Wired

We love going to thrift shops because we can find all sorts of treasures. Sometimes we enjoy comparing prices of items we bought at the thrifts with what they cost brand new. For example, I have three pairs of crocs that I bought for less than $5 each. The same shoes brand new at a store cost about $60. It’s always a bit of a shock to see the difference between retail and thrift shop prices.

Several weeks ago EJ bought Christmas lights at the thrift shop. He knows that I enjoy using Christmas lights to light the chicken coop. The last string of Christmas lights I tried to use were too delicate for the coop and they didn’t last long but these lights are encased in a heavy tube which I anticipate will work very well. Last weekend I hung them in the coop. The warm light looks very festive.

Today I let our Canadian chicks (Partridge Chantecler) out of their fancy coop. I felt they had grown big enough that they wouldn’t freak out like they did when I tried to release them a couple weeks ago. I’ve gone out several times to check on them and they seem to be doing very well. (Video)

Our internet connection had been “line of sight,” meaning our wireless dish pointed at a tower. As long as there was a clear view to the tower, all was good, but if (or rather when) trees grew up and blocked it, our connection would not be good. Fiber optics would be better but since we are far from the road (500ft?), installing it would have been expensive. However, our Internet Service Provider is installing fiber optics to its customers for free with no increase in the monthly payment. I think that’s amazingly generous–and also increases our loyalty to the company.

The ISP guys came out Tuesday to put in our fiber optics. I thought it was very interesting watching them do it. They used a machine to both dig a trench in the ground and put in the fiber optic cable as it drove along. It sort of reminded me of a sewing machine. (Video) Later, the same machine drove back over the trench, which closed the seam. It only took a few hours to lay the fiber optics and to hook us up. Our Internet is now faster, although one of the guys told us that we actually need a different modem to take full advantage of the faster speed. I’ll look into it as soon as we can find some extra money.

I’ve always thought it was interesting to learn about different types of jobs. I’ve sort of become a collector of knowledge about jobs that people do. I find there’s always more to a job than what it first appears. For example, years ago we went on vacation near Port Huron, Michigan. Everyday we packed a picnic lunch and drove from our campsite to the river to watched the big boats go by. It was very enjoyable–but I was quite ignorant about the big boats. Now that our son works on a Great Lakes bulk carrier, I have much more knowledge about what it’s like to work on the boats. It’s even more fascinating when I have more information.

EJ has been struggling a bit with his health. He didn’t want to go to the doctor because most of the time he simply orders expensive tests or give him another pill to take. We believe the bills have actually adversely affected his health so he didn’t want to take anymore. So we have tried to tweak our lifestyle instead. However, Thursday he felt a pressure in his chest so he finally gave him and called his doctor’s office to schedule an appointment. They couldn’t get him in until next Wednesday which, if he was having heart problems, was a bit too long to wait. The receptionist suggested we could go to the walk-in clinic, which has just opened. So we did. The doctor who examined him didn’t find any indication that it was a heart problem, but since it was “inconclusive,” he recommended he go to the ER for tests.

EJ’s doctor’s office and the walk-in clinic are both located inside the local hospital, which is convenient for getting tests done quickly although last time he went to the doctor and was sent to the ER for tests, our portion of the bill that insurance didn’t pay was $5,000. Personally, I think medical costs are out of control–but don’t get me started on THAT rant. Anyway, the ER staff drew blood and hooked him up to a bunch of wires that made him look as if he was hooked up to the Matrix. After several hours of waiting, the ER doctor informed us that EJ’s test results were good and there is no indication of any heart damage, although his symptoms are odd and a bit concerning. I’m glad that EJ wasn’t suffering a heart attack but it would also be nice to know what is causing his symptoms. We will go back to trying to tweak our lifestyle…with a huge bill and no conclusions.