I ordered two sets of snow-ice cleats from Amazon for safety's sake. CA has already fallen twice on the ice this season, and the season is young!
When they came I realized they were sort of overkill. Just right for scaling the Matterhorn but a tad much for these gentle trails around our cottage.
So I went to Amazon's web site and clicked on "Returns" and immediately got this email that said, "Hey Jerry - no problemo! Take the stuff you want to return to any Whole Foods (and I am less than ten minutes from one) and show this "QR code" to any associate and they will bag it and send it for free. I mean, you gotta love that - right?
So I take my return to our local Whole Foods and belly up to the Customer Service desk and tell this young guy that I have a return. He scans the QR code on my phone - his machine spits out a label - he puts my stuff and the label in a plastic bag and tosses it in a bin. I say, "That's it?" He says, "That's it." He couldn't care less what the item is or why I am returning it. I mean come on - you really gotta love that.
But wait! I'm not done yet. Before I get out of the store I get this email telling me that my return has been processed and my account has been credited! I want to run back and give that kid a big hug. God I love technology! Suddenly I am aware that I need to pee.
_____________________
Earlier this past year we had a freak one car accident and totaled our car - an eight year old Ford CMax. Sad, sad, sad. Now we needed a car but didn't want to spend new car dollars. Our dealer came up with a very nice 2020 model for a price we could deal with and before the dust settled we were driving what seemed to us a new (used) Ford Escape. For several reasons we never got the full orientation to the car and what we did get was brief like: push this button and turn this knob and that was about it.
You've heard of OJT - On The Job Training? That's us. I'm driving down I-95 and drifted over to the right side margin and, "Woah there Cowboy! Some unseen hand shoved me back into the driving lane. Further on this guy passes me and pulls in a little too soon and my car - without any effort from me - slows down and beeps at me before resuming my preset speed. It's called Adaptive Speed Control. Now, that's as close to self driving I ever want to get, Elon Musk notwithstanding. But - and here's the thing - I love it.
I have said many times how I love being an old guy. But the other side of that nickel is that actuarially speaking I'm not going to get a chance to experience technological wonders that are coming by the droves. That's life, of course. Just imagine.
I was a child without a telephone or television. I have lived to see wonderful things and promises of things unimaginable. I would love to have been able "to go where no man has gone before". But for the time being, I'll keep Adaptive Speed Control up and running.
