THINGS TO DO ONLINE!

I finally upgraded my iPhone.  Mainly so Mr. Junior High could have my old one.  He is on Cloud Nine!  He’s off his screens much more as he can text to find someone to hang out with.  (We have a pool and it’s been 100 degrees so he finds someone every day). But it is a big learning curve for me!

It took 2 hours at the Verizon store to transfer everything from my old phone to my new phone.  Then to delete all of my stuff from the old phone and reset to factory programs.  And I’m still asking Max (ChatGPT) questions on how to turn off all unnecessary noises, I just want phone calls and text messages.  Today I learned how to jazz up my “signature” on iPhone email by adding color and emojis.  It’s the little things in life!  I’ve probably invested five hours this week just on the iPhone.

Since I no longer read books, I like to stream TV series but I hate paying monthly charges.  When ever I see introductory offers, one week free or three months just $3 per month I snap those up.  During my searching I’ve found a few sites to share with my penny pincher friends.

Have you hear of Tubi? They launched in 2014 and were bought by Fox in 2020.  FREE.  Lots of choices (that interest me).  Many are oldies but goodies (from when I was in high school!)  Many more are current (five seasons of The Equalizer … Queen Latifah as single ex CIA agent raising her teenage daughter and helps people who have nowhere else to go to get crime answers).  I’ve had excellent luck streaming from them.

And then there is https://archive.org/.  It is a humungous nonprofit collection of TV, movies, music, software and more.  My Public Broadcasting station talked about it when the Orange You Know What started removing websites on his whim.  Internet Archive started reaching out and grabbing anything and everything to preserve them.  Their site says they have 946 BILLION websites on their site. They have Russian audio books, 5 million radio shows, and the National Security Internet Archive and imagine wandering down just that section!

Also, take a peek at the WLLO Village website under "activities, resources" 

https://www.wllovillage.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=287615&module_id=454801

There goes YOUR Sunday internet browsing! 

I'M B-A-C-K

My poor old pea brain is exhausted!

Last week I re-opened Uber (haven't used it since I was in NYC 5 years ago!!).  Of course, they want to verify and yada yada yada.  I hate when they send a text to my phone while I am using the phone for the app.  Often I am unable to remember the six digits and have to write them down and then enter.  I know, I know ... first world problems.

Now to train the teen on asking before using.  He and his gal pal have been using her Mom's Uber all summer with no regard to cost!  Last Saturday, I dropped them off at a yard sale about 15 minutes away.  They were going to bus home but it was 99 degrees and they decided to Uber.  When the driver got there, he told them they have to be EIGHTEEN to use Uber.  No one has ever done that.  He flagged the account so now every driver will ask.  Thus, Teen Uber.

I drove back to retrieve them and they asked if I would drop them off at the Mall for back to school shopping.  And they would take the bus home.  Little did I know, the state highway between us and there was CLOSED all weekend.  Yes, I have GPS which we used but instead of taking 15-20 minutes, it was an hour because everyone else was on the side streets trying to get there.  Another hour to get back home.

They had great success, mainly shoes as they buy second hand clothing.  Uber has built in some great safety features on Uber Teen!

PIN Verification:
Before a teen can start their ride, they must provide the driver with a unique PIN, which the driver then enters into the app to confirm the ride.

RideCheck:
This feature uses sensors and GPS data to detect unexpected route deviations, stops, or early trip endings, and alerts the teen and their parent/guardian if such events occur.

Live Trip Tracking:
Parents can monitor the teen's ride in real-time, receiving notifications when the ride starts, ends, and when the teen arrives at their destination.

Enhanced Driver Vetting:
Uber for Teens only utilizes experienced, highly-rated drivers who have passed thorough background checks, according to Uber.

On-Trip Audio Recording:
Teens can opt to have their rides automatically recorded, with the audio encrypted and stored on their phone. The recording can only be accessed by Uber if an incident report is filed.

Emergency Assistance:
The app provides an in-app emergency button for contacting 911 and a safety incident reporting line.

So Gramma is a happy camper.  I don't like him taking the bus after dark.  I'm happy to pay for my peace of mind

SORRY!

I'm alive.  Somehow super busy helping out with back to school.  I feel like an Uber Grandma.  So much driving, I opened a Teen Uber account.

More next week!

JUST A TUNE UP PLEASE

My hips have been bothering me for a few months.  I have two knee replacements and it was feeling like that felt, before the surgery.  Unsteady.  Hard to change position.  When getting up after a long sit (coffee shop), I would have to stand for a minute to get everything aligned.

It started when I went for physical therapy to work on balance and gait (so I could walk like a 73 year old and not like I was 123).  The therapist had me do one exercise that had me put a plastic band at my ankles and move one leg upward.  The next day I was sore.  Very sore.  I never felt well enough to practice anything.  I canceled future appointments with her.  

Six months later, the discomfort in my hips was bad enough I had to try something in hopes of avoiding a hip replacement.  And of course I would get that same therapist!  Fortunately, she listened to me and felt around both hips and buttocks ( really think booty sounds better) and discovered "knots".  Muscle knots in the glutes, also known as trigger points, are localized areas of muscle tightness that can cause pain and discomfort. They often feel like small, hard bumps or bands within the muscle tissue. These knots can develop due to various factors, including overuse, injury, poor posture, and stress.

Relieving Muscle Knots in the Glutes: 

Stretching:
Gentle stretching exercises targeting the glutes, hips, and lower back can help release tension and improve flexibility.

Heat Therapy:
Applying heat to the affected area can increase blood flow and relax the muscles.

Massage Therapy:
Professional massage therapy can target specific trigger points and release muscle tension.

Strengthening Exercises:
Strengthening the gluteal muscles can improve stability and reduce the risk of future knot formation.

I'm very sore today (she predicted this) and I have 7 stretching exercises to do daily, starting tomorrow. She also suggested short walks which will help strengthen all the leg muscles.

The BEST news? She suggested a massage and I have one scheduled for Monday morning. With focus on the knots and then an all over gentle massage for relaxing.

Encourage me to do ALL of these! I've been a member of the Fitness Protection Program since birth.