Posted inHome life

Apple Upgrade Program credit check — what credit agency is used?

Frustrating.  That's my reaction after spending time today trying to learn what credit agency will be used to check my Credit Score when I go into the Bridgeport Village Apple Store on September 25 to, hopefully, pick up my new iPhone 6S bought under the iPhone Upgrade Program. Which says I'll need to bring... Your personal information and credit card. You will be asked to provide your Social Security number and date of birth for a credit check. You will also need a valid U.S. personal credit card. Debit cards and prepaid cards are not accepted. Several times this week…
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Posted inHome life Marijuana

Tips for “vaping” marijuana if you want to go first class

Oregon, where I live, has legalized recreational marijuana, along with medical marijuana. Early sales through medical marijuana dispensaries start October 1, 2015 -- just two weeks away. Since many people are going to either be buying pot for the first time, or getting back into imbibing marijuana after a long absence, I wanted to share my preferred approach to "smoking" marijuana. I realize this sort of openness will sound weird to people used to Demon Weed being, well, demonized. But on July 1 of this year marijuana became legal to use, possess, and grow in Oregon. Before too long more states…
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Posted inHome life Marijuana Salem

How did I know how many marijuana stores are in Colorado?

It was my favorite moment of yesterday's Salem City Club lunch event, "Marijuana: It's Legal, Now What?" And not just because I was the centerpiece of it. The moment pointed to something profound -- yet not easily understood -- about how memory, intuition, and that well-worn adage Trust Yourself tie together.  Salem Police Chief Jerry Moore was one of the speakers, along with Margo Lucas, owner of West Salem Cannabis, a medical marijuana dispensary that after October 1 will be selling recreational (a.k.a. "adult") marijuana. Moore said he had done some Googling about Colorado's experience with legalized recreational marijuana. After…
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Posted inHome life

DirecTV, rot in hell for not carrying Pac 12 Networks

I don't think I'm overreacting by telling DirecTV staff to rot in hell for -- after THREE FREAKING YEARS -- being unable to reach an agreement with the Pac 12 Networks to carry their sports events. Like the opening Oregon State and Oregon football games that I'll be unable to see today and tomorrow, just like I have for the past THREE FREAKING YEARS. (See here and here.) Today I emailed DIrecTV again through their online help center. I told them not to send me their deeply irritating canned response about why they don't carry the Pac 12 Networks. I"ve…
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Posted inHome life Salem

Les Schwab can sell you ANY brand of tires. Who knew? (Not me)

Like many other Oregonians, I'm a big fan of the Les Schwab Tire Center chain. Their customer service is superb, as I talked about in a 2005 post, "I love Les Schwab." I’ve got a thing going with Les Schwab. Not with the man—my tofuish sensibilities don’t mesh with Les’ “Free Beef” mentality—but with the chain of tire stores that he founded.  Yesterday I bought four tires for our Prius at the south Salem Les Schwab Tire Center and, per usual, my experience with the company was exemplary. ...When I called Les Schwab to get a quote on some Toyos I told…
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Posted inHome life Salem

Lured with biscuit incentives, our dog buys a car at Capitol Toyota

Salem's Capitol Toyota dealership has a well-deserved reputation for dog friendliness. It paid off yesterday, when our dog ZuZu was cajoled into leasing a 2015 Chevy Volt. (She wanted to get another Volt now that the lease on our 2012 Volt is about up. Liking the folks at Capitol Toyota, the deal was done through them; Capitol Chevrolet is right next door.) On the drive to the dealership I'd warned ZuZu to focus on price and options. "Get the car you really want," I advised. "Don't be swayed by irrelevant incentives and salesmanship." Ignoring me, ZuZu headed right to the dog…
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Posted inHome life Retirement community

I couldn’t mow steep slopes in a retirement community

After writing the title of this blog post, I thought "Most people wouldn't want to." Mow steep slopes with a heavy DR Field Mower. Like I did today. At the semi-old age of 66. But just as I said back in 2006, that mower is my sweaty hell and heaven. OK, not the same mower. I've gotten a new model. Same difference, though, as regards my love/hate relationship with it. As we get older, there’s a tendency to take things easier. I’m trying to resist it.  There’s a point when my mowing hell turns to heaven. It’s when my shirt…
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Posted inHome life

Our yard is doing its best to enlighten me

Over on my philosophical blog, Church of the Churchless, I wrote yesterday about "How our non-easy-care yard enlightens me." I don't really believe in enlightenment. But I'd still like to be enlightened. Just seems like a cool state to be in. Akin to stoned, I suppose (a state of being I'm much more familiar with), but without having to imbibe psychoactive substances.  So I like to think that our yard is enlightening me, chore by chore. After 25 years of taking care of our non-easy-care property in rural south Salem, Oregon, I've had plenty of time to ponder the Meaning…
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Posted inHome life

Upgrade to Photos from iPhoto went fine, aside from wrecking salmon runs worry

Because I started off using Macs, switched to Windows machines for a while, and then returned to the Cult of Apple, I still suffer from a bit of Post-Traumatic Operating System Upgrade Stress whenever I click on the "install" button that's presented to me when Apple comes out with an OS X update. Today's Yosemite update to 10.10.3 went as smoothly as usual. Before initiating it I reminded myself that those Blue Screen of Death days are over. I've never had a significant problem with Apple system upgrades. Now I trust that my Macbook Pro will install the software just…
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Posted inHome life

New 2-door “Mini” Cooper is too maxi. I like my 2011 Mini much better.

Recently I had to take my 2011 Mini Cooper S up I-5 for a service appointment at Mini of Portland.  A month or so earlier I'd been there for scheduled maintenance. Which came with a surprise: a technician discovered that my Mini's computer system needed to be reprogrammed/updated so it wouldn't think that I had a non-existent brake problem. The service advisor told me that it could take up to four hours, so I told her "I'll come back on another day." That day turned into two, irritatingly. Rather than sitting in the waiting area, I'd gotten a ride to…
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Posted inHome life

It’s our 25th anniversary. And St. Patrick’s Day. Green beer + kiss.

Wow. Hard to believe it's our 25th anniversary today. But it's easy not to forget, like I said in "14th anniversary -- take that Dr. Laura!" We had the smarts to get married on St. Patrick's Day in 1990, which means that as soon as I start seeing mention of green beer in the newspaper or on TV a small still voice in my head starts speaking... “Anniversary, anniversary, anniversary.” Laurel looks particularly beautiful in this photo. A wedding brings out the glow in a gal. We got married at our newly-bought house, which entailed a whole lot of scrambling…
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Posted inHome life

Some 1970’ish photos stir up wonderings about time and identity

It was like seeing a ghost. Except, the ghost was me, and I'm still alive. The first startling image that popped up in my Facebook feed yesterday was of the 1970 (I believe) wedding of my best friend in elementary and high school, Ken Hart. There I am, standing to the groom's right in the photo, all bearded, long-haired, and dressed-up.  I have absolutely no memory of the wedding. I haven't given a single thought to it, so far as I know, for as long as I can remember. Yet... I obviously was there. Well, let's put it this way:…
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Posted inHome life

My visit to Eugene’s Bike Friday store: I order a way-cool folding bike

The two-wheel itch just had to be scratched. A week ago I blogged, "Folding bike! I need one to make my life complete." Today the family dog and I drove to Eugene, a hour from our rural south Salem home, to see the folding bikes made by Bike Friday. Yes, right here in the good old U.S.A. In fact, in the same building as the showroom. Bike Friday has a pleasing industrial-chic vibe. Nothing fancy about the place, aside from the wonderfully well-crafted bicycles. Tip to those who visit in person: pay more attention to the map on the Bike…
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Posted inHome life

Folding bike! I need one to make my life complete.

I'm a firm believer in the power of material things to make me happy.  While other people volunteer at homeless shelters, go on pilgrimages to India, and spend more time with loved ones, I'm buying stuff! Hey, works for me.  To offer up a few examples, Apple products make me way happier, as I've blogged about here and here. Ditto with my 2011 Mini Cooper S; as I predicted, it has made me super happy. And closer to the subject of this post, I'm happily addicted to a way-fun outdoor elliptical bike, the Streetstrider.  Now... I can feel my pleasurable…
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Posted inHome life

We learn our dog’s breeds via the Wisdom Panel DNA test

Though there will be many important issues to address on this blog in 2015, I wanted to make my first post of the New Year on a truly significant subject: What sort of dog is our Zu Zu, a mixed breed of unknown origins? (we adopted her from a shelter) We have learned a probable answer thanks to the Wisdom Panel 2.0 DNA Test. It took us several years to decide to do this.  For while we are frequently asked, "What sort of dog is she?," it's been sort of pleasurable to preserve her air of mystery.  Generally we'd reply, "A Shepherd…
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Posted inHome life

I explain why we don’t have a 2014 Christmas Letter

All good things must come to an end. Even the humorous, well-written, captivating, wise, and inspiring Collected Christmas Letters of Brian and Laurel Hines -- which are composed by me (unless you find some of them tasteless and boring, in which case assume those were written by my wife). This year, 2014, our holiday message is an explanation about why we've bailed on our usual Christmas Letter.  Download 2014 Christmas Letter PDF I realize, or at least desperately hope, that some people's meaningless lives are made minimally bearable by looking forward to receiving our annual Holiday Letter. To them I…
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Posted inHome life Salem Sustainability

On the need for wild places, and the wisdom to preserve them

"Visitation of the wild." "Ancient rhythms of Oregon." Biology professor David Craig's words from yesterday's Salem City Club meeting resonated with me as I spend several hours today picking up tree debris -- lots of it -- from the recent wind storm. My wife and I are fortunate to live on ten natural acres in rural south Salem. Our large non-easy-care yard is surrounded by large fir and oak trees. If you live in the city, and think your yard is tough to maintain, imagine triple (at least) the toughness. But here's the beauty of nature: wildness can be perceived…
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Posted inHome life Retirement community

New York Post features us in story about hippie retirement communities

Yes, that's us, Brian and Laurel Hines, displayed in all our 60'ish glory (both age and decade) in a New York Post story this month: "When I'm 64. Tie-dyed-in-the-wool hippies are redefining retirement homes and end-of-life choices." When I'm 64 story PDF After being asked for a photo of us, I'm pleased that the Post went with the one I sent them that a friend took of us at the 2014 Oregon Country Fair. We were leaving this marvelous annual counter-cultural celebration in Veneta when I spotted a perch that seemed perfectly suited for my non-humble unsoul. Laurel is clearly enjoying being…
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Posted inHome life

My wife’s shoulder surgery went fine: a 12 hour post-operation update

For those wondering how Laurel is doing after her rotator-cuff shoulder surgery this morning: the surgeon, Dr. Dan Sewell from Salem's Hope Orthopedics Center, told me fixing the detached tendon went beautifully. A torn biceps muscle couldn't be fixed, but a flap was cut off to stop it from...I don't know, flapping around, or something. I couldn't understand everything Sewell told me while Laurel was in the recovery area. The before and after images of her shoulder were mystifying to non-physician me. They all looked like black and white photos of the moon, albeit with different shadings. So the reassurance…
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Posted inHome life Salem

After 37 years, my last Betsy Thelan haircut

Since 1977 I've had a marvelous relationship with a Salem woman. She was with me through the end of my first marriage after 18 years. She's stood by my side through the 24 years of my second marriage.  Heck, she I have spent more continuous time together than almost anybody else in my life. So it was bittersweet for us to hug and say our goodbyes today. The occasion deserved a parting selfie. Betsy Thelan has been cutting my hair since I moved to Salem 37 years ago. Now she and her husband are moving to central Oregon to live…
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