Skechers and a Lost Hat

We have been wanting to look for replacement walking shoes for my husband for quite some time. His current shoes are full of holes! So when we finally went to DSW a week ago we got an overseas phone call while in the parking lot. So we went home to have a proper phone call. Then the next week was full of snow, ice and extremely cold temperatures. We couldn’t even safely leave the house for a morning walk and were relegated to the parking garage to get in some steps. Yesterday we were having some plumbing work done that would require a few hours so we planned to get out of the house for a walk hoping that the snow and ice would be cleared. We headed to Old Town Alexandria and it was quite cold and the walk along the Potomac River was not pleasant. When we reached the car my husband took off his coat, but we think it was there that he also accidentally knocked of his winter hat that he’s had for twenty years. We realized that when we couldn’t find it anywhere in the DSW parking lot after stopping there for shoes.  I thought he may have dropped it on the ground when he grabbed his coat from the back seat and didn’t notice before going in the store. But when we returned to the car from the store there was no obvious hat on the ground by the car. So unfortunately we lost his hat, but at least we were able to find a suitable pair of walking shoes that were sorely needed. I asked him if he wanted to get a replacement hat. He said no. It’s still always upsetting when you lose something. Maybe he will change his mind later. 

52Frames Black and White Weekly Photo Challenge

As was true for most people last week it was very cold and very snowy. That would be common in the Midwest where we lived for thirty years. But it’s not so common in northern Virginia where we live now. But it does happen occasionally. So we didn’t get outside for morning walks at all last week. The parking structure became our treadmill. I had to find something for the 52Frames weekly photo challenge subject of “black and white” under my nose. So I spent an afternoon looking for options on the street below us. We live far enough above ground to get a different perspective of the things and people below us. There is an office building across the street so I took several photos of the snow falling against the dark street as well as the foot prints that soon appeared as the snow continued to accumulate. The editing part is always so much more fun. I ended up selecting the vertical option where the street looks more like the sky and was very magical looking. And even though it was not black nor white, a tiny red cardinal was added to a branch of the tree just to make it more whimsical - and I always have to submit a composite image! I also liked the high key horizontal version where the cardinal stood out a bit more. It almost looked like a greeting card of some kind. The footsteps also looked kind of cool and some of the angles were interesting. All I can say is that I am looking forward to seeing some sunshine and getting out of the house for some fresh air this week. It makes all the difference in the world. 

Fine Art America/Pixels Sale

I started a Fine Art America Shop about eleven years ago. It includes all of my custom digital art pet portraits and photos of Capitol Hill and from our trips to Iran, Denmark, England, and France. About three years ago I started participating in a weekly photo challenge called 52Frames and have met a lot of people from all over the world. I started to add the photos that have been taken for this weekly challenge to the Fine Art America/Pixels website. There has been traffic to this website over the years and it’s always exciting to receive an email that someone has bought an image of something I painted or something I took a photo of. That happened yesterday! A person from Pennsylvania got a photo of the Old Town Alexandria tunnel matted and framed. I was just so tickled! Then I was reminded that I also had another sale earlier in the year for a print of the carousel on the National Mall. The buyer was from another city in Pennsylvania. All told I’ve sold 58 items on this site since 2013. It has been a fun experience to not only start these websites but also keep them up to date with the latest work. And if someone likes it well enough to buy makes it all the more worth it. 

Dynapro Resistance Stretch Bands

It seems all one does these days is walk in the morning for two plus miles and then do a short exercise regime in the afternoon for twenty minutes. All of this is in the name of staying “healthy” and flexible. Then right before tea after dinner I usually do a very short bit of resistance bands - just enough to know my arm muscle strength is shot. The other day the band snapped and broke off from the handle - so they were pretty useless after that. The bands were probably about eight years old. I’m not sure how long they are supposed to last. So I ordered a replacement of the same kind from Amazon. Apparently you can change the tension on this but I am happy enough with the one it already has! The new one feels better - maybe because it stretches a lot easier and isn’t as stiff as the old one. I was trying to think if we would ever need the old bands for anything. We couldn’t think of anything so we tossed them out. Maybe you could use it to stretch your arm muscles while sitting on the couch. Getting older is not fun, and these bands just remind me of that. 

Prepared Hero Fire Blanket

We always have a small fire extinguisher in the kitchen - in case of an event that could occur while cooking or otherwise. We keep it under the kitchen sink. In an emergency I’m hoping we would be able to use it correctly. Then we saw an ad for a fire blanket that looked more useful. So I investigated it on Amazon and thought having one might come in handy. And it would be a lot more simple to use. It’s made by Prepared Hero and comes in various sizes. Apparently it’s good to have while camping, in the car, or just about anywhere. It also sounds like a great gift for family members who haven’t thought about it. We put ours under the kitchen sink but it can also be hung in a hook. As a shark tank fan we were watching some entrepreneurs who were promoting a survival safety kit. It seems in this age of uncertainty people are thinking about catastrophic events perhaps more than before. I suppose it’s a good thing to be prepared. Maybe that’s another reason we chose to live in a condo rather than a single family home. It’s another layer of security for so many reasons - even in days like this when someone else can worry about the snow shoveling and sidewalk care. 

Vitenzi Bifocal Sunglasses

When I wore progressive glasses all of the time I used sunglasses that simply covered the glasses. So I could always read and see at the same time. I stopped getting prescription sunglasses a long time ago because the prescription kept changing. So when I had cataract surgery in August and September last year, I would start to wear regular sunglasses again. But tthat didn’t work out as well as I thought because I couldn’t read anything. They were fine for walking, but not for reading - especially in the car or for taking close up photos. It was quite frustrating because I could always read the fine print - even with bifocals. So I have been searching for bifocal sunglasses and not having a lot of luck. I love the ThinOptics brand because of their simplicity and function and low profile, but they only have full lens reader sunglasses. I have recommended that they consider doing readers. Of course, you can order prescription bifocal sunglasses for more than I want to spend, so I kept looking. I found a brand called Vitenzi that looked okay and seemed to meet the requirements. I ordered the black rims and they arrived last week. The sun finally came out yesterday so I was able to try them. They actually look fine - although I hate the bifocal line. And, it was a joy to be able to read through them. My only complaint is that they feel a bit snug behind the ears.  I’ll need to give them some time and see if I can adjust. I really hope ThinOptics comes out with something. Their glasses are so light and unassuming. I do like the idea that I can see distance without glasses, but it’s been a painful transition for me. At this stage in my life I do more looking up close than far away. 

Air Fryer Hamburger and Fries

I have to admit that cooking dinner has become more “fun” since we got an air fryer. We started out with a four quart basket type just to see if we even liked it - and we did. Everything cooks so quickly and there just isn’t a mess afterwards. So we added a larger oven type that allows us to make a small pizza and larger portions. It even has a toast function that comes in handy for breakfast. Technically we could get rid of the toaster. So last evening we made hamburgers in the smaller device. This time we mixed one pound with a half cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs. We made two and saved two min the freezer for the next time. The burgers turned out so much better than ever. Then we made some French fries in the larger device - all at one time rather than in two batches. We have a gullotine decor that cuts the potato in to small strips. On the side we microwaved some broccoli and my husband made the usual salads with feta cheese and green olives - a favorite for the time being. Tonight the plan is to make fresh salmon and we may try the same Italian breadcrumbs we used on the hamburgers. The other day we made chicken breasts and baked potatoes. All I can say is that anything that you used to make in the oven can easily be made in the air fryer. The oven takes forever to heat up and it’s longer to cook. The air fryer takes a minute or two and takes less time. Do yourself a favor and get one!