Hey There!
It's 8:11 AM EDT, 76°F, Humidity 74%, W 11 mph SW, overcast
It's an unusual morning, as the humidity seems very high along with a fairly high morning temperature. And all this without sunshine. Today is the beginning of meteorological fall, and the weather already has a different flavor to it.
Yesterday I got an early start because I had to get to an audiology appointment two hours away in Son2's city. I kind of regret having made these appointments so far away, but so it goes. I did it because Son2's GF works at the place. Perhaps in a few years I can transfer over to someone locally.
The drive was eventful. The weather was nasty, with sheets of rain coming down periodically, and a steady rain for most of the trip. About three quarters of the way there, as I was driving in the left lane, my car suddenly stopped working, the dashboard went blank, and I was unsure of what was happening. I got over to the right lane and eased off into the shoulder. Many lights were on on the dashboard, but the main message was that my VCS (Velocity Control System) needed attention. The car came back to life, and it appeared that the engine was OK, so I drove to the next exit and pulled into a rest station to take a look.
I have a OBD2 device, so I hooked it up. The codes seemed to jive with the dashboard lights, as my AWD and ESC (Electronic Stability Control) seemed to be off line. My cruise control had failed as well. So I checked the oil, wiped the codes, went to the bathroom, and came back and started the engine. The codes had disappeared, so I decided to resume my journey. This is a condition I have seen before with this car, where a hard and prolonged rain seems to interfere with some sensor somewhere.
The codes came back about 5 miles into the resumption. I decided that, since nothing was blowing up, I'd continue driving. I reached the audiologist's office and re-wiped the codes going in, hoping that in the time I was inside things might dry out.
I was fitted for my new hearing aids, and what a difference these things make. They will take some adjustments, as my voice now sounds extremely loud and amplified to myself. I can hear a lot more things, and it's a bit unnerving TBH. Not knowing what sounds are what and having to go through the process of identifying new sounds I haven't heard in some time will be a bit taxing. The hearing aids themselves are over-the-ear models, and they are awkward to wear. There is an app that goes with them to control them via Bluetooth. They are very fancy, very capable, and very strange. I hope they are worth the money.
I left the audiologist with the hearing aids in my ears and drove to Son2's place of work. The codes came back, and this time I felt something in the transmission that made it a bit clunky to shift the car. I really didn't have much choice but to ignore it. And I'll tell you - listening to the rain falling on the roof of the car was way disorienting. I was afraid the rain was going to come right through the roof, it was so intense and loud. Adjustments.
Son2 and I had lunch, and the hearing aids were helpful, but again, it takes adjustments. Even with the aids set to be highly directional, I could hear conversations from tables two and three tables away. it was easy to hear my son talking, and that was a relief, as I did not have to work hard to hear and understand him. I guess that's what these things are for - relieving the brain of the overload in effort it takes to hear and understand. Son2 had to go to a meeting, so I finished my lunch and left.
The drive home was unremarkable save for the lights being on and the cruise control being inoperable. When I got home I called my mechanic right away and made an appointment to get this looked at. Then I busted out the hearing aids for DW and we went over them. She said she hadn't heard me talk so quietly in years. I believe I was talking louder than I should have for many years to compensate for not hearing myself well. One surprise - I was told my phone was too old to hook up with my hearing aids to use as headphones. Not so. With these babies in my ears I can listen to phone calls right through them, using the phone's mic to talk. I can also listen to podcasts and music through them. This is a bonus, and the main reason I wanted to upgrade. I was prepared not to have this feature, since I was told my phone was too old, but not so. Regrettably, I've not been able to connect them to a computer via BT yet. I am not sure they can do that. More experimentation is needed.
I was pretty tired from the drive, but I can't remember if I napped or not. I think I got in a quick 45-minute snooze. Dinner happened about 6:30 PM, and was a piece of salmon with brown rice and mushrooms, and zucchini. It was the last solid food meal I will have had, as today is prep day for tomorrow's colonoscopy. No solid food today.
DW took a call from Son1, who is having relationship troubles with his wife. Peculiar circumstances will have them separated for a bit, and I think he's considering leaving the relationship. He and DW talked for a while, and then DW gave me the TL;DR. My DIL is a lazy and rather neurotic individual with many psychological issues who is unable to function in the real world, and I think this is beginning to hit home with him. This will be an ongoing development over the fall. My opinion is he should walk, but I can be a pretty clinical person, seeing only the logic of a situation and not the emotions. I'll have to sit back and let this play out for a time as he lives and works alone for a bit. He might find he likes that.
DW and I then caught up with two episodes of Ted Lasso. I'm not a fan of this season so far. The two relationship threads don't interest me, and it seems they are not focusing as much on the actual playing of soccer by the team as they are situations surrounding it. But there are some fun moments here and there. Boots is my favorite character so far. After the show, I cleaned up the kitchen and went to bed around 11:10 PM.
Notable Deaths: Wendell Berry, author and proponent of small community agriculture, 92. Juan Tamariz, master of close-up card magic, 83.
That's all for now. 'Til We Meet Again!