The decision has been confirmed (tech talk)

 I decided to two things: 

One: Go ahead and try the Apple USB-C to USB Adapter again.

Two: Attempt to purchase a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter dongle. 

Both purchases were done through Target instead of Amazon because I happened to be in the Bullseye store for something completely different, on completely separate days.

Conversation about the first purchase...

In store, the Apple USB-C to USB Adapter was ninety-nine cents more than what is currently listed on the A to Z retailer. Target had the adapter for $19.99, where Amazon has it as $19; before tax and potential shipping (if you're ordering online and there's a delivery fee). These prices could change, due to business needs; so don't quote me for a correction in six months. 

While in the store, I did ask the electronics employee if I could open the box and try it out. I wasn't about to go home, have it not work, and then drive back to return the device. Unfortunately, she stated I would have to buy it first, as store policy states that customers can't arbitrarily open boxes to test things or check out what is actually in the box. It is a profit and loss situation; leads to potential thievery, etc. However, if I were to purchase the adapter, stand at the desk with her, try it out, I can immediately return it and get my money back; no re-shelving fee included if it didn't work. 

I thought about it for a minute because it did seem wasteful but it made sense because it was saving me from running back and it was also saving them from having to explain to leadership what was going on. Therefore, I purchased the adapter. I was smart enough to bring a thumb drive with me in the event this were to happen. 

After struggling with the USB end of the adapter for a few minutes, my phone saw the drive. It was the weirdest thing because the Lightning version I had was so much easier - there wasn't any stiffness to the port like this one had. I was worried that it wasn't going to work, as the thumb drive wasn't immediately recognized by my phone. It turns out, I didn't push the drive in far enough into the adapter, so there was no connection between the two pieces. Which is why there was a stiffness - it was as if the USB end of the adapter is made a hair smaller on the inside, making it tough to push the drive all the way in. It does feel like it's connected when you first put it together, but when the phone didn't immediately recognize the drive, something was faulty.

This very well could have been my issue from the original one I purchased a few months ago on Amazon - I didn't get the two things to talk to each other because they weren't fully connected. 

Once I saw my thumb drive and was able to move some files around via the Files app, I immensely thanked the employee for her patience and helping me out, because she too, was in awe of why it originally wasn't working. She had started looking online for answers as I stood there trying to figure out what my next move was, while wiggling everything to make sure there wasn't any short. 

It still works now, and I have actually gone back to Target and bought a second adapter, to keep in another back because I did in fact need it another day and didn't have the first one. 

Win for the first piece of tech!

Now on to the conversation about the second purchase...

This post is not brought to you by Target, but it sure feels like it. 

I was in Target this week for some browsing in various departments and walked through electronics, yet again, just to see what was on clearance. I was actually making my way to the music section because I like trolling through the vinyl.

I started in the headphone section, which is the first part of the department from where I was in the store. Looking at the sales, they've shockingly got Shokz Open Run headphones in Lavender on clearance (No pun intended). The retail price for the headband type is $129.99 and the clearance tag read $64.99.

I'm attaching a picture because when I saw it, I was surprised it was already at a fifty percent discount. I don't know why, and I also can't find the lavender one on Amazon for the initial price tag because it may be a Target exclusive. Scratch that: a quick search says it's potentially a seasonal color, which possibly explains the price reduction and Amazon doesn't have it in stock at the moment.

 

Side quest: My mom took the photo to show to her brother because he had purchased a pair back in January and if his Target had the same deal, he could go and buy another one for himself or for his kids. My uncle wanted me to have a pair because "it's a game changer".  

After many a text back and forth, I had to keep insisting I wasn't interested in it, even for that low price. It does me no good because I still need to stop the audio to speak / listen to someone in front of me. If all I'm doing is making phone calls, I have other headsets that can do the same, for as much the may make me sound like "Mumbles Menino" (IYKYK 😅😆). If it's for safety reasons, it still does me no good due to my hearing challenges anyway. I'm going to have a hard enough time focusing on things if I have to struggle to listen in my one good ear. I'm not out playing in traffic when I'm using the headphones; I'm usually in the gym. When we go travel to Sarasota or if I ever get to go on a plane again, these open ear headphones won't help me since I'll still be able to hear my surroundings. It'll bleed into what I'm listening to and be a major distraction, defeating the purpose of what I'm personally listening to. 

As it is, when the fire alarms (or other big blaring alarms) go off, I need to immediately put my over the ear headphones on and either figure out how to shut the alarm off, or wait until someone else can do it. I can't deal with the noise; it hurts my head, the shrill. Same goes when my mother tries to open her rusting ironing board. The way the pieces rub together, they need to be oiled; it's like fingernails on a chalkboard. If I were to put on these bone conducting headphones, I'm still going to hear the sound that bothers me. I need the full wrapped ear phones in order to block the noise. 

No one understands that and it's not worth the continual conversation. 

As everyone is different, this is my issue, not yours or anyone else's. If you want to invest in safety and precautions and be part of the "in crowd", definitely look into the Shokz bone conducting headphones. My uncle and other people rave about them, and even when my mother tested them in the store, she was completely aghast and amazed due to the high quality of the sounds protruding out of the little speakers. She was ready to buy a few of them, but she doesn't use headphones herself, and I had to cause a small scene in the store to get her to not buy me a pair. 

On to what I really did...

I ended up buying a JLab USB-C to 3.5mm Headphone Adapter Dongle, so I can plug my regular headphones in when I need them. 

For $4.99 in Target, they're two cents less than Amazon ($4.97). It's a good deal because Jlab is a big enough brand name, that I trust them. I've got a pair of the Jbuds Air Sport (can also be called Go Sport, it seems) headphones as well as the Jbuddies over the ear headphones. Both have worked great, however, the sports are now at the "they're aging" point: they're losing their charge after 90 minutes. They will charge up to 90% but then once I start using them, the power degrades and by the 120 minute mark, they're down to 20%, sometimes a little less. I've had them for about 6 years or so, so I've definitely got a great worth out of them. I've yet to upgrade to a different Bluetooth in ear set because sometimes if I leave them in for long periods of time, I've got ear / hearing issues that last a day or so. Which is why the over the ear cans work out better for me. 

With the new adapter, I'm thrilled because now I can use my clunky wired headphones again and be able to not have them laying around the house unused. Actually, I use them with my Roku remote because there's a line in for that (I'm using a Roku 3, which is long discontinued now. It's considered a "legacy device" at this point. It's still functional though). 

I haven't made a phone call yet with the adapter (I have wired headphones that are also calling headphones) but when I tried to make a video and spoke over the visuals, it seemed to record fine. Podcasts are playing well through the adapter and I've not had to fiddle with settings as of yet. I'm sure I'll do some changing if I listen to music, but for now, the $4.99 was well worth the investment. Just got to be careful not to lose the cord!

#Winning! 

That's about it for now. Hopefully everything remains good and works. If something happens, I'll do an update, but for now, let's get this thing to remain positive. 

Stay cool and dry this week. It's going to be another scorcher. The Europeans are still baking in the humidity and there was a winter weather warning in a few places in the US the other day. Snow in June??? Da fuq?? Wherever you are, stay vigilant and stay safe!

Cheers;

See also (aka links to Amazon):

• Apple USB-C to USB Adapter
  
• JLab USB-C to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter dongle
  
• SHOKZ OpenRun with USB-C Charging,Bone Conduction, Open-Ear Headphones, for Running & Workout - Blue
  
• SHOKZ storefront
  
• JLab Storefront
  

Just some random clouds...

It's been a week of high humidity here - 100 to 110 degrees and it's been tough to want to do things outside. 

News this morning said there's a massive heat wave going through parts of Europe as well. I've checked in with my friend Rachael, who lives in England, and so far she's okay, because she was recently visiting another part of the country so she didn't feel the effects of the heat in London. I'm sure she will be fine, but I know they're not used to it. I remember when I went to visit her in 2009, it happened to be one of those weeks where they had randomly high heat, but to me, it wasn't that bad. Considering I've since moved to Florida, there's definitely a difference in region and climate. 

It stands true when Rachael said to me today, "[T]he humidity makes it worse due to the 'wet bulb'. In other countries it regularly gets that hot but they are better set up for it". She's right; other areas of the world are used to the heat and humidity, and it all depends on where you are - there are places where it's a dry climate, so 115° isn't as sticky and drippy as it would be in the tropics (for US readers, think of Las Vegas dry versus Louisiana bayous wet). 

Before I started this post, I looked at the Weather Channel App on my phone and it was already 86° and felt like 90. I'm sure by the time I'm done writing, it'll be higher, as this time yesterday, it was already nearing the "feels like 100". 

Last night I had to get something out of my car and the sun setting was giving the clouds such an interesting share of salmon colored pinks and bee colored yellows. I wish my phone picked it all up better, because it was very apocalyptic outside. 

The pictures don't pick up everything, but the cloud coverage was strange in the fact there are some small swoops going on. Like bubbling on the outer edge of the flatter areas. I'm no meteorologist, so I don't have the vernacular to explain everything in detail. I just thought the color of the sky and surroundings, mixed with the way the clouds were forming, it was interesting. 

Maybe it's due to all the warmth we've been getting lately, that the sunsets are so different. Go ahead and call me weird. At least we haven't had a named storm yet, as we're officially 23 days into season. Let's keep it this way, even though some of us are a little hesitant to bring it up, as we don't want to risk a jinx on our heads... 

That's about it for now. I've got to get some stuff done early this morning before it gets hotter out, so I'll check in another time. Hopefully the temperature doesn't go past 105 today.. 

Take care of yourselves and totally get some water in you!

Cheers;

Happy Birthday, "Eddie" if you're still reading these posts...

See Also

* Have you read Rachael's book yet? Sangre De Toro

* The Weather Channel App via Amazon

* It's Prime Day with sales... are you buying?? 

Weight until you see it | Big Brother is watching you

I was out of town over the weekend (okay, I was in Sarasota; it was Monday to Wednesday), and went to the gym in the community I was staying in. 

As it is, this community has expensive houses because it's got a golf course and a couple restaurants. Actually, there's a small pop up bar type of restaurant and a new sit down restaurant. The pop up bar is by the giant pool. There's also a coffee bar and salon - both nails, hair and body (massage). 

This is where the gym comes in. 

The gym isn't exponentially huge, but there are enough machines that you have a grand choice of what to work out on. Treadmills, stair steppers, elliptical, bikes, weights.. the list goes on and they're the Technogym models to boot. There's another room for classes, unless you want to go in and do your own aerobic workout. 

The Technogym stuff is not like what we have in my community gym. The ones I was using this week are the upgraded models - more access to apps on the screens, safety lights on the handrails of the treadmills... there's a whole list of features and I can't link to the brand on Amazon since they don't carry the name (I'll link to the models I think I used from the actual website instead).

Although, just using the keyword "Technogym" brought up other types of equipment, as seen here.

Just to cite a price example, Technogym is thousands of dollars more than a Nordictrack or Peloton. We're talking over 10 grand as a starting point, where as other big names start between 800 and 1,000 dollars, working their way up to five thousand (or more.. which are combination platters - cross training type machines). 

From the Technogym website, this may be the treadmill:

It looks like it is the "Excite+ Run Live 22 9000" and the base model starts at $20,470.  Multiple that times 4, because that's how many treadmills this place had. The base model of this particular treadmill starts at $10, 640 ("Excite+ Run Connect 300"). 

The "Technogym Ride" ($7,300) (x2), "Bike Personal" ($12,300) (x1) and "Artis Recline" ($14,260) (x2) were spread out in the gym, so they weren't a straight line of bikes. 

Technogym Ride

Bike Personal

Artis Recline

The gym doesn't allow cell phone use to take pictures, or I would have gotten the exact versions used. This is a nice rule and I wish my gym enforced it because too many kids are using my gym and taking selfies and doing other stupid photo stuff; it's awkward and that's why a kid fell off a treadmill two weeks ago and slammed against the wall - they were messing around (on FaceTime) and did something stupid. 

Anyway, I could go on and list every single machine I saw at this other gym, but there are too many and it's too costly. As the items listed shows, it's probably more economical to purchase other name brands for your home gym, if you want to go that route. Or, just pay an annual fee for the local establishment (Gold's, Planet Fitness, Crunch, etc) and know you don't have to shell out several large car payments in order to lose weight. In the end, yes, it's nice to have the machines in your own house, but is a single eighteen thousand dollar multi gym pulley system worth it? You literally could have several years at a "normal" gym with added benefits (juice bar, workout coach) for that price. But to each their own. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

One thing I did notice, however, in this community gym, is they have an interesting hybrid analog digital bathroom scale in the changing room. 

Forget the fact the bathroom is so grandiose, that there are plenty toilet stalls, lockers, showers (with full body wash, shampoo and conditioner bottles, plus the double shower heads - handheld and rain), towels for the shower (and there were towels for the sweating people in the gym), nice hand lotion, hand soap and hand sanitizer at the sinks, but the scale had a "wtf is this??" moment. 

It's an Eilison "Highly Advance 2-in-1 Digital & Analog Weighing Scale", and obviously well used since it definitely needed to be cleaned.

I did mask myself out of the picture, at least a little bit, but I did not get a photo of it turned on. The LCD screen lights up blue with white numbers, telling you how much you weigh. The analog dials also light up white with the same blue background. 

I think, because the Amazon pictures show white background light and blue foreground. I honestly don't remember because I only stepped on it for a brief second. 

I thought this was a good little contraption because it not only shows you on the dial, but it reads it out as well, just in case you couldn't make out where the arm was leaning to on the numbers. You're able to get a solid number instead of questioning exactly how much you weigh. 

The scale did seem solid and I would be tempted to get one, if we didn't already have a Weight Watchers digital scale in the house. At $59.99, it might be worth the price, because it doesn't leave room for error. Digital scales are nice these days, truth be told. This one looked well used, as again, it needs to be wiped down. But, if that means people are using it, then it's got to be good. How often do you see people randomly stepping on a scale anyway? 

Switching gears, my mother got a text from Hotwire this morning. 

This tech is so savvy, it knows when our boxes are breaking.

I don't know if we should be worried, scared, or hole up and disappear. 

Maybe all of the above?

Considering one time when the remotes weren't pairing or working correctly, we called Hotwire and they said to shut everything completely off. Put the remote face down on the cable box, but unplug the box as well. They're going to send a refresh signal to the devices and the remotes will work once it is complete. When they told us to plug everything back in and turn it all back on, the remotes worked, strangely enough. I don't know what kind of voodoo they did (*giggles* *squirrel*), but everything was matching. Even after changing batteries and moving things around. There's truly some outer worldly things going on with this company, and it's strange as hell. 

However, if the text and message are true, this time next week, a package should be at our door and I'm going to need to hook everything up. I wonder what I've got to do with the old wires, as it doesn't really say... 😒

All I know is it's time for me to figure out what I need to get accomplished for today.

Until I get work out the crazy... stay cool, hydrated and safe. It hit 110° with humidity here yesterday and we're on track for it to repeat itself today.

Cheers;

Shakey shakey

(Earth) Science!

My mom and I were watching television (2pm) and she wanted to go get something to drink from the kitchen. As she was putting the lounger back down from our couch (we have a reclining sofa), the couch started to slightly shake.

We both looked at each other and was like "earthquake? No. New couch breaking already? Hopefully not". We didn't think anything of it, even though there was nothing really moving around and really wasn't all too noticeable of a movement to begin with. Almost like baby shaking.. the kind of steady movement you quickly feel when a car passes by you on the road or construction in the neighborhood.

Totally not a shake that makes you wonder the seriousness of it.  

About an hour later, our North Dakota snowbird neighbors texted us - "Are you guys okay? Did you feel the earthquake?" We looked at each other and was like "What?? For real?" so we both texted back that we didn't think it was true, but thought something had gone on. We thought it was the couch or traffic or something else. Completely unaware that it was a for real thing. 

Come to find out, it was residuals from a 6.1 earthquake off the western coast of Cuba. The tremors were felt in various places in Florida, including cities in Lee County (me), Orlando and spots on the East Coast. 

According to various sites, including the United States Geological Survey, the 6.1 magnitude quake hit 104 km WNW of Mantua, Cuba. Which is why parts of Florida received some of the effects. 

Right now there are no signs of tsunamis - no warnings or anything, but a few high rises needed to be evacuated for safety reasons. 

It's the weirdest thing because it's been over 90° every day this week and hit 101° today due to humidity. rain needs to come, but instead a little quake knocked on our door. 

The news said there were some high rises downtown that evacuated for safety reasons until security figured out what was going on. Some viral reports on other sites were showing people in Hollywood, Florida and their home water cooler was shaking. That owner said "it was almost an hour" but I don't know; it seemed like two minutes for us. I think the Southwest corridor is closer to Mantua than Hollywood is. But it could also be the way things sprawled out, if Saint Petersburg also got a little aftershock; they're a little over 2 hours north of me. 

I'm going to add some screen caps, and the links to the articles are listed below. 

USA Today, 8 June 2026

WINK News, 8 June 2026

According to Wink's 3pm newscast, an earthquake hasn't been felt in Florida (or this area) since 2006.

Wink News 3pm news cast. Taken on my iPhone. 8 June 2026

We weren't even here for that. I don't even know what job I had in 2006 when it would have happened, but it would have been in Massachusetts. 

I think the last earthquake I remember noticing, I was under 8 years old. It was mid day, maybe? Or early evening? I don't recall fully, but I was real little and at that time too, I was watching television in my parent's room because I wanted to see a specific show. The room shook some. Not enough to move anything, but enough my little pea brain didn't know what was going on. My mom said she didn't didn't notice it and my dad was at work. There wasn't any other quake in MA that we got for me to compare this to. 

CiberCuba has an article stating "The National Center for Seismological Research (CENAIS) of Cuba adjusted the magnitude to 6.2 Mw and located the epicenter 142 km northwest of Minas de Matahambre, in the province of Pinar del Río, at a depth of 20 km". 

CiberCuba screen grab

The article went on to quote a local meteorologist, Matt Devitt. He had been working at Wink before the station reorganized, and he's one of the good guys that got everyone through a lot of bad juju down here. Devitt stated this was "the second largest earthquake ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico", which goes with what his former employer stated in the screen cap I took with my phone. 

It feels like the Earth is upset with the sentient beings inhabiting the soil right now. Between flash flooding, random high heat in places that aren't usually so humid at this time of year, cold still happening in places it should be warming up, earthquakes in areas you're not expecting.. there are things going on we aren't in control of. 

As my friend Cathy said, some "scary shit" is happened. Emi (in Orlando) said that a neighbor texted her asking if she and her boyfriend felt the apartment building shake, and both of them said no; they had no clue what the neighbor was talking about. I said that she probably figured it was normal amusement park stuff (they live central to the Mouse House and competition). She said, if anything, they would have thought it was construction stuff. Erica (in the Keys) didn't notice the movement either. She's usually spending her days at work, which is in and on the water. She wasn't working today, so she said she'll ask some cohorts later, as they're doing a DnD thing tonight.

It's so strange how news travels and what people know. My mom's local friends had no idea we had an earthquake, yet, a snowbird neighbor had to text us. We felt it but thought it was something different. Reports are saying similar things; the people felt a shake but didn't know what it was. They shrugged it off like it was a glitch in the matrix. 

I don't even know how to explain any and every thing. I keep seeing news clips about crazy weather in random spots and the more unusual it is, the more I'm reminded of the science fiction movies in the early 2000s. The ones where we were being warned but laughed them off because it wouldn't happen in our lifetime. Even watching the documentary style television shows that show you life after we leave.. what would happen to the grounds we walk on.. so unbelievable in one respect but true in another. 

Without raising a lot of questions or flags, I'm going to leave the tin foil hat just slightly bent and stop talking about things that could go sideways. I wanted to post about the earthquake Cuba had and was felt in Fort Myers and tell my friends that things are okay! 

Until something else surprises us, go learn something new.

Cheers;

See also

• Cervantes Jr., Fernando. "6.1 magnitude earthquake reported off the western coast of Cuba". USA Today, 8 June 2026, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/06/08/cuba-earthquake-magnitude-tsunami/90461901007/. Accessed 8 June 2026
• Hayden, Oceana. "Shaking felt across SWFL after 6.1 magnitude earthquake near Cuba". WINK News, 8 June 2026, https://www.winknews.com/news/6-1-magnitude-earthquake-reported-near-cuba-shaking-felt-across-swfl/article_4012f53d-a250-4792-a019-0392ceb81402.html. Accessed 8 June 2026
• CiberCuba Editorial Team. "Strong earthquake off Cuba felt in Miami and other areas of Florida". CiberCuba. 8 June 2026, https://en.cibercuba.com/noticias/2026-06-08-u1-e135253-s27061-nid331628-fuerte-sismo-frente-cuba-siente-miami-otras-zonas. Accessed 8 June 2026.
• I googled "fort myers earthquake june 8 2026" to get the links and articles

Sci-Fi movies and shows via Amazon

• The Day After Tomorrow
  
• 2012
  
• Life After People
  

What makes the drink "dirty"?

.. and why is it different from other flavored drinks?

It seems like an "all the rage" thing the last few months have been "dirty" drinks: 

Dirty Soda

Dirty Coffee

Dirty Tea (or not)

Dirty martinis (/liquor. This is pre-dating me. So let's scratch that)

I've had a dirty soda from a recently opened chain restaurant that specializes in the product. The place is called Swig and they're seemingly popular among young adults and certain mid west states. 

I'm not completely knowledgeable about the history of Swig, but online research says it was brought out of a need for something to have in the LDS (Latter Day Saints) / Mormon culture since the members abstain from consuming certain foods / liquids. They wanted to have something where they could stay within their restrictive diets but still feel part of a crowd or have something differently cool. They started mixing creamers in soda instead in lieu of creak in coffee due to java being one of those "no-nos". This crazy science experiment exploded out a new type of drink. 

This again, is just something I quickly looked up and very briefly summarized. I don't want to offend anyone by writing a list of reasons for the start of the brand, nor do I want to get anything wrong. I know very little about the lifestyle, even after working with someone who had left the faith and had a lot of bad things to say about her time in it. So I'm just going to leave it at that. 

It's not to say I didn't want to try the excitement. While it's true I've mixed stuff in my drinks before and had my own weird outcomes, actually ordering and paying for this out in the wild is totally a different beast. 

I have tried Swig three times since the store opened. Each time I got something different. Honestly, it's nothing to write home about; I don't know what the hype is. Someone, somewhere decided to mix some lactose with Dr. Pepper, add some fruit puree and sell it to the masses. 

Which is why I'm honestly wondering what the difference between this and a regular "Cherry Pepsi" is. The big name companies are already producing flavored products and people are buying it. What makes adding fruit puree or creamer to the drink a new thing? It's a quick fad, at best, but adding a lime or lemon to the Vanilla Coke has been around for decades. This is not really new; or is it a TikTok trend that someone forgot to say it's too viral to forget? I don't know; I'm seriously wondering this. I mean, it's interesting as hell because so many people have created other things from the dirty soda concept, and I would like to know "why". 

Why is Dunkin' Donuts now selling "Dirty Coffee"? I've seen so many YouTube videos about it over the last two weeks - the making of the drink and what it tastes like. The reviews are mixed, but I've seen more negative than positive comments about it. Including conversations about the price, the taste and how it's not real coffee. Some Dunkies workers have made videos to show exactly how it's created: in whatever size it's ordered in (medium is the standard?) there's ice, Dunkin's proprietary blend of coffee milk (which, in general, is a dairy-based drink made by mixing coffee syrup with milk), Pepsi (yup, the brands are collaborating) and Dunkin's proprietary cold foam (which comes in an aluminum / aerosol nozzle can - imagine a can of Reddi-Wip). All this for an energetically carbonated coffee pick me up. 

After seeing the videos, I have to say, this is one thing I won't be trying. It looks gross. I like milk, I like coffee, I like Pepsi (although growing up, we were a Coke household). I'm not going to attempt to mix any of them together to create some Frankenstein drink because there is nothing else to drink. Plus, if there's no actual coffee in the cup, why bother? 

(Sugar. That's why)

Yes, I know the concept of coffee milk, but I'd like actual coffee in my glass with the opportunity to add whatever type of dairy I'd like (creamer, milk, etc). Cold foam addition is nice, but not something I go out of my way for. Where I'm not an added sugar / sweetener person (anymore), I don't like putting in extra stuff in my drink. As it is, an "iced, regular" at Dunkies has the ability to be chewed. There is enough sugar on the bottom of the cup, that you've got a snack to go with your drink. Plus, once the cold foam starts liquefying in the cup, it becomes too white - super sweetened cream meets dairy cream. 

I'm by no means saying this product is no good, since it's out there for a reason. Maybe some YouTubers are right in saying it's a cash grab, but maybe others are right in saying it's a mainstay for a few minutes. It is something different for sure. But overall (in general), what happened to a coffee chain selling coffee? 

I miss Honey Dew Donuts for their over sugared flavored coffee. I didn't get Mary Lou's much, so Honey Dew was a bomb alternative to Dunkies... besides Cumby's random 99¢ any size. 😋

I'm not going to lie: I did try my hand last night at making my own dirty soda. 

Try some, buy some...?

I had some A&W Zero Sugar Root Beer, Horizon's Home Style Vanilla Creamer and some Torani Sugar Free Caramel syrup (small bottle. It was BOGO last month). Putting the root beer in a tall glass, I then added a shot of the syrup and creamer. The dairy fizzed with the carbonation real quick. But once that foam cooled down, I tried it. 

Holy cow... it was like drinking a root beer float. Due to all the flavors, there was no way this tasted sugar free. I know there's sugar in the creamer, so maybe that was cancelling out the other two products, but wow. This was good. It tasted like dessert. 

WooHooooOoo....

I really couldn't believe it. Even without ice, the drink acted like I had vanilla ice cream in it, due to the way the creamer reacted to the carbonation. It fizzed and foamed and almost went over the rim of the glass. Like a real after dinner spectacle treat. 

Yet there was no scoop of anything in it; just liquids.

It was like being back in middle school watching the kids at the fair make their volcanos rise up and smoke, but still stay really calm at the same time. There's some sort of magic with it.

(Fat kid getting excited over food. Nothing to see here. Keep moving)

Now I have to ask myself: Would I make a habit out of making this? 

No, because I don't want to have too much (unnecessary) dairy every day. 

If I can help it, at least. 

I have my morning coffee with cream. This past week, I've been using the Planet Oat brand oat milk in my smoothies. If I end up having a cup of coffee in the afternoon, I'm using creamer again. Or, if I'm having a cup of Teeccino tea (I'm currently drinking the Snickerdoodle flavor), I'm using creamer in that. By supper, if I'm drinking a cola product, I don't want another shot of diary in my drink. 

All these "ifs"! 

It actually becomes too much and I'm trying to limit my intake for health reasons (not that what I'm already doing is so healthy.. I know it's all bad for me). I also don't drink cola products every day. Maybe a couple times a week. I've been drinking various sparkling waters or just plain water, even though most time it's the former. 

Therefore, it was a valid attempt to take an idea I've seen around town and online and try it myself. I had the tools to get it done and I'd probably stick to buying regularly branded (or pre mixed / made) products. It's easier than worrying about keeping a pantry full of add-ins and add-ons, expiration dates, refrigeration, etc. Just buy a six pack of flavored cola and call it a day. While you're at it, buy some limes and lemons. Maybe a small container of maraschino cherries if you want the sugared version - drop one or two in the drink when you get Cherry Coke. Saved you an extra dollar, I did. It'll go a long way. 

I've kind of squirreled my way around this post and all my links below are for things I've mentioned. I get commission on things purchased on Amazon and if I link to an outside company, like Teeccino, I receive a credit on my own account for future purchases if there is a purchase made by the person clicking the link. It's easy enough and we all win from it. The Amazon links are for purchases or references or all of the above; suggestions and opinions. 

You do you. 

Think about what's popped up on your socials lately.. have you seen any ads for dirty drinks? What are your thoughts? Try it? Don't try it? Worth setting up a kitchen lab yourself and making your own concoction? You never know what you'll (literally) cook up unless you get an idea... 

Now go out and make some yummy magic. 

Cheers;

See Also

• Please note that with the perishable food stuff, Amazon and Whole Foods are working together to get it delivered. 
• The Horizon creamer is only available in Caramel flavoring, and has a $13.95 delivery fee on top of the $6.99 creamer price. This price is for a single carton too. If you want to check it out, here is the link but I suggest going to a normal grocery store to pick it up. If you have a Whole Foods and that's your jam, by all means, check their stock too. 
• The Planet Oat Milk I'm using is not a Whole Foods delivered item, but it is a refrigerated item. There is a $12.99 delivery fee on top of the $4.25 cost of the single carton. 
• There is a shelf stable version for $3.99 with no added delivery fee, as it isn't currently in a cooler. 
• Amazon has cans of A&W Zero Sugar Root Beer for $8.39 for a pack of 12. It's roughly the same cost as the grocery store. 
• Amazon has a 4 bottle variety pack of the Torani Sugar Free Syrups. It looks like it could be a good price at $31.88 because it comes down to $7.97 a bottle. They're the 25.4 ounce bottles too, so this is comparable to retail stores, as I've seen it between $8 and $10 a bottle. 
• "Try Some, Buy Some" and "WoooHoooo" comes from the George Harrison track "Try Some, Buy Some". It's on the 1973 album, "Living in the Material World"
• The Teeccino storefront on Amazon has most of the flavors. There's also the branded website has discounts or freebies if my referral link is clicked and an order is placed. But also, there's a weekly email blast with recipes that sound pretty stellar. 

Let's talk this one through...

I was telling a co-worker on Thursday about the Good Omens purchase and how I got a bad cover. 

I had shown him what I received and what Amazon was selling; how people were getting the non Crowley cover even though the character is clearly supposed to be there. 

My co-worker said I need to contact Amazon and see how they can fix this. I ordered the book with a character and I didn't receive what was paid for and advertised. I told him that I'm okay with this, although I'm bummed there isn't a character on it, it makes the novel a little eccentric. He said that that's not the point. It's misleading, especially where Amazon is the one who sold it to me.

I thought about it through out the day and I guess it bothered me enough, that I ended up doing a chat with Customer Service. 

What started out as "I wanted to tell someone how I received a poor quality cover of a book", turned into "We're starting a return for you and you'll get a replacement for it"; all in the span of forty five minutes. My co-worker helping me with things to say, kept saying "I'm getting aggravated for you because of this". 

Let me backtrack a little with the conversation.

I had started off by saying "I am not looking to return the book, but I wanted to make a comment about receiving the Good Omens paperback with white cover. Part of the graphics are missing on it. I know “covers may vary” (you receive either the black cover or white cover. Both have different character) and the white one I received is missing the character. It has only the title, author and a splash of tiny color; the main character is missing from the center of the cover". 

The associate apologized for the issue and they would help me with this. 

At this point in time, I said "it may be a quality control thing as the whole book looks okay. Just the cover is missing information". 

They again apologized for it, and offered me a promo credit. I asked if they could also send a corrected copy (at no charge) but they said that was not possible. 

Considering there are other people who have reviewed this book and stated they received the non Crowley cover, I really wanted to make sure this would no longer be a problem on future orders. 

I didn't make that last comment, but the response I received for asking for a corrected copy was "you can re-order the book". I asked if there was any guarantee that I'd get the cover as advertised and the answer was "I will take this as a feedback and escalate it on high priority to the concerned department and make sure necessary actions are taken on this and you do not face this situation again.

Be assured that this will not repeat again". 

~NOTE the last line: "Be assured that this will not repeat again"~

I asked if there was an expiry date on the promo and they informed me I have one year to use it. 

As I didn't get a full answer about the guarantee over re-ordering the book, they instead handed my concern to a "lead". This would be associate number two of the chat. 

Once I confirmed the purchase with the second agent, I started again with what the problem was - there's a lack of quality control over the printing and I wanted a guarantee that should I re-order the book, it would arrive as promised. 

This triggered a "return" and "damage" on their end, so the next part of the conversation was the agent informing me they want (/need / etc) to start the process of having me return this copy and get a replacement sent out, unless I wanted a refund. But I'd need to return the book. 

I asked again, what the guarantee was of getting the correct version if I'm sending this one back and getting a new one. I wasn't interested in sending it back (to begin with) if only to get the same no character cover. 

This agent couldn't help me further, and switched me to another person. I immediately started the conversation with "I was offered a promo credit and would like to accept that, please".

Unfortunately, the answer I got from that was "I have escalated your feedback and can help you with a return label". No acknowledgement of the credit.

The agent insisted on creating a return label, to which every mention of this, my co-worker was getting angrier because he wanted me to see this through and hoped Amazon would help me. 

Keep in mind, I'm not trying to swindle, screw or bash the company (as much as it may seem like I am, at least in the latter). I am writing this out now, in my blog, to let other readers know that these things can happen. You have to choose how you want to contact the company and decide what your end game is. I wanted them to be aware that they need to have better eyes on what they ship out, if people are getting things that are falsely advertised. 

Back to the conversation with the third agent.

They kept insisting on creating a return label when I asked about that promo credit. I was told that I was "given incorrect information. Unfortunately, we don't have the option or authorize to issue any compensation or promo credits.I hope you understand my limitations". 

Because this was a completely different department I was dealing with, I missed my chance on getting the credit. I had no other choice now but to return the book.

The agent had continued the conversation by starting "While I genuinely wish to help you, I'm unable to make an exception to our return policy. The return of the physical item is a mandatory requirement for processing refunds. This policy protects both our customers and our business.

The seller needs the item back for inspection, repair or resale; without the item, the refund cannot

be processed, as it would result in a direct financial loss for them.

As I'm from the Specialist team , resolutions are restricted"

It boggled my mind because the 'seller' is Amazon, not a third party storefront. I don't know how they will repair the cover, but I'm sure someone will tear out the pages of the book and rebind them with a new back page stating the date of printing (like I received). My co-worker was just as crazed as I was at this point. He was waiting for me to finish this conversation because it was turning into a bad cycle of crazy. 

I asked to be connected to someone who could help me further, so I was transferred to yet another person. 

They immediately stated that the way it's understood, I'm writing about a damaged book. I replied stating it's "not a fully damaged item. It has a cover that is missing graphics on the cover.

It is how the company printed the book and Amazon sold it" and they wanted to go forward and help with a return or replacement.

Can you tell why this took almost an hour and both my co-worker and I were getting upset?

Again, I asked about a replacement and guarantee I'll get the correct cover. I even stated "I do not want a replacement if you can't help me with this and send me the right one". I was assured they will do right by me and I will receive the proper copy. 

I begrudgingly agreed to receive a return label and mail back the copy I received. I was told I'd get the replacement today, Saturday, and all will be good. 

Guess what came in the mail!

Yup, the same cover, missing the same character!

This time, it came in a bubble mailer and the back cover was not only bent and some pages crooked, but the spin also was damaged and part of the top cover too. 

Trust me, I'm not happy about this. 

Luckily, I hadn't shipped the first book back in case I needed to send Amazon images of both books as reference to what I had received. 

I immediately got on the Amazon chat and wanted to make sure they knew about this. 

I had started the conversation with "This is a quality control issue with Amazon sending out the book. Second time I received it, it is missing half the graphics on the cover, and now the book is bent. I have not sent the original order back yet, to see how this would arrive. I am willing to keep that first copy and send back today's copy. In exchange, I would also like the amount paid for the book returned to me via credit to my account for the troubles I have had with this order. Apparently this book isn't in stock like I was led to believe".

Before anyone says I'm doing something bad, again, think back to my original conversation with them: I'm reporting a printing issue but want to keep the book. It snowballed into a return fiasco. 

I had to go through the prompts about a dozen times before I was able to chat with someone in Customer Service. 

The first person who I worked with today, asked me to upload images of the book being wrong and damaged (the bent pages). Which is why I waited on sending the first one back - I figured they'd want to see what I got. I complied and we moved along. 

The associate saw the images and said that I need to return this book back in order to get a replacement or refund, so my query was partially answered. 

I asked them "Does this mean you are not carrying the book at all? It is again, quality control and false

advertising. I really wanted a copy of the book and am willing to keep the first copy, send back the

second, with a refund to my account so I can purchase the more accurate book somewhere else in

my own time" because it wasn't really clear and I did want to originally keep the book. I wasn't trying to be difficult, even though it seems that way. 

The answer this agent gave me was they could offer a promo credit, but then before I could answer, I was passed to another associate. 

The second person for today wanted me to elaborate on what was going on, so I stated everything that has been happening with this and how it's turning into a mess. They apologized for everything and wanted to start the return process on this new book. In order to do anything for me, they need both copies back. I said that doing so doesn't help the original message and what type of hassle this has been, in order to have what was advertised. 

This got me pushed to a third person.

I explained to this associate what's been going on and asked that they refer to both Thursday's chat and today's chat. The associate said they saw all the notes and wanted to confirm how many books I had at the moment. I stated I have the original order, which made the conversation on Thursday, and now I have the replacement, received today, for today's conversation. I reiterated both books are incorrect and as much as I'd be willing to keep one, now we're at the point I'd like some sort of refund because I don't want to keep getting a bad replacement.

I was told that if I expect a refund, I need to return both, so a return has to be submitted for both. I stated I originally wanted to keep one, but was offered a promo credit for the trouble. I'd like that honored if I can't get a full refund. I'm also keeping one of the books because that's originally why I wrote in.

This got me to another agent. 

The final agent in this chaos went over everything that has been going on. They wanted me to confirm what I've got, what I've shipped, what I've done. I explained everything, again, even though it was all in the chat. 

They too, informed me if I expect a full refund, I had to return both books. At this point, I was done going in circles, much like I've been doing here to explain it. 

I stated that I'd like to keep one of the books and that the first agent stated I could do that, if I returned the original one. They would also issue me the promotional credit for all of this inconvenience. I would like that to be honored. 

The agent agreed that they would issue me the credit as long as I return the first book. I told them I didn't need a label because I already had the one they sent me Thursday. The final statement from Customer Support was "Alrighty I'll issue you the Promo Credit. Please make sure you send back the original order". 

I said I would, and I did. I taped everything back up (I had originally put it all in an envelope to be mailed out) and I went to the UPS Store. Yes, I even sent back the better copy of the two, as I said I would. 

It's just maddening because the website states that "covers may vary", but because there's no one watching what is being sent out, there's no eyes on the quality of the item. Amazon is responsible for shipping this, and I wanted them to know about what I received. Especially since a lot of other people are commenting they got the bad cover as well. I don't know the exact number of people making reports for replacements, but there were a few who stated they got a second copy from Amazon with the same issue. You'd think the more people who talk about it, the more the company would do something. 

You'd think. 

I'm so sorry to go on this big tangent and I thank you for sticking with me. I'm also sorry this happened because it shows how this company is making brick and mortar stores lose patrons. Other companies are raising prices because they can't compete with the online retailer and it sucks. I'd love to have gotten the book locally, but if it's 10-20 dollars more in store plus a 30 minute drive to not know if it's in stock, what's the point? 

I have to reiterate, I am not sitting here trying to bash the company and demand stupid things. I've paid my membership dues and I've gotten a lot out of it. This is one of those instances where reviews really count and you have to take the risk of ordering because things vary so much, you really don't know if you'll get the right package. It is unfortunate because this is a big competitor and it's so easy to stay at home and do an order. 

The world is changing rapidly and people want everything "now!!!" and they also get greedy. I'm more upset that this was the first time I received a product where it wasn't accurately described. I could understand if it was a third party selling it and the main company had some sort of promise or guarantee to work with the customer, but here Amazon was the seller and they do have an "A-Z Guarantee" but both times they sent me the product, it was a fail. I want and wanted to read the book. I wanted to tell them what was going on. I had no intention of it spiraling like this. If this place is the only location selling the book, what choice do I have? B&N and BAM both said they didn't have the book in stock in local stores. I could have checked thrift stores, and that's like searching for a needle in a haystack. I could have gone to eBay and what promise do I have for there? Markups and such a plenty, and I haven't used my eBay account in a while. 

I wish it was better and once I know Amazon receives the book, I'm going to rate my experience over there too. Talk about the shipping process and the cover only. Not rate the level of the story. I'm still excited to read it, but I'm not excited over how I got to read it. 

To each their own and let this be a big lesson for everyone: Always do your own research and advocate for your best interest. I totally understand where they were coming from, based on a profit and loss situation, but every opportunity to make good was hit with a brick wall. At what point do you just stop and give up? Don't go through with things? That's your choice. You have to make sure you're doing what you feel is necessary. 

So, if you're reading this, my co-worker, now you know the end of the story if I forget to tell you.

Cheers;

See also:

* Good Omens page on Amazon (scroll to bottom to see reviews)

Ooohh.. I got one of THOSE covers! | I was so excited for the branded tech!

The final season of Good Omens dropped on Amazon Prime a couple weeks ago as a 90 minute movie. There are multiple reasons for having a single movie rather than a series and a particular reason with this series is due to some behind the scenes accusations with the writing staff. I don't want to get into that here, but I am sure some sleuths will be able to figure out the "whys".

~ No Spoilers ~

I was excited to get some sort of continuation with the show, so having a finale movie is okay by me. The staff that stayed on, seemed to wrap up some loose ends in such a way, that it really did make sense by the end of the film. There were some story lines that they were able to tie together from the second season and ultimately included a surprise allowance of some fan fiction shipping. The film took some liberties in the fan department but I think most people are pleasantly pleased by it. Truth be told, it was a classy ending and I honestly wouldn't have asked for a better tribute. 

That doesn't mean they couldn't have done some better things in the bulk of the main hour, but with time restraints, it's understandable. I'm glad they did something with it (in a rushed way) instead of leaving fans hanging. 

To the ones wondering what the show is about, it's based on a late 1980s book by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. The full title is "Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch—A Humorous Fantasy About Armageddon". It is now one of those novels that is on reprint on demand, thus making it hard to find an original copy. This is, considering, it's a British book that prompted a few conversations of audio form in the UK before landing in America. If you do happen to find a copy of the first printing, it's going to cost a lot more than what the generic Mass Market paperback is (we're talking a range of $30 to over $100 depending on what site you're using. Allegedly people are finding it for under $25 in thrift stores. Keep in mind, this is first pressing or first run, not reproduction). That being said, the reproduction, depending on type (hardcover, paperback, e-reader) is running between $7 and change (mass market) to over $20, because big box retailers need a mark up. 

The book synopsis, on various bookstore websites:

According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .

The Amazon site review:

Pratchett (of Discworld fame) and Gaiman (of Sandman fame) may seem an unlikely combination, but the topic (Armageddon) of this fast-paced novel is old hat to both. Pratchett's wackiness collaborates with Gaiman's morbid humor; the result is a humanist delight to be savored and reread again and again. You see, there was a bit of a mixup when the Antichrist was born, due in part to the machinations of Crowley, who did not so much fall as saunter downwards, and in part to the mysterious ways as manifested in the form of a part-time rare book dealer, an angel named Aziraphale. Like top agents everywhere, they've long had more in common with each other than the sides they represent, or the conflict they are nominally engaged in. The only person who knows how it will all end is Agnes Nutter, a witch whose prophecies all come true, if one can only manage to decipher them. The minor characters along the way (Famine makes an appearance as diet crazes, no-calorie food and anorexia epidemics) are as much fun as the story as a whole, which adds up to one of those rare books which is enormous fun to read the first time, and the second time, and the third time...

It's being sold as a more comical version of The Omen due to the heaven and hell, angel and demon, antichrist, The End Is Nigh connections. I can kind of see that, but it's not as ominous as the 1976 Gregory Peck movie is. 

I debated and debated about buying the book, and did do some leg work to see who had a "better deal" on the paperback. I didn't want a repeat of the Elton saga, so I chose to go to Amazon. They had the reprinted book, on paperback, for $10.43; where Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million have it for $18.99. The difference between the two latter stores is Books-A-Million has has a mass market version at $9.99 and B&N doesn't list a that as an option on their website. Conversely, Amazon lists the mass market for $7.19, which is what I used to buy the True Blood (Sookie Stackhouse) series for, back in the day. If you are a member of the retail stores' rewards programs (B&N, BAM), you get free shipping online, but you're paying gas to get to a physical location. It's coming out of your wallet either way. Same goes with Amazon, I know, I know. At least you can add other items to your cart that are not books and have everything shipped together. 

The other thing with the physical stores, is they want you to pay $39.99 a year (B&N) or $25 a year (BAM) for discounts on select merchandise. In order to get the full realm of the annual cost, you need to spend 10x that amount in the 12 months because spending a low amount willy nilly once or twice in 52 weeks for just free shipping isn't worth it. That's just my opinion. 

I realize Amazon yearly rate is much higher ($139/year), but you've got to realize what you receive with Prime: 

• Fast, free delivery
• Unlimited streaming
• Exclusive deals & savings
• Groceries
• Amazon Music with Prime
• Amazon Photos (storage)
• Amazon Prime Fuel Savings
• Grubhub+
• Rx savings

The bookstores don't seem to offer this type of an array, except "deals and savings" and "free delivery".

I think I've made back my Amazon money at this point, as I am the household account owner and bothmy mother and I stream movies (she has her own profile), I've purchased music through the site (vinyl and CD) so I can stream those MP3s when it's offered, my mother has an Echo Dot so she streams music and uses the timer function. We also make several purchases with Amazon and in Whole Foods (when we go to that area of town). I've also utilized the holiday deal sales. I could have used the RX savings with a previous job, but I didn't need any prescriptions at that time. Although, that's one thing I'm a bit leery on - giving Amazon your doctor's information as well as script information. So yeah, I feel like I've made my 139 back, and since Amazon doesn't sell things knowing they're discounted, there's no percentage to double everything up for. 

On another note, regarding versions of the book, I did notice a third party vendor selling a hardcover copy on Amazon, and they were looking for $18.19 plus $3.99 shipping. Therefore, you have to watch what you're clicking.

Which brings me to the next challenge.

The websites are stating "covers may vary" because you don't get a choice in which edition you are purchasing online. It's a William Morris publishing company (merged with Harper Publishing), but there are two different covers: a black sketch of Crowley holding a wine glass filled with red wine (on a white cover) or a white sketch of Aziraphale reading a book (on a black cover). 

image via Amazon

Amazon customer reviews are mixed because most people are buying the book to have the chance of both covers; while others are, like me, wanting to finally read the novel the show is based on. Totally fine; everyone has their reasons to do something. However, what you order and what you receive are two different things. 

People are commenting that the white cover book (Crowley) is coming to them damaged. 

How damaged? The picture of Crowley is completely missing. All you see is a small splash of the red wine. The same is to be said on the book spine as well. Other comments are staying the mass market book isn't bound great; the pages are easily coming out of the spine. Otherwise, it's an awesome story. 

I decided to take my chances and order it anyway. I am having reading issues lately, so I didn't want to go with the smaller print mass market ($7.19 version). I purchased the regular paperback version instead ($10.43). 

Can you guess what cover I received?

 

Yup, the missing Crowley cover. 

The last page in the book also has printing information, which is a bit weird to me. 

I feel like this proves that this version is a Print On Demand copy and was printed when I ordered it. Rather, it was printed and bound the day they shipped it from the Amazon Warehouse. Which may be why other people are saying they are having issues with the copy they received as well. The company isn't allowing things to set correctly.

Or whatever Amazon now does when you order random books.

This also means that the book was sent from an Orlando based publishing company, in order for me to get it the next day; it's local but not local enough to divulge that information.

Similarly, I noticed that when I asked my local library to request Rachael's book - they had found it on their vendor site and since her story is a Print On Demand version anyway, she too had some "Made in [country]" with city and date stamped in it. 

Everything seems to be relative these days and literally "mass produced" to a point. There's some PDF file somewhere and someone is pressing "print". Another person takes that, cuts it, binds it and hands it off to someone else. I honestly don't know the process; I'm just spitting out random guesses at the moment, but it's just sad how you think you're ordering a print of something and there is no quality control over it. No one noticed the cover was off. The more this story gets printed, the less of a chance the book has better value to it because it was a misprint. 

Usually when there is an error in a product, it's fair game for resellers because it's a rare item. However, in the printing world that is becoming more popular right now, "on demand" means "pay no attention; just send it". I think. I don't know; there's a lot to be said without running in circles. Just be mindful on what you're ordering and certainly read reviews because you never know. 

I mean, this type of error could potentially make me go out to the big box stores and pick up the copy I want. Do I then want three copies? I don't know. Maybe, if that means it's also a conversation I can have with my friends. "Hey, look at this; look why brick and mortar stores are going out of business. I big online retailer has taken over and they aren't paying attention to what they're doing. So I went to the outer reaches of the universe to pick up a better copy... at a 10+ dollar price hike". 

It's not a real conversation. I'm just making it up as I go along here. Free writing. But there could be something along the lines of why stores are shuttering and there are more delivery vans on the road these days. People aren't leaving their houses and adventuring out in the world. 

-Shrugs-

With adventuring, I do need to go to another big box retailer this week. I bought something else on Amazon and ended up returning it today because it didn't work as expected. 

When I had the iPhone 6 and 11, I had the lightning digital adapters to go with it.

I had a USB to Lightning dongle that allowed me to transfer files from my phone to my computer and vice versa while using a thumb drive. This came in so handy when I was doing event set up and clients needed to email me their presentation to put on the company laptop. I was able to get the file on my work phone, via email, download it to a thumb drive, then transfer it to the computer. We were off and running in a matter of minutes. 

Of course, it was my adapter and I didn't get reimbursed for it, but it was only offered to those I trusted because a lot of people took advantage of my niceness and help (long story). I wasn't about to gift it to the company when I left, either. I bought this fair and square and they never knew about it. My own personal use for the adapter was when I had to transfer my own files from my phone to my laptop or quickly save a file from an email on a computer to then have it on my phone for whatever reason (text a friend "you're not going to believe THIS one! 👀"). 

I also had an HDMI to Lightning Dongle that allowed me to stream movies on bigger screens (before the video apps shut that shit down and wanted you to watch on your phone screen instead. Something about media rights.. and all I wanted to do was stream a TV series from my phone onto a TV in someone's bedroom). The adapter was amazing - all I had to do was connect the lightning end to my phone, plug in an HDMI in the other end of the adapter, and then the opposite end of the HDMI went to whatever screen I was using. Plenty of times I hooked it up at work and I was able to use a decent size projector screen as my way to "test out the audio system and sight lines in the room". It was a combination platter because there were people who were vocalizing about dead zones in the room - they either couldn't see the screen or hear the audio. If I could do some tinkering on my own time (on the clock), I'd watch a TV show and do some testing. I also used the adapter when traveling, so if I had a TV in the room I was staying in, I could hook my phone up and watching a movie before bed. It got to the point I was carrying a 3 foot cable with me (seems super long but it winds up small). It suited my needs for a long time.  

However, both adapters went by the weigh side when I upgraded to the iPhone 17. Now the phone has a USB-C port instead of a lightning port so I'm stuck with a lot of chargers and a couple adapters that don't work on this new device. 

Back in January, I purchased Apple's Lightning to USB-C adapter, tried it, but that didn't work for me. Somehow using an adapter on an adapter doesn't jive correctly. Even if they're both the same brand's product. I know other people have positive reviews of the product, but I tried on two different iPhone 17s and it didn't work. I must be doing something wrong, but I even tried it on my mother's phone and it didn't work. 

Fast forward to this week when I needed to transfer something from my phone to my laptop. I wasn't connected to Wi-Fi on my computer, so I couldn't get on iCloud. I also didn't have a USB-C to USB-A cable with me, so I couldn't plug my phone into a USB port. I was stuck and couldn't do anything about the files someone needed.

Which led me to order an adapter. 

The Anker USB C to USB Adapter came in the mail yesterday and I was excited to try it.

• Number one, it's a top brand; it's reputable among a lot of technical people.
• Number two, I've got the USB-C to USB charging cables all over my house right now and they work. I even use it in my laptop to transfer files off my phone. I've had no problem with the name. 
• Number three, having a two pack of the adapters allows me to keep one in my backpack and one in another bag. The price was worth it (on sale for $9.56 after tax).

I found out it wasn't so worth it. 

With a case on my phone the adapter doesn't work.  

As it is, my iPhone 17 is sausaged into the case; there's no getting that thing out unless I want to break the seal of the Zagg. 

Just for giggles, I tried it in my mother's 17. She has a thinner case on hers. 

No dice.

The adapter was so loose (on both phones), it wouldn't even make a connection anywhere or anyhow. It was like the thing was waiting to fall out if you looked at it the wrong way. One wrong question and it jumps overboard. 

I don't have the words to describe this part so stick with me.

The USB-C part is shorter than the surrounding holder, and there's no inversion of the holder to make the USB-C part go past a certain point when you have a case on your phone. That's why it was so loose in the port area, because the USB part is shorter than it should be. 

I can get the USB C part into my phone from the charging cable because the housing part is slanted in a way that allows the USB C to go through the case and in the port. 

Also, when I tried plugging my thumb drive into the USB A side, it felt like there was something wrong with it. It was a tight fit so the thumb drive wouldn't fall out, but it also felt like the drive could break in the port as well. It almost felt like it was a tiny bit off from making a solid connection. I was afraid of something breaking internally - whether it was in the adapter or in my thumb drive.

It's so hard to describe this and I hope it's making sense.

I really wish it had worked because I had such faith in it. 

Like I said, there's no way I wanted to take my phone out the the case. I don't want to, nor should I have to, in order to randomly use the adapter. 

Yes, I'm reading it now online, that in order to use it on a phone, you need to take the phone out of the case, but I stupidly and stubbornly wanted to give it a try. All cases are different and you never know. 

Now that I'm back to square one, I am thinking I need to go to a big box retailer and ask them if they have something like this and if I can try it out before purchasing, because I'd be returning it if it doesn't work. 

I know the answer would be "no, you need to buy it first" but it saves everyone a big headache if I take it home and can't use it. There has to be a way to test it before it leaves the store. I'm certainly going to buy it if it works, but they're certainly calling it a loss if I have to return it (and I get stuck with a possible reshelf fee). 

I've tried on over the ear headphones before, and there were no issues about it. I've also asked to look more closely at watch bands and other tech. It's a matter of being polite and asking nicely. If they won't let you, don't fight it. Most of the time, the people are okay with it. Most of the things I've asked to take out of the box, I've bought. A watch band I looked at, didn't fit on my watch and I was able to get it back in the box, in front of the worker, and he put it back on the shelf. It's all about transparency. 

Mind you, I'm not trying to condone any type of shoplifting or raising their profit and loss ratio, but there's a very slim time when situations happen that they can make a decision as to whether or not it's acceptable. I've had those conversations where the employee has said "no" and I've had the ones who say "I don't care". It's really how you explain what's going on. Especially if you honestly do have every intention of purchasing it if it works. If it doesn't, they can tape it back up and put it on the shelf (if you open it carefully). I've seen this happen in other stores when employees are working with people. 

Again, this is not a habit thing. It's not something I suggest everyone do to anger the stores. It's one of those "in a pinch" situations. It saves everyone if it could be done.

Overall, it feels like I really can't win right now with tech. I try, but some things aren't going my way lately. I'm hoping for the better though! 

In the meantime, if I can find something that works, I'll make an update. 

Until things get sorted... do your research and do some (light) reading.

Cheers;

See Also:

• Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch―A Humorous Fantasy About Armageddon - this is the Amazon link with the paperback version
  
• Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (Cover may vary) - this is the Amazon link with the mass market version. 
  
• Sangre De Toro by Rachael Adam - this is my friend Rachael's book.
  
• The Omen - the 1976 Gregory Peck movie
  
• Sookie Stackhouse / True Blood series by Charlaine Harris via Amazon Kindle
  
• Amazon Prime page - information on price and item breakdowns
  
• Apple Lightning to Digital AV Adapter via Amazon
  
• Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter via Amazon
  
• Apple USB-C to Lightning Adapter via Amazon
  
• Anker USB C Adapter (2 Pack), USB C to USB Adapter High-Speed Data Transfer for MacBook Pro 2020, iPad Pro 2020, Samsung Notebook 9, Dell XPS and More Type C Devices
  
• Anker Cable [2 Pack 3ft], USB A to USB C Cable for iPhone 17 Series,Samsung Galaxy S10 S10+, LG V30, Beats Fit Pro and More (Black)
  
• Zagg phone cases on Amazon