Thursday, March 23, 2023

Why Didn't Someone Tell Me?

 Before we went to the ENT, I told Tommy I wanted to stop at used car lots or dealers with used cars just to see prices and styles of SUVs. The purpose was to stay in the car, not get out and walk to any car. After we left the office I told him to forget window shopping, just go home. I was so tired. 

When I have seen a vehicle, I am confused as to what is an SUV and what is a van. He has assured me I don't want a van. I forgot why. I told him how I don't know a van from an SUV and he explained something to me, a fact I did not know. 

He told me that when SUVs first came out, manufacturers took a truck cab and added the extra seats and the back storage. So, this is the fact I have been missing. This is why I see an SUV and think it is a van. No wonder I have been confused! 

Since I actually prefer the longer nose in front of the windshield as I feel it gives greater protection, I will buy whatever has this feature. 

Wednesday, I don't remember what we did. I think going to the grocery was all that happened. I got rest from not sleeping, a long nap. 

Thursday, we went to Cullman to pick up my third laptop. However, they will not give me a refund for the second one because I cannot find the box. I can return the laptop but it will cost me $149 that I will not receive from the price I paid. We looked where I thought it was, but failed to find it. Tommy paid for it until we get the refund. So, I came home with three laptops. Of course, the old one still whines loudly. The next time the cleaner comes, this search will be a priority. 

The guy could finally see the color discrepancy in the screen when we lined the laptops up. He could also see how it had a dark background, one that made it hard to read the screen. So, I need to connect it, something I have been too tired to attempt since we arrived home. 

While we waited on the laptop, we took three quilts to the laundry, spending about $7. We didn't have time to dry them, so Tommy has spent a lot of time taking them out to his dryer. He left the one for my bed wet, so that had to go out again. I suppose the dryer has run over 6 hours, so it would have been cheaper and so much easier to put all three in one dryer. But, all are clean. My quilt, especially, was the dirtiest. 

I bought only one can of Argo peaches with a date of 8-2024. We don't eat a lot of canned peaches, but this is the brand I love. These are yellow cling peaches with an extra-light syrup, 1/3 less fewer calories than sliced peaches in heavy syrup. I did buy one apple since I was out and wanted one after dinner, my daily apple. These peaches are so raggedy and delicious, irregular pieces, a 29 ounce can. 

Tomorrow, it will rain, and we have no appointments, or anything planned. So, I will spend the day, both of us, putting things back that have been left willy-nilly all over the place. I did not sleep much Wednesday night, and my nap was much too short today. Maybe tomorrow will be a catchup day for sleep, too. 

The only thing we did, now that I remember, was to shop at Lowe's. I bought tools to score, break, and drill the plate that was broken when it was delivered. I bought a cordless Dremel and the bit I needed. I will at least make and sell enough broken porcelain jewelry to pay for this tool. Of course, I had to have safety goggles, too. 

I met a very helpful employee, three as a matter of fact. You have to go before 4 pm to find help that knows what they are talking about. He is going to make something for me. He makes all sorts of things to sell. 

Remember the wooden birds I was making? Well, the second order of bird wings was all wrong. The guy who did it said it was dangerous to do, so they cut them wrong. As I pointed out, I did not want anyone to be injured, but the guy should have turned down the job. The manager type person agreed. So, they gave me a refund. I thought they would give the wings back since they could be salvaged. No! They put them all in the scrap box for people to burn. 

That meant I did not have more wings or my own scraps to finish the wings for the birds...sigh. We examined some junk piles and found nothing suitable. I decided buying a board would be cheaper than driving the gas out of the car, frustrating us both with no lumber. I do know that it is too early for construction scraps. A board I need would only cost $8. That is a 2"x6"x8' board. 

The guy said he would do the job and gave me his number. Now, I have two projects. Of course, getting this house under control is the most important project. 

Have you bought a new HP laptop and found the screen too dark with no way of lightening it enough?

Have you ever used a Dremel tool? This one has an intimidating manual with all sorts of settings. 

19 comments:

  1. I like the Argo brand of peaches too. I like to put the can in the fridge to get cold before we eat them. Makes them so refreshing.

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    Replies
    1. Belinda,
      If you find Argo, buy them as they are being discontinued in this area of the country. They will only be carried in the western part of the US.

      Delete
  2. Van's have the long nose. SUV are usually box shaped in front. As short as I am I do SUV as I can see where the freaking nose is. I am looking for a 150 Ford truck with crew seat (seat 3 in front) and a camper shell (hard top with windows) over the bed of the truck.

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    Replies
    1. I would like a truck, but we cannot get anything from the bed unless it is sitting next to the tailgate. He has had trucks, but never a camper shell as he says he cannot see out of them for driving.

      Delete
    2. I must beg to differ, Chef. My van has quite a short nose; shorter than our Sorrento. A van also has a much larger cargo area than an SUV, as well as can hold more people. My van carries 8; plus the third row can hold adults not just toddlers!

      If you want to haul big items, an SUV is certainly not the way to go. I think people buy SUVs for status, not for practicality. I would put my Odyssey van up against any SUV for ease of driving, height of driver, hauling capacity, and fuel economy.

      Delete
  3. Take your laptop to Best buy or some place that sells laptops and they can help you with the setting that corrects the light on your display. Or ask a teenager as most know how also.

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    Replies
    1. Chef,
      I had it at Office Max and the tech person could not set it any lighter. It is just "brown" as he calls it. I had found all the settings myself. However, on his own, he found no more. I don't know any teens...lol. However, I have been considering them or Geek Squad.

      Delete
  4. I have purchased several computers over the years and never had a problem. Just set up and go.
    Be careful using the Dremel - you can injure your hands/fingers easily.

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    Replies
    1. Cheryl,
      Same here. I am afraid of the Dremel and have yet to try it. I do have leather gloves.

      Delete
  5. There are really three things - vans, minivans, and SUVs. Vans are boxy and bigger. Usually for transporting good. Minivans are lower to the ground like a car, with less clearance than a van (or SUV). The back doors on minivans are usually bigger and many, if not most, slide instead of open outright. SUVs are higher from the ground and typically have four doors that open like car doors. I do not think you would love a minivan. One of the smaller SUVs would probably suit you well.

    My husband uses a Dremel to get the callouses off his feet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alice,
      Thanks! I have been told that my calling all these driving things "vehicles" is me trying to sound really smart, educated, or whatever. Well, I cannot figure out what they are or just am in a hurry, so I call them all "vehicles." See, I am even more confused.
      Thanks for pointing out these things. I suppose I will have to write it down until I get it memorized...lol.
      I don't like a vehicle with a high center of gravity. I don't want anything close to the ground that I cannot get into or out of. I really want what my body can handle. I will get this all straight. Thanks for the help.

      You know, I saw something in the manual that seemed like it could be a body tool. I think this is what the podiatrist uses on the few rough spots on my heels and instead of an emery board on my nails. Clever of your husband!

      Delete
    2. Yes! Hubby sees a podiatrist who uses the same kind of tool. He uses it himself in between visits. Of course, that also necessitates being able to reach ones feet.

      Delete
    3. Alice,
      There's the rub! Of course, the Dremel makes my arm long enough. Otherwise, I cannot reach my feet for anything dangerous or intricate. I use a long brush to even wash my feet. I cannot polish my nails, but I can swipe something on my toes.

      Delete
    4. Minivans are not "low to the ground like a car." They are raised up like a mid-range SUV. And an SUV can be so high from the ground that you will need a running board to hoist yourself in. That's not going to work for Linda.

      Linda, get yourself a copy of Consumer Reports Annual Car Review. They have pics and dimensions of every single car they evaluate, so you can familiarize yourself with the appearance and how high off the ground the vehicles are. All vehicles vary greatly, and their category does not guarrentee any sort of predictable configuration.

      Delete
    5. Sue,
      The review would be helpful. Thanks.

      Delete
  6. I've driven minivans since 1996. They are great in that they are high up (easy to get in-and-out of) fairly durable (my oldest van ran great for 500k miles with very few repairs), and have great visibility -- no blind spots. You can load up to 4 bales of hay in them (with seats down) and they are really easy to drive. They are safe (the lack of a huge "nose" means better visibility) and have the same safety ratings as an SUV. There are also MANY MANY of them -- so the used car market is very reasonable. Plus gas mileage is actually really good for such a large vehicle -- I get around 28mph on highway, and 22 around town. (This is my fourth minivan, and I find them very comfortable -- smooth ride.)

    SUV's can be too high/tall to easily get into (depending on model) which is a drawback for some elderly, as they are a BEAR to get in/out of. So, if you want to go SUV, look for a smaller one, like a Subaru Forester, or Mazda CX-3 or CX-5. A truck...even a smaller truck is also higher to get up onto, and less visibility (more blind spots). SUVs also have a much higher resale value than a minivan. They are perceived of as a "luxury" car, and the price tag -- even for the very old ones is significant. Repairs cost more. Tires cost more. Insurance costs are higher, too. And, their repair record is much worse. They are a heavier vehicle, so the fuel costs are high. They also have more blind spots and are harder to parallel park (from experience, I've had SUVs in the past.) In fact, the Nation Roads and Motorists Association measured it -- and they have nearly 50feet of "blind spots"...the most of any class of car. Because SUVs have a higher profile and have a higher center of gravity than either a passenger car or minivan they are more prone to "roll over" accidents. It would not be my first choice for a car...

    Larger trucks and mid-size trucks are difficult to get into and out of -- as they are higher, plus the ride is very ROUGH and not like a passenger car. The big trucks get horrible mileage... (as low as 6.5 miles per gallon... up to all of 12mpg). Mid-size trucks do a little better -- but its around 15-16mpg for mine, highways is never more than 18. Although my truck (midsize) has been dependable, but when they break -- parts cost more (no idea why) than my minivan. There are many blind spots, and the huge front end makes them more difficult -- to maneuver. I had to get rid of my full-sized truck and opt to downsize to a mid-sized one because I just couldn't keep climbing into it (big step UP) and getting out was difficult. Tires are ridiculously expensive compared to my mini-van. The safety ratings on trucks are worse than passenger cars OR minivans OR SUVs.

    As for the computer --- contact the manufacturer... the place that sold it might want the receipt/box... but the manufacturer might have warranty on it -- and will ship you a box to ship it to them -- and "repair it" (meaning probably just replace it). Then you could sell the extra computer. Manufacturers have a warranty on their products, and clearly this was a defect in manufacturing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meetsy,
      Thanks for the information. I will have to write it all down and digest it. Tommy has a Rogue. I hate I cannot see the front of the car, making it difficult to see where the car actually is in space. It is the first time I have driven anything but a car. Maybe I will have to just try a few vehicles to figure out what works. I can hike my behind up to the seat to get in easier than I can let myself down. I can slide out of of the seat, but have to lift myself from a car.
      I think I will return the last laptop since the images are no better and the laptop is much heavier. I am going to contact HP to get to the bottom of this image and color problem. Thanks for the info.

      Delete
  7. Hey I learned something: I didn't know what was a Dremmel tool.

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    Replies
    1. Urspo,
      I had never seen one in person until I purchased it.

      Delete

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