**REVIEW** Honeywell Quietset 8-Speed Whole-Room Tower Fan

Don't get me wrong - I love my new state (Iowa), but it is hot and humid!

Thank goodness for a small apartment and affordable electricity. The first week here, I ran the AC constantly. I was doing a first-month test of running the AC on around 75-80 degrees to see just how horrendous the bill would be. When I got nervous about that, I ordered this Honeywell fan to help with the cool-down:

 The fan also comes in white, but the black color works better with the rest of my stuff.

I am SO glad that I got this fan. First of all, it was a great price. Second, I've never had a Honeywell appliance that let me down as far as quality. Third - and most important - this baby works like a dream! I am able to turn my AC to around 90 and use the fan to do the rest of the work.

There is a ceiling fan in the bedroom that works really well. I never turn that bad boy off! The Honeywell travels with me from living room to bedroom. I can set it just outside the kitchen when I am cooking and it cools the whole front area of the apartment. At night, I turn it to the lowest 2 settings and it keeps me comfy while I'm sleeping. I love this fan..

What I like most is that it looks nice. I had to decorate my place on a really tight budget and I didn't want a big old ugly fan sitting out anywhere. This is sleek-looking and very unobtrusive. When I place it in the living room, it doesn't stand out like an eyesore. In the bedroom, it's more noticeable but ~shrug~ it's not ugly so who cares?

Next best thing is that it runs so quietly. There are 8 speeds, running lowest to highest in this order:

• Sleep
• Whisper
• Calm
• White Noise
• Relax
• Refresh
• Cool
• Power Cool

The settings light up in hues of blue when the fan is running. There is a little light switch button that allows you to dim that light. 

There is also a sleep-timer function. You can set the fan to run for 1, 2, 4, or 8 hours. On nights when I go to bed early, I will set the timer for 2 hours because I know the outside temps will start to cool off where I won't need the fan all night.





The fan comes with a remote that will control the Power, Speed, and Oscillation. Because I am a neat freak, I like that the remote tucks away in the back of the fan when not in use.

So, yep, I'm pretty happy with this fan. Like I said, it's helping me cut back on my use of the AC. That's going to save some bucks, I don't care how reasonable the electricity rates are.

Peace
--Free

**Tip** Data Usage Numbers (finding them)

Just a tip for anyone trying to find/track their data usage so they don't go over on their internet plan. Sadly, I only know how to do this in Windows 10, but I'm sure the method is similar for other systems. I got curious about this when I signed up for a 400GB plan at an affordable rate. I have no idea how to visualize what 400GB means for usage. I was wondering if I'd have to give up binge-watching shows on Amazon Prime in order to still be able to surf the net for research and writing. Apparently, a lot of people wonder the same about internet usage and data limits. Last night, I did a little digging around and came up with a way to check on my usage.

The easiest way is to go to the Search Bar and type in "data"or "usage".

The circle is for "Search"

Then you can get to this screen:

Notice you can "View usage details". For me, this is what that page looks like:

By the way, I haven't made much a dent in my usage and I've been sick in bed and binge-watching tons of Youtube and Prime videos. My numbers, if accurate, really surprised me.

Before moving, I shared internet with family or I was with a familiar company local to Anchorage. Coming here and setting up internet limited me to 2 choices. One of those places was going to be a pain to use because of the way the apartment building is wired. I think I got a way better rate by going with Mediacom. (Not thrilled with their customer service, but...).

Of course, I can also sign into my Mediacom account and check usage, but it sure is nice to have backup numbers to compare with. If I start seeing huge discrepancies, then I will know to ask questions.

So, that's it. If any of you know how to check for different systems, be nice and share it with the rest of us.

Peace
--Free

Writing Status & Killing Time

The title of the post should actually be - Writing Status: Holding and Waiting, Not Procrastinating. By the way, excuse any rambling. I'm dealing with some brain fog today. However, to make up for it, I am including links at the bottom of the post. Have fun.


When I posted about getting settled in the apartment, a casual online friend asked if I was now back to working on the book(s).

Well, let's see...

This is my chair and desk.

All. Those. Pieces. Yikes!

As you can see, the chair is assembled - because it was a "Look Ma, no tools required" kind of thing. That desk... I broke down in tears of frustration just trying to identify all the parts and pieces.

Yeah, so, this is my current writing station:

Makeshift desk & my busted computer

At least I put on part of the un-assembled desk to good use.

When I said that I had gotten things in the apartment put together. I meant that I had managed to get myself to put things together enough so that I have somewhere to sit and sleep. For now, I am concentrating on recovering from the move. My energy was at rock-bottom levels for the past couple of weeks. I'm hoping that I'll be feeling better now that I've finally had my (overdue) infusion.
This
Not only do I still need the desk assembled, I have to hunt around for an affordable bedroom dresser. And there are still my unpacked boxes to deal with...

While I'm waiting for my energy to power back up, I have been checking out some great websites.

"Wrote a song about it. Like t'hear it? Here it goes."
In Living Color (David Alan Grier)

• Lifehacker is just fun. It's a nice resource (sometimes) for writers
• WonderHowTo is for when you wonder how to. See what I did there?
• This video/GIF just because it nausates and fascinates me. 
• Unsplash for free photos. I actually just like looking at them, but you are free to use them.
• This is for when I need to let my brain just breathe. Good for when you feel overwhelmed and hyper.
• AlternativeTo is for when you are either broke or cheap and need an alternative to paid apps/programs. Maybe, like me you are both broke and cheap!
• Text Faces is just that. (ᵔᴥᵔ) See?
• Lifewire has the name that makes me think of Motley Crue, but a motto I like: Tech Untangled. 
• CamelCamelCamel is for Amazon addicts (me!) who like to price track (me!)
• WhichBook helps you choose a book to read.
• Have not checked out Instaread yet. Not sure if it will make me happy or sad...
• So, GeoCron is an interactive history atlas.

So, I'm not back working on the writing projects yet. There is no procrastination involved though. Trust me, I can't wait to get back into my writing. When I do, you will hear my whoops of joy!

Peace
--Free

Fatigue & Relief

So I have mostly finished getting set up here in my new town. The apartment is awesome, the neighbors are great, and I only wish I had more energy to get back to the book.

I have had my appointment with my new rheumatologist here. While he does not seem very familiar with sarcoidosis, he is a kind and attentive doctor who seems like he will be watching things carefully. The second time I saw him, I forgot to take my BP meds pre-appointment and ended up spending a few hours in the ER. (See, my other docs knew me well enough. If I forgot my meds, they made sure I took them right away and everything would settle down.) I guess I should be thankful that my new doc refuses to take chances. And I bet I won't ever, EVER forget to take my meds pre-appointment, no matter how early I have to be there.

This weekend is not the best. it would be awesome if I felt better, There is live music at the park that I can hear from my open window; the weather has cooled down to the right side of enjoyable; and I don't have my writing desk set up to do anything yet. I should be strolling down to the green to enjoy the music. Instead, I'm stuck inside, watching videos, reading, and blogging. I'm too drained to make the 2-block walk. Thankfully, I made it to the store earlier this morning before this fatigue sunk in. I'm pretty sure the problem is that I haven't had my regularly scheduled infusion. By the time I get it next week, I will be over 2 weeks behind. I never realized how much the infusions helped some of my symptoms.

I guess that, instead of complaining, I should be talking the positives. After all, even though I can't get to the park, I did make it outside for a while to enjoy the beautiful weather. And it really is a spectacular day out. Just a while ago, I went out and fed bread ends to the birds and squirrels! I'm still fascinated by the little creatures who are so friendly with us humans. Remember the friends I made while in the courtyard at my brother's apartment?




Speaking of peaceful, here is a shot of the very peaceful morning on Main:

That's from when I walked over to pick up some foodstuffs.  For a minute, I wondered if something was wrong, then I remembered. Sunday morning. It was so quiet that all I could hear was bird song. Did I mention that this is a "church" town? Sunday mornings are for worship and family. I think that there are about 4 churches in a 6-block radius of my building!

So, yeah, it sucks that I'm stuck inside on a pretty day but, on the other hand, I could be stuck inside and miserable. All in all, I realized how blessed I am. Hopefully, after the infusion I'll feel so much better.

Once I am feeling a bit more up to speed, I will be getting back to work on the book!

Peace
--Free

Oh, How I LOVE Dollar Stores!

One of the biggest benefits to living in the Lower 48 again is that I have access to all the "dollar" stores.

• Dollar Tree - where everything really is a DOLLAR. (Okay, there is the 7% tax thing, but, hey...)
• Dollar General - lots of premium items and no-name-brand on the cheap
• Family Dollar - same as Dollar General

Of course, I still love Walmart (for the prices, not always for their practices), but I am starting to get the hang of how to use the "dollar" stores to stretch my budget. I call Walmart and "the Dollars" my Top 4. (And I still love you too, Amazon Prime, but a girl has to shop around.)

Some of you might remember the last time I went nuts over these "dollar" stores. And then, there was also the time I had my romance with Big Lots. The nearest Big Lots is about an hour and a half away in Des Moines. No bueno. 

Anyway, I'm happy with having 3 of the "dollar" places along with Walmart. When I had to throw this apartment together, I used my Amazon Prime for about 10% of what I got - the bed being the most important. The rest, I got from the Top 4. 

For people turning up their noses at the Dollars, I say go ahead and burn your money. Of course, like anyone else, I'd rather have the best of the best. But, like most tight-budget folk, I have to o with the best of the cheap. Sometimes, I have found that paying more doesn't always mean getting better.

For instance, I ordered some kitchen towels from a seller on Prime but was really disappointed with the quality. - especially after laundering them... Afterwards, I picked up a couple more items from Dollar Tree. Guess which was the better bargain:

The raggedy-looking towel on the left? Yeah, I paid too much for that... 

The only reason I didn't replace the more expensive towels with something from Dollar Tree is that there were none in the colors I wanted. Yeah, I have this thing for red. I'll be making another trip to the Tree next week.

Basically, I did my entire kitchen - minus the coffee maker - for around $80. That was between shopping sales at Walmart (for the toaster, staples canisters, and some glass bake ware), then hitting all of the Dollars for the rest. I literally got all of my kitchen towels - minus the horrible ones - mixing utensils and bowls, and miscellany for $1.00 - $5.00 each. I even got dust cans for the bath and bedroom from the Dollars. And, of course, I have photographs...

Also got trash bags & plastic storage bags

Paper towels & (name brand) toilet tissue?  From the Dollars. 

Sugar, flour, baking soda? The Dollars

Bleach and laundry soap? Toilet drop-ins and cleanser? The Dollars.

When I "splurged" the other day and bought myself some of those sparkling cider drinks I love. One dollah each.

Now, I'm not saying that everything from the Dollars is great. That's why I do a shopping circuit between the Dollars, Walmart, and Amazon. I am saying that I know people who consider themselves too good for the Dollars. Let me tell you something: even if I were to magically become rich, I'd still bargain shop. It's stupid to spend more money that you have to. If you want to throw money around, why not throw it at a charity or someone in need? 

Anyway. 

I'm pretty much finished with the apartment set-up. The only thing I need - and it's not urgent - are curtains. I'm keeping my eye out for some bargains!

Peace

--Free

Praise the Lord & Pass the Peas!

I'm not trying to be irreverent. I truly am praising the Lord. I have so much to be thankful for that I don't even know where to start. But, since I have internet access again, I will try. LOL

I am thankful for family and friends who love me enough to always be there for me. The first things I decorated my new place with where very meaningful reminders of these folks.

From my brother & sis-in-law
because my name is in it!

From my best sister/friend
because she knows me so
well.

By the way, without all my brothers, I would not have been able to make this life change. They offered money, love, encouragement, and continuing support. Not many people are that blessed here on Earth. To top that, I have a brother in Heaven, waiting for me along with the rest who've gone ahead.

I am thankful that I had such an amazing sister. I miss her everyday, but this huge sunflower reminds me of her. She loved the color yellow, and she was so much like the flower: beautiful, stunning, and shining bright.

God blessed me with a nice home where I can begin healing. Of course, it's decorated like a college dorm room, but, hey - a chick was working on a slim budget! 

Like my life - sparse but beautiful

And, because, I still know how to laugh at just about everything... This here is my shopping helper. Let me tell you how I came to love this cart:

I live in a "seniors" building. I never thought of myself as "senior". Heck, I never accepted being middle-aged! The deal here is, you have to be 55+ to reside in the building. I just slid in. As far as I know, there is one other "silver" woman here; the rest of the tenants are definitely gold (by at least 3 layers or more) and they look at me as if they want to feed me or knit me something. I adore them all. They are some of the liveliest, active, busiest folk I've known in a while! I adore them, but I didn't want to be too much like them. When I noticed that most of them use these wheeled carts for shopping trips, I decided I would never have one of my own. That resolved dissolved the first time I walked a block and a half to the market for groceries. 

I call my cart "Beauty" and I never leave home walking without her!

Look at those sleek lines...

She slides open and shut

 Beauty rolls like a dream. Curbs, gravel, little bumps in the sidewalk mean nothing to her! She is perfect for getting things home and into the apartment. And, to tell the whole truth, she gives me something to hold on to when my balance is off.

So, yeah, I have plenty to be thankful for. Of course, I'm still adjusting to a new routine and my surroundings. I'm glad to be near family and to be making some new acquaintances (I have enough friends!).

I'm going to sign off now so that I can go praise the Lord some more. I just can't stop thanking Him for keeping me through such tough times.


Peace
--Free

New Home & New Beginnings

Well, folks, this life changing move of mine just got real. I got into the apartment building that I so badly wanted.

When I lost my sister, I went through such a dark time. I didn't know what I needed to get out of that misery, but I tried looking. Turns out it wasn't a person or a situation. It was a place. This place that I am in.

I never had a doubt that God was going to bless me with what I needed but, this time, what I needed just happened to also be what I wanted. That doesn't happen very often.

This is just a post to give thanks to God and to the people he put in my life. Peoplake who prayed for me when I was so depressed the past couple of years. People who gave to me when they didn't have to. People who just let me drench their shoulders with my tears when I needed.

I'm thankful to my family who supported me and helped me along the way. I am truly blessed - not just in good times but also in times of sadness.

Peace
--Free

My (New) Life Adjustment

Living with a disability is challenging in ways other people understand and in ways they don't. Living with an invisible disability has its own special challenges. I like a challenge. Most times.

I have learned various "workarounds" to deal with my cognitive and physical problems. As a matter of fact, I don't even like calling my issues "problems" Let's just call them challenges.

My physical challenges are easier to deal with. I know what I can and can no longer do. The new twist to this is that I have recently relocated to another state and will, for the first time in almost 8 years, be living on my own. When I lived in a household with a roommate or family, I had a lot more support for daily living obstacles that I never really thought much about. Now that I am looking for an apartment here in my new town, I am forced to consider a variety of challenges from new angles.

Getting out and around is going to work differently. When I was living in Anchorage, I knew the streets and basic locations of my personal "landmarks". Because my brain seems to work strangely, there were times when even driving to the most familiar of places (think Walmart on the other side of town) required orienting myself before starting the trip. On a good day, this only required plotting out the route in my head (Get on Old Seward, head towards the church, turn left onto Lake Otis, head down Tudor., etc.) and along the way, I'd make sure to keep track of where I was so I didn't get off route (going past my doctor's office meant I'd missed my turn onto Tudor). On a great day, I didn't miss any turns and have to re-route myself.

Other people are able to use their Google Maps navigation. I can do that too except I might have to pull over to pay attention to the directions because it's hard for me to listen to the instructions while actually driving. Crazy, I know. It's also a little embarrassing. So I find it easier to "self-plot" routes.

Also, I could understand North from South and East from West. Of course. I'd lived in Anchorage for most of my adult life.

Now that I am here in my new town (thankfully a very small town!), I am staying with family while I wait for my application to go through on an apartment. My brother and sister and law have told me that I am more than welcome to use their vehicle anytime I want. I've told them they might want to reconsider that offer. If you think it's embarrassing losing my way in a town I spent over 50 years in, just imagine getting lost in a tiny spot where nothing is more than 5 minutes away from anything else.

Out of my price range for 3 lifetimes!

Yesterday while riding around with my nephew (who has a learner's permit and must be accompanied by a licensed driver), he realized that he had a band practice. He wanted to know if I could drop him off at his school and make my way home okay.

Uh... Probably not. Not only was I still recovering from a weekly medication, but I was just a little bit lost. I had a vague idea of which direction home was, but I wasn't completely sure. So we ended up going home and getting my other nephew (also in possession of only a learner's permit) to do the drop-off.

I can't describe how frustrating this all is. Pre-Slip, I would have been able to make my way around this town on the first day here. Knowing where I was wouldn't matter because I'd have been able to reason out the directions by following a grid or just finding my way back to the street my family lives on. I no longer have that ability or confidence. I've got memories of once getting lost and having a mild panic/anxiety attack while on my way to a doctors appointment. The same doctor in the same location I've been going to for years!

So.

This is where I want to live
Not exciting, but location is everything

I've decided that I probably will not own a car again until I get better. The apartment that I am applying to live in is income restricted and for seniors only. It's situated beautifully in the most convenient downtown location - close to shopping, banking, and leisure. Thank Jesus and please pray that I get in. Half my stress about living solo will be erased if I can get a spot in that building. I won't have to depend on having a car to do most of my necessary business and it will be hard to get lost if I leave my apartment.

Should I have to move into my second or third choice of an apartment, I will be out of walking distance to grocery stores and my bank. That means I will need to rely on family or the special transportation provided for people like myself. Or that I will have to get a car.

Managing daily living is going to also be easier should I get the apartment I prefer. Because shopping is closer, I will be able to get groceries and other necessities at my own pace. Being able to buy as I need things (versus stocking up) will be easier on my budget. The biggest plus is that I will be getting regular exercise in small, daily doses. Even when my balance is off, I can manage short distances. Back in Anchorage, there was no need even thinking about walking to the grocery store - too far away and the route isn't pedestrian-friendly - and the closest convenience store is too pricey. Here, there is a discount grocery literally around the corner from where the apartment is. The bank I joined is directly across the street, there is a Woolworth-type mercantile a block away, and I the streets are very pedestrian-friendly - even for the elderly and physically challenged. There's even a library and church within walking distance.

Praying, dealing with it all, and just living are my immediate goals. Yes, I am out of my routine of many years, but I want to focus on getting healthy and whole again. I want to enjoy this journey - no matter how rocky and precarious it can sometimes be. All that means is that I have to be life-adjustment ready. I am. With God's help, I truly am.

Peace
--Free

AT&T Their Trek 2HD and Their Online Reps

~sigh~

It's been a rough couple of days trying to get my phone ordered. The highs and lows have been ridiculous. Before I do this device review, let me just do a quick rundown of the valley-and-peak situation that led to me getting to try it out. (Oh, and I am talking about the AT&T Trek 2HD tablet, btw.)

My Note, which has been acting like a pre-pubescent child for weeks, finally hit puberty and went completely nuts on me. Basically, the dang thing bricked out. When I checked, I heard that the Note 8 is probably not coming out until September. That just won't do. I love the Note, but I need a phone now.

1. I went online to upgrade to the Galaxy S8 Plus, which I've heard nothing about but the best things.
2. That went well at first, but there were some glitches so I signed into the Help/Chat function to expedite things. (I was having a sarc-rage morning.)
3. First chat rep ("Steve") is ever so happy to help me. He tells me that there is a promotion going on where I can not only get my much-needed phone, but I can also get the Galaxy Tab E and - yes, and - the Gear S2 watch. Wonderful. (I think the word I used in the chat was "Wowza".)
4. "Steve" gives me the news that I cannot add the bonus items using my old grandfathered unlimited plan. I have to change to the Unlimited 3GB plan. Fine. I was going to eventually have to make a change. I do mention a concern about my budget and ask for a moment to do some math. Being helpful (or so I thought), "Steve" gives me a very precise amount of what my new monthly charges will be with all 3 devices on this new plan. And I mean he was specific down to a penny. I do some budget math and decide I can afford that amount. So "Steve" puts things in motion and we then move on to the devices I want.
5. I should have known something was off when "Steve" processed the order for the tablet before doing anything about the phone. But he seems a nice enough guy and, like I said, I was having a bad day of the brain.
6. Tablet is ordered and confirmed. At this point (another oddity), "Steve" says that he needs to pass me on to another rep to complete the rest of the order. Ohhhh-kay...
7. Now I am dealing with "James" and he needs a moment to look at the what "Steve" has done to this point. We eventually discuss how excited I am to be getting my 2 freebies, how glad I am to be getting a new phone, etcetera.
8. It's not until "James" mentions that the tablet and watch will not be part of my order that I realize that something is seriously wrong.
9. (Let me stop here to mention that, because of my poor brain function, I tend to take meticulous notes about business transactions if I don't have a trusted witness. In this case, I was constantly printing the Chat record to a PDF file. Just in case.)
10. I begin to remind "James" of portions of "Steve's" offers. Actually, what I did was to copy/paste those portions of the chat back in so that "James" could see them.
11. "James" got so frustrated that I wasn't okay with not getting what "Steve" promised (he kept trying to convince me that I was misunderstanding something) that he turned me over to Chat with a 'supervisor'. So, now I am chatting with "Leo". Great. I'm on my third rep and I've been in this chat for at least an hour and a half.
12. "Leo" also tries to convince me that I am misunderstanding what I can get with the promotion. I remind him of "Steve's" offers and of how specific he was even about what my new monthly cost would be. 
13. Finally, I tell "Leo" that I would rather go into a store and deal with reps face-to-face because he and the other reps have me so confused I can't tell what's going on. They have changed my plan, begin shipment of a tablet to me here in Iowa, and I still have no phone.The phone upgrade is what I came for - so why do I have a tablet and no phone?! I tell "Leo" that I not only will go into a store for service on the matter, but I will be taking a copy of the Chat record. At that point, he pretty much starts "taking the5th". I don't blame him at all.
14. Hilariously, before we end the Chat, "Leo" goes back on script and wants to tell me what a pleasure it's been to serve me. And he finishes by wanting to know if there is anything else he can do for me today. My response (after I finished LOL'ing myself into a stomach ache): "Seriously???"
15. I went to the nearest AT&T store (which happens not to be a corporate store, by the way) and the young woman there fixed my problem inside of 15 minutes. She's personally going into a store in the next town to pick up my phone and watch, then call me to pick it up. That would be quicker than waiting for mail delivery. Oh, and I left with a tablet in hand.

Okay. Now, this is where I can begin the review of the Trek. I got the Trek instead of the Galaxy because of the personal opinion/recommendation of the young woman who so beautifully fixed the mess that those other folks caused. 

About this Trek, where do I start? Maybe with the Pros first:

• It's very sturdy and well-built. I think it's a tough little device that would last a long time.
• The display is pretty - though I will have more to say about that in a moment.
• It's easy to set up and use.
• Battery life is great.

The Cons? Unfortunately, there are more of these than of the Pros:

• It's not a Samsung, for one thing. I love the Samsung brand and very rarely step away from it. That makes any other device hard for me to get used to. So, this one is totally on me.
• It's not as user-friendly as Samsung devices. Again, that might be because of what I'm used to. (And ,my brain doesn't adapt well to new things.)
• The display is nowhere near as crisp and red apple-delicious as a Samsung - any Samsung.
• The built-in functions are not familiar or comfortable for me.
• The USB is not compatible for anything else I own.

Basically, I realize that I am a Samsung loyalist. It's the brand I have used for my devices for years and it feels familiar to me. I don't like change.

I'm rushing back to the store tomorrow to give this thing back and get the Samsung. With that device, I will feel like I know what I'm doing. I have never had the watch, but it's also a Samsung.

That will make me happy.  

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Under Armour Shoes

As I have said over and over again, I have bad feet. My problem is that, when I gained all that prednisone weight, my feet went flat. Flat feet + poor balance = calluses. Calluses on the soles of the feet and toes make for very uncomfortable walking.

Because my balance has not improved (and my feet are still flat), getting rid of the calluses is only ever a temporary solution. I have tried every kind of insole that I could find anywhere. Some work better than others, but none really alleviated the pain. I have bought (and received gifts of) shoes that were supposed to be ultra comfortable. Nothing ever worked well enough (or long enough) to help.

When I was getting ready to leave Alaska, one of my "play" nephews wanted to give me an early birthday gift. He ordered shoes and had them delivered to my destination. Let me tell you what... I love these shoes so much that I have since ordered an additional 2 pairs. I am going to throw out/give away every other shoe I own. These are the shoes that I have been using all this first week in my new location:

They are actually a much darker pink & look better than the photo

That's the Women's Charged Bandit 2 Cross-Country Running Shoe by Under Armour.

For the first time in probably 4 years, I have been able to walk comfortably and for long periods without worrying about my feet. And this first week here has been the perfect test. I've been walking a minimum of 5 miles a day - before noon. In 6 days' time, I have been apartment hunting (and just finished the looong process of applying for the one I want), changed over most of my medical arrangements, and opened a local bank account.

My feet have not felt this good since I first got sick. I might not be able to do anything about my general fatigue, brain fog, or other general medical symptoms, but I can now be happy about my feet.

These shoes are so amazing. Just to look at them, you wouldn't think they were any different from most other good brands of shoes. The one thing that tipped me off that they might be something special is this part around the back:

That little rubberized piece of bracing gives great support, but it mostly just looks great. I figure that adding that touch meant the manufacturer cares about details.

The inside of the shoe doesn't look all that special but, boy... when I put it on and took that first step, I thought I might be dreaming. Still, I wasn't convinced. I put on both shoes and went for a walk around the courtyard of my brother's apartment. Now I was convinced.

I don't just like (or even love) these shoes, I need them. The apartment that I am applying to live in is in such a prime location downtown that most of my shopping and other business needs are within a few blocks. The bank that I joined is right across the street; the Woolworth-type mercantile store is a block and a half up the street one way while the library is the same distance in the opposite direction, and part of the lake/park area is about four blocks straight ahead. Oh, and there is even a small neighborhood discount grocery store nearby. Perfect, right? Since I don't have a vehicle yet and don't plan on getting one anytime soon, I want to take advantage of my surroundings.That means walking most places. The walking will also please my doctors.

I've been wanting to get more exercise and walking is the easiest (and cheapest) way. In Anchorage, this was not something that I liked to do - too much anxiety, traffic, crime, and stray animals. Here in my new town, the pace is slower. That apartment building is my dream location because it makes me feel like I can fully enjoy my surroundings.

These shoes... Man. I am so happy with them. I even splurged a little and ordered a second pair of the sneakers and a pair of the slip-ons for getting around the inside of the building.

(Can you tell how excited I am to be here in this place?)

So, yes, I am going to be telling every single person I know about this brand. If you have been trying to use insoles and other temporary measures to get relief, you must try Under Armour. I don't think I want to ever own another brand and I will forever be thankful to Randy for such a lovely gift.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Delta Airlines (and Delta Comfort)

I thought that I would use my experiences of this latest flight to review Delta Airlines for both their customer service and their Comfort seating offering.My itinerary was Anchorage (ANC) to Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) and to my final destination of Des Moines (DMS). Since this is a blended review, I will preface remarks with CS or DC when speaking about Customer Service or Delta Comfort.

The Anchorage counter staff was okay. Courteous and efficient, they didn't seem to have much to do since most passengers checked in electronically or via one of the consoles set up in the airport. I did (and always do) my check-in via a phone app. At the counter, I only had to hand in my luggage (pre-paid) and show I.D. to confirm my information. I even filled out and attached my own luggage tags.

Ted Stevens Airport (ANC) is pretty basic and I like that. Gates are called just that - "gates" - so that it's easy to locate and navigate where you need to be. With such diversity in the mix, simplicity and uniformity are important when traveling. That;s my opinion anyway. At Ted Stevens, gates and signs and walkways are easy to find and use.

That last point is going to come up later.

The flight crew on the ANC to DSM leg was kind of awesome. They were helpful but not overbearing. I wonder how many people realize that flight attendants are on board primarily to help out in the event of an emergency - not to just to serve and pamper passengers. I sometimes lose sight of that fact myself, but I appreciate an FA who makes the job look easy. There was just that kind of FA on my first flight. She was as nice to the "regular" passengers as she was to those in First Class.

Now. Here is where I have to talk about the worst part of this trip. It had nothing to do with the plane, the seats, or the onboard crew.

I'm not sure who to blame for the fact that when we landed in MSP we had to sit on the taxiway for about 20 minutes, but I'm going to blame the gate agents for not helping more once we docked and some of us had to race to make connecting flights.

This is where my trip went bad.

While taxiing, the pilot mentioned that we were going to dock at Gate F. My connecting flight was going to board at Gate C. I mentally ran through the letters - C, D, E, F - and thought, Eh, shouldn't be that bad.

Right. It shouldn't have been but... I did ask the agents standing on the jetway how far the C gates were. One was just robotically saying to each of us passengers, "We have carts waiting up front." So I assumed he was directing us to keep moving and we'd have some assistance making it to other gates. There are reasons that it's bad to make assumptions and, in this case, one of the reasons is that the gate agent was a liar. There were no carts waiting anywhere. I couldn't even find another gate agent to ask about this. Since it wasn't useful to just stand there being mad, I asked the first person I saw where to find the C gates and took off in that direction.

Here is where I hate the way things are labeled at MSP.  I saw nothing labeled directing passengers to gates. I did see lots of overhead signs indicating "concourse". A B C D Concourse. Because I was feeling stressed and worried about missing my connection, I really resented not having the assurance that C concourse actually meant C gates. Each time I passed someone wearing an airport badge, I asked if I was headed toward the correct gate. Just when my legs were getting stiff, I heard one of those carts coming up behind me. I practically carjacked the driver and demanded that he get me to the C15. If I'd had to keep hoofing it, there is no way I'd have made the boarding. As it was, I raced up to the gate agent and was waved through immediately.

So, yeah, I'm not too happy with that part of the trip.From what I could tell, C gates and F gates are nowhere in the same time zone. It would have been nice that, since our deplaning was delayed, if the Delta gate staff had been more helpful.

To sum up, I find that it is worth it on long trips to upgrade to Dela comfort. I've seen other reviews that opine the extra leg room doesn't make up for the narrow seating but, in my case, it helped. Tall people will definitely want to have the extra inches. Of course, I was lucky to have such lightly booked flights. (Although, it wasn't much of an advantage to have a row to myself when I couldn't raise the armrests!)

There is an older (and better) review done by The Points Guy.

Peace
--Free

**RANT** Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Express 3

If you think we aren't being controlled by our electronics and gadgets, just let something happen to your computer or cell phone. Trust me, I know.

Galaxy Note 4

The day before I was set to travel here to Iowa, my Note 4 phone crapped out. It had been acting snitty for a few weeks - shutting itself down at random intervals and needing to be coaxed into turning back on - but I thought all it needed was a fresh battery. Bought a battery. Spent 30 bucks on a battery. Phone went from having a bad attitude to needing a spanking.

Of course, I searched online for help and suggestions. Apparently, mine wasn't the only Note 4 having toddler-tantrum issues. I found suggestions that actually worked:

• Take out the battery and hold down the Power button before re-inserting battery.
• Turn phone off and hold down the Volume Up button while pressing the Home button.
• Hold phone up to the sun as a sacrifice to Martin Cooper, then toss phone against a brick wall.

Okay, that last one... yeah, not so true.

I think an interrupted software update is what started these problems. Not that I interrupted the update, but that maybe the power went out (or my battery died) during an update. All I know is, I woke up one morning and realized that my phone was shut down (good thing I hadn't needed the Alarm to wake me). When I turned it on, I got a weird message on screen that was all nerd-speak: lots of red, white, and blue letters and numbers up left-top above an urgent message Not to turn off phone. 

Ohhh-kay...

I didn't dare shut the phone off for over an hour. Finally, I popped the battery out (only way to shut it down) and did a re-start. The phone worked fine. For about 2 days. Then the random HAL2000 stuff started happening.

Bricked this thang!

AT&T was zero help. They could only suggest sending the phone back to the manufacturer for a re-set. Great idea except that could take around 4 weeks. Since the phone did start occasionally behaving - with the Power-Home-Volume reboots - I let it ride. Keep in mind, I was in the middle of prepping for a move.

I could use my upgrade to the get S8, but I'm trying to hold out for the Note 8. Of course, 

Galaxy Express 3

Something told me that I might want to have a back-up plan just in case the dang phone decided to go from toddler-tude to teen-tude.  The only backup I could afford was this lovely little, er, phone:

If my broken phone had teen-tude, this thing was just straight out ADHD affected. But it was only $50 and that was all I could afford because my budget is so tight that it has zero circulation.

First, let me say that this is such a first-world problem that I should be ashamed of complaining. However, we do live in a society that is dependent on electronics. Because I would be traveling, I needed a phone to stay in touch. Also, my plane ticket, boarding passes, and luggage tracking were all e-based. 

My entire journey - travel and hotel - were controlled via a phone app. So you can see how I kind of needed a phone. Well, I got that Express 3. Only thing is, it can only be loosely referred to as a phone. Let me bullet-point the ways this phone has tried to convince me to check myself into a mental institution:

• I've used 8gigs storage on device, but it won't let me fully use the 4 gig external storage
• To take and/or share a photo, I have to delete one of my apps, then re-install afterward
• The sound quality is crap
• The picture quality is crap
• Dang phone is so small that I lose it in my purse, the car seat, the deep pockets of my jacket, etc.

Don't get me wrong - I am so glad to have a phone at all. But. Dangit!

If I take a photo and want to view it - let alone share it - I have to delete other apps just to work with the photo, move the photo off the phone to the cloud or other online storage, then re-install whatever app(s) I deleted just to do all of that.

sigh

For now, I have given up on having a decent phone until the Note 8 comes out but, boy, it's getting hard not to run down and sign up for an S8. The other day, I saw someone with a Note 5 and was tempted to offer a price for it. 

In the meantime, I am phone-feigning like an addict and chomping at the bit to show off some photos of my new hometown. Soon, my friends, soon.

Peace

--Free

Travel Tips From a Novice

Just a quickie post since I'm leaving on Thursday and won't post for a minute.

I'm not a person who travels a lot (and y'all know how I hate flying), but I have done my share. I thought I would pass on a few tips that I've learned over the past several years. (NOTE: Things change so none of this is written in stone.)

• 
• Check here to see what the rules are about what you can and cannot take on your flight!
• If you can, try to get luggage where the 2 main pieces match closely in size. Most airlines give you the same weight allowance for both bags (if you are given the option of 2 bags). This time, I get 50lbs for each of my 2 bags (for which I'm paying a very reasonable fee) and I was able to make the best use of every pound. 
• Make sure to "try on" your luggage and carry-ons before you leave. Make sure you can handle the luggage solo (should you have to) and that you are comfortable with the weight of your carry-on items. Can you hold or wear it all without straining your hands or body? Can you walk quite a way holding it all? Can you easily access your money, tickets, and other essentials? True story: I once found myself at DFW, trying to balance one piece of luggage on another because I  had started out with a travel partner who got sidelined during the return trip. It took forever to find a porter to help me out.
• If you are going for an extended stay somewhere (or if you are going to have a lot of excess luggage), it's cheaper at times to use USPS's Flat Rate boxes and mail things ahead. It's fast, insured (to a point) and you can even request items be held for pick-up.
• Invest in empty bottles and containers from the "dollar" shelf at a store. You can take a lot of essentials (shampoo/conditioner, lotions, etc.) by using the containers and tucking them throughout your luggage. Much easier to tighten up your packing space with smaller containers. 
• To save room in bags, you can tuck some things (like your containers from above) into socks or shoes,
• Never, ever pack your essential medications in checked luggage. You might get stranded at a layover, or your luggage could simply get lost or delayed. I had an aunt visit once and we ended up taking her to the local air base to get an emergency replacement of a daily med that was lost with her checked luggage. Her luggage was located - three days after her flight landed.
• Always keep a bit of cash on hand - but also keep a debit or credit card handy. Some (if not most) airlines don't accept cash for in-flight items.  If you don't have (or want a credit card), get a re-loadable Visa or MasterCard. These are available at most big box stores. (By the way, these cards are great for buying things online or applying for trial versions of services.)
• Unless necessary, don't dress to impress. That was fine when air travel was a major, major luxury. These days, you might get stranded somewhere or have to jog half a mile to a gate. Dress for cleanliness, comfort, and neatness. Comfy footwear is essential! If you do make the mistake of wearing tight shoes on a plane (or train, or long auto ride) do not take them off. Your feet might swell and then you have to get your dawgs back into those already tight shoes. (Trust me on this one.  I had a bad experience thirty years ago that I only was able to laugh at about 5 years ago...)
• Keep baby wipes, talcum powder, and deodorant in your carry on - even if you have to get the teensy-tiny trial/travel sizes. Again, you don't know what kind of delays you might run into. Baby wipes are good for freshening the body or, in some cases, getting small stains or lint off clothing. Talcum powder helps keep your body cool and fresh-smelling. I like to dress in layers when I travel (maybe a cami or t-shirt under my outer top) and I will dash the powder in between the layers to keep me comfy. 

• If you happen to have extremely long (or multiple) layovers, you might want to look into paying for a day pass to an airline club room. I detail my experience with one in this post. Well worth it if you are traveling at a personally stressful time or just want to treat yourself.
• Ladies, keep a bandana or headband or some hair clips in your carry on. You might start out having a good hair day but there's nothing like some unexpected stress to ruin that achievement.
• I also suggest not wearing a full face of makeup. Makeup can be drying. The canned in-flight air is drying. It's better to do a little touch-up just before landing on the last leg of your flight. You might want to dab your face with a wet towel or napkin to keep your skin happy.
• Enjoy the layovers. Don't just people-watch; try interacting with other travelers. Of course, you want to be careful, but how often do you get a chance to spend time around people from so many different places? 
• If you are a loner and want to kill time on layovers (or onboard), you can see if your local library has electronic reading/listening services for mobile devices. Make sure to fully download the books for offline use. (I use the Overdrive app to borrow audiobooks from my local library. After downloading the app, all I needed was my library card to sign in an.) You can use the Overdrive app on PC as well as mobile devices. Check a previous post about the app.
• Use the bathroom at every layover if you can. I don't know about you, but once I get on a plane, I don't like to leave my seat. Depending on your location, you're bumping and squeezing past other passengers coming and going. 
• This last tip is one that I am only half-sure about but it's always worked for me so I wanted to share it: Try to download the app for whichever airline you're traveling with. Whenever I have done this and gotten an electronic boarding pass, I've usually been given the wonderful, delightful gift of TSA Pre-check. I'm not sure if it's because of the electronic pass or the credit card tied to my ID and ticket, but it is lovely. I know that you can apply for and pay a fee to get the luxury of pre-check, but I don't have the budget for that. Only once did my pre-check status get ignored and I didn't mind at all because it was during a high-security alert. So, basically, I'm not sure how I got picked for the pre-check so I can't swear how it works. I'll see tomorrow when I do my check-in via the phone app.

For some of you, these tips are ho-hum but, for a lot of people, travel is not an everyday thing. I hope that these tips help make your next flight easier.

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I get ready to head out and into a new chapter of my life.

Peace

--Free