Sunday, June 30, 2019

McDonald’s Vanilla Ice Cream Cone and Smoothie

My dad loved ice cream. I remember as a child taking car rides to Michael’s Dairy in Connecticut to get a cone. In Milwaukee we went to Kopp’s custard with our Borzoi Tatiana - she always got a lick or two. Last night after dinner both of us were in the mood for something, but we didn’t know where to get ice cream in our new neighborhood. There certainly wasn’t a Kopp’s or Michael’s Dairy anywhere near us. Because it was so hot, we had to drive - so we drove right over to McDonald’s two blocks away. We went to the drive through and ordered a small vanilla cone and a small strawberry/ banana smoothie. It’s been quite some time since we had ice cream and it tasted delicious! We parked in the lot, opened the windows, and it was just heavenly. I’m not that particular about the type or kind of ice cream I get. Orange sherbet and strawberry ice cream were also on the top of my list. So for a last minute thought for dessert last night it hit the spot. The usual angel food cake for me, and cookies and tea for my husband were replaced with this treat. We really enjoyed it because we rarely do it. I don’t know why McDonald’s gets a bad rap. For cross country trips and tasty desserts it just hits he spot. 






Saturday, June 29, 2019

Nips Candy Stock Replenished

My husband is not just a Cookie Monster - he’s a candy monster too. And we need to keep the candysupply fully  stocked. He keeps candy in his pocket, in the car, and in the house. What that means is frequent candy pick ups at the grocery store for Werther’s and small Hershey chocolate bars. But when it comes to Nips, I always order in bulk through Amazon. And so I did last week and they arrived yesterday. My husband is like a little kid in the candy shop and it feels like opening presents on Christmas Day. Unfortunately I only ordered one case instead of two! But, they should last for a little while. Luckily we have the space to store all of these treats. It used to be above the refrigerator in our Capitol Hill condo and you needed a ladder to reach it. Here, we have lots of room under the peninsula for much easier access. I’m not so sure if that’s a good thing. 












Friday, June 28, 2019

Kohler Kitchen Faucet Handle Replacement

When we lived in the Midwest, we took a day trip to the kitchen and bath design center in Kohler Wisconsin. We always preferred Kohler faucets and products. We just moved to our new condo in Virginia and the house is primarily Kohler, including the kitchen faucet. So we felt a great deal of disappointment when the handle fell off yesterday just after two months! Don’t ever think just because a place is new that everything works and us in great condition. We didn’t have any paperwork on the faucet so it wasn’t registered for warranty. So we called Kohler customer service to learn about our options. Aside from asking what happened and the circumstances, they simply took our contact information, and said the handle would be replaced. We weren’t sure of the material - brushed nickel or otherwise, so we sent a photo and she determined it was most likely brushed nickel. The item will be mailed, and just in case - the bonnet will also be sent. The Kohler rep emailed the installation instructions and said it shouldn’t be too difficult to fix. Yes, it was a lousy thing to happen. But at least when we called it wasn’t a hassle. That’s how we remember Wisconsin. But we are still disappointed with the faucet. 












Thursday, June 27, 2019

Tide Washing Machine Cleaner for the LG Washer

After having overnight guests we needed to do extra wash along with our weekly bedsheets and towels. I won’t say it’s a pleasure, but doing wash in our new condo is a treat compared to our Capitol Hill tiny combinatio washer/dryer and community laundry room. So after three loads of washing and drying, I thought it would be a good time to do the recommended “tub clean” to ensure the washing machine stays fresh and in good working order. I just hope everyone else in the building reads through all their appliance care instructions. There are routine things that need to be done after every wash - like emptying the water filter tubes and wiping down the washer door seal and leaving the door ajar to avoid moldy smells. But the most important item is to use high efficiency detergent or it will ruin the washer. So I got some Tide wash tub “cleaner” packets. There is a setting on the LG washer specific for “tub clean.” Rather than follow the instructions on the Tide package I read the instruction book. The cleaner was put in the detergent drawer rather than the wash tub. Then you just push the tub clean button and wait 90 minutes. When the cycle was done I emptied the water hose, wiped down the tub and the door seal, cleaned the detergent drawer, and left the door ajar. The next time I’ll wait for the light to come on telling us it’s time to do another cycle. Who ever guessed appliances required so much attention? But at least now they usually tell you when they need it. 




















Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Two Sore Arms, Medicare Screen, and More Appointments

It’s a week for doctor appointments. Monday was the eye doctor, and today was my annual check up. Both visits were in DC because we haven’t switched up our doctors yet since we moved to Virginia two months ago. And it’s a pain to get there - you need to leave at least an hour beforehand just in case of traffic or other disasters. We took our usual route down Independence Avenue, passed by our old house and went to Eastern Market to the office. Then we wandered through the streets we walked about for so many years. Because this was my first official Medicare visit, it took FOREVER going through another full interview process. Today I needed a pneumonia vaccine, was given a script for shingles - which requires two injections at a pharmacy, needed another new prescription while trying to eliminate another, thinking about routine screenings - colonoscopies, mammograms, maybe surgery, cardiology checks, and other visits... then on to a cursory physical exam while still fully clothed, then blood work. This time she had to stick me in each arm because she forget she needed a second tube. I wasn’t happy. After two hours I was glad to get out of there. Now I need to take a deep breath and search for doctors closer to home. When we walked back to the car we thought it was stolen - but then realized we were on the wrong street. The neighborhood just isn’t what it used to be in more ways than one. 


















Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Amazon Response to Copyright Infringement

I have an Amazon Merch Shop that sells t shirts using my original pet portrait images. I also sell three children’s books on Amazon. Aside from that I have my own website that consolidates all the websites that showcase all of my digital art work along with this blog and other social media items. So it was with surprise when I saw a coffee mug being sold by Camellia’s House with my pug dog portrait and another mug sold by Withpiper using my retirement portrait. I knew they weren’t my items because I don’t sell coffee mugs on Amazon. I emailed Amazon and informed them that I was neither contacted by nor granted permission for either of these shops to use my artwork. I received a response but nothing happened. So I tried again via chat. After getting connected to a fourth person - who knew what I was talking about - he walked me through the forms I needed to complete while I was with him on chat. He was very helpful. I received a response and they required more information about me and my business. I had to upload the offending URL’s. They said my case would be reviewed. Within two days I got a response saying the images were removed. When I looked for Camellia’s House I couldn’t find it, but the Withpiper still existed. Yesterday when I was looking on the Amazon website two more of my images - of black labs - were being used by another shop called Somehowstore. So I filled in the form again, got a note it was received, but haven’t heard back yet. I suppose I could feel flattered that someone is using my artwork but I am not. If they contacted me and asked permission and I got a per cent of the profits it would make all the difference. I have a feeling a lot more of my artwork is being pirated including my children’s books - because I’ve seen them on some very odd websites. It’s sad but a very real problem. I guess I’ll keep filing complaints. 


























Monday, June 24, 2019

It’s Time to Find a New Doctor

It was bad enough to go once a year, then it became twice a year. Now it’s been more than that because both my husband and I have eye pressure issues. Since we moved to Virginia two months ago it’s been even worse reaching our destination. Getting to Washington Hospital Center was a pain on a good day when we drove in from Capitol Hill. I always made appointments for the first time slots after lunch to avoid rush hour traffic either way. We’ve been thinking about getting another doctor closer to home because I am all about convenience. Driving in to DC for a scheduled appointment is a crap shoot - you never know what will block the road on top of foul weather. This morning helped us make up our minds. We need to leave 90 minutes before just to get there, maneuver around a major medical center, find a parking space - if you’re lucky - then walk to the physician office building after walking through the hospital. You also have the privilege to pay for parking. Neither one of us would want to go there for a procedure because of all of these variables. Then the waiting room was stacked with unplanned emergency patients that delayed our five minute pressure readings and evaluation making our total stay two hours just in the office. There were no apologies for the delay and the treatment by the staff is always less than desirable. More than half of the day was blown by the time we got home from this excursion. The sad thing is is that I have another appointment on Wednesday in our old Capitol Hill neighborhood. Maybe it’s time to find another interist too. DC is nice when you enter it on your own terms. The photos don’t do the frustration justice. So glad we finally moved on.