AAA Mobil Gift Card

I have had a AAA membership since 1970’s. My parents had AAA so I just did what they did. I remember initiating the membership at a State Fair in the Midwest. I have actually used the service a few times for flat tires in both DC and Florida. We always used the trip tik service too - that was before google maps. We also have road side service through Subaru/Starlink but I rarely think of using it. So whenever the renewal notice comes around I always think I might cancel it - but then I don’t. And this summer was no different. For signing up for another year you are rewarded with a ten dollar gift card of your choice. I selected the Mobil gas card. It came in the mail a week or so later. The problem is when I tried to use it, it wouldn’t work at the pump. The next time I’ll take it inside and see if they would accept it there. It’s nice to get freebies, but it’s even nicer when they work the way they are supposed to. 

CVS Flu Vaccine

We got the latest Covid vaccine a little over two weeks ago at the CVS a couple of miles away. Our neighborhood CVS didn’t have them available yet. I didn’t want to get both the Covid and flu vaccines at the same time so I made an appointment for the flu shot on the CVS app for this week for both my husband and myself. This one was scheduled for the CVS that is just a couple of blocks away. I am still amazed at how easy it is to make these appointments and also have a record of all of these immunizations on line. We had a bit of a reaction to the Covid vaccine that lasted a couple of days. The flu shot was almost negligible. The person who administered the shot was the best too. This time we were both rewarded with the “I got my flu shot” sticker, a coupon for five dollars off of a twenty dollar purchase good through December, and a seven day plastic medication container that has already come in handy for my husband who is recently adjusting to two more prescriptions. It’s a nice way to get things organized. I can’t believe how many Covid, flu, RSV, pneumonia and shingles vaccinations our poor arms have gotten over the last few years. In the end it’s all worth it and it puts our minds at rest - for the next few months. 

52Frames Blue Hour Photo Trending

The subject this week for the 52Frames photo challenge was “blue hour.” That meant you needed to take a photo either very early in the morning before the sun came up or later in the evening after the sun set. Neither one of those scenarios works for our morning walk schedule that usually starts around 9:30. So I submitted a cotton candy cloud image that was a simple edited photo rather than the composites that I love to create. On the 52Frames website they show photos trending and they switch out about every eight hours or so. I usually keep an eye out for it ever since a fellow framer told me my photo was trending back in April. And ever since then my weekly photo has shown up in the trending spot. It usually happens the day after the album opens. My only explanation is that my photos get a good number of likes. I haven’t had a 52pick for quite some time. So my view on the subject is that I need to be happy with whatever I submit. If the image gets a nod now and then that’s all that matters. And if it doesn’t get a nod that’s fine too. I was never a photographer anyway - I just enjoy taking pictures. 

Compression Stockings and Socks

How things begin to change when you get to a certain age. And with that comes orthostatic hypotension. I’ve had it since I started taking blood pressure medication since I was thirty. I’ve learned to get up slowly to avoid falling over from getting dizzy. My husband recently started taking medication that also creates this awful situation. His blood pressure is typically low, but now when he stands it gets even lower. It has already resulted in two falls - and luckily he did not get hurt. But it is a very scary situation. So we make sure he drinks more water and sometimes water with electrolytes. And he is starting to learn to not make fast moves getting up quickly or turning abruptly. He’s fine when he is sitting, but you can’t sit all day. So I got some compression stockings that people use when taking long flights, and for cardiac related heart failure and other things. He was reluctant to try them but finally gave in yesterday. Once he got them on he could tolerate them for our morning walks and did not have any dizzy feeling. Even if it’s all in our heads it was worth the effort. Compression socks are supposed to be good for plantar fasciitis - something I’ve been struggling with for the last three months with little improvement. Thanks goodness there are products that can be found to help with a lot of conditions. But it does take a bit of coaching to get him to try them. 

National Gallery Visit

It’s always fun to visit the National Gallery of Art. We like to go there not only for the weekly photo challenge opportunities, but also to see any new exhibits. We also like to visit both the classic west building and the modern east building and go through the light tunnel that connects them both. This time we started at the sculpture area, then to my favorite Monet section. I often wonder how many of the people wandering through the building live near by. When we were heading to the modern art side we saw a father with his young daughter watching the waterfall that cascaded down the side of the building from the fountains are on ground level. We used to have lunch here when we lived on Capitol Hill. The connecting light tunnel always reminds me of space mountain. There are digital sketch stations set up throughout and usually they are taken advantage of. It’s easy to spend a lot of time there. All I know is that this time of the year is the best time to visit any of the places in the mall. It’s between seasons and it’s just so much nicer! 

52Frames Blue Hour Weekly Photo Challenge

The subject this week for the 52Frames photo challenge was “blue hour.” I don’t care for subjects that are for a specific time period - especially in the early morning or late evening or night. I never get up before 8:30 AM and we rarely go out at night. We like using the subjects to help us decide where we will be taking our morning walk. So this challenge basically kept me on our balcony because it is west facing and would be the only place to take pictures right after sunset - without having to go anywhere. Luckily the clouds and colors cooperated. Every evening there was something a little bit different. We decided the cotton candy clouds with a bit of a balcony in the scene was most appealing. The colors were like nothing we have ever seen. I also did two other options of layering the same scene of pictures that were taken over a period of thirty minutes. I actually preferred one of those because everyone will be submitting sky images of which mine will be one of many. I suppose not every subject will be my cup of tea. I just don’t get very enthusiastic about it. 

Thermador Weird Water Filter

It’s always a scary proposition to change the water filter. I can’t say we like the Thermador appliances that came with the condo unit when we bought it over five years ago. All I know is that the microwave didn’t work, the oven needed to be replaced because it didn’t work, and the refrigerator has a weird configuration to replace the water filter. The only appliance that gave us no headache was the dishwasher. Now the water filter is loud and churns and sounds like it needs to be greased. The filter is located on the bottom of the unit. The freezer door needs to be opened all the way and you have to literally crawl on the floor to change it out. And heaven help you if the filter doesn’t fit - even though you purchase the same type every time. So it’s always a test in patience and resolve when we replace the filter which we have done every time the message appears. This time the filter came out and went in without incident. But we never know if it will start churning again. So we always feel so lucky when we finally hear the ice fall. I do have to say that at least the system is still working. We never had any luck with our GE refrigerator ice makers. Hopefully we will be lucky again next time around.