April chit-chat

[flatcap]

Agate, if you contact Beachgirl, it would be interesting to find out how she found this place already. I thought that might not be possible unless you were hooked up just right (e.g., having the URL for your forum where you announced the recent changes here).

[agate]

I had already sent a PM to Beachgirl, before finding your most recent post, but it would indeed be interesting to know that.

She may have done a Google search. I've tried doing Google searches for "Braintalk" and "neurology message boards" and other terms. Sometimes the new URL comes up, but sometimes it doesn't. To complicate matters further, there is another place called Brain Talk.

--And today, for some unknown reason, I'm sometimes getting this message when I do a Google search:

Server Error

We're sorry but it appears that there has been an internal server error while processing your request. Our engineers have been notified and are working to resolve the issue.

Please try again later.

I had another idea that I've suggested to the moderator, who is going to ask Mike about it. Since I have a record of quite a number of people who were here when I registered (2001), I could go over those user names and try to reach some of them by PM sent from here. But it looks as if they wouldn't get the PMs. I tried one as a test and I'm pretty sure she didn't get it.

.

[flatcap]

I tried Google just now with "braintalk forum" as input (without quotes).

The new forum showed up at #2 on the list. The old one was #1.

[agate]

Too bad the old one is still showing up. But at least the new one is on there. For ages Braintalk just wasn't coming up on searches at all.

[Virginia]

I am feeling better this afternoon though tired. My vertigo has not hit me full on today and I can tell I am moving better. I have been very careful about how I use my head or turn it. I try to keep my upper body straight and if I just have to bend over, I do not stoop. I bend straight down as far as I can with my knees, keeping my body straight. If I can't do what I want in that manner I try a reacher. Hopefully all this is helping. It has been a full week. I had a hair appointment Monday, but canceled it. I will not try driving for a week after I know it is better.

I spent most of the afternoon working once more with a credit union where I have funds. Nothing had happened with them, but still I wanted it secured more than just the two step verification I have there. They have restricted access to it. I have to call a phone number to do anything with that account. I plan to call my bank and ask them to put a permanent alert on my account. I cannot have that one restricted. Due to my physical disability I have to do my banking on line and so that is the account I work out of on a monthly basis. The financial institution involved in this last, almost disaster, called me this afternoon to assure me of that account. Still, I called the number they gave me and got my balance. I will do that about once a month just to reassure myself.

My next step is to protect my house. Eric said he didn't think they could bother my house because I have the deed. I assured him they could. I have read a lot about identity theft and they have borrowed money on houses and even gotten deeds transferred to them. He checked and found I was right, so now he wants his secured also. We are going to try and find the best way to do it. Flatcap, Eric also thinks this is only going to get worse and especially now that AI is upon us.

Agate, I don't know about not wanting to finish your breakfast. My weight hasn't varied more than 3 to 4 pounds in a long time. I usually want something, even if it is not a large amount. Sometime I just don't want what I have, but I try to eat it until I can get something else. If this doesn't stop you probably need to take it up with a Doctor. For years people felt I was very fragile. I didn't want to be seen as fragile so I put on about 10 to 12 pounds and I have mostly, other than times of extreme stress, been able to keep it there.

I do hope you get to keep your phone just the way things are now. This would be a true hardship for you when you go to doctors. Now more than ever if they change the system with your paratransit you will need some kind of phone. Otherwise
you could be stuck in an office waiting for a very long time. I hate to bring this up, but I seem to recall you or someone you knew about being stuck outside when an office closed. There seems to be something to worry about all the time, or at least concern us. Everyone that is out there running around seems to think everyone else can do the same.

Flatcap, I have had a smart phone for years. I got an iPhone because everyone recommended it, however I did not get a new one. I bought an older model through Consumer Cellular and that is where I have my service. I pay $37.99 after all taxes are added on. The service is $29.99 and the rest is added taxes. I have unlimited talk and text and some data but not much which is fine. I get all the data I want on my tablet and computer.

I am so glad you seem to be liking "new shoes #3". They sound like a winner. I think you are probably pretty particular about your clothes, as well you should be. They cost good money. I hope L.L.Bean and Lands' End turn out to be really good stores for you to do some of your shopping. I have heard good things about both stores. I have a lot of slacks that I have owned for many years. I bought them while I was working. They told me at a store where I did most of my shopping they were lifetime pieces. They have pretty much turned out to be. The only problem I have is now that I am so clumsy I have dropped stuff on them. My cleaners has managed to do a pretty good job so far.

Try to keep your weight fairly steady and you might find you need fewer clothes.

[flatcap]

Consumer Cellular looks like a good deal. I think an iPhone is probably the way to go, too. I can't afford the newest, so I would also get an older model. All I 'need' is something basic with a good camera. The only upgrade I would go for is more memory. I have read that you should have at least 128 Gb. A lot of phones come with only 64 Gb.

I haven't given my new shoes much of a workout yet, but I think they will be fine. The only issue I have with them is they are so fancy. The are incredibly well-made. I almost want to keep them in new condition by not wearing them. I will, though. They will be my 'dress shoes' until my well-worn daily drivers finally fall apart. LOL

I am trying desperately to maintain a consistent weight. I have not been able to gain back much of the weight I have lost over the past few years, but I have stopped losing. I keep drinking the Orgain nutrition shakes which help. Thanks again for letting me know about them. I like them much more than I do the other brands I tried.



New Shoes #3: Vivobarefoot Gobi Sneaker Premium Leather

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

[agate]

Nice looking shoes there, flatcap. Wear them in good health!

Virginia, I may have been the one who told about getting shut out in the cold rain waiting for a paratransit van. It was my regular dentist at the time, and the entire office closed for lunch while I still had to wait for my ride. They just told me they were shutting down for lunch, and I stayed outside waiting for a while after that. The building did have an overhang, and so I wasn't actually being rained on but still I had to wonder if maybe they were trying to send me a not-so-subtle message, "Find another dentist."

About cellphones: Does everyone have a 5G phone now? I've been hearing a lot about 5G phones but haven't been tempted to switch to one. My son has one and is glad he got it but he says it has its problems, and he doesn't think I would benefit from getting it.

[flatcap]

Thanks, Agate. The new leather shoes replace those below, which are made of canvas. Believe it or not, I have been wearing them for about eleven years and wear nothing else. I am hoping my new shoes will last as long as they did. If they still made them, that's what I would have bought.

Actually, I'm still wearing these. A small hole has formed above my left big toenail, but they still have some life in them. They are the best, most comfortable shoes I have ever worn, so I hope to get a few more miles out of them.

I don't have a 5G phone, but my understanding is the principal advantage is on the data end. Pages load faster, and interactive apps run quicker, but that is about it. I don't know whether 5G affects voice or text. If it does, I doubt that one would notice much difference. Perhaps voices sound clearer.

5G will no doubt someday replace 4G LTE entirely. I don't know how much longer 4G LTE phones will be supported, but I expect it will be a while. It took some time before 4G replaced 3G, and there are tons of 4G LTE phones still out there and being used. Most, if not all, sources say that 4G LTE phones will be supported well into the 2030s.






4G to 5G: How Long Will 4G LTE Be Available?

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...






Vivobarefoot Freud

[agate]

Those shoes sound like real treasures, flatcap. For many years I wore only canvas shoes because they were inexpensive and lightweight. And they could be bought easily by mail because once I knew my size, I didn't need to try them on. But along came back pain and it turned out I could get specially fitted diabetic shoes. They're not as lightweight, unfortunately, but they did help a lot with the back pain.

I recall washing those canvas shoes from time to time, and that was another thing in their favor. My current shoes will require polish. It's been so many years since I was anywhere near shoe polish that I may have forgotten how to deal with it.

[flatcap]

Polishing shoes was never my favorite thing to do. Nowadays, tying a pair is enough of a challenge for me. LOL

[Virginia]

Flatcap, those new shoes look real spiffy, and up to date. I hope you get many years wear out of them. Your old ones are nice looking shoes. Have you ever tried any Sketchers. My brother has several pair of them. Some of them are really nice looking. He goes in the stores and buys his. I have a couple of pair. I like them other than the fact they are a little heavy for me.

I am not sure if my iPhone is 4g or just what it is. Since it is pretty old I am fairly certain it is not 5G. When I got it long ago I took it to Batteries Plus and a man that worked there put a glass over the front (or something that looks like glass for protection) and a hard back on it. It has saved my phone a number of times when I dropped it.

I have not done anything today. I am not having dizziness where the room is spinning around me, but when I woke this morning the first time I felt fine. I decided it was too early to get up and that I would lay back down. I sleep on my left side and when I laid down the second time I decided to lay on my right side. I drifted back to sleep and when I woke my body was out of balance. I had to hold on all day to do anything, so I've pretty much done nothing.

I decided to order my dinner in. I haven't done that in a long time due to the added expense. I had been wanting some Chinese. I have to be careful not to get any MSG, but there is one restaurant not too far from me that I used to go to and I didn't have any problem with the. food there. It turned out they do not use any food delivery services and they do not have their own. That meant they were out. I just ordered from the same ole place Chick-Fil-A. They are very, very close and it only took 15 to 20 minutes to get my food. However, it was cold and I could tell it had been made ahead time. Not very tasty. I will try not to do that again unless I am sick. It was slightly over double the amount I pay when I go through the drive-thru. I would expect to pay more but not that much more.

If I am feeling better tomorrow I will try to find out what my cell phone is. I only use it for text and to receive family pictures and safety when I go out.

[agate]

Virginia, your phone might say whether it is 4G at the very top of the screen if there are some tiny symbols across the top. I can hardly make out what those little doodads are but I did notice that one of them says 4G on mine. Mostly they are icons. One indicates the battery level, and one indicates the signal strength. I haven't wanted to find out what all of the others are. I'm afraid they will be something complicated that I've never heard of, LOL.

[flatcap]

Virginia, if you bought your phone or it was made more than about a rear ago, it is a 4G LTE phone. You can google it to find out for sure if you know the model number of your phone (e.g., iPhone 11).

I wear only Vivobarefoot shoes for their pattern. Barefoot, or minimalist, shoes all share three characteristics: thin soles, no arch support, and wide toe boxes. The wide toe box gives your toes a lot more room than ordinary shoes. This allows your toes to splay out as you are walking. That's exactly what happens when you walk barefooted. And like a wide toe box, a thin sole mimics your bare feet, so you can better feel what is under them. Your feet don't come with 'arch support', either. I think that works against your feet as well. You are better off without it, in my opinion, and it is a cornerstone feature of barefoot shoes.

One might say the minimalist shoe movement is nothing but a fad, but there really is something to it in my experience. At the time I got my first pair of Vivobarefoot shoes, I was looking for the most comfortable slippers I could find. Those I found were made by an Austrian company, Wesenjak*, which is now out of business. They have plenty of room for my toes, no arch support, and a flat sole. They worked so well for me, I went looking for shoes with similar characteristics. I then discovered the minimalist shoe movement and Vivobarefoot shoes.

A lot of people apparently have to get used to barefoot shoes**, but they worked for me right out of the gate. Very soon thereafter I could hardly wear my ordinary shoes without discomfort, so I got rid of them. I have never looked back. I will never wear ordinary shoes again if I can help it.

I am sold on the health benefits of barefoot shoes. I believe as they say that ordinary shoes work against your feet. In my case and for one thing, I was plagued by ingrown toenails for as long as I can remember. I learned how to dig them out, but I can tell you it was no fun; it was a bloody, painful mess. I haven't had a serious ingrown toenail since I started wearing Vivobarefoot shoes. My feet don't hurt anymore after walking very far, either.

I should also note that the thin soles give me better feedback from my feet. I can better sense what is under them, and that has helped me from falling more than once. It is easier for me to correct myself, particularly if my foot starts rolling over to the side.

Based on this experience, I endorse Vivobarefoot shoes. Other brands are out there, but none are as nice as Vivos. I almost always buy the best clothes I can afford regardless of what it is I am buying. The only exception I can think of is socks. They are all the same to me.

Enough about barefoot shoes.

I'm glad your dizziness has abated. I'm also happy to hear you didn't push yourself too hard after sleeping on your right side. I take it easy myself whenever my sleep is off-kilter, which, sadly, is just about every day and night. You might have noticed I post at odd hours and have no particular schedule. It is my sleep pattern that causes this. As a practical matter, it is random. I have tried to normalize it, but pain wakes me up whenever it wants to.

I don't have food delivered very often. About I ever do is have a pizza delivered every once in a while. But it's pretty expensive, so I normally just go out. If I'm going to spend that much, I would rather have a nicer meal.

I hope you feel better today, which yesterday was for you tomorrow. I'm never sure what day it is. LOL



*New Wesenjak slippers still turn up on eBay every now and then. I looked and found several pairs listed today. I highly recommend them. The uppers are wool, and the soles are boiled wool. They come in sporty patterns and colors. They also come in two patterns: low-top and high-top. I wear the low-tops. They usually aren't very expensive. I found mine on a shoe seller's website. They were around $25 for a pair, so I bought some spares. When you find them today, they cost a bit more, but in my opinion they are worth it. When they come up, they are usually in smaller in sizes and more for women than men.

**Vivobarefoot offers a free trial period. If they don't work for you after wearing them for a while, you can send them back for a refund.



Wesenjak Slippers

[flatcap]

I went to Chipotle tonight and had one of their burrito bowls. It was pretty good. I got it with chicken al pastor, which is mildly spicy, not hot. As usual, I had them load it up with veggies, so it was fairly balanced. I had a lemonade with it and almost finished all of it.

That was better than yesterday. I wasn't able to finish what I had at all. I only ate about a quarter of it. I would have taken some home for later, but what I got doesn't travel well. It's inedible if you reheat it, and I don't much like it cold. I got though the day thanks to a couple of nutrition shakes.

No plans for Sunday, but I might do laundry if my waking hours allow it. It takes a few hours to get through it. I might just wait until Monday or later. I am not yet out of clean laundry, and I try to avoid making much noise on Sundays. I think my downstairs neighbors probably appreciate that. I can't hear my next door neighbors when they run the washer and dryer, but I bet the people under me can hear it when I do.

How is everyone else doing?

[flatcap]

Since no one is talking today, I'll just continue talking to myself if that's OK. lol

Something strange is going on with Outlook email when I visit the site using Edge. I normally use Edge for sites where I have to sign in, like email. I use Firefox for everything else.

If I go to Outlook using Edge, everything slows waaaay down. I mean like dead slow. It takes some time to even sign out. If I use Firefox, everything works as one might expect. The really odd part is, if I wait long enough after using Edge to log in, which is quite a long while, the site will begin responding at a normal, brisk pace.

My theory is, Outlook email on the web, not the app, is somehow looking to see if you are signed into Windows. I am running Windows 10 and never sign in. I use a local account that is resident on my hard drive. That's how things used to work on Windows 7. I don't think there was even a way to sign into Windows 7 using a Microsoft account.

I'm not asking for a solution. I'm just raving. Well, not raving exactly. Mainly curiosity.

As far as I know, there is no way to find out much about this because if you google it, all you get are discussions about the Outlook app running slowly. I don't have the Outlook app; I use only my browser to access my Outlook/Microsoft account. As far as I know, there is no one to talk with at Microsoft about this. They don't even give you a way to contact them for help. You are stuck with the pedestrian FAQs on the website. None of those address this issue.

I guess from now on I will have to use Firefox for Outlook email unless I want to go to sleep waiting for messages to load. Using Edge, you click on them and nothing happens for some time before they finally open so you can read the message. Firefox seems to be the only choice for me to get around this. I have quit using Chrome, mainly for privacy reasons.

I would rather keep business separate from play, so I use the two browsers. It looks like I will have to use my playtime browser, Firefox, for Outlook email on the web. That's OK, I guess. It just disturbs my peace of mind, which in turn leads me to writing long, vapid posts like this one. lol



Post Script: I tried Chrome just now for Outlook email. It works just like Edge does. Everything, including just logging out, takes quite a long while.