   | | Discussion involving leisure activities: books, travel, hobbies, sports, Internet fun and more. Please read Msg #1 before posting. |
Msg #37712
0 replies | International Travel hacks | By Bear900/CA on 7/2/25 12:01pm
I love them. If you have any you can suggest please do so. Here's my favorites.
1. Scottevest
http://youtu.be/0Q6RJCKDagQ?si=plUd9sYJ11YFZhUS
I purchased the black sweatshirt with hood. I actually wore the hood while flying and was quite cozy. Superlight and super comfortable. The many hidden zippered pockets were great to stash passports, wallets, money pouches, cell phone, keys, watches, whatever you need to put in an open bucket going through customs. just toss in the sweatshirt and move on. Also prevents pickpocketing when out and about.
2. Buffway Slim Minimalist wallet
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WT2KKPW?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
They are inexpensive and we each have one and love them. I will never return to an old-fashioned wallet. Slide into front pants pocket and never worry.
3. Water filter bottles
There are many but well worth having one. My wife has a UVBrite with an electronic filter. Pretty cool. I have a Grayl brand that uses a manual push down filter. If you're out an about you can fill up anywhere. We ended up only carrying the UVBrite.
4. Skip the lines at the airport with a TSA precheck.
Just get it. Returning to the States it appeared the majority of travelers were lined up, taking off shoes and belts. One time we were the only two in the TSA line. No removing shoes or belts. The agent takes a quick shot of your mug and you're off. I joked with one agent (really shouldn't do that) asking where they got my picture. "You must have taken it somewhere", he said. "Oh, that one time I got arrested." It's a wonder I didn't get taking into the back room, but he gave me a half a smile back and said we were good to go.
5. USB Data Blockers. Inexpensive phone protection when plugging into a USB port for charging.
6. eSIM
Go to your phone connections and note the SIM manager. You will have a SIM from your cell phone carrier. If you have a North America plan you are good to go for Canada and Mexico for a small fee and you get a good amount of roaming and data.
If you need additional data, like I did, preinstall an eSIM. I installed and setup Holafly. when I needed to use it, I just picked the number of days, made a quick online payment (only good for those days) and switched over immediately.
7. This is a maybe - VPN and an Amazon Firestick
Nothing worse than relaxing with no English TV. I set up my Firestick with all our TV subscriptions to watch in English.
Using a VPN will get you Netflix in the states instead of Netflix elsewhere. My VPN automatically put me in CA but you can say you're anywhere and add an alternate profile if you wish.
The idea was... I would plug in my Firestick, turn on my VPN, use my international roaming (Carrier or eSIM), and sit back with English TV. Even though I was all setup, when I first went to try it, I discovered I lost the remote. Purchased a better remote on Amazon when we returned home so better luck next time, I hope. Not that big a deal to have but wanted to try out the idea.
8. Critical information storage
Take your pick on how and why you would do this. Here's an example.
Just one of the things I wanted to have on me was our travel and emergency medical insurance policy. Some people scan or take photos or pack a copy. I have a Dropbox account which is password protected. I downloaded the insurance PDF sent to me into my Dropbox then downloaded the Dropbox app to my phone and synced it. I got carried away and had fun adding all sorts of things.
9. Google Wallet
We have Samsung Wallet and Apple Wallet on our phones, but my personal choice was Google Wallet. Using Wallet is fun! Stored all our boarding and bus passes ahead of time. Also felt more secure using CC's as the information is encrypted.
Huge learning experience for us which my wife gladly turned over to me.
10. Google Translate
Talk or type into it, scan menus and signs to translate for you. No brainer.
11. Google Maps visual feature
Having a hard time with directions? Walking in circles with no street signs? Yeah, been there. I was unaware that you could aim this to any building with address or not, and it will know where you're at and to give you directions. My wife caught onto this one quick. It saved our feet.
Any travel hacks you would like to share?
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| Msg #37711
1 replies | Morning habits that can triple your stroke risk. | By Bear900/CA on 7/2/25 10:34am
Just when you think you're healthy enough. We immediately changed our morning habits.
http://youtu.be/kXggXDo9pl8?si=Uly4hlzURdn9lK9y
If you're over 50 you may want to consider a calcium scan of the heart and a liver ultrasound. Modern medicine can then determine better your risk for stroke and heart attack in the next ten years. My younger doctor is an internist and geriatric doctor. I call her Dr Death. Although I'm fit and healthy, eat right and exercise, have no disease, she about blew a blood vessel looking at my results. Geez...okay, Doc, settle down.
It goes to show, all that we do, or don't do through our lifetime will help determine when we check out. All we can do is continue to adjust as we age. I stopped and started a lot of things since my diagnosis. Feeling great! But watch out for those mornings!
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| Msg #37708
1 replies | Mr SC and I are back from our SF trip, and it was amazing!! | By SC/CA on 7/1/25 9:23am
It was so great to be with family! I’m so lucky to have such a fun-loving family and that we enjoy each other's company. Bear and Yoli, thank you so much for all of your input! It was such a whirlwind blur, I can’t remember which activities you recommended, but I know that we did a lot - and we loved it all !!! :-) SF is so gorgeous!!
The very next day, after flying from NY to CA, my 94 y/o MIL hiked two miles in Muir Woods. And she kept going at that same pace for a week! Afterward she said, “You know the trip was at a good pace. I felt relaxed, I didn’t feel rushed.” What the what!? She’s something else.
Absolutely no-one could believe that we were celebrating her 94th B-day. My 74 y/o friend said that she looks younger than her - and she does! :-) She’s very active, with a fantastic attitude and appreciation for life. We had a group of women at St. Francis Winery circle around us (visiting from Tennessee to celebrate a 50th B-day) wanting to get their picture taken with her. What a riot.
After visiting the de Young Museum (wonderful exhibit, great observation tower), we wanted to go to dinner (Pacific Catch, it was great!) and my MIL said, let’s walk there, it’ll be hard to find parking (said like a true NY’er). So instead of getting the car, we walked from the north end to the south end of Golden Gate Park to the restaurant. While we were walking, I checked in with my MIL and asked her how it was going. She replied, “It’s going.” She’s the original Duracell rabbit... she just keeps going. :-)
Mr SC and I often travel to NY to see family (we go to them), and for some family members this was their first time coming to SF. They noted that they couldn’t believe how consistently beautiful the weather was – low 70’s and sunny the entire time. How picturesque SF was, how it had more history, culture, and art than they expected, how hilly it is pretty much everywhere (including outside of SF), the existence of micro-climates and watching the sun/fog dance over the golden hills, that no-one honks their car horns (especially compared to NY!), how friendly people were with its nice laid-back hippie vibe, and the California cuisine with its abundance of garden fresh produce and fresh seafood. And the wine! They loved it!! And we loved having them! They called SF picture perfect, and it was!! As they said, “It could not have been better!” Thank you, California !! My MIL wants to come again for her 95th !!! :-)
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| | | | | Msg #37699
1 replies | RIP Brian Wilson, passed at 82 yesterday | By  Cheryl Elliott on 6/12/25 4:21pm
Loved the Beach Boys. They played at the Santa Barbara Bowl frequently. Brian Wilsin had long struggles with mental health, bipolar and would be in the group for extended periods of time.
Thank you for all your wonderful music.
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| | | Msg #37690
2 replies | Sad news | By Mike Goodey on 5/24/25 10:16pm
Prayers go out to singer Billy Joel who just canceled his summer tour because of a brain condition.
Some are calling it "Hakim's triad' which affects his movement, memory loss and urinary incontinence. Hopefully he gets the rest he needs. Ever since I heard " Piano man" I have been a big fan of his. He is original and a star.
May he recover quickly.
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| Msg #37689
1 replies | Fraud case | By Mike Goodey on 5/23/25 4:55pm
Did anyone hear about the female police officer from Westminster who is now charged with 22 counts of fraud? Her step father, an attorney, is also being prosecuted and could end up serving 8 years if convicted.
The officer sustained a minor head abrasion and was released to go back on duty. Apparently she told her command that it was a serious brain injury and that she had to stay in a dark room and away from a computer screen. Funny you would think the investigators would have gotten the ER report but the city ended up paying her $600,000 tax free in workman's comp and her full salary.
Her stepdad works as an attorney for an insurance company specializing in fraud cases. Her coworkers have testified that this officer was seen dancing at the Stagecoach festival, at another concert, skiing and running a 5K run. Now the city is prosecuting both of them.
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| Msg #37685
4 replies | Memorial Day Weekend | By Linda Frezza on 5/22/25 6:01pm
Spend time with friends - this is beach and boating time of year - be careful out on the water - catch a lot of fish.
Be kind and do a bunch of great cooking on the grill - most of all Love and be with Family. My husband and myself have no family nearby so give yours a kiss for us and thank the military. medical, firemen, and police for protecting us all. God Bless America!
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| Msg #37682
3 replies | Left our hearts in San Miguel de Allende | By Bear900/CA on 5/19/25 10:21am
Other than a few stops while on cruises we had zero experience and zero desire to travel to Mexico for obvious reasons. Could we reconcile with those and take a chance? Our families were extremely concerned with our welfare, and we kept in touch daily. It wasn't long before the concern turned into, "What are your plans for today? We loved the pictures and videos, send more. Are you gaining weight eating all that delicious looking food?"
Haha! We spent two weeks touring several cities. Our favorite was the small town of San Miguel de Allende in the central highlands of old Mexico. It's close to 7,000 feet in elevation but we didn't notice it at all, maybe because of all the walking we do. Extremely picturesque, and extremely friendly, especially if you can converse a little. My wife took five years of Spanish in school and would easily engage locals. She would have them smiling and laughing. I could guess what they were saying and did a lot of nodding and basic greetings. Basically, my Spanish is zero.
Toss anything you know about Mexican food served this side of the border. We felt like we had been deprived. Exotic is the best word that comes to mind. The cost was ridiculously low. The last few days I was spending like crazy to unload my left-over pesos.
We walked about six or seven miles daily on uneven cobblestone, no real sidewalks, no asphalt and a lot of uphill. That was on top of taking several Ubers which was my first time using the app. Stood away from alcohol and substituted with Agua Tonica (Spanish for tonic water. I had to learn that using my Translate app because they had no clue either). In short, the quinine in Schweppes prevents leg cramps which was one of our daily battles. We drank a LOT of Schweppes.
The culture, the friendly people, the scenery, the food, they are all top notch. There are thousands of expats and tourists (including Mexican citizens) there, so the city is 'left alone'. Our very first contact was a with a stranger on the street to ask for directions that my wife asked in Spanish. The lady looked confused. Then my wife said something in English. She lit up and we had a long conversation. Turned out she was an American and knew very little Spanish. We saw a lot of Americans and Canadians.
We are considering a return trip in Sept/October after the rainy season. No desire to visit other parts of the country.
Take a walk with me...
http://youtu.be/SZHm2mqSYHE?si=aJ3K_wP0JkkD5h5z
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| Msg #37680
1 replies | Is your computer disconnecting from WiFi frequently? | By Yoli/CA on 5/16/25 10:03am
I have a 5-year old Lenovo ThinkPad. That's old and is no longer supported by the manufacturer.
My WiFi is with T-Mobile and I've had it now for almost 6 months. Initially, my laptop worked great with the WiFi. However, I've been struggling with it for about 2 months. It would kick me off once in a while. Then more often. At first, I called T-Mobile and was told they were working on the tower that's right across the street from me and things would soon be resolved. Nope. Disconnect became more frequent. I called again. This time, I was told my laptop is too old and is the cause of the issues. I started shopping around for a new laptop. BUT, I noticed this same laptop had no problem at all when in use away from home.
I did some research and tried some tips. Finally, I came across the recommendation to update the drivers through Lenovo. I did that and VOILA!! problem resolved and haven't had any disconnection issues for almost a week. Whereas, it had gotten to the point where it would disconnect practically every time I flipped pages or tried to access another app. Frustrating!
Apparently, when a Lenovo laptop gets "too old", the manufacturer no longer supports it. That is to say, they no longer automatically update the drivers. It's up to the user to update drivers manually.
My laptop is back to working fast and efficiently -- just like when it was new! 
Note: All other devices connected to same WiFi had no issues. Several smart TVs, a couple of printers, iPhones, Alexa ... none of them had disconnection issues.
(hope this helps others out there that may be experiencing similar issues)
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| Msg #37678
1 replies | Happy Mothers' Day everyone! | By Yoli/CA on 5/11/25 11:55am
Yes, everyone ... even the men. At some point or another we've all had to play the mama role (and the papa role as well).
Enjoy your day, all!
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| Msg #37671
3 replies | Remember when you could go to CVS or Walgreens or other like | By Cheryl Elliott on 4/24/25 3:01pm
drug store and get your blood pressure taken...no more!
So I stopped into the emergency room at our local hospital and asked if they knew where i could get this done, and some handsome intake nurse jumped up and said "I can do this for you!."
It is a little rolling stand with all this fancy computer equipment. Takes your pulse, your hydration, BP, and temperature.
I have a facetime consultation with my nurse practioner at 4pm today and I'm good to go!
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| | | Msg #37659
1 replies | Easter | By Mike Goodey on 4/20/25 9:29am
Happy Resurrection Sunday!! My wife and I just got back from sunrise service at our church and it was awesome! God is great!!
It was pretty cold this early in the morning out on the lawn of the church but with thousands of believers sitting around each other it was fine.
HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!!!
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