Cords for electronic items

WELCOME to Rick and Paulette, new Followers of Me and My Dog.  The funny thing is, I've been reading "Rick and Paulette's RV Travels" for so long, they have always felt like members of my little blog family.  Thanks for making it official you guys! Welcome aboard.

WELCOME also to Joe64, who has a blog (Joe64-Weg-nach-Canada) which is written in German.  Joe, I noticed you have the Google translate gadget, which works very well.  And beautiful photos!  Thanks for following along on our journey to become full-time RVers!

Well, I've made an appointment with my local Social Security office in two weeks, so I'll be signed up in plenty of time to get that first check in January.  : ))))  Thanks for the comments received, I appreciate them.  The article Diana references in her comments is a very interesting read.  If you want a clear, detailed look at various options, check out the comments from yesterday and use the link Diana left.

So, to end this post, I'm showing you a photo of why I need a label maker.  At least one of the reasons.  Can you say OCD?  But really, how else can I keep track of all these?

I've finally gotten a system - attach a label as soon as I unpack any electronic item and put in the same drawer with the rest of the cords, so when I need it, I can find it. 

These are from my old cell phone, 3 for my new DroidX, phone earpiece, 2 for my Olympus camera, Kodak camera, 2 Kindle cords, Logitech mouse, Garmin GPS, MP3, and 2 universals.  15 cords.  And that doesn't include the cords in my car so I can re-charge while driving or away from home.  Unbelievable!

From Me and Katie, have a nice evening, everybody!  : )

Social Security

Hey, msucheermom, WELCOME to Me and My Dog!  Thanks for signing up to follow along on our journey.  Feel free to comment.  I didn't see that you have a blog, but if you do, let me know so I can check it out. : )  We're not on the road yet, but that's THE PLAN.

I have no good photos to go along with my post tonight, so here's a photo of Katie in her spiffy new walking vest.  It has safety trim that glows when light hits it at night.  You can kind of see it in this photo.  It also keeps her from pulling out of her collar when she gets excited.  And I worry about those coyotes,  if I need to yank her up fast, I don't want to choke her.  Isn't she a cutie?

 Since it's October, and I'm eligible for Social Security in January, this is the month I sign up (three months prior).  This evening I'm working on signing up on-line.  I've gotten almost to the end of the form but I'm afraid to complete it.  From what I've heard in years past, once you decide when and how you're signing up for your benefit, and the application is done, there's no going back.

The Social Security Administration employee that I went to see last year when I signed up for Medicare told me I can collect one-half of my former husband's monthly benefit since we were married more than ten years, and I am now unmarried.  If I decide to do that, my Social Security benefit will continue to grow until I decide to collect under my own SS number.  She said it was some kind of loop hole that benefits divorced women (or divorced men if they earned less than their former wives).

I assume some of you retired RVers are collecting Social Security.  Anyone start collecting their Social Security by taking one-half of their former spouse's benefit in a reduced monthly payment, then later on down the road switch it to your own, for a larger benefit?

One-half of his benefit is less than my whole benefit amount, but not by a lot, and since I'm still working full time I can afford to take less now, so that I'll receive more later.  When I'm full-timing, every little bit will help.  But...  once I push the final button, that's it.

I think I'll hold off on completing it tonight, and make an appointment to file in person, so I can be sure I have my facts right. I'd hate to reduce my benefit for the rest of my life because I misunderstood.

I am soooo looking forward to that extra check each month.  $$$$$

 Two weeks to go, can't wait.

From me and Katie, have a good night, everyone!  : )

DroidX geocaching app

I found an app for the DroidX at geocaching.com.  They had an advertisement for Groundspeak's Geocaching for Android Application, which showed there is an app.  I clicked on the ad, and that brought me to the Groundspeak website.  I read the reviews, which said the app is very good, it costs $9.99, and you have to be sure your Droid's GPS is "on." The default is "off."  These are some screen shots from the Groundspeak website:

I went to the "market" app on my phone, searched for geocache and the first one in the list is the Groundspeak one, and I bought it.  I figured it was worth trying for so little cost, when the hand held GPS units are $300 to $400.  And it did have very good reviews. 

When I try it out, I'll let you know how I like it, but just going into it a little bit, it showed me the nearyby Geocaches, just like on the geocaching.com website, and other things.

I also saw this book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching on line - it looks like the best price is at Amazon.com.

Whenever I start something new, I always look for books to read about the subject.  I'll probably get this one when I get into geocaching more. 

 BTW, I was toooooo lazy today to leave the house.  The weather is erratic and Katie and I snuggled, and I ate Cheerios, strawberries, grapes and jelly beans, and played "computer" all day.  So I didn't check out my new geocache app. But I will, I will.  (I can be so lazy...)

I've been reading comments from bloggers on other blogs, and everyone seems really happy with their DroidX.  So I 'm glad that's the one I chose.  It's been three years since I've gotten a new phone--you can imagine the learning curve I've got.   I'm trying out some of the apps that are mentioned.   The grocery one I'm going to look up - they said no more grocery lists. That sounds good to me! 

So, from me and Katie on a lazy, erratic Sunday, have a nice day, everyone! : )

Updating my Garmin GPS and the hand-held version

I have a Garmin Street Pilot c550 GPS for my car.  I am so directionally challenged, it truly changed my life.  Before I got the GPS, when presented with a choice on whether to turn left or right I would ALWAYS turn the wrong way.

I was never very good with north, south, east, or west.  If someone gave me directions, and said to turn east, I'd ask, left or right?  So, the GPS was a Godsend to me. 

I bought the update program a while ago, so I can update my maps whenever there is a new one, for a certain period of time.  Right now, as I'm typing this post, I'm updating it.  Bring it from the car into the house, plug it into the laptop with the appropriate cord, go the the site, and "update maps."  Couldn't be easier.  But it takes quite a while for the whole process to update.

When it is done, I'm going to see if I can download free POI stuff.  I learned about POIs from the blogs I've read, so Thank You, everyone who has blogged about them.  I noticed they have POI files for phones, so I'm going to see if I can download POI information for my new DroidX, too.

Another thing I've learned from bloggers is geocaching.  While waiting for the maps to finish downloading, I was looking around the site, http://geocaching.com/, registered, and put in my address to see what was near me.  There are LOTS of things, one about 1/2 a block away.  My friend lives up on one of the hills here, and there are tons of things hidden by her.  I might give her a call and see if she wants to take a walk soon, and see what we can find.

I think tomorrow I'm going to take Katie and see if I can find something by my house.  There are a few nearby.  I don't have a regular hand-held GPS device yet.  I tend to buy things, and then not follow through with the activity.  So, I want to do a bit of searching and finding and see if I like it before I buy one.

Geocaching is something I plan to do when I'm full-timing, though.  I think it might be a way to "get me out of the house" and walking and/or hiking in the area I'm staying.  Good for Katie, too, to get in more exercise.

This looks like a highly rated hand-held GPS on the geocaching.com site. It's a Garmin GPS 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigator.  I'm sure some of you have one.  

I checked in at Costco.com to see if they had it on-line, but they don't, at least not right now.  Pretty expensive item, I'd definitely want to purchase it at Costco or on Amazon.com at less than the MSRP. By the time I'm out on the road living in my RV, they might have updated units, though, so I'm probably better waiting.  Expecially since I'm trying so hard to be frugal.  The old me would have bought it now.  The new me is going to wait.

Well, my Garmin maps just finished updating, so I'm going to play now - see if I can download the POI places to my Garmin.  AND, I just thought, in addition to downloading the POI to my DroidX, maybe I can download the geocaching info to my phone.  Use it as a hand-held GPS.  Wouldn't that be great?  I'll let you know, I noticed at least two other bloggers are getting or just got a DroidX.  You might be interested, too.

From me and Katie, Have a nice evening, everyone!  : )

I did it - earned the September badge!

I did it!  Blogged every day in September.  I earned the September badge.

 SEPTEMBER

Now I'm going to try for October.  I don't love the October badge as much as September, but it's cute, and I'm going for it. : )  This is the preliminary badge, and if I make it, I'll put the I Did It badge below in the right margin.

 OCTOBER

I'll work pretty hard for a cheap prize.  Works every time with me.  I think that's how I met my goal in Weight Watchers.  They have rewards that you get for every five pounds lost, you get a star sticker and other stickers for various things, etc.  I got a some key chain attachment rewards, but didn't need to lose enough to earn the actual key chain, so all my prizes are sitting in my desk, sans key chain.  But that's okay, I still earned them.  And lost the pounds.

It's Friday, and today is my day for donating blood at my local blood bank.  I try to go every 60 days, but was thrown off schedule when I went to my daughter's house.  Then they called and said they had a need for my blood type, so I'm going in today.

We had the greatest weather yesterday!  LOUD, rolling thunder, went on and on, fabulous!  Lots of lightening, lots of rain.  Dark skies.  It was great.  We kept the front door open all day at work so we could hear the storm.  I think it's supposed to keep up for a few days.

From SignOn San Diego: "Three days after coastal temperatures broadly soared above 100 degrees for the first time since the early 1960s, a second, unrelated system moved into San Diego County early today, producing at least 1,100 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes."

Here's a cool photo I got from that website of a lightening strike :

September 30, 2010 | Michelle Murrett

"The Blue Angels rehearse off Governor Drive for the start of the annual Miramar Air Show, which begins Friday."  Our old office (that we moved from in September) was near Miramar, and during the practice days preceding the Miramar Air Show, the jets were so loud, we couldn't hear on the phone.  Our new office is far enough away that we only heard a few that went right overhead today. 

I've always complained about the weather in San Diego (I'm probably the only person in San Diego County complaining about the weather), but this year I've changed my tune.  It hasn't been the usual "warm and sunny, clear skies, light breezes" predictable weather EVERY DAY; the San Diego weather people have actually had to work this year.

From me and my Katie, have a happy Friday, everyone! : )