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Re$taurant Dining

Restaurants have changed. Yes, I know. Everything has changed. And especially since the pandemic, everything but everything has changed. The thing is, that since the pandemic especially, restaurant staff has decreased yet restaurants are producing larger size servings and jacking up prices, to make up for lost revenue. Dining out is one of the nicer experiences in life, but it can be very, very costly to go out even 1 day a week. What are we to do? The answer is simple. And the Answer is simplify, simplify, simplify. Years ago, it was no problem to go to a restaurant to order an appetizer then a full entree and perhaps even a salad and dessert. Going out with a family of 3 or 4 and doing that can cost you big bucks. Recently we found that by studying the appetizer or starters section of the menu carefully, we can actually end up with a great meal and pay less for it. I'll give you an example. In one of our favorite Greek restaurants, spinach pie is available as an entree that comes...

What's in YOUR DVR?

Eliminating clutter means EVERYWHERE , and the DVR is no exception.  I've shortened save times and reduced the number of shows I regularly record. Either that or see my DVR cluttered up and 60% full of...junk. Take a minute to go through your recordings and strip down your schedule. You'll feel better!

Look Around

As the buzzword says, "Literally!"  Check your surroundings. If you're like most folks, your car is cluttered. Wrappers, litter bag, toll receipts, coffee receipts, snow brush, umbrella, cell phone dashboard mount. . . Your living/family room may have unread magazines,cables for TV and games, a rat's nest of chargers, DVDs, remotes, a laptop and more. Kitchen? Junk mail, stuff in the sink, rarely used appliances, utensils, food for later. . . Bathroom - Magazines, shaving/cosmetics, hair products, dental care items, and more. You get the idea. But first, let me say that u DO NOT recommend minimalism, but I DO recommend storing/discarding things you rarely use, si that your immediate environment is free of clutter. More in how, later.

simplify, simplify.. .Whatsa difference?

It's a huge difference! I noticed that, after years of being in corporate life and then retiring and reaching my 70's - that getting to sleep at night was getting more difficult. Wow! No more meetings, no performance reviews, no commute. . .but I STILL found it more difficult to get a night's sleep. I knew there was something else interfering.  As I searched for an answer, it came to me that, with the passage of time, the number of choices I was forced to make each day had increased exponentially (figuratively), or so it seemed. After a long day, my parents sat down to watch TV and had 7 channels, to choose from. Nothing on? They'd read a book or listen to the radio.  After a long day, I sit down to watch TV and confess to having "surfed" (Old Guy word) at least a hundred of the 400 channels available, twice in an evening.  Exasperated, I shut the TV and open a book. . .paper and ink? Kindle? Audible?  Or I turn on the radio (Youngsters, please look this up on...

Start by understanding the problem

As society and our culture have evolved, we've felt a greater sense of freedom because of the exponentially increasing number of choices we have, everywhere we turn. But freedom like this can be a double-edged sword. I don't know about you, but when I go to the market for grocery shopping, I've learned to accept the exasperation I feel when I exit the store. So so many choices, way more than I need. Have you ever tried to buy a salad dressing?   What used to be a simple process many years ago, dressing a salad is now bordering on stressful. We'll talk more about that, later. How about keeping your teeth clean? Again, many years ago the process was simple. Now it borders on a neurosis. More later. And that morning cup of coffee. Imagine how easy it was many years ago, when your request to the counter server was "coffee regular." Now there may be as many as 5 or 10 different components to a cup of coffee. It's ridiculous and stress inducing. My hope is that ...