It's not coffee, it's not tea

It's something else entirely.

My mother belongs to a coupon site where you have to watch the item closely, as it's only available at certain stores. Thus, you can't pick the item up at one Big Box retailer (let's say Walmart) and tell the site you got it at different location (another Walmart). It has to be picked up at the store you said you'd buy it at. All because you're needing to submit a receipt as proof of purchase.

Why? Because you either get your money back 100 per cent or you receive a percentage back (25-50 % back). However, it's not "cash back" in either form. It's the money back in a gift card form. In my mother's version, she chooses Amazon. 

All she has to do is look at the weekly offers for what's being provided and select what she'd want to try (for free or for a per cent off). Once selected, she chooses her store, providing they have it, and off she goes during the week to get it. She then submits a receipt and waits a day to see if the coupon site accepts the receipt. Then she gets her Amazon code and puts that money in her gift card balance. 

What's the catch? She has to then review the item. The site asks for a star rating (1-5) and several lined comments describing said item. What was good, what was bad, etc. 

This last round of samples (the site calls what you get a "sample", even if it's a full sized item), allowed my mother a "half off" coupon from Teeccino to try their "coffee alternative". 

We picked up the 11 oz bag (normal size?) of Almond Amaretto because she felt that would be a great afternoon or evening alternative to a glass of decaf coffee. 

As we got it at Sprouts, the retail price is $14.99, so my mother's total was $7.99 or something like that, since she was getting some money back. It wasn't a full 100% back, which is fine, as the other flavors were a few dollars more and she thought this one would be more interesting of a try.

Just a quick cost comparison (and disclaimer):

• Amazon sells the brand for around the same price point as Sprouts, depending on what flavor you're looking for. There is also "tea" for sale too. Prime members get free shipping as this storefront qualifies as a small business. There is a small discount on subscribe and save options on most of the flavors. This link earns me commission on every sale.
• The Teeccino website lists samplers, teas, coffees, variety packs and gifts for the same amount ($14.99+), so you can choose whatever site might be easier. I do have a referral link for Teeccino, so if you go that route, you can get $5 off your first order. Shipping is free at $59 and over (plus a free gift at the $25 mark). There is a subscribe and save option for a smaller price point. With every complete order (referral), I receive $5 off my next order. 

Back to the "coffee".

We had a bit of a struggle opening the bag, as I didn't want to completely go cutting crazy and lose the nutrition facts or instructions on brewing this. There is no sealing option, as the only thing you can use is a sticker that is on the back of bag. So no zipping line or anything else to make it easy to tear open. 

Once open, whew! The whiff of the amaretto is over powering. I got a little dizzy from it, considering I've not had any alcohol in quite a while. There's a reason why the brand website says it is "[a] sensory indulgence of roasted chicory over golden roasted almonds with hints of cherry and apricot. Subtly sweetened with dates and figs."! I don't know what chicory is or what it would smell like, so I can't comment on that aspect. I know the aroma was more on the "liqueur" side, while I even made the comment to my friend Shawn (who also tries not to imbibe in alcohol) about how much punch this gave. He said his partner uses a specific "floor cleaner that is almond scented" and when the floors are being clean, he is "so tempted to drink it," as "it's that convincing". He went on to say "it's even brown like Disaronno. This is coming from a guy who knows his stuff; he worked at a liquor store for over a decade) 

It begs the question: If products are being made to conjure up certain feelings, emotions or memories, the ones that shouldn't be ingested aren't doing anyone any favors. Especially if the scent makes you want to eat or drink it, when you fully know it is toxic to consume. How many warnings do we have on solvents that say "wash hands immediately" or "do not get near face or eyes". "Contact Poison Control if...". 

The products that are body safe.. well... can people who abstain from certain things really trust themselves in eating or drinking something with "natural flavors of [...]" without worrying it's going to damage to any type of sobriety (enter type of recovery here - alcoholism, drugs, eating disorders)? 

I know people have their levels of "it doesn't affect my overall sobriety" while others say "once I think it, I can't stop it". You have to find that happy medium where you know an amaretto scented floor cleaner is toxic to drink, but you also won't go to the bar or stop at a store and pick up a bottle of whiskey. Same goes with coffee; you can handle the smell and know it's a natural flavor added to the mix, but you won't go nuts (hehe. No pun intended) and restart your issues. 

Which is why I had said to Shawn I think I don't want to tempt the fates. I wish my mom had gotten one of the other flavors, but this was her choice - her coupon, her coffee. 

Especially since she said "it really does taste like an amaretto cookie" once she brewed a cup of it. Adding basic creamer, she was off to the races and texted all her friends about it. There is one friend who can't drink coffee due to its acid profile, and my mother thought this alternative would be great due to it's lack of caffeinated beans. 

According to the Teeccino website, the ingredients are:

Roasted organic carob, organic barley, organic chicory, dates, almonds, natural amaretto flavor*, organic figs. Contains: Almonds.

*All Teeccino flavors are extracted from plants and comply with organic standards.

The health benefits are:

• Naturally caffeine free - no processing or chemical residues
• Acid free - helps restore alkaline balance
• Natural energy boost - from nutrients not stimulants
• Antioxidants from carob, barley, dates, figs and almonds
• Contains heart-healthy potassium and soluble fiber
• Prebiotic - inulin from chicory root feeds your probiotics, the beneficial microflora that improve digestive health, regularity and supports your immune system. Inulin extracts naturally into your cup from chicory roots during brewing.

Again, I don't know what chicory root does or is, so I can't give any information about it. Anything you read on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read it on my blog. 

I am providing this information due to this Teeccino product being used in my household. It was purchased and tried and is something new to try and enjoy as we drink a lot of coffee and tea in my house and we also drink decaf. This is a new and novel idea, and if it's something that can be had at night and not give us the jitters or keep us awake, we'd love to use it. 

Which my mother did. She was so enthralled of the taste and texture, she can't wait to make it daily. She also can't wait to see if her friends like it (she gave some away for a few people for them to try). If I can get her to purchase this again, maybe we can try another flavor. I'd love to try the Chaga Ashwagandha

Butterscotch Cream Mushroom Herbal Coffee (which is $15.29) or the Java

Chicory Herbal Coffee ($14.99), but we have to finish the coffees we have, first. 

Chaga is something that Tay always talks about, and warns me "you have to be careful when buying it". There's a specific type he buys for him and his step father and if I can remember what that is, I'd mention it here. Sadly, I haven't talked to Tay in a while, as he's on another ghosting expedition.

The synopsis that Teeccino has for their Chaga Coffee states:

Chaga, Siberia’s heal-all wild mushroom, compliments roasted ramón seeds and chicory softened by creamy butterscotch from India’s restorative ashwagandha root.

Medium Roast - Gluten Free - USDA Organic

I don't know what ramón seeds are, but according to the website, the ingredients list is:

Organic carob pods, organic chicory root, organic ramón seed, organic ashwagandha root (Withania somnifera 1000mg), organic dates, organic Indian sarsaparilla root, organic chaga extract (wild harvested Inonotus obliquus conk and mycelium blend: 500mg) organic butterscotch flavor. 

Produced on machinery that also processes almonds. 

*All Teeccino flavors are extracted from plants and comply with organic standards.

I already see and use Chaga in the OM mushroom blend in my smoothies, so I have no problem in trying this coffee alternative. Considering Tay would remark on brewing Chaga as a coffee all the time, and would say how his step father loved it, since he couldn't drink regular coffee anymore. Chaga was an amazing way for the step father to have a morning brew and feel human in the mornings. 

The Java version is:

Deep balanced body with a stronger coffee bite from roasted chicory and barley softened by the sweetness of dates & figs. 

Medium Roast - 75% Organic

With ingredients of:

• Roasted organic carob, organic barley, organic chicory, dates, almonds, natural coffee flavor*, organic figs. 
• Contains: Almonds. 

*All Teeccino flavors are extracted from plants and comply with organic standards.

So it contains natural coffee flavor, whatever that is, although chicory is prevalent in all the products. Must be some sort of enhancer or substitute. The Java can't be 100% caffeine or coffee free if it's using a coffee flavor? What is that? Just like the amaretto version - a natural flavor means the alcohol wasn't cooked off completely in processing this brew. 

I'm not judging by any means; I'm just trying to figure it out as I do want to try some of the versions. 

Oof. I found an answer in the FAQ section of the Teeccino website:

Is there caffeine in the natural coffee flavor in Teeccino?

There is no caffeine in the natural coffee flavor in Teeccino. All Teeccino flavors are derived from compounds extracted from plants using steam distillation or alcohol extraction in order to create natural flavors. In the case of natural coffee flavor, the components of coffee flavor are extracted from a number of ingredients that include chicory root and other roasted herbs.

So they get the natural flavoring through science - steam distillation or alcohol extraction. I'm sure there are every day products we eat and drink that use the same processes and we don't think about it. I never looked too deep into when a company says "natural flavor" or "scent" because what is "natural" anyway? If you watch the documentary Stink!, we really don't know what is "natural" anymore, because companies don't have to provide that information. Which is nice when and if they do.

Since I went down a rabbit hole, I searched for chicory. 

According to the internet, chicory is a "woody herbaceous plant" that's "primarily found in Europe and Asia", even though you can find some traces of it in the United States. It has a "distinct earthy flavor" and can help dilute some of the bitterness in normal coffee. However, in abundance of caution, as it's a diuretic and can cause bathroom challenges. 

Again, I'm not a medical professional. Please seek out more information on your own, as I am sure the things I've culled together aren't an entire list. I know they're not, so please do your own research and ask questions to your own medical team. 

So much to look in to, so little time. I kind of want a regular cup of coffee now, even though I should get some water instead. I haven't stayed hydrated enough today. Maybe I'll go do that... find some liquid libation and figure out how I can get some new food in my house.

Until next time..

Cheers;

I have a new light show

I have a newly acquired wireless Bluetooth speaker to add to my collection. 

Unfortunately, it's one of those items on Amazon where a third party vendor is selling it and all the (17) reviews (8 or so comments) are not in English. 

The speaker is listed as NAUTICA Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Wireless, TWS Pairing, IPX5 Splashproof, Dynamic Led Lights, Bluetooth 5.1, Carrying Strap, Advanced Sound for Home, Outdoor (Black) and is currently $14.99. 

The Amazon page says it has "Bass boost" but it doesn't. Unless you've got your own boost connecting to it (I think?). There are no other buttons on this thing outside the power button. As it's a third party vendor selling it, I don't think Amazon reviewed the listing, because it's not a "Spekaer". It's a "speaker". Like I stated earlier, all the reviews are not in English, so the "language" being Turkish make sense that all the comments are actually written in Turkish. There's no audio coming from this speaker until you pair it to your device and choose the sound you want. The manual is in English, so that's a good thing?

There is no carrying case with this speaker. WYSISYG: Charging cable (1 foot mini USB), speaker, small manual, hanging strap. Nothing else. 

Once I opened the box and took it out of the packaging, it didn't take long to charge this speaker. 

As I started above, the charger is a micro USB. Like a lot of technology these days, this does not come with a charging block; you have to supply your own terminal end. Once charged and paired to my phone, the Bluetooth menu shows "Nautica S20" in the list of ready devices, but does not show up under the "powered on" Bluetooth devices, making it hard to know the battery level of the speaker. I guess it will have to be one of those "guess how long it'll last" situations.

If you look at the first picture, there are two widgets up top, below the status information (Cellular service, etc). One widget is the music information and has the ᚼᛒ in the right hand corner. Above that, there's a little headphone symbol next to the battery level, which tells me I've got headphones connected. However, in the volume bar under the music widget, there's the ᚼᛒ in the volume bar, which tells me that something is connected wirelessly via Bluetooth to my phone. Now the challenge becomes even more strange: in the second photo, all you see is my phone and watch battery levels. So where is the wireless device the first picture shows? What's that battery level? This is why it could potentially be frustrating to not know how much juice you have left in this thing. If it can't decide whether it's a headphone or a Bluetooth device, you're going to wonder when you need to plug it in for a refresh. 

The strap attachment is nice, but you really have to have strength to pull the strap apart. It's a pop button and seems to have a solid grip, so the few times I've already tried to hook this speaker to items, it's been a struggle. Once I got the strap apart, it's a simple slide around a knob, through a rod or whatever you want to secure this thing to. Pop the button back together, et voila, you got yourself a hanging speaker. 

I feel like I need to talk about the power and light situation a little more.

There is no button to turn the LED light off. Meaning, once you power the speaker on, the light starts its own course of dancing (it lights up a ring around a gray soft speaker) and you don't have a choice of how the LED will interact with your audio. The ring of rainbow is bright, it could need one of those trigger warnings you see now in the beginning of movies: "Seizure trigger warning. This speaker contains sustained flashing lighting that may affect those who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or have other photo sensitivities". 

As seen in the video below (you've been warned):

The song in the video is Still The Same feat CASIDEAD by Rufige Kru & Goldie. The full album drops  May 16 for anyone interested in electronic, jungle, breakbeat hardcore, and darkcore. Or just Goldie. 

I recorded the video (much like I took the photos) with an iPhone 11. The photos were edited in Photoshop as I put my name on them and edited myself out of the cabinet knobs. The video was edited in Pinnacle Studio so I could put my name in it. 

Yes, I filmed the video in my bathroom.

Back to the rave challenge.

The disco flashy strobey business of the LEDs aren't a bad thing, I just wish there was a way to turn them off when you don't want to use them. I paired this speaker to my phone so I could listen to podcasts and not have to always wear headphones if I'm at my desk or go outside and sit in the driveway for a while (which I plan to, this weekend). I don't have music on my phone anymore. I mean, I used to; for when I'd go traveling, but I don't travel as much as I should. 

I've also gotten addicted accustomed to a lot of different podcasts and feel like music is just too much to store on my device right now. Which is also why I was using an MP3 player in my car at one point in time. I'd load that sucker up to the brim with various tracks, press play and drive on. Now that things have changed, I'm getting a pretty decent education with the stories I listen to. 

Therefore, for the moment, I'd prefer to keep it that way. 

I'm not disregarding music by any means. It's that I have found some new learning materials. The more conversations I hear, the more ads are being played for other series. As it is, I know I need to catch up on old stuff I started, but once you go down one rabbit hole, it leads to others. 

I'm so backlogged, it's not even funny. 

Which is all the more reason I don't need an "ooooh.." or "ahhh...." lightshow on a speaker, just to hear people talk. It's great for a party atmosphere, when you want to dance the night away; but it's not great for a relaxing night in while reading a book. 

Admittedly, sound is amazing, and my phone was only on 40% or so in volume when I was testing the speaker out. I have to give this thing credit, for sure. I think that if I used this when I was riding my bike back north, I would have heard every instrument pumped out as the cars went whizzing past me.

Man, I miss riding those 6 miles from my house to the local college, around the campus and back to my house. That was fun. How I'd do some reading and find little hidey holes in the community... Those days need to happen again. 

This speaker isn't all that bad. It has its challenges but I can make it work. For someone who can't sleep with a lot of lights on, I will probably flip the speaker over on its light side, so there will be a louder conversation coming out of it if I decide to play something to fall asleep to. It's not a deal breaker to have a luminosity show, but it'll probably make me more cognizant of what I'm listening to and for how long.

Until I find more out there sound and vision tools, take care of yourself and go explore something new.

Cheers;

My mother was so excited...

 ... Because she finally saw the tree in front of the guest room window (by our front door) has a flower on it. This tree had been planted about a year ago, and hadn't had any flowers bloom yet. "It takes time for these plants to make a flower" she was told by her landscaping friend (a neighbor).

We don't typically use the front door because little pests like to hide in that area and run in when we least expect it (snakes, lizards, etc). So we always use the garage when we can. Since it was so nice out today, she went to open the window and lo and behold, she was ecstatically yelling she "can't believe it! A flower is here!!". I was like "what??" and when she finally calmed down, she told me "the tree outside the guest room has a flower". 

It's the little things, some days. I swear. 

So we went outside and she took a few photos on her phone to then text to her friends, to show off what was finally in place. 

I took out my Canon EOS Rebel T7i (yes, this time I got it out of my closet) and snapped pictures along with her. 

All I did to these photos was put them in Photoshop, add my name to them and "sharpen" them a bit. I left everything else as is. 

I know there are a lot of the photos. I wanted to show what the difference was with my iPhone pictures of a dead flower versus using my Canon DLSR (with no kits, just the stock lens). 

There's probably not much of a big deal difference, as I didn't do any editing or crazy with it. I still don't have my monitor calibrated for photo editing, so WYSIWYG. 

I still feel like you can do so much more with a steady / reliable camera than a phone. I am old school like that; I can admit to it. As my friend Rachael once said (eons ago), I'm "a neo-luddite". I always will be. I even hung around with the same type of people once upon a time (if you still read this, hi "Eddie"). 

It is what it is; you like what you like. Again, simple things in life make it easier. Although the way things are going, the upgrades can be tough. 

Like the fact Skype is going away (Microsoft is killing it, in favor of Teams) after being release 21 years ago. 

Wow, it's officially drinking age and it's going bye bye. That's sad.

So a lot of people who are still using it (like myself) need to find something else to use. I don't want some of the other platform, as I have questions and concerns. Therefore, I know I'll be spending a few days figuring out what to do. The program is going away in May, so I've got time, but you know if you "sleep on it", May will be here in a blink. 

At any rate, spring is coming in a couple of weeks. Maybe the flower showing up is a sign that winter is almost over and something positive may be on its way??

Who knows. 

Except I know I have a Ko-Fi page. If you like anything you see and want to contribute to the cause, drop a dime or two and help out. The photos and videos don't come cheap. Gotta keep the batteries charged at some point. 

Until we can get all the chocolate bunnies on sale, be safe in your winter best and take care of yourselves..

Cheers;

This macro is not edible...

 ... unless you're a bug.

I kept meaning to post these pictures, but I've been squirreled into other things. Once you open up too many tabs on your browser, you keep going into random rabbit holes. 

My mother bought a dozen roses for herself on Valentine's Day, because they were on a flash sale at Publix. She loves randomly buying flowers and putting them out for an extra punch of color in our living room. 

These roses, which I don't have a picture of, are water suckers. Every day my mother has had to add more and more water to the vase, as weirdly enough, the water disappears over night. This routine has lasted long enough, that she cut the stems to a manageable size and has them in a smaller container.

It also has limited how quickly they die off. 

The one who drew the first "time to go!" straw, was a multi colored light magenta and light orange rose. Sounds like an odd color combination, but it was actually really pretty. All the roses have this tie dye effect going on, especially as they're wilting and dying. 

Case in point, the one we noticed go first:

All the photos were taken on an iPhone 11 with the internal zoom feature. 

It's not a macro photo I'd prefer, as I do have kits for my Canon DLSR. 

My mother wanted to move the roses at this point, and get them into another vase. So I couldn't start taking out everything to put together. I had my phone with me and thought it would be easier to try to capture what I could.

Again, they're not wonderful, but they're also not junk. It's blurry in parts I would have wanted clear, clear in parts I would have wanted blurry. It's an experience; a lesson learned that next time I go get my big camera. 

The more I look at them, the more I feel I could have done better. I mean, you can definitely see the little leaf veins in a couple photos, really clearly. I would have hoped the closeness of the phone would have picked up other things within the frame, when I tried to touch focus on another corner. That ended up being a blurry one. Sometimes smart technology thinks it's smarter than you and chooses what to do by itself. 

Or, it's another thing I need to learn to do and work on with cameras. But do I really want to start using my iPhone as my main photo taking contraption? Not really. This is why I still have issues with my Canon. I'm lazy; I don't carry the DSLR everywhere anymore. It was so easy with a point and shoot, because it was small and had a little carrying case. The DSLR has attachments and accessories.. you literally need a diaper bag some days to carry everything. Conversely, our smart devices (phones) are always in our pockets and are quick to take photos on the fly when we need to. So we get accustomed to it. 

If the big directors can shoot an entire movie in 4K on an iPhone, something is okay with it? I don't know; I haven't tested that theory yet. I'm still limiting myself to what I do, as proven with my last round of videos and now these photos. 

Until I can sort it out even further, have a great Sunday! 

Cheers;

I still can't believe...

... I went to the Alice Cooper concert, and walked away from it with a t-shirt, videos and no crazy scars. My ears feel alright; they were fine when I woke up the next morning, so normal hearing loss still intact. 😳

The fact that it's been eight days and I'm still like, "what did I see?? It's already been a week??" is out of this world. 

I had a general idea of what I was getting in to when I bought the ticket in October, but I didn't completely know what was going to happen. Just like I had an idea of the age range of the fans (yes, I profiled), and lo and behold, the years of watching police crime and drama shows paid off. My theory was correct on the people I'd see. It doesn't hurt that I had an idea of what to expect, but wasn't completely understanding since I had never seen any footage of Alice perform. I went in to this only knowing a real short handful of songs and knowledge of what he would attempt to do. In the end, you learn by trial and error. 

It doesn't help my case by saying I probably should stop over thinking what I'm going to do or see at any time. Even though what I find myself getting in to, usually can sometimes end up being a grand sociology experiment. I can't help trying to figure it out beforehand; it's oddly intriguing and it's interesting to see how close (or far away) to correct I am.

For "as old" as the crowd was, you don't want to know how the majority of the sing-a-longs had the voices coming from the first 10 rows of the packed house. The sounds I heard (outside the band) were the various people attempting to sing, and they were raised equal to, and high above, Cooper's in a couple instances. It seemed to come primarily from in front of me since no one next to me looked totally enthralled to be there (the exception was the 4 guys in front of me). The people around me were more about staying still and quiet, taking videos, rather than really getting up and enjoying themselves. The man to my right, especially, sat for a little over an hour and looked like he was totally lost. In the beginning, his female friends looked like they knew what was about to go down more than he did. 

I know voices carry, so it was probably more like the first 20 rows in front of me were having a blast, but again, there were dead spots that I could pick up over the music. I have hearing issues as it is and I can kind of differentiate some sounds better than other sounds. I could be wrong with what I heard, but I was more invested in the whole event than trying to figure out where the acoustics were crapping out (not that I haven't done that before... people hate when I watch TV with them because I point out the bad stuff).  

Hearing the crowd all sing (kind of in unison, which is funny in itself) with Alice was a good thing and a bad thing because they all knew the music and I only knew a handful of it. There was a point in the concert where the guys in front of me were having a (loud, to hear each other) conversation and the one wearing the "Ozark Musical Festival" shirt said to his buddy, "I love this song!!", and I stood there thinking to myself, "I don't know this song!". 😩

To keep the audience guessing and on their toes, there were instances when a confetti cannon would go off into the crowd.

For real; of all things not to expect, it's confetti shooting at you from the stage of an Alice Cooper concert. 

When you think things can't get more strangely weird (I mean, come on... snakes, guillotines, beheadings... in this day and age???), the last song of the main set, "School's Out" (track 1 from the same titled album, School's Out) was played. It started normally and then all of a sudden, those giant "palooza" style inflatable balls came out for the audience to not only hit around, but also was used for Alice to explode more confetti onto everyone. The show truly went from a dark vaudevillian event to a happy (but could be scary depending on your mindset) trippy hippy show in 89 minutes. 

What the crazy?! 

If you wait about 45 seconds in to the video, the balls show up. 

I know this video doesn't start with the beginning of School's Out because I did this accidentally intentially. During my last post about the concert, I ended that video with the first minute and a half of the song. However, this version ends with a surprise mix: a couple verses of Pink Floyd's Another Brick In The Wall part 2 (track 5 from The Wall). What I don't include here is when the song goes back into the last refrain of School's Out before the concert ends and Alice comes back for the encore (Feed My Frankenstein). 

The more I think about it, this may be one of the videos where I didn't have people completely in the way, so I was able to get a solid few minutes of the entire band. I only wish I didn't have to rely on total zoom the whole time, because it's blocky and pixelated and doesn't look pretty (in my opinion). 

Like I said in the previous post, "short people problem". 

Overall, mind... blown.

Still.

Thought I'd share a little more. 

Until the next update, stay trippy. 

Cheers;

See Also

* Video shot on an iPhone 11

* Video edited in Pinnacle Studio