Do we want a Making Life Easier thread?

[agate]

It was recommended in the most recent issue of Consumer Reports, and I generally trust their recommendations. I tried it out a few times and so far have liked the way it works.

[agate]

And now for my latest gadget--I bought this thinking it might be useful as a night light but actually it's more of a light to be used in a power outage.

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Not needing to plug it into an outlet was what appealed to me as my bathroom doesn't have enough outlets to suit me. But when this item arrived, it was clear to me that sticking it on a wall wouldn't be so practical unless you could easily take it off the wall whenever you needed to change the batteries--because the battery window is in the back.

And there are 3 ways of putting it on a wall: by drilling holes in the wall, by stick-on velcro strips (included in the shipment), or by magnets. I didn't try any of these yet as it seems to be doing quite well perched on a shelf in the bathroom.

I haven't used it for any length of time. I'm saving its batteries (not included in the shipment) for a power outage but I'm tempted to keep it on all night just for the experience of it because it provides a great light, far better than I'd get from any of my flashlights.

I think this product deserves a thumbs-up for being a good resource in a power outage. Every time the power goes out, I find I'm rummaging around for a flashlight. Now in the bathroom I can just flip the switch on this and the whole room is lit up pretty well.

[flatcap]

It was recommended in the most recent issue of Consumer Reports, and I generally trust their recommendations. I tried it out a few times and so far have liked the way it works.

I don't mean to argue, but I would be very surprised if Fakespot doesn't track what you are doing with it. They have to make money somehow, and data mining is an easy way to do it.

Personally, I don't like being tracked online, but a lot of people don't mind it. It's true I don't use it much, but, ironically, it doesn't bother me running Edge, the browser I use for business transactions. So, Edge knows where I've been buying things, etc., but only during the current session.

Chrome is another matter. I run an ad blocker, Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register..., and a tracking cookie blocker, Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register.... Neither of these collects your data. I'm not sure I understand why anyone wouldn't want to use these extensions, but if we all liked the same thing, there wouldn't be enough to go around.

Other than those two, I don't run any other Chrome extensions. I've looked at a lot of them, but among those I found that might be useful, virtually none except uBlock Origin and Privacy Badger seemed secure. In other words, I don't trust them.

YMMV

[flatcap]

And now for my latest gadget--I bought this thinking it might be useful as a night light but actually it's more of a light to be used in a power outage....

Those look pretty useful. If it works for you sitting on the shelf, so much the better.

They remind me of the battery-operated doorbells you can get now. A lot of folks in our building have mounted one of those on the wall outside their apartment door.

[agate]

I have a battery-operated doorbell too! Residents here can get one if hearing is impaired. Quite a few people have them though many who really need them don't. I suspect it's because they feel guilty about asking the management for anything "special." We're expected to be very very grateful for the type of subsidized housing we're in--so grateful that we don't want to ask the management for help. Some people here have taken this idea so seriously that they even do the management's work for them, like by vacuuming the halls.

These battery-operated doorbells also have a plug-in gadget that lights up when the doorbell rings (loudly). You can plug the light into any outlet in the apartment. Every year or so the battery needs replacement, and the management has to do that.

[Virginia]

I like how the light operates. I don't need it on an ongoing basis, but it appears to be handy in the event of a power outage.

[flatcap]

Some people here have taken this idea so seriously that they even do the management's work for them, like by vacuuming the halls.

I ran the vacuum about six feet into the hallway one day because someone had spilled what looked like confetti outside my door. The funny thing was, my neighbor across the hall looked out to see if the maintenance lady was there. From what I gathered, he wanted to ask her to vacuum something else.

[agate]

I do a few little routine jobs here, also with the idea that I should do my part to show my gratitude for this great housing deal. I doubt that I'd be up to vacuuming halls though. I check the 2 public washrooms every evening and replace the toilet paper there as needed, check the 3 public computers and turn them off for the night and replace printer paper as needed, check most of the ground floor windows and doors to make sure they're locked, open up the 3 washers to air them out, and tend to the venetian blinds so that passersby don't get too close a nighttime view of this building with its mostly sleeping, vulnerable population.

I also check the wastebasket in the community room and bundle up the trash bag if it contains loose food waste and dispose of any questionable food that is lying around on tables. People like to leave radishes, potatoes, lettuce, etc., out as donations to anyone who wants them but these unwrapped items attract flies and other undesirables and look wilted and rotten very soon.

I try to do these picky little routines at times when not many people are around as I'd prefer not to become known as the maid.

We no longer have any maintenance person. We lost our really good guy who had been here for 12 years because he retired. Very calamitous for us because we'd been taking him for granted, probably.. Now we've had a maid service called Molly Maids a couple of days a week, and that didn't work out, and so now if we're lucky we get a temporary maintenance guy a couple of days a week coming from some agency or other but the company that manages the building apparently won't hire another full-time person.

And why is that? Rumor has it that they just don't want to spend the money, and that's probably the way it really is.

[Virginia]

Sounds like you could easily become the full time maintenance person agate. Just take on a couple more projects and I think you've got the job.

[agate]

Thank you, Virginia, but there is a lot more to maintaining this building. Sometimes segments of walls have to be replaced, pipes have to be replaced, there are leaks here and there, an automatic door is broken, and then there are the various alarm systems that are pretty complicated. There are companies that send people out to deal with the alarms but the maintenance person is the one who can diagnose the problem and see to it that it gets fixed.

The maintenance person empties the trash for all of the common areas, mops floors, cleans 2 bathrooms and a kitchen as well as the lobby, media room, two offices, all of the halls and stairwells, and the community room--and has to restore every apartment to its original condition when it's vacated. There's also the yard work though a landscaping company does some of that.

Because many of the light fixtures are in the ceiling and belong to the building, the maintenance person has to change the burnt-out bulbs.

It's a huge job and apparently the company isn't willing to pay a decent salary for it.

[flatcap]

I should have said cleaning lady, not maintenance lady. Mr. Handyman — and he is very good at — takes care of the lighting, plumbing, and things like that.

I think I said before this is the best-run apartment building I ever lived in by far, and that is no joke. The parent company is raising rents too much and too fast for me, but I plan to hang on here as long as I can.

[Ikoiko]

Oh my goodness, Agate, you do more on a daily basis for your common areas than we do for our own home!

[agate]

...

I think I said before this is the best-run apartment building I ever lived in by far, and that is no joke. The parent company is raising rents too much and too fast for me, but I plan to hang on here as long as I can.

A well-run apartment building is a pearl beyond price. And Ikoiko, that's one reason I'm doing what I'm doing--it's been a well-run apartment building, the best by far of any I've ever lived in, ever since I moved here nearly 14 years ago, and I'd like to see that continue. Quite a number of other people here feel the same way and do what they can. Color us grateful.

[agate]

My most recent enthusiasm--a suction-type grab bar that you don't have to drill holes in the wall for. It's been holding for a week now, and it has a couple of indicator lights to let you know if its suction is failing. Then you can reinstall it but installing it takes only a few seconds. You just apply the two suction cups to a clean surface, and press down on a couple of clamps.

Some reviews indicate that it probably will need to be reapplied from time to time, and so it's important to keep a weather eye on the indicator lights.

[agate]

Update on this: Well, I tried to follow my own advice and was keeping a weather-eye on that indicator light. I'm almost sure I checked to make sure it was still green only a day or so ago. But last night I was awakened by a crash and found it had fallen onto the bathroom floor. Its indicator light was red but I don't know when it turned red.

Obviously not soon enough for me to catch it before it fell.

Since I'm very fond of sleeping, I don't want this happening again. I'll put it back up but will be even more zealous about watching that light.

It doesn't seem to have been damaged in the slightest by its fall, and it must have lasted there for almost 3 months. I'm hanging onto it for a while longer.

[Virginia]

My brother installed one very similar to this in my shower. He is pretty strong and thought it would hold me. This was back when I was in the hospital. I thought at first it was going to work, but I forgot and swung all my weight on it getting out of the shower one day and found it was in my hand and not on the shower wall. I knew I could have very easily fallen so I didn't have it reinstalled. Maybe this will work well for you Agate. You are small and weigh very little, also you are very aware of it being there. I began to take mine for granted.