Monday, July 11, 2016

Find Yourself

I've been super-fortunate this summer to have been asked to do not one, not two, but three product reviews.  The first one was on the Wilson Electronics Mobile Cellular Signal Booster antenna, the second one I'll be doing today, and the third will be upcoming, so keep checking back.

It's no secret I love my cell phone.  It's my lifeline.  And if I can manage my life from a handheld device, I'm happy.  Our new truck, which Ed named Betty, can be remotely started and unlocked from an app on my phone.  It's great.  I can start the truck from inside a store and it's be cool when I get to the parking lot.  I love gadgets.

Which brings me to the latest product I've been fortunate enough to be introduced to.  It was designed in Germany, has won awards, is military grade quality, and comes with a 12-month warranty.

Its name is ZUS.

It's a car charger - which charges your devices at twice the speed of other car chargers - and car locator. That's right, it finds your car for you!  Which, for me, is a blessing in disguise.  Because although I always remember where my cell phone is (remember, it's my lifeline), I don't always remember where I parked my car.

Ed and I have been using it for a few weeks now and it works like magic.  Once you set up the app on your phone, it automatically connects to the device when you get in your car.  When you park and turn off the car's engine, it saves your last known location in the app.  


It has Parking Meter Alerts - here in Tucson, that would only applicable downtown since we're really not a place that uses parking meters - and sets a parking timer for you.  We actually did use this feature when we went downtown to the planning and zoning department and it worked great. I used to use my phone's timer feature for this, but I like that ZUS reminds me to set the meter alert.  

I used the device's built-in GPS to find the car - Ed dropped me off at the mall and then went to park the truck.  When we were done shopping, I told him not to tell me where the truck was, that I wanted ZUS to find it.  And it did!

This feature is really more helpful than one might think.  I gotta tell you, it's great for me.  As I get older - and yes, I know I'm not even 50 yet - I have often forgotten where I've parked my car.  One time, I left the mall from a different location than I entered and lost at least 20 minutes looking for a car that wasn't there.  I'll let you imagine the words I was muttering under my breath.  If I had this device, I'd just open the app and be led to my vehicle without any added annoyances.

This is definitely something I'd use while on the road.  Maybe not necessarily to find the truck - I mean, really, how hard is it to forget where you've parked an 80-foot semi? - but definitely when we use rental cars.  Usually when we're exploring, I'll make a physical note of where the car is parked (cross streets, address of a nearby business, color of house we're parked in front of) so I know I can find my way back to it.  When you're in an unfamiliar place, the last thing you need is to lose your car.  So I'd definitely take this with me and use it to find my parking spot.

If I want to use it in the truck, or my mother's car, or Ed's pickup, I can.  The device can be used in multiple vehicles and still be accessed from one phone.  Handy.

Another feature, but one I haven't used yet, is the ability to send the location of where you parked the car to a friend or family member.  From what I've been told, to share the location, it's as easy as tapping the icon at the top left corner of the map to send it.  Easy peasy!  


If you're interested in getting a ZUS of your own - or buy one as a gift - check out their website HERE.  There's more information and a video for those of you who don't like to read.  


Go on now....find yourself.




** This is a sponsored blog post.  While the views expressed here were genuinely mine, consideration was paid to me by nonda to review this product. **


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2015: Bringing Back The Library Card
2014: Moab Muster
2013: Farm To Garden
2012: You Know You’re Getting Old When You Start Carrying Your Own Sugar
2011: America Runs On Dunkin’
2010: Los Links!!
2009: Here Kitty Kitty Kitty
2008: Intense Eddie Friday
2007: It’s An iPod, Not A wePod
2006: Doing The Wade
2005: It’s A Numbers Game

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Junk In The Trunk

One man's junk is another man's treasure they say.  That's definitely the case at Carpenter Avenue Classics, where the automotive art is hand-crafted.

The Carpenter Avenue Classics website is coming soon, so keep checking back!



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2015: 
Clean Panties In The Corner Pocket

2014: Total Throwback Thursday
2013: Attack Of The 50 Foot Chicagoan
2012: The Art Of The Merge (And Other Simple Courtesies Of The Road)
2011: Montana Fluff
2010: Stop The Presses!
2009: Fiesta Ed Friday
2008: Crotchety Old Woman
2007: One Side Of A Coin
2006: Why Oh Why
2005: Sign Of The Times

Friday, July 08, 2016

Shiny Happy People

I saw these two figurines at Goodwill today.  I stood there looking at them pondering whether to buy them.  They were solid wood, carved, but didn't have any markings on them.  They were probably cheap reproductions from China but they were heavy, and solid. And kinda cool.

I didn't buy them but I think I might be going back.  They're happy looking figures and they need a new home.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

2015: The Oedipus Driving Complex
2014: Summer At Percy Priest
2013: Heat And Humidity Abundant, Wind Nowhere To Be Found
2012: Delicious Eats And Healthy Treats
2011: Special Seasoning
2010: Two Truck Drivers, A Writer And A Photographer Walk Into A Bar
2009: Taking The Express To The Heartland
2008: TIT-illating Sights On The Road
2007: I’ve Been Everywhere Sunday
2006: Embracing Your Inner Bike Riding Hussy
2005: It Takes A Village To Wake A Child

Thursday, July 07, 2016

Spring Break

Lisa and I on the shores of Waikiki, 1985.
During my senior year, my little friend Lisa (I was 5' 8", she was 5' 2") and I decided we weren't going to do Spring Break in Daytona like almost everyone else in my rural upstate New York high school.  We wanted to do something different.  

I don't remember who said it, but one of us blurted out, "How about Hawaii?"


We instantly agreed it was a great idea.

So we immediately started making plans to go to Hawaii.  It was the longest plane ride of my life. Thirteen hours.  New York to Los Angeles to Honolulu.  There may have been a stop in Dallas or Chicago, I don't remember.  But it was a loooong friggin' trip.

We stayed in Waikiki, at one of the Outrigger properties, not far from that hotel with the big rainbow on the side.  It was the first time I'd ever been that far from home.

I was 18.

It was a great trip, lots of laughs, and lots of good memories.  It'd be over 30 years before I'd go back.

Last year our cruise stopped at several Hawaiian islands, one of them Oahu, and while driving around Waikiki I tried to recall where we stayed, what we did, what we saw.  It was Ed's first time to Hawaii - the only state he'd never been to - and he loved it.

I certainly hope I don't have to wait as long to go back!




~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2015: Moving The World
2014: Shoving Off
2013: Bean By Day
2012: The Honey-Do List
2011: Following The Trail Of The Father Of Our Country To The Place Where A Cuckoo Flew Over A Nest
2010: Amid The Corn
2009: I’m Going To Be A Millionaire!!!
2008: How I Do Love A Colorful Lunch Plate
2007: Lucky Sevens
2006: My Head Has Been In The Clouds For Weeks
2005: Chunky Cheese

Sunday, July 03, 2016

The Most Important Meal Of The Day

Ed and I discovered a new breakfast spot  - First Watch.

It's a place my mother and her lady friends have gone but didn't seem to like.  It seems many of them thought it was too expensive.  It might be on the pricey side for some, but it's in a nice area and when we were there they didn't seem to be lacking customers.

We had a great breakfast - Ed had the Chile Chorizo omelette and I had Skillet Hash Market Style. I also had a side of the Whole Grain Artisan Toast with All-Natural House Preserves.  It was delicious.

We were confused about the name of the place - and actually didn't visit the restaurant for a long time because the name didn't appeal to me - so I asked a server what it meant.  He said it's a northeastern chain of restaurants and that "first watch" is a nautical term, which he said doesn't really make sense in the desert.  I agreed.

But now that I've been, and sampled the food and the atmosphere, I will definitely be adding it to our list of breakfast places.  Especially to take guests when they visit.

Breakfast is the one meal I don't like to cook.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2015: 
The Weirdest Reunion Ever

2014: River Alarm
2013: A Face Only A Mother Sniffer Can Love
2012: Rolling In The Deep
2011: A Castle On A Bluff
2010: The Skies Really Are Friendly, No Matter Who Is Flying In Them
2009: Eddie Beach Feet Friday
2008: Panoramic
2007: My New Motto
2006: Fake It Till You Make It
2005: Feria Colour Strands

Saturday, July 02, 2016

Any One Will Do For Doo

We've been shopping for things for the house remodel causing me to spend more time in Home Depot than I ever thought I would.  Today I came around a corner and saw this sign.

I have a hard enough time making decisions, and it's even worse when I'm presented with choices so similar - a curve here, the shape of a handle or seat there - it's as if I'm looking at the same exact item.

Why does anyone need more than 600 choices for toilets??

I'm all for aesthetics, and I do like the subtle differences between shapes and colors, but I'd wind up with no toilet in my house if I had to choose from more than 600 styles.




~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2015: A Lazy River Surrounding A Big 'Ol Lazy Pool
2014: A Successful, Safe, Million Mile Driving Man And His Timepiece
2013: In Hot Pursuit
2012: The Spotlight Isn’t Just On The Community
2011: The United States Of American Cheese
2010: Waiting
2009: My Mother The Jihadist
2008: Perfectly Reasonable Defense
2007: Provocative
2006: Sidewalk Sushi
2005: $4,000 Worth Of Tupperware

Friday, July 01, 2016

When You Need A Little Boost


I was recently approached by Wilson Electronics to review a brand new product -  the Drive 4G-X OTR Mobile Cellular Signal Booster - designed specifically for truckers.

My cell phone is my lifeline.  There was no way I was going to say no to trying out a super-charged bionic signal booster.  Are you kidding me?  So, Ed did a little un-boxing video to show the product as it was packaged.  There's no music,  so you'll just have to hum for two minutes while you're watching it.

According the the Pew Research Center, "64% of American adults own a smartphone of some kind". I don't have figures on this next statement, but I'd bet 100% of truckers own a smartphone.  OK, maybe not a smartphone since we still have a lot of old-timers out here, but they have a cell phone of some kind. It's our only link to the outside world.


And when your cell phone is your only link to the world when you're on the road, it needs to WORK.


I've complained before of not having a cell phone signal or internet service.  I can't survive without it. I literally have trouble breathing when my phone doesn't work.  For real.  I left my cell phone at a store in the mall last week and as soon as I realized it was gone, I started to hyperventilate in the car.  I couldn't even call to see if they found it because I DIDN'T HAVE MY PHONE.  Thankfully, Ed was with me to both calm me down and help me get my phone back.

I do almost everything on my phone these days, as many people do.  And 
I don't care how many coverage maps you see from these cell phone service providers, there are black holes all over this country.  One bar zones.  With one bar I can sometimes eke out a text, but I can't make a call, I can't stream podcasts, and I can't play  Words With Friends. 


My mother constantly says, "What happened??" in an annoyed tone when I lose her mid-sentence. Granted, it's annoying, but in some areas that's just how it is. I try to explain to her how some parts of the country don't have enough cell towers, or sometimes stuff just gets in the way.  My cousin is a bigwig with Verizon and once said to me, "Umm, the signal goes through the air.  If there's not a clear shot from one tower to the next, it gets interrupted."  Like in the case of mountains.  This is how I've explained it to my mother.

Truckers, probably more than anyone, truly understand the frustration of not being able to get a cell or internet signal. Many of us run our businesses entirely by phone and computer. Email is essential. Faxing is still the mode of communication for some offices, so our faxes are set up to come right into our email. And trip paperwork needs to be scanned and sent in weekly.

There are some parts of the country you just know you're not going to get a signal - the hills of West Virginia, the loneliest road in Nevada, the Deliverance woods of Northern Georgia.

On this run - Arizona to Oklahoma and back - there are several one bar zones.  After a while you just get to know where they are. You say to the person on the other end of the phone, "Oh, crap, I'm going into a bad cellphone area."  or, "If I lose you, I'll call you back."
My actual signal through the Texas Canyon area in Arizona - five bars!

But with this new antenna? Holy mother of all pumped up cell phone signals!  This thing actually gave me amplified service through Texas Canyon in Arizona, in the desolate area of far West Texas, and at our delivery point in Oklahoma where we usually have nothing. So much of nothing you can't even text when you're there.  Ed was impressed.

The installation was easy.  Easy because a) I didn't do it, and b) it took Ed less than two hours. He's meticulous about electronic gadgets and can spend hours fiddling with them, so watching him install this quickly and effortlessly scored some points.  The installation guide was very straight forward and easy to follow, so you don't have to be a gadget guru to get this thing up and running.


In the short amount of time we've been able to test this, we definitely think the antenna has boosted our signal strength - at least in the areas we've had the weakest connections.


As I've mentioned in previous posts, we're on a dedicated run right now so the real test will be when we get back over the road and hit all corners of the country.  I'm looking forward to getting a boost in the places we need it most!


If you'd like to purchase your own booster, you can do so HERE



** This is a sponsored blog post.  While the views expressed here were genuinely mine, consideration was paid to me by Wilson Electronics to review this product. ** 




~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2015: Celebrating At The Creek
2014: Show Ed Some Love And Crank Up The Good Luck Vibes!

2013: Canada Or Bust!

2012: Salena Scissorhands
2011: The Bald And The Beautiful

2010: Here To Win, Here To Stay
2009: Her Bosom Is Heaving, His Member Is Throbbing
2008: Worn By The Sea
2007: Spinning In The Night
2006: Forget Country Music! We Have Bungalows Full Of Breasts!!
2005: I Demand An Explanation

Thursday, June 30, 2016

Helping Hand

Since we now have a curtain side trailer (a flatbed with a rolling tarp system), it's been almost three years since Ed has had to tarp a load or fold tarps.

This week while waiting to get loaded, we were watching this guy in front of us take his tarp off to get ready for unloading.  It was only a few minutes before Ed hopped out of the truck and walked over to help the guy fold his tarps.

I love this quality of Ed's.  It's blazing hot outside, he's comfortably sitting in his air-conditioned cab waiting for our call to get loaded, and he does't think twice about helping a fellow driver.  I've seen him do this many times.  He's helped drivers throw straps and secure their freight, he's helped them tarp, he's helped them unload, he's helped them with folding tarps - which is a bitch when it's windy - and he does it all without asking.

I imagine this is how it was years ago, drivers helping drivers all the time.  Now, with the proliferation of cell phones, a guy broken down on the side of the road has help within the hour and when sitting around waiting on a load, those same cell phones (and computers) are being used to play games and surf the internet. Rarely do I see drivers venturing out of their trucks to give someone else a hand.

I'm proud of Ed when he reaches out and helps.  I'm not sure I would do the same.

But I will feed you and serve you refreshing slices of watermelon!



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2015: 
Mickey Is Electric!

2014: High Floor, King Bed, River View
2013: Pitchin' Melon
2012: As If The Heat, The Dust, And The Politics Weren’t Bad Enough
2011: My Office Window
2010: All The Live-long Day
2009: What Every Child Leaves Behind
2008: What Happened To Being Human?
2007: I’ve Been Everywhere, Man
2006: Gulf Shore Toe Magnets
2005: Sorry, no post on this day.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Monsoon Mountain

Earlier this week we had a hellacious monsoon storm.  Storm clouds rolling in late in the day, the wind whipping up, thunder, lightning, torrential rain.

In some parts of town, the severity of the storm had more impact.

The Tucson monsoon season typically starts in mid-June and finishes up at the end of September. July and August see the worst storms, but anyone who lives here knows when they're coming and what to expect.

And what to expect, is rain every day.

It doesn't rain for long, but the rainfall is heavy.  The water in the washes rise to dangerous levels, flash floods that can sweep unsuspecting motorists downstream.  There are mudslides in the mountains, and yards fill up with water that disappears hours later.  Two years ago we had this scenario in our front yard.

I love how the sky gets dark and although still uncomfortably warm, it feels like a stormy day back east.  I love rainy days and I like losing the blazing sun for a little while each day.  And during and after the rain falls, the air is heavy with the scent of creosote.  It's the most distinct after-storm smell I've ever encountered.  It smells like wood.  Earthy, wet, but on-fire wood.  In fact, my mother and I both asked Ed if he left the barbecue on because it smelled like he was still cooking something, or burning off the wood chips.  It's that strong.

I enjoy the monsoons.  And you just get used to knowing exactly when they're coming.  The sky is your guide.  In the more than a decade that Ed and I have been together, we're rarely home during the summer (we're smart), so we often miss monsoon.  And unfortunately, the day of this fierce storm was also the day Ed decided to power wash the porch, the exterior windows of the house, his pickup, and my mother's car.

Looks like Mother Nature is responsible for their spotty finish.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2015: 
Patriotic Blooms

2014: Someone's Going Home With This
2013: Hey Cutie!
2012: I’ll Have To Pry It From Her Dead, Cold Fingers
2011: Straight Talk
2010: Who Knew There Were Things To Do Other Than Eating Pie?
2009: 157 Years Of Light
2008: Call Me. We Have Telephones In Nebraska Now.
2007: Reach For The Sky
2006: Sorry, no post on this day.
2005: Sorry, no post on this day.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Red Is The Color Of Desire And Love

Yesterday I went furniture shopping with my mother to a store that's been in Tucson for 37 years.  This was my first visit and I was pleasantly surprised at the selection and the quality of their inventory.

I wasn't in the door thirty seconds before I saw a leather dining room table chair that I decided I absolutely must have.  Thirty seconds later, I saw another one I loved.  And a few more feet into the showroom, I laid eyes on this gorgeous red couch.  That's when I felt a surge of desire and love for it.

Now I don't know if I can pull off a red couch, but the leather was so luxurious and so incredibly soft, and it comes in so many color choices, I'm certain I'd be able to find something I like.

Realistically I'm months and months away from buying new furniture, as the house remodel hasn't even started yet, but I've already got a folder full of magazine clippings and a Houzz ideabook that's chock full of pictures.

I'm moving this couch to the top of my list.




~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2015: 
Cutting Through The Rain To Get To The Sunshine State

2014: Ed Drove A Million Miles To Get Here
2005: Playing Favorites

Monday, June 27, 2016

Our Neck Of The Woods

I LOVE the Images of America books.  I have several from the areas I've lived in New York and I pick them up and flip through whenever I find one in a place I'm interested in.  They always have great photos, and a lot of historical information.

This one covers the area we live in.




~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2015: 
Power On The Potomac
2014: Ma And Pa Kettle Lived Here
2013: "License, Registration and Insurance Card, Please"
2012: Welcome To Hell
2011: When She Passes Each One She Passes Goes Ahhhh
2010: The Key To Being Funny
2009: Wishes Really Do Come True
2008: Eddie Plays It Safe Friday
2007: What Road?
2006: I’m STILL Looking To Get Me Some Good BBQ
2005: Say Cheese!!

Saturday, June 25, 2016

The Short List

I found this illustration while flipping around the Power of Positivity website.

It was among several drawn by Gemma Correll to accompany an article about anxiety and depression.  Luckily, I've never suffered from either of those disorders, but I did chuckle when I saw the drawing because it made me realize that as I get older I say no to a lot of things.

My friend Kim is usually the one asking me to do those things.

"You wanna go to Laff's on Saturday night?"  


"No."

"What about Downtown Saturday Night?"

"Ugh.  I've been so many times.  I don't think so."

"How about the 4th Avenue Street Fair?"


"Why? So I can wander through crowded vendor booths looking at things I have no intention of buying while being harassed for money by homeless people with dogs? No."

"Well, what about the mall?"

"I don't really need anything. And it's so far."  It's ten minutes from my house.

"How about we hike Catalina State Park?"

"Did you just meet me yesterday?  Besides, two people died hiking in the park earlier this week.  Who goes hiking in the fucking blazing heat??  No."

"Wanna have Sweet Tomatoes for lunch?"

"Really?  A salad bar restaurant? I guess.  I'm not really in the mood for salad, but if you want to go.... Really?"

Don't get me wrong, Kim and I do a lot of things together.  But I do find myself saying no to a lot of other things.  It's not like I'm sleeping the day away or eating Cheetos on the couch, I'm just really more of a homebody and prefer to entertain myself (or others) IN my home.  


My entire life for the last twelve years - with the exception of the last few months - has consisted of being somewhere new almost every day.  I'm always on the move.  I'm always doing new things.  And I love that.  Miss it, actually.  But now that I'm home almost five days a week, I'm kinda getting used to being here.

Some people have a hard time saying no.  They need suggestions on how to master the task, or learn how to do it.  I'm not one of those people.  I'm not opposed to a "social life" or making new friends, but I'm very selective about who those people might be and where I have to go to meet them, and I don't like doing things I don't LOVE.  My time is valuable to me and I want to spend it mostly doing the things I like to do.

I need to start working on a list of things I can say yes to.

But I have a feeling it's going to be a very short one.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2015:
From I Love Lucy To The Lily Of The Valley

2014: We Were Ear!!
2013: This Disturb's Me 
2012: Not Sure The Money Will Follow
2011: Trucking Al Fresco
2010: 3000 Miles To Squidland
2009: It Could Be Africa If It Weren’t For The Schlitterhahn
2008: How To Ace A Job Interview
2007: Diver Down
2006: Day Tripping
2005: Nipple Rock

Friday, June 24, 2016

Man With A Plan

Today we took our site plan for our house addition to the county for approval.  Ed looked very homeowner-ly with his rolled-up set of plans as we ascended to the 9th floor of the county's Development Services building.

I haven't been to this building in over 20 years.  I used to go frequently when I worked for a paving contractor - they always sent one of the girls in the office because the guys hated waiting in line when they could be off on another project somewhere.  I didn't mind because it was the perfect excuse to get out of the office and people watch - I was single then so watching cute contractor-types saunter in and out was a no-brainer for me.

Now, though, almost everything is online and our architect said that building still isn't back to where it was before the construction crash, so the office was very quiet and we were helped immediately.  We were in and out within 30 minutes and were told it would take a minimum of two weeks to do the review.

We're kind of excited and although right now it seems a little daunting, we're looking forward to getting started.

Fingers crossed!



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2015: Don't Try This At Home
2014: This Place Is For The Birds
2013: Get Your Travel On
2012: An Art Deco Tower In The Panhandle
2011: Traffic Might Just Have Saved My Life
2010: Joining The Ranks
2009: The Daily Rant Goes Farther East Than Ever Before
2008: What He Does When I’m Sleeping
2007: Now You Don’t Have To Go To The Ghetto To Get Crack
2006: Satchel Pitches A Great Question
2005: A Night In Yakima