From Here and Beyond

Back To Sanity.

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Thu, 31 May 2012 16:50:36 PDT

It seems only yesterday that I was walking along the beach at Poldhu Cove, near the English side Marconi Monument, site of the first transatlantic radio telegraphy. Or, walking past Stonehenge, and Buckingham Palace, and riding high up on the London Eye ferris wheel. But I have been back for nearly a week now, and am still not really settled into my previous routine. This is a good thing, I think, and I am now thinking in terms of going away, maybe to Cuba or somewhere this next winter.

Bistro Sets Patio or Garden Furniture

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Thu, 31 May 2012 16:46:14 PDT

There is nothing that makes a house or home look cheap more than those oh-so-cheap white plastic chairs on a patio. Not only do they look bad, but they do not last unless you cover them from the sun. And if painted over, they really look even worse. As you might tell, I do not like plastic garden furniture, but it is nothing to do with the plastic, but to do with the design overall. Fortunately, www.bistrosets.com have a good range of items that are well worth looking at and that will no doubt last for years, and not get dated like regular patio furniture.

Jewelry - still a good investment.

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Thu, 31 May 2012 16:39:53 PDT

Jewelry tends to be thought of as a poor investment, as the cost is too much a large part in the workmanship rather than the weight of the gold etc. In reality though, you can't look at things that way, as, in any case, you are unlikely to cash in the items in the same manner that you might sell some stocks or bonds. You gan get mother rings at joy jewelers that you certainly would never want to sell, as they become real family heirlooms. So, the real investment in jewelry is emotional investment, and that can never be replaced.

Driving In England

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Thu, 31 May 2012 16:32:03 PDT

The drivers in England seem a bit crazy, going way too fast for conditions. But they are used to this. The roads over there are now exremely congested, and I suspect that soon it will start to affect the lifestyle, by restricting the commmuting possibilities. It makes things very difficult for the tourists though, what with the driving being on the 'wrong' side of the road! So, if you ever plan to go to the UK, try planning to use the roads overnight, when you will have more leeway to make mistakes.

Headphones - more acceptable than ever.

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Thu, 31 May 2012 16:27:00 PDT

One cultural change that has occurred in recent years is the acceptance of headphones. Most headphones that we see on a day to day basis are the little bud type that fit inside the ear, but I am seeing regular headphones a lot more as well. They do, of course, carry a danger of not being able to hear anything that might turn out to be dangerous, but for walking in safer designated pedestrian locations they are great. There are Bose, Denon, as well as m-audio headphones for sale online, so they are easy to find. And, here is a tip, if flying anywhere, take a pair of proper headphones along, with a small jackplug, the same size as fits a PC sound card socket, and you will hear the in-flight movies that much better.

Switch Cover Plates

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Thu, 31 May 2012 16:18:10 PDT

The decor of a room, or a house or home, can depend a lot upon small features. The window frames are an obvious item, with wood looking richer than vinyl, and proper window winders looking better than sash style windows. But, here is a way to increase the look for a really low cost. You can obtain wood switch covers for the light switches. Simple as that. And for an extra luxury look, you can get oak and brass.

Catching Up With Work

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:55:01 PDT

I am currently catching up on work that I should have done a while back. It is part of my preparations for having a quick few days away on my first vacation in about 5 years. I want everything to run like clockwork while I am gone, with the house-sitting being done, as well as the work for my business. With a bit of luck, my clients will not even be aware that I am away!

Brain Exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:50:12 PDT

Use it or lose it, that saying applies to your brain. I guess it might be why Einstein was still a deep thinker, even when he got older. Besides, if you keep your brain active by doing puzzles and brain teasers, then it is a load of fun, too. There are times though, when it is good to just play a mindless video game, but the end result is not as satisfying. Take Tetris for example. We always lose, as the game is set up so that total success can never be achieved. Did you think of that?

Covering Your Spa

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:43:29 PDT

Especially in the spring and fall, when the overnight temperatures tend to drop, it makes sense to use a hot tub cover of some kind, as it will pay for itself in energy savings. Heat rises, so the top surface of any water will tend to be warmer than the underneath layers. And the heat will carry on tryin to rise, until it simply leaves the water , goes into the air above the water, and warms that air. In short, it is lost. You end up heating the neighborhood, instead of just your spa! Another advantage with a cover is that it stops debris getting into the water while the hot tub is not in use.

Van Problems - not again!

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:51:51 PDT

It seems like it is only a few weeks since I spent a whole load of cash on getting the van repairs done. Now it is misfiring when I drive it. I really am considering getting rid of it. There comes a point in time where everything seems to be wearing out, and I have the choice of spending some serious money on constant repairing, or just cut my losses, and change it for a different vehicle.

Yo Yo Time

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:47:32 PDT

Some crazes stay around for years, or fade, then make a comeback. Like the hula hoop, or the yo yo. But the yoyo hasn't really made a comeback, it never went away. There is even a yo yo store that specializes in yo yo's. They can be pretty cool things to play with. It isn't a case of just having the yo yo rise and fall on the string, as it can also be made to sit at the bottom, at full length, and spin, then it can be brought back up to the hand at will. At least, that's what can be done once you get the hang of it, as well as other tricks.

Am I A Boat Widow?

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 04:51:45 PDT

Seems that Hubby is doing exactly what he said that he would do, and is getting his boat fixed up.
Last year he sealed up all the leaks where rain was getting in, and this year he is starting to get the inside fixing up started.
The boat came with nothing in it that was not fixed to the boat. No cooking stove, no water system for the sink, which is built-in. No bedding, no seats, nothing.
Oh, well, it will surely slow down, once the weather gets hotter.
Maybe he can even get it into the water, where we can enjoy it.

Side Effects From Dieting

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 04:44:37 PDT

Sensible dieting has no real side effects, other than feeling better, and straining the body less. It is the products that you can use that might create a problem.
Some dieting products are no doubt full of multiple ingreients that might combine in ways not are not advantageous, so it can possibly be true that it is best to keep things simple.
They give details of this at http://www.dietpillsideeffects.com/calorie-burner-643/ where various dieting products are discussed.

Pressed Wood - A Natural MIstake

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 04:37:01 PDT

I have to admit that the basement tends to be a bit damp. I should really run a dehumidifier in there, but that seems wasteful.
I have some old bedroom furniture down there that I picked up just to tidy the place up, and to do away with boxes as a storage means.
But, there is a problem with that idea.
Cheap furniture is OK, but it has ended up looking as bad as the boxes it replaced.
What I need is metal cabinets that will not bend under the weight of the items I have, and, more importantly, the items Hubby has, which are often tools and maybe car parts.
Well worth the investment, and they last a lifetime.

Steel Buildings

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 04:29:05 PDT

A friend of mine's mother, who is at least 70 years old, not that age has anything to do with it, has a great garage for her car and small RV.
She uses the RV to stay overnight at bluegrass events, so it spends most of it's life insaide the garage, which is really a bit more than a garage, more like a workshop sized building.
The building is interesting when you look closely at it, it is steel, but has no framing and very few bolts holding it all together.
When you have a metal building like this, the whole thing becomes the frame, like a car body really.
But, the really great thing about it is the space inside. It has no support pillars obstructing the floor area, so all the space is usable.
And apparently it was a quick to put up. That figures, there really are not many separate pieces to it, just a few large ones.

More spending On Van Repairs.

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:58:12 PDT

I am beginning to lose faith.
My trusty old van, actually, maybe not so old, 2008, just cost me a further few hundred bucks.
It would have been a lot more except that the weather is good enough lately that I can persuade Hubby to be my mechanic, at least for a day.
It has it's price of course, as he then whines for a week or more about his aches and pains, but I think that the cause of that might be that he is a whiner, not that he actually has too much in the way of aches and pains.
Anyway, his work saved me about $800.
And the van has now passed it's inspection, so I am good for another 2 years.

Coupons, no cutting out needed!

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:53:23 PDT

I saw a documentary on TV a while back, where a woman was a coupon fan, and bought just about everything using a coupon.
They did a cost study, and over a period, saved a lot of cash.
Now, when you are shopping for Mac products, it is a little more difficult to get a cheaper deal.
Mac have set things up so that the price of, say, the iPhone, is the same all over the world.
This in turn allows them to have a good customer support setup.
There is an online outlet for Mac products called the MacMall, and there are also online coupons available, called macmall coupons, now who would have been surprised at that name, but it does allow some savings by bundling etc.
Actually, it might be worth bookmarking couponbuzz.com , because they seem to have some ways of getting other good savings as well.

Electronic Music

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:42:53 PDT

Electronic music has been around for years now, there was an outfit called the BBC Radiophonic Orchestra who used to create music using just what are for us now, just basic simple sounds.
But, it sounded what it was, electronic.
Then, as technology developed, there was electronic music that was a good copy of a conventional musical instrument.
Most dance music uses electronic music, particularly to create drum type sounds.
And the actual way it sounds can be changed by using Electronic Drum MIDI Controllers and similar devices.
Then, of course, let us not forget the guitar wah-wah pedal, that alters an electric guitar sound to create a sound that is almost like a new type of instrument.

Cellphone Signal Boosting

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:35:37 PDT

I guess that more and more of us are starting to not bother with a landliner phone, and are using our cellphones as our main phone.
Now, the obvious snag is that you might lose the cellphone, or get it stolen, so the first thing to do is to keep a separate record of all your contacts etc.
Some phones can allow you to just transfer this as data, to your computer.
Another snag is that you might be in a bad location for getting a clear signal. This can happen even in a city, as many cell towers are actually mounted on the tops of building, and directly underneath them is a dead spot.
Or, you can buy a phone booster to improve the signal.
And, one final tip, if you have a weak signal inside a building, try going to a window, as often that will give you a usable signal.

Car Repairs

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:09:31 PDT

The time comes, if you run a vehicle, when repairs have to be done. We all havea tendency to put things off, and the result of that is a building up of things that annoy as you drive.
So, I put my van in to be repaired. I had a pulley replaced that was stopping the power steering from working properly, and I also had a job done on the brakes.
So, just a couple of new tires for the rear wheels, and I will be able to put it through the government inspection.

Exfoliation.

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:05:00 PDT

The skin on your body will tend to shed naturally, a few particles at a time, over a longish period. It is natures way to make sure that the skin is healthy. And a great trick, if you want to ensure good skin, is to accelerate that process just a little, yet without interfering with the process.
By using body scrubs, you can exfoliate your skin, removing the dead cells that are on the surface, and are waiting to drop away naturally, and allowing the body to present a new skin layer a little ahead of time.
The advantage of this is simple - the newer skin is younger looking, probably because it is just that, younger.

Silver or Gold?

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:58:31 PDT

Seems that gold used to be cheap, and we did not realize it. Now it has gone up in price, as investors enjoy the security it has as far as value goes.
Now, there are still bargains to be had though, as far as precious metals go. Platinum is an obvious choice, but let's not forget that silver bullion bars are also a great investment. Sure, they are less in value per ounce, but the real key to a good investment is not the actual price, but the way that the price behaves as a far as investing goes.
Silver prices seem to follow those of gold, at least to some extent, so, the next time Gold starts to rise, a good trick might be to buy silver, so that you can get it at a good starting price.

Neighbour is selling his Hummer

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:39:31 PST

The next door neighbour is selling his Hummer. I will be happy to see it go, as it tends to block the narrow lane when he parks it, but I am thinking that the local gas station owner will be in tears.
I was quite surprised when I first saw it, as it really is big. Probably quite heavy, too.
But, when I looked at his advertisement, I was surprised to see how well equipped it is, too.
But, sigh, not for me.

Lithium Batteries

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:33:31 PST

Remember the old type cellphones? They needed charging every day, and that was if you just had it waiting for incoming calls. THey used nickel-cadmium batteries, known as 'nicads'.
But things have changed now, I can charge my phone and it lasts about a week. And it is a small compact type phone, with a small battery.
The reason for this is that the technolgy of storing electricity is one of the fastest growing research items in industry.
Hubby bought a battery powered tool, like a grinder thing, and it runs for ages, and weighs just about nothing.
The funny thing is, although when you buy a product with the battery already with it, the cost overall is quite reasonable, yet when you buy the batteries separately, they tend to be hard to find, and expensive. There is a company though, called saft batteries, that has a line of great batteries that you can buy as individual items. A lot more convenient than pulling out the charger all the time.

Industrial Supplies

noreply@blogger.com (Arlene) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:21:18 PST

When you hear the name 'Industrial Supplies', it tends to make you think of something that you, as a regular householder type consumer, can have no use for.
The reality is, though, that many industrial items can be used around the home. Most things that are related to building maintenance, or things that might not be commonly available at your local hardware store, such as a wedge anchor bolt, used for bolting machinery to concreate floors, can also be used for bolting down a steel building such as a garage, straight to the concrete base.
Then there are the more novel items, such as specialty tools, that tend to be used in industry before being common to domestic retailers.