Customer lost or customer gained?

As much as I've seen the "viral videos" of people going to certain coffee chains and saying how bad things have gotten, just for a coffee, I'm not innocent in my java addiction by any means. I still partake in the "every so often" expenditure, without trying to break the bank or break a diet.

Key phrasing is “try”.

I’m still making it at home, daily. Even though the only fancy thing I do, is pour some random Torani syrup in at the last second to give the caffeine a little more (sugar free) jolt. 

For context regarding the videos, the algorithm on the gym televisions where I watch a lot of Youtube, have had various "shock" videos "promoting”, “debunking”, and "raising questions" about what places like Starbucks is putting in their blended drinks (some silica powder that turns into something hazardous to workers) or that Dunkin' is doling out a $12.99 bucket (which rumor has it that the thing is just 2.5 medium, or 1.5 large iced coffees). The individual coffees are a lesser cost than the bucket, plus you can't get it refilled unless you purchase the drinks separately. If you want to go the route of the bucket, there are places online where you can buy just the bucket itself.

While I haven't witnessed any of this first hand, except for seeing how small the Dunkin bucket actually is, I can't confirm nor deny any truth to the videos I am seeing online. I'm just making conversation as part of something I do want to discuss, with the difference being, please watch the videos with a grain of salt and do your own research. 

My personal story relating to big coffee chains is the following:

One of the local Starbucks, which is in a Target, does not accept cash to refill the Starbies app. 

Let me explain, with a little more information…

If you are a Starbucks "member", especially one with the app, you can put money on an internal (digital) card and use that to pay for your food and drink. You can also use a physical card if that’s something you prefer; you just need to link it to your account. The card is refillable and as a member, you get a certain amount of points (stars) depending on how much money you (digitally) reload on to it.

Notice I’ve said “digitally” because this comes in to play with my issue.

This also means that whenever you make a qualified purchase on that card, you also get points (stars) that can be used for other purchases. The exception is you need to meet whatever the threshold is, in order to redeem said stars (currently, 25 stars equals "$1 off a drink customization, including an espresso shot, syrup or cold foam", for example). 

Going back to my challenge at the local Starbucks:

I went in one day, cash in hand, and wanted to reload my card. I was all set to put $30 on it, as someone had given me half the money as a thank you for doing something for them. 

When I gave the barista my cash, all the workers froze in place. Almost like I was doing something bad and they were worried what the next move was.

One of the workers ended up saying “We can’t accept cash” and the rest of the team also made mumblings about my not being able to pay with the bills. 

I asked why, and I was informed that this particular Starbucks is “a highly trafficked store. Due to so many people coming in and out and doing a lot of high value orders, the store has been frauded too many times. A lot of people have come in with cash and tried loading their cards with fake money, as well as using the fake money to make purchases. It’s more on the reload side than anything else, so cash isn’t accepted to load the card”. Everyone who goes in and wants to put money on their app, has to do it via credit or debit card. The store will refuse to take your money.

Now the interesting part is, if I didn’t want to use my account to pay for my item, I surely can use cash instead. I just wouldn’t get the star to dollar points that the card gives you (for every dollar you spend, you get X amount of stars if you use your Starbucks card as a form of payment. It’s a higher amount than paying cash or using a credit card). 

Why they accept cash to pay for the order but don’t allow you to use the same cash to refill your card seems weird to me. They were adamant about not accepting my money when I wanted to load my account up. They made sure I knew exactly how the store has had cash fraud and their new rule is they can’t take your money if you want to put it into your account. I could go to another store if I wanted to load my card with cash, or I could use a debit or credit card. I just wasn’t allowed to spend my thirty dollars there with cash. 

I ended up cancelling the order and ultimately canceled whatever coffee I was going to order, because my mind was boggled over this conversation. If they accept paper bills for one transaction, they should for the other. It truly doesn’t make sense to me (literally… sense / cents. Haha).   

I haven’t tried any other Starbucks yet, as I have not gone to another location. I do want to see if it happens at any other place, because a franchise store in another bigger store has that much traffic, they get scammed on a routine basis? Here I thought the most problems lately were with cards still; that there’s somehow way for hackers to get your info within a certain radius of the card reader. People are still washing money and laundering it into other means… in this day and age? Cash is no longer king at this specific mermaid retailer, apparently. 

It is one of those “mind.blown” things to me. 

I did try again another day, and received the same information: Cash is not welcome to reload the app because the store is a high traffic store and they’ve been conned too often and the owner has made it a big rule that cash is not a valid option when reloading the Starbucks cards. It’s only welcome if you want to pay for your overall purchase. 

Which again, is one in the same – my “purchase” is reloading the app, which in turn, pays for my coffee. The other option is I can use the cash to pay for the coffee while scanning my app and not get all the points I would if I paid with the store card. It’s just a jumble now. 

The second time in, I just said fine; I’ll pay the cash for the coffee and that’s it. It’s not worth it to ask again. It really doesn’t even seem worth it to go to another location to see what they do, because I don’t frequent the brand that often to warrant it. I mean, if I get a coffee from them once a month, that’s plenty because they charge for everything again. 

Unless it’s a store by store basis, I’ve gone in and ordered an iced coffee with breve (cream) and all of a sudden my bill is higher because they poured the half and half in the cup. If I ask for “room for cream” and use the thermos on the side table that has the napkins and sugar, I’m paying less for the coffee. Same way one day the store tells me they don’t charge for syrup additions, and the next day, they do. Actually, I’ve gone into two stores that have done this, and they’ve both been in a Target. Maybe it’s a Target thing?

I feel like I’m strangely circling the wagon with this one because I just don’t understand the cash to fraud situation. I’m not defending anything by any means; I only want to know why the rule seems half baked. I don’t manage the store; it’s not my job. If they want to define the shopping experience, so be it. I will define my patronage by not ordering there too much. It is what it is.

On a relative side note,  I brewed a 10 cup carafe of Folgers decaf coffee last night and let it cool enough to put it in a recycled iced coffee bottle, to make iced coffee this week. I then added Torani syrup and Planet Oat creamer today and it was a new flavor for me.

The breakdown (how I saved myself some money instead of going to a coffee house):

I have an old school 10 cup Dominion electric percolator

. 

Mix that with two scoops of Folgers decaf ground coffee. The scoop I use is from the Orgain protein powder. It's something like 32cc and actually works well. 

I let all that do its thing and once it cooled down, I actually poured it into an old Starbucks Iced Coffee container (the type you get in the refrigerator section, pre made). Let all that hang out over night in the fridge. 

Today, I added (a new flavor for me) Torani syrup. I usually get sugar free, but World Market was giving away very specific fall flavors for members, and I picked up the Chai Tea Spice because free is free; I'll try it. 

It's normally a $10.99 bottle (and it's glass, to boot, so it has home heft to it) and it's definitely different in the flavor realm.

With that, I added the Planet Oat Oatmilk "Sweet and Creamy" Creamer.

Et voila; I had myself an iced coffee. 

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the Planet Oat bottle because I tore off the label so I could reuse the container. I bought one of those 64 ounce CoffeeMate Creamer vessels at BJ's last week and to make it easier on myself, I poured half of it into the Oatmilk container once I finished the oatmilk. #thingsyoudotosave. 

Overall, the Chai is an acquired taste and it gives off a different style of sweetness mixed with bitterness, I think because of whatever spices are infused in the syrup process. I know that "dirty chai" drinks are a bit of the rage with certain age brackets and coffee lovers, so adding this to a regular brew, rather than an espresso, is different. I know espresso is more of a condensed coffee, but when you don't have access to that type of bean, you have to make due with what's in your pantry. I think if there was a sugar free version of the Chai, I might try it, only to see if any specific flavors are toned down. It's truly a new experience and profile for me.  

When I finish this (giant ass) bottle, I'm going to try the coconut version. It was "on sale" and is the size of those small Mio packages - the type of squeezable container you can carry with you and put a drop or two of refresher in your drink. They're actually being referenced as "liquid drink enhancer" on Amazon and other retailers. It's worth the literal shot to see how this stacks up against other additions. If it can go in water or coffee, this may be a game changer.

In the end, it's easy to say "to each their own and to each experimenting with flavors" as I shall leave it here. Hopefully on the next coffee run, I learn something different and get a new idea for my home brew. You never know what to try unless you pay the full price first. Only then can you start saving at home and making variations to your liking. 

Cheers;

See also (aka links to Amazon for the products I used to make my coffee):

• Folgers Simply Smooth Ground Coffee, Mild Roast, 23 Ounce Canister
  
• Torani Coffee Syrup, Chai Tea Spice Flavor, Pump Included, 25.4 Fl Oz (third party seller)
  
• "Percolator" (keyword) (possible third party sellers)
  
• Planet Oat storefront (possible third party sellers)
  
• Torani Sugar Free Coconut Liquid Drink Enhancer, Water Flavoring 4-Pack, 1.62 Oz Ea (third party seller)
  
• "Dunkin bucket" (keyword) (this is not the branded bucket; but sellers with knock off sizes for sale)

I love when people want to have an argument...

... and you end up finding some information online that defeats their side of the conversation. 

Which also may make you in the wrong, but proves what you're saying is a little more correct than what they're sticking behind.

This morning I was in the pool with my mother and one of her friends. As I had joined them late, I walked into the conversation about how our community is wired for Internet and the exact details Hotwire said to us when things got up and running. 

My mother had asked me what the technicians told me when they came and installed the Nokia router, Eero boxes and Fision cable set tops. How exactly are we covered with our Wi-Fi, in regard to fiber optic versus the old Comcast cabling?

I explained how, on the multiple times Hotwire was in our house, they said that they're piggy backing off of the Comcast coaxial cable. Hotwire is using fiber optic both inside and outside the house, but they are also utilizing pre-existing Comcast lines in other ways. Meaning, there are multiple sources coming in multiple directions and although Hotwire owns a good amount of them, not every single connection is solely theirs. Somehow there's a converter in place and I don't know the exact way it's all connected, but there are several things allowing us to be online, as well as how we watch television.

The friend stated that what I'm talking about is 100 per cent not true. That the information I have is jibberish; fake news if you will. She saw Hotwire dig through her yard and plant wires, to then connect one end of it all to the street and the end to her house. They totally disabled and took away Comcast everything; our community no longer has any investment in the previous company. What we have in our units are all Hotwire, all the time.

I said that she's not totally correct; Hotwire may have dug lines in her yard, but that was only to connect their wiring to some of the pre-existing stuff that Comcast was using and would leaving once their contract ended. We were told specifically from Hotwire that they connect their wiring to what was previously installed in the houses. They're not redoing everything as we know it; they're only adding a few things to the community, such as internal dwelling boxes and some new string lines. 

The friend still wanted to argue against this by saying I don't know what I'm talking about. She "saw with [her] own eyes, the digging and hooking up. The connecting of pieces of equipment". I had to explain that's true they dug but they didn't take up the old wiring. They left it because they needed it to add a booster of sorts to their own items.

Side note: I'm not completely technical with this so I don't have all the verbiage to explain what bill of sale Hotwire was showing, versus what Comcast was taking away while not being fully transparent. 

Back to conversation.

The friend really wanted to fight me. I ended up exclaiming "let's just end the conversation then. Agree to disagree because obviously, this is not going anywhere and I don't want to keep talking about it", to which the woman again disagreed, saying how wrong I am and I don't know anything. My mother jumped in to say it's true how they told us things, and the woman refused to concede. She wanted to be right and make sure we felt like fools. 

When my mother and I got home, she said that even another pool friend said there is no Comcast equipment in the community, it's all Hotwire. Which is why the conversation went on longer then it should have. 

It doesn't make sense, only because not every one in our community is using Hotwire; some are still using Comcast. The community got a "deal" on Hotwire when Comcast's contract was ending. A lot of residents wanted to keep Comcast, and they didn't want Hotwire in their house. We all had no choice; we had to have the new company in and do stuff, and those who wanted to keep the old ISP now have competing services in their home. I honestly don't know if Hotwire shut off their side of the communication, but if people are still using Comcast, somehow that's still a viable option. They're paying for both services and only with Hotwire is there a reduced rate due to it being part of our HOA dues.

Again, I am not that technical to understand the "how" to any and all of this. I know people have vocalized they're still using Comcast's equipment, still on their server. Hotwire is somehow shut off in the house. I can't explain it, but it's a small fraction of owners who have it. 

Even more so, when one of the last major storms rolled through (Helene? Milton? I don't remember which), we had power but no Internet. I had been up at the clubhouse after it ended (and was safe to be there) and a Comcast truck was driving the neighborhood. He stopped me and asked if the community was having any problems, and I said that "we have power, but no Internet. We use Hotwire and it's completely down". He said that that the main box wasn't getting power and was I sure the community had power? I said yes, we have electricity, just don't have internet. He had come out to check on a report by a user in the community, and found the power box not working, along with some other FPL boxes. He mentioned some were wet too, but it mainly was just not having juice to the source. Someone needed to contact FPL because it's a power issue, not a Comcast issue. Once power is restored, Comcast can come out and fix the internet. Since Hotwire is connected to the Comcast main hub, we technically still use Comcast as the backbone for getting online, even though we have Hotwire credentials.

I failed to explain that to my mom's friend as I had forgotten about it in the heat of the moment. I remembered it when we got home and by then it was too late; I wasn't about to call the woman and tell her this. 

However, what I did do, was research "does hotwire communications use pre existing cable lines as their wiring" and I not only found an interesting AI overview, I found a "frequently asked questions" sheet from another community. 

The Overview is as follows:

"Hotwire Communications generally installs their own dedicated fiber-optic lines for the main network backbone, but they may reuse pre-existing in-home coaxial cables inside a home or building solely to deliver basic television packages. [1, 2]

Inside the Home and Building Wiring

Television (Coax): Hotwire often utilizes existing in-home coaxial cable lines to distribute basic "Plug 'n Play" cable TV signals to secondary televisions without needing new set-top boxes. They test and optimize these existing lines during setup. [1]
Internet and Routers (Ethernet): For high-speed data, modems, and primary routers, Hotwire typically runs new CAT5E or CAT6 Ethernet cabling to ensure optimal performance rather than relying on old, degraded copper lines. [1, 2]

Outside and Community Infrastructure

Backbone Lines: Hotwire installs their own independent fiber-optic infrastructure underground or along designated utility routes to bring service to a neighborhood or multi-dwelling unit. They do not use another active provider's live external network lines for their primary data transmission"

I know this snipped (with its own citations) contradicts both my point and also any type of explanation, but the beginning states they "may reuse pre-existing in-home coaxial cables". For televisions, yes, but why then did the technicians make a big deal about getting things re-wired and telling us Comcast is still being used? This also doesn't go on to explain how everything Hotwire supplied is either hooked up into the Comcast used Greyfox Systems hub or it has its own line out device. The former is the coax system and the latter is the fiber system.

On another note, not every technician is telling the home owner that the Eero is not what it seems. I know I spoke about this in another post, but just to reiterate (because it's adjacent of a problem to this current one), the Eero is the modem and the Nokia is the router. Without the Eero, we wouldn't have Internet, according to the last technician I spoke with. Every person who has come to my house from Hotwire has said that Eero is a Wi-Fi extender and it acts as a booster. We do not need to install the Eero app on our phone and create an account; Hotwire has all the information they need if we install their own app. When we talked to the last in home person, they fervently needed the Eero verification or they could not set up my uncle's Internet. This person explained the Eero does all the work and if it wasn't for them, there would be no Hotwire to get us online. Which doesn't make sense from when we had how many people in our house from the company, explaining what is going on?? The sales department, community manager, half a dozen installers / technicians... no one made a peep about Eero other than it's a booster. The new guy was as if he went rogue and needed us to give him another key to the place. 

It's such a mud puddle, I can't seem to get out of it. 

What I have been able to do, was able to find a "Frequently Asked Questions" sheet from a community in Estero, about Hotwire and their connecting to other providers. 

Per a PDF from the Shadow Wood Community Association's website (links below for citing purposes):

"This section covers questions related to activities inside the home—your role, when you need to be at home, scheduling in-home appointments, bringing the fiber into a central distribution point within the home, “health check” of existing wiring, running of new wiring and the installation of any devices provided by Hotwire.

The following question was added on 10/19/17: 

1) Q: I would like to install a new cable TV outlet in my dinette for “plug in play” 70 channel service. Will Hotwire install new wiring and a cable TV outlet in difficult to reach area of my home? 

A: Hotwire will rewire (at no charge to the resident at the time of the initial installation) with new CAT5 cabling to any existing outlet location where a new FISION HD Box or modem/router will be located. Wiring to any new locations, or wiring after the initial installation of service will carry a $75 charge per outlet. Hotwire also offers a “wireless” FISION box (at the same cost as a wired box) which also adds flexibility for viewing locations. 

Please keep in mind: Where Comcast uses a small device called a DTA (Digital to Analog) converter, Hotwire’s technology allows them to deliver a similar service at no charge through a normal coax wall outlet without any such devices being required. This is called the “Expanded Basic Programming” and includes over 70 channels."

"4) Q: Will my home’s internal wiring need to be updated? 

A: Not necessarily: There will be a “home health check” where Hotwire (at their expense) will inspect and test the home’s existing wiring and replace and/or remove un-needed or defective splitters, amplifiers and connectors. The home’s inside wiring will be assessed and confirmed to allow residents to realize the quality delivered to the home via the fiber network. This existing wiring will be used to deliver programming to designated TV’s where a Set Top Box (STB) will not be installed (this is a “Expanded Basic” package referred to as “Plug ‘n Play” or “In The Clear”). For locations where your Hotwire supplied modem/router and STB’s will be located, Hotwire will run new CAT5E Ethernet wiring to deliver service to those devices. The technician will not leave the home until the service is working properly and signal levels have all been tested and confirmed to meet specified requirements."

"5) Q: Do I have to be home when they install my fiber and how long does it take? 

A: The installation will be three step process: 

1. Outside installation: The homeowner does not need to be present at this stage as all work is exterior to your home. 

2. Bringing the fiber into the home: Connecting the fiber from outside into the home and terminating at an ONT (Optical Network Terminal) which will usually be placed at the same location where Comcast, or other provider, has positioned the incoming terminal wiring. At this stage the homeowner, or a representative for the homeowner, needs to be present. This effort will normally require less than two hours to complete. 

3. In-unit installation: Connections from the ONT to TV’s, router, etc. again requires that the homeowner be present. This can take approximately 3-4 hours including resident training."

"4) Q: What is an ONT? 

A: An Optical Network Terminal, commonly referred to as an ONT, is a piece of equipment that converts the fiber-optic light signals to copper-based/electrical signals that can be utilized by Internet, video and telephone devices. 

4A) Q: Where will the ONT (Optical Network Terminal) be installed in my home?

A: Typically, the ONT is installed in a utility area (laundry room, garage, etc.) where the already existing communication distribution hardware is located. If a structured wiring (communications distribution) cabinet already exists, the ONT will be located there."

"7) Q: Will the existing coaxial cable network inside my home limit the quality of the TV service? 

A: Hotwire will use the existing coaxial cable solely for the delivery of a “Expanded Basic” package they refer to as “Plug ‘n Play” or “In The Clear” based on the fact that no box of any kind will be required to deliver the programming to most TVs that have been purchased in the last 8 years (traditionally flat screen TV’s). Hotwire will test all coaxial cabling and fittings (splitters, connectors, etc.) during the installation process to insure adequate transmission quality. Defective connectors and splitters will be replaced free of charge. Once all signal levels are optimized, the coaxial cable will not degrade your High Definition television service. 

8) Q: Will I have to rewire my home? 

A: That would be highly unlikely! In the event that a run of coaxial cable within your walls is determined to be inadequate, Hotwire will replace it free of charge. Hotwire will run new CAT5E Ethernet wiring to the locations where they are providing new equipment--i.e. modem/router and Set Top Boxes (STB). This will be done free of charge."

Again, this was culled from a form another community sent to its residents. I've cited the website below, and am using these as examples to show how Hotwire may be using another provider's services and creating a hybrid wiring service of their own. It also points to the central location of the previous provider's boxes and how Hotwire will reconfigure it all for everyone's use. This goes back to the original "things are connected to both the Grey Fox Systems", Comcast fusion and Hotwire planting. A three ring circus of wondering what belongs where.

My mother ended up sending those screen caps to her friend as a text, but the friend hasn't responded yet (as of this writing). I know the friend was going to be doing some stuff through out the day, so she probably hasn't seen the information yet. If she has, it probably set her in a mood because I am sure she doesn't want to be told she may be wrong.

I know the information doesn't prove me in the total right, but it also doesn't show I'm completely wrong either. There is such a mess of information online and in my head (based on what we were told and have been told), it's rough to get it all out and on paper. It also doesn't show the woman is providing a false narrative either. We both seem to be missing pivotal details and due to her not wanting to fact check everything, this is a win for no one. It's an additional piece of conversation to let her know that maybe she shouldn't be so head strong into wanting an argument with someone and have it be one sided, which is her side. A little more research needs to be done and possibly discussed in a civil manner, because frankly, it was getting heated. 

No, it wasn't because the humidity outside was making the water feel like a bath tub at 9 in the morning. It was the debate that went on for way too long. 

Accept the other person's opinion and be done with it. Plain and simple. 

Therefore, I am going to end it here because I'm circling too and making myself look bad. 

Until someone can say "I'm sorry, I would like to know more about what you have to say", take care of yourself, each other and try to play fair.

Cheers;

-- If I'm completely wrong, then somebody somewhere needs to have better training exercises for their employees because nothing is explained properly and everyone listens and processes things completely differently. I know there's a few other social network sites where users are asking similar questions and even then, there is a bit of a controversy over this --

See Also

• Shadow Wood Community Association
• Shadow Wood Community Association PDF download
• Eero; an Amazon product
  

The AI overview citation notes go to

• The link "[1]" to the Shadow Wood PDF as mentioned above
• Wellen Park (in Venice) website explanation "[2]"

"It takes too much to touch"

Can't finish the sentence because my what I'm going to refer to, isn't a "her". It's a piece of tech. 

But I can add another song line with an edit:

"It's getting hot out there, so take off all your clothes" or cases, or whatever. 

Okay, I bastardized Kanye West's "Gold Digger" and Nelly's "Hot In Herre" however it's for a point. 

I was at the pool this morning and it hit 103° at 10:30 in the morning.

Which is why my phone got so hot in my bag that my phone overheated itself because the sun was beating down on my bag.

Yes, you can barely see Denis O'Hare in the background. It is one of his characters ("Liz Taylor") from the American Horror Story series (season five, "Hotel"). That's neither here nor there. Just pointing it out in case you were wondering what that ghost image was.

Okay, so in full disclosure, my phone is in an old Vera Bradley zippered neoprene tablet case. A type of carry all that is only available on sites like eBay at the moment. 

I decided to put my phone in this the other day, as we got stuck in a small rain storm while at the pool and the bag I'm using to carry all my stuff (towel, water shoes, sunglasses, mask) doesn't have a zipper on the main compartment and the front pouch is Velcro. Therefore, I don't want to inadvertently end up getting my phone wet if it rains again while we're swimming. 

Which also brings me to why my phone overheated.

I mean, the thing is in a zippered neoprene bag, in another bag, in the harsh (sun)light of day. It's essentially cooking itself to a slow death. This idea that I had to save my phone ended becoming a thermal trap without even thinking about it. 

Sometimes I'm a 20 watt bulb among a box of 100 watts and there's nothing that's going to stop me from dimly shining. 

I've now got to re-adjust what I'm going to do about this because I don't want to create a battery fire at the pool. I don't think the chlorinated water and a Lithium-ION battery mix well. Plus, I can't afford a new phone at the moment, given the fact this phone is new. I upgraded to the 17 in January, so it's only six months old (welp; old enough to upgrade, according to other people!). 

I guess, what I'm saying is.. if you're going to be out at the pool or anywhere in the sun with electronics, don't keep it in a heat conductive unit for long periods of time. My Yeti sleeve has worked amazing because I get to carry my tumbler everywhere and not drop it (and my water stays cold), but for keeping my devices dry in case of rain? No Bueno. 

If I think about it, I could put the phone in a plastic bag, like the ones you get from the grocery store, and make sure the bag is tied. Or, I change the outer bag completely, so I have zippered compartments all around. I know the main bag isn't the best as it is, since it's mainly a type of overnight bag where you are just going to a friend's house or somewhere close (not traveling far since it doesn't zip). I am definitely going to readjust this for sure.

Until I can figure it out, learn from my lesson and don't keep your tech in a hot box. Keep yourselves hydrated as well. 

Stay safe!

Cheers;

See Also (links via Amazon)

• "Hot In Herre" is from Nelly's 2002 album, "Nellyville"
• "Gold Digger" is from Kanye West's 2005 album, "Late Registration"
• "neoprene pouch with zipper" key word search
• "Harsh light of day" redirect is throwback to a "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" episode as well as a Fastball album from 2000, titled "The Harsh Light of Day. #Showusyourageandera!
• Coincidentally, the Fastball album has a song called "Vampires", which could be Buffy connection too... Even though it's not, but you never know; since I tweaked the line anyway. 😁
• "American Horror Story: Hotel" on Amazon Prime
• "neoprene sleeve for Yeti tumbler" on key word search. 
• This is the one I'm actually using (and they've held up since purchasing them in 2022. I am still on 1 of 4. Totally better version than what I was using prior - different model / brand / seller): 4 Pack 30oz Neoprene Carrier (Black,Blue,Pink,Navy)

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
  

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;