:
I also read a lot while held captive in the air. I have a bad habit of pinning articles to “read later,” and I had a lot to choose from. I also worked on a few books using the Amazon Kindle. The Art of Invisibility by Kevin Mitnick kept me entertained for a few hours before I switched over to a copy of Essential Thailand by Fodor’s Travel Guides.

And Finally…
This was quite a mystery. How does a 200-foot broadcast radio tower disappear without a trace? Check the comments on the article for details (and the answer to the mystery!).

2023 Week 27 – Gettin’ Stuff Done

What’s Going On:
It’s going to be a busy week as people return from vacations and deadlines start to loom. Last week was a 3-day week, and with so many people out of the office, it was a good time to get caught up on some low-priority tasks and prep for some big meetings coming up next week.

I’m still using a combination of Todiost for work tasks, Apple Reminders for personal tasks, and Evernote for capturing everything else. It’s worked very well this last year at my new job, and if it ain’t broke… The Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology, first released in 2001, is still the key to my productivity.

What I’m Eating:
I received my order from Enso Supergreens late last week. I will agree with the review I read leading me to this AG-1 alternative. Supergreens is a VERY fine powder that mixes very well with liquid. I’ve been using Oat Milk and a Milk Frother I picked up from Amazon, but any shaker-style bottle will work.

Once mixed, Supergreens has a creamy, minty & slightly sweet taste. It reminds me of a melted Shamrock Shake from McDonalds. It’s also a lot less grainy than the AG-1 samples I previously tried. This is something I can see myself drinking daily and actually enjoying it. Eventually, Supergreens could replace the daily multivitamin and probiotic I’ve been taking for the past year. I’ll report back in a few months and let you know if I’m still drinking it.

Room Service on Wheels, a delivery-only service in Fishers, has expanded its location and opened up a brewery called King Jugg Brewing Company with a lot of outdoor seating. I visited this week and found they didn’t have any of their beers available yet (next week, I was told), but I stuck around for lunch.

I had anticipated getting their chopped salad, which looked very good on the menu, but I pivoted last minute and went for the Tenderloin.

I was told the Tenderloin is marinated in buttermilk, and each one is hand-breaded to order. It arrived piping hot, fully dressed with LTMOP and a side of house-made chips. A little piece was hanging out the side of the bun, and I gave it a quick sample. DELICIOUS! Nice, lightly seasoned breading and a tender pork cutlet. This was an enjoyable sandwich; I will say it’s the best Tenderloin in town. I look forward to returning soon and ordering it again, along with one of the new house beers,

I immediately sent a picture to my friend Rick, the “Tenderloin Connisour,” and told him he needed to check this place out for his All Tenderloins, all the Time review website. I’m curious to hear his feedback & read his review.

What I’m Watching:
I just finished The Bear on Hulu last night. Pretty intense show that people “in the industry” seem to enjoy. If you like drama and food, you should check The Bear out.

LOTS of YouTube videos have been streamed this week, concentrating on Amateur Radio equipment and licensing. I’m determined to get my license upgraded soon.

What I’m Reading:
2023-2027 General Class Study Guide by Gordon West – Study guide for the General Class Amateur Radio Exam. The FCC updates their questions every 4-years to keep with changing times so you have to make sure you have the right study guide. July 1, 2023 was the start of the new 4-year calendar so my timing for getting back into the hobby was perfect. After taking several on-line proactive exams I realized I didn’t know as much as I thought I did and needed to bone up on the tech before attempting to take the test. This is going to be a project I hope to complete this summer.

And Finally…
Following up to last weeks Nuclear Sub tour we give you Mike Rowe on a Nuclear Supercarrier!

2023 Week 26 – It’s Not Easy Being Green

What’s Going On:
It’s the weekend before the 4th of July, and a couple of weeks ago (while I was on my road trip), the Leadership Team at my office decided to give everyone an extra day off (July 3), so it’s a much appreciated 4-day weekend for this guy. Unfortunately, the weather has been anything but ideal, with rain and thunderstorms every day since Thursday and more on the way tonight (Sunday).

What I’m Buying:
Study Guide for the Amateur Radio General Class License Exam – Even though I didn’t get on the Air during the Annual Field Day, my interest in Amateur Radio is starting to pick up again. Like most hobbies, there are usually varying levels of participation, and in the Amateur Radio community, that can be classified through the different levels of licenses you can earn. Each license allows you to do more on the radio and talk to people farther away.

I’ve had the basic license for years that allows me to talk to people locally, and I have always wanted to upgrade my license to gain more privileges. I took a couple of practice exams online and quickly learned my knowledge was limited, and I needed to do some studying.

I stopped in the Sierra store again and picked up some lightweight shirts for the summer at deeply discounted prices. I’m still amazed at the prices and selection at the new Sierra store. If you’re in the area, it’s worth checking it out.

What I’m Eating:
Do you know what’s better than the Chicken Salad Sandwich at The Garden Table on Mass Ave? The Chopped Cobb Salad with a SCOOP of Chicken Salad at Garden Table on Mass Ave!

A coworker gave me a couple of his Athletic Greens travel packs to try. If you’ve spent any time on YouTube, you have never seen this product sponsoring all kinds of content (especially travel and outdoor channels). This stuff is not cheap at just under $100 a month, and they don’t offer samples for you to try before committing.

As I mixed the contents of the green packet into 8 oz of cold water, I was hesitant about what I thought it would taste like. It’s very dark green, and I expected something in the broccoli family of flavors. Surprisingly, the taste was very light with a touch of sweetness (like watered-down pineapple). It can be a little chalky if you let the powder settle out of suspension (especially the last little bit), but it was not awful to drink, and if you believe the hype, it has a lot of health benefits. I could see this replacing my daily multivitamin and probiotic I take each morning.

If you want to learn more about the “Greens” powder revolution and a review of the top contenders, check out The Ultimate Greens Power Test. This was a comprehensive evaluation of 11 different Greens powers with a lot of detail in the decision-making process.

I’m going to order the winner of this test (Ensō Supergreens) and compare it to Athletic Greens. At $39.99 a month, it’s a lot less expensive and might be with the hype! I’ll report back after I’ve used it for a few weeks.

What I’m Watching:
AirNow Interactive Map
Given how the air has been full of SMOKE from the Great White North this past month, I watched this website daily to see if things were improving.

The Bear on Hulu
In its second season, The Bear picks up new challenges as the team tries to rehab its space and open a new restaurant.

Jack Ryan (Final Season) on Amazon
The Final Season just started this past week, and it hit the ground running with a great storyline. I’m going to hate to see this one end.

What I’m Reading:
In addition to the Study Guide mentioned earlier, these articles caught my attention this past week.
Why Was Benjamin Franklin’s Basement Filled With Skeletons?
Americans have ‘tip fatigue,’ resent ‘tip creep.’
What you need to know about Indiana’s new laws taking effect July 1, 2023

And Finally…
Inside a Nuclear SUBMARINE! | USS Indiana Tour

2023 Week 23 – Pack it Up!

What’s Going On:
Finishing the preparations for an upcoming road trip to West Virginia. It’s a combination of camping and a few hotels. The goal is to visit the world’s largest radio telescope in Green Bank, WV. Details to come!

What I’m Buying:
I love over-engineered items, and Yeti products are just that. Some would say overpriced, and I’m not going to argue with them, but the gear is rock solid. I have several tumblers, wine mugs, and even their folding camp chair (it’s amazing). I had a bunch of Amazon credits from my Amazon Credit Card, and after talking to the owner of a 36 oz Rambler with the “Chug Cap,” I decided to pick one up. Yeti designed this one right. It’s roughly the same circumference as a Nalgene, so it fits perfectly in the cup holder extender I have in the Subaru. I did an Ice Test, and it kept ice for several days (almost 3), so it’s sure to help your drinks stay cold on all but the longest road trips.

What I’m Eating:
Nothing too exciting this week. Several meetings ran into the lunch hour, so I ordered a few sandwiches at work. Jimmy John’s has their Summer Wraps back on the menu, and the Chicken Caesar is my favorite.

Potbelly has a “Clubby” on the menu as a limited-time offer, and it was a nice change from the Wreck I normally order.

What I’m Watching:
Top Chef World All Stars just ended, it was the 20th season for the franchise, and host Padma L announced she would be departing the show. She has hosted all but the first season. It will be interesting to see who takes her place in season 21

What I’m Reading:
After finishing, and really enjoying “Falling” by T.J. Newman, I moved to her next book, “Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421.” It started off fast and pulled me into the story immediately. I’ll probably have this one finished by the end of my trip next week.

And Finally…
The History Guy’s latest video should be very interesting to travelers. “ORD Stands for Orchard: A History of Airport Codes” gives you some insight into the 3-letter airport codes that sometimes make no sense.

2021 Week 50 – Kindle Upgrade

I’ve been an Amazon Kindle user ever since V2 was released in 2009. That version had a keyboard and built-in cellular modem that allowed you to transfer data and download books anywhere, anytime.

The Kindle e-reader does one thing and, in my opinion, does it very well. It provides a distraction-free reading experience. OK, two things, you can carry a huge number of books with you at any time. This is handy when you want to read a couple of books at the same time, depending on mood and energy. It makes no noise, it has no pop-up messages, and it’s already ready to pick up where you left off in your last reading session.

I eventually upgraded to a newer version and then another. The low $100-125 price and ever-increasing screen resolutions and lighting options made the upgrades worth it. We lost the cellular modem years ago, but with WiFi being so accessible, it’s something you really don’t miss. I typically like to read in the evenings where it helps me unwind. On occasion, I can use my phone to finish a chapter or launch the Audible version of a book where it syncs with the text copy for easy switching between the two.

My last Paperwhite was starting to get a little sluggish, and I realized after 5-years of ownership I was no longer getting updates with some of the newer software features. After doing a little research, I found that I could trade my old unit in for a new one and get a 20% discount as well as a few dollars for the unit I was turning in.

The 2021 Kindle Paperwhite (as reviewed by Wired) is the best Kindle e-reader to date. The screen is larger, and the screen resolution looks like you’re reading a paper book. Backlight options include a warmth mode that tints the screen to ease eye fatigue at night. It’s all automatic based on the sunrise/sunset in your area. You don’t really notice the screen color until you turn it off.

Now that it’s getting cold out, and dark early, I’m spending a lot more time reading in the evening, and I’m really enjoying this upgrade.

I wrote about the Grammarly app in Week 42, and I’m happy to say after the 90-day initial trial, I renewed for another year. It’s been beneficial in my personal and professional life. You might have noticed some improvements in the blog posts too. I was missing some necessary punctuation in my writing. Some obvious (bad editing) and some not so obvious. They just released a new Desktop app for the Mac that allows it to work in ANY application. It was previously limited to its own app outside MS Office apps. Now it works right inside my email program and makes editing on the fly much smoother. At $150 a year, it’s not cheap but, if written communication is an important part of your life, it’s worth checking out to see if it can be helpful to you.

And finally… The limited series show “True Story” on Netflix was a surprise hit. Kevin Hart was excellent in his role, and the story moved very quickly through the seven episodes. Each episode is only 30-minutes, so it’s a pretty quick watch & easy to binge on a rainy day.

https://youtu.be/QP1PAEaszVM

That’s it for thie week. Christmas is less than 2-weeks away! I should probably start shopping or something…

Triple Click iPhone Home Button Trick

Trying to get back into the blogging habit after a long hiatus. Too many distractions with the amazing summer weather we’ve been having this year! I’m working on a recap of what we’ve been up to & should have it up here in a week or so.

BUT, for now I’ll publish a draft I had sitting in the queue and hopefully it’ll come in handy for some of you.

I don’t know about you but in my world manufacturers and restaurants have this silly habit of using smaller and smaller fonts everywhere. Case in point, try looking at the IMEI number on the back of your iPhone. It’s TINY!

BUT, I have a solution to share with you that I’ve used for a while now. It’s call the Triple-Click-Magnifyer and it’s amazing!

1. Touch the “Settings” icon on your iPhone’s home screen.

2. Touch the “General” button followed by the “Accessibility” button.

3. Touch “Triple-click Home” (or “Accessibility Shortcut”) located at the very bottom of the Accessibility screen.

4. Tap any of the accessibility options to assign that option to the Triple-click Home function. A check appears next to the option to indicate you selected it. If you select more than one option, the iPhone will ask you which one you want to activate when you use the Triple-click Home feature.

I only use the Magnifier option at this time and it works amazingly well. It’s not the same as firing up the camera and zooming in. It allows for much closer focus and an almost unbelievable amount of zoom.

Now all you need to do is unlock your phone and quickly press the home button 3-times. That’s it!

If you found this tip helpful let me know in the comments section.