Oh dear, I lied to the internet

My snarky post about the "features" of my RAV 4 had some errors.

I say "some", as I am leaving room for additional errors I have not yet discovered.

So, one CAN save a desired radio station by holding down the button on one of the available slots, albeit only for FM stations.  I culled this useful tidbit from my sales guy Chris Vann at Lithia Toyota in Springfield. I mention him specifically as he was patient with and nonjudgmental of this aging Luddite.  I was aware, as he asked to take over pushing the buttons on the system in question that HE was my former self taking the mouse from my Dad when his efforts on the computer became too halting/wrong to abide. I hope I wrested control from Dad as graciously as Chris did from me.

Here is something that made me laugh out loud from a Slate article titled "Salty"https://slate.com/human-interest/2019/06/clif-bars-are-trash.html?via=homepage_taps_top

"Kind bars are ideal for restoring yourself to human being status when you’re in the middle of a meeting-packed day at work, finished with a tough workout class, or on hour seven of a road trip.

Clif bars are perfect for getting as much fuel as possible for fleeing stray animals in a post-apocalyptic scenario, where even a faint reminder of a world that contained things like “carrot cake” would be sort of nice. They will be a disappointment to most other people. If anything, Clif earns points for the sheer bravery of picking a fight with a clearly superior product."

I think I recall that a good friend of my boyfriend, whom I too enjoy, may swear by Clif bars. If true, I will be sure not to rely on any snacks he might bring to an event.

A meditation on unintended consequences

When I saw this video, I wondered if there are Trump voters out there who discern this phenomenon:

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/us/videos/gallery/mustsee-jellyfish-gets-trapped-spinning-around-bubble-ring/sharevideo/6046506433001/most_popular

The snorkeler:            any T voter who just wanted to see what would happen
The little jelly fish:    American democracy, our standing in the world, etc etc retch
Result:                       a vortex of unanticipated chaos with potential fatal outcome

That seems to sum things up tidily for this aggrieved lefty.

Tech guys giveth and taketh away

As previously lamented numerous times on this blog, the march of technology is relentless and not unlike Sherman's storied march to the sea. Except in this case there is no sea which will bring an end to the destruction.  While these guys (and really, they are all either guys or women who think like tech guys) live to tweak and "enhance" they unknowingly or with evil intent wreck havoc on what once worked just fine for folks.

Let me get specific about what has bunched my shorts lately:

In my 2018 RAV 4, there is no CD player (and indeed nearly all new vehicles). Apparently we are all so entirely living on our smart phones that we no longer borrow audio CD's from a physical library to play in our cars. So, I purchased a portable CD player which will let me use the car speaker system, but will not let me pause or go back or forward. This must be done on the small black player with tiny black buttons. So "hello God!"should I attempt this while operating a moving vehicle.

Also, but usefully, I will be able transfer a downloaded (onto my dino home computer) audio CD from a virtual library onto a sufficiently large USB  drive which will be fully functional via the sound system.  I just confirmed that this works with a USB containing a selection of my similarly retrograde music.

Unrelated but a needed touch of silly.

But wait, there's LESS! Apparently in order to make use of many (most?) of the wonderful new sound system features, I must use a smart phone. I checked to see if my android tablet with Bluetooth was compatible. Alas no, as it is NOT a PHONE!! So, unbelievably I cannot set a favorite radio station by holding down one of the available preset locations (as was possible on a 2016 RAV). Nooooo, you get to do this only with a smart phone. Would it have created problems to continue manual setting capability? I sure hope so, as otherwise this deprovement ends up just being evil.

Now that I have vented some frustration (you still there?), I will end this screed with something to help me and perhaps my dear readers return to pre-blog equanimity setting.

I should do more of what the girl on the far right is up to.

Not a baby step. Possibly a step in my dotage.

If you do not understand the "baby step" reference, you have not yet read my May 25 and 27 posts. Things got away from me there for a bit, and I may have failed to alert my audience.

My dotage step to which I refer above: I have purchased a cute little trailer without having acquired sufficient tow vehicle parking skills. As I am an insecure backer-upper, and never mastered (did manage, though) putting my Roadtrek Moho in a slanted parking slot behind me, I have some doubts; boyfriend does not (or is so compromised in his desire to again camp with me that he is motivated to jolly me along.)

You may get a look at what overwhelmed my usual rock solid careful financial choices:

This may still be online when you read this (it has several good inside shots) https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2019-Little-Guy-MINI-MAX-5005132796

Unbelievably, the manufacturer's web site has no inside photos. But You Tube to the rescue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVvcPl_OUuU If you have 26 minutes to kill.
I suggest you take the 26 min. out of your cat video viewing budget.

Little Guy

So here I am: I am driving a bit of a gas hog full time, in order to (1) not have a second motored vehicle and (2) to be able to tow a trailer I may always park as ineptly as my history suggests.

I blame boyfriend. However, it is entirely possible that someday (soon I hope) I will be so thrilled with my new escape pod arrangement that I will be able to acknowledge how very wise I was to ignore his fears!