Feeling better, but my congestion is difficult to predict

I am on the mend. My congestion seems to be up and down, though. Yesterday, I was breathing well for most of the day. It seems to get worse at night, a few hours before I'm ready to call it a day and sleep.

Today, my congestion was different. I felt great until late afternoon. I do have a decongestant in spray form, which has worked wonders. I am breathing well right now.

I still have a cough, but it's mild. Today, I went to get a backup bottle of Pei Pa Koa, a Chinese cough and throat syrup. Oddly, it's sold out at my usual stores. However, I can get it online through Amazon.

We live in such a weird world. Cough and cold medication is scarce in my area thanks to kids getting sick and the supply can't catch up with the demand.

Here's hoping that things get better.

Errands, including package pickups and Whole Foods

On Saturday, I ran a number of errands. I had a few packages to pick up at the post office. I also had an Amazon package to pick up at Whole Foods.

I like Amazon hub lockers. You simply scan your barcode that you get in an e-mail and the locker magically opens up. You take out your package and leave. It's great.

I haven't had a locker door open up and hit my face. That's my worst nightmare.

I then got groceries at Whole Foods. Hey, I'm here anyway. I might as well. I bought four items and they came up to $36.

I always find that I'm broke when I shop here. At least I like how unique the items that I get are.

Amazon locker, parking, and minivan mixup

Yesterday, I decided to get some air and pick up a couple of packages at my local Amazon locker hub. It happens to be inside a Whole Foods.

Unfortunately, a large, white minivan decided to park super close to my car in the parking lot. It was a Chinese female. I just stared at her as I left my car to go into the store. I was not impressed.

When I came out with my packages, I got to my car and slowly squeezed myself into my car. A woman came over and asked whether it was a tight squeeze. She offered to move her vehicle.

Wait a minute. This woman wasn't the same Chinese female. I asked her whether she had the correct van. I made her laugh when I said that she didn't look Asian and I knew that I had given that woman a dirty look for parking ridiculously close to my car.

She owns a white minivan, but the sun in her eyes made her believe that this vehicle was hers. I said that it happens. I wished her a good day and she reciprocated.

She was nice. I liked chatting briefly with her. I appreciated her kindness and humanity.

Theory about a mysterious gift last Christmas

Just before Christmas, I received a book from an anonymous person. I saw the Amazon Prime sticker on the box and thought that it was something that I had ordered that had arrived. I ripped the box open and still don't know who sent me this book.

I have been thinking that it may have been the ex-guy. He has an Amazon Prime membership. He obviously knows where I live. I haven't communicated with him since I told him to stop contacting me last July. He has never mentioned anything about this book. He likely got confirmation that the shipment was delivered and was satisfied with that information.

The book? It's The Longevity Paradox by Steven R. Gundry. It's essentially a book about how to live a long, healthy, happy life.

Perhaps the ex felt guilty that he broke my heart and ruined a part of my life that this book would help me. Maybe he truly wants me to live a longer, happier life.

Anyway, I haven't read much from it. I suppose that I should and see if I do grow old, happy, and healthy.

Cookbook and charging adapter from Amazon Prime Days

I participated in my first Amazon Prime Days event. I typically don't have a thing to buy. However, there were a few things that I wanted this year.

One was a vegan recipe book. I'm not vegan. The fact that the recipes are dairy-free suit me, as I'm borderline lactose-intolerant.

I got a charging adapter that has more electrical outlets, including three USB ports. I installed it in the basement. 

This charging adapter is perfect. It has a screw that stays put when plugged into the wall outlet. I needed it and solves my issue with any plug that wouldn't stay plugged in. Yay!

Gift cards and crocheting

Over the last couple of months, I have amassed a number of Amazon gift cards. I'm at a stage now where I don't have anything to buy, other than items at the grocery or drug store.

Well, it's time for me to learn a new skill. I have selected crocheting. 

Years ago, a colleague-turned-friend tried to teach me how to crochet. It didn't work. I got all confused.

It's funny. I can do cork (spool) knitting. I can do finger knitting. I can weave. I can't crochet.

I have also tried knitting. I did pretty well, except that I didn't know how to bind off. That's another skill that I need to resurrect.

Anyway, I used some of my gift card balance to get crochet needles. They arrive on Monday. I'm looking so forward to trying out crocheting. I watched a decent YouTube video on crocheting for beginners. I understood it!

See, there is hope for me.

Trying out streaming music services

I love music. For a while, I have been using Amazon Music. Almost a year ago, I bought an Amazon Echo speaker (the U.S. version, as Canada didn't have it available until now).

I decided to cancel my Amazon Music subscription. For some reason, I spent last month trying to get the app to work on my phone and nothing loaded. It worked just fine until recently. As much as I love telling Alexa to play music from my library, there were limitations. I didn't get the entire set of songs from some bands or artists.

These days, I am doing three-month trials with Spotify Premium (99 cents for three months) and Google Play Music (free for three months). So far, I am pretty happy with both. The tough part is deciding which one I will ultimately be going with.

Both have a ton of music. I love the variety.

Google bought Songza years back. I loved Songza because it had playlists based on your mood or what you felt like listening to. Google has incorporated that aspect of Songza, which makes me happy.

Spotify is popular. It even works with my Waze GPS app.

The good news is that I have roughly three months before making a decision. For now, it has been fun testing and listening to fabulous music.

Shopping and technology

My guy and I share a love for shopping. Just before Christmas, a number of items had arrived from the States.

I lived in Minnesota for two years. I developed a love for watching QVC and ordering a number of items at decent prices. At one point, after I had moved back to Canada, QVC shipped up here. It then decided to stop doing that.

I found a service that provides you an address in the States. You provide this address as your shipping address. This service then takes your shipments sent to your U.S. address and ships them to its Canadian warehouse at reasonable rates. Since I learned about this service, I use it as often as I need to.

The good news is that I work pretty close to the pickup location that it is effortless to fetch my shipments. The folks there are kind and helpful. I actually ordered a fairly weighty baker's rack. The gentleman managed to place it in my car, which included the two of us shifting it around in my car to make it fit.

One item that I love these days that I had ordered from QVC is my Amazon Echo. It's a speaker, but you can ask Alexa pretty much anything. I ask her to provide me the current weather forecast, play specific songs, lower or hike up the volume, set alarms, and more. It is a ton of fun so far. My Echo is white, which I didn't realize that it typically is black.

Amazon Echo is not available in Canada for purchase. I didn't realize that fact! It works wonderfully. The sound is great and it recognizes my voice!

During the Boxing Day sale at Best Buy, which ended up lasting for what seems to be weeks, I got a new printer. I haven't printed anything to it yet, as I just got around to unpacking it yesterday. I do like the fact that I can send files or photos from my phone to the printer. Fancy!

My guy isn't surprised that I have these items. I love technology and I am his geeky gadget girl. I tried to convince him that I am a good geeky gadget girl, but he manages to always tell me that I am far from being good.