#WeekendCoffeeShare (February 27, 2021)

Posted on by Astrid

Hi all on this cold but sunny Saturday. I’ve been wanting to write a lot lately, but just couldn’t find the time. Today I’m summarizing what’s been going on in my life in a #WeekendCoffeeShare post. I’ve just had dinner. We had French fries and some might still be left over for you. Otherwise, there’ll be ice cream in the freezer. We should also have various soft drinks in the fridge and I can make you a coffee if you want it. Let’s catch up.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I spent the entire weekend reading. That’s why I didn’t write a post yesterday. I loved the book I was reading, Cathy Glass’ latest foster care memoir. I’ll post a review soon.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that the weather was incredible over the past week. We had temperatures of about 18 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. Today, like I said, is colder and the temperature even dropped to slightly below freezing last night.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that overall, I’m doing pretty well. Early in the week, I was struggling majorly with anxiety. That has mostly gone now and thankfully hasn’t, like some other times, made way for depression. I’m feeling pretty upbeat.

That being said, I’d also share that I’m a little sad, because one of my favorite staff is leaving for the care home next door to mine. Tomorrow will be her last shift in my home. This is the reason we had fries and ice cream for dinner today.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that my new essential oils, that I’d ordered on Tuesday, arrived on Thursday. I was very frustrated at first, because on Wednesday the delivery service reported that they’d tried but been unable to deliver my package that day. They didn’t state a reason and I wasn’t sure either, since there’s always someone home here now that the day center is closed. I checked my details and noticed my house number had been put in twice. I wasn’t sure they could’ve misread it and tried to deliver my package elsewhere.

Thankfully, on Thursday, while on my afternoon walk, my staff and I ran into the delivery guy and my staff asked him whether he had a package for my address. He did. The staff carried my package, which thankfully wasn’t heavy, all the way on our walk.

I am totally in love with my new oils. The vetiver one came in a bottle with a large pipette snout, so it doesn’t fit into my essential oil container. That’s alright, as now I didn’t have to remove my field mint EO from the container to make space. My other oils fit in perfectly and I love the smell of the new ones, cardamom and grapefruit.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that my husband is busy with the trailer for his car that he bought two weeks ago. He isn’t coming to see me this weekend. That’s okay. Of course, I miss him, but am so glad we have phone and text contact.

If we were having coffee, lastly I’d moan about my Braille display. I don’t remember whether I shared about my old one going into repair. Which old one, you might ask, as my current one is the third in a row. The first had dots that were stuck at least half a dozen times in the first nine months and eventually got sent back to the manufacturer. Well, the replacement had the same problem after about six months of using it too. I waited some months before reporting it, but eventually got sick of it. It is currently in repair. Now the replacement’s replacement is starting to act up too. It sucks and I’m starting to think I do something to make them all break, but I don’t know what. The thing is, the Braille display I had before this model was fine for five years even though I’d spilled tea over it when it was only a few weeks old and had dropped it a few times. And just in case the Braille display company’s representatives read this and are assuming I’m treating this model the same, I’m not. I never drink or eat in front of my Braille display and haven’t dropped it either. Quite frankly, I’m tempted to ask the company to replace the dots on my old model, which have worn out a little from use, and have me use that one innstead of this model all made on a Monday morning when the manufacturers were still half asleep.

What’s been going on in your life?

27 thoughts on “#WeekendCoffeeShare (February 27, 2021)”

    1. Thank you. Yes, I had a good week. I do hope though that Braille displays won’t continue to get worse. Thankfully, either my health insurance or the Braille display company pays for repairs.

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  3. Sounds like a good week. I’m fascinated by braille. It’s such a beautiful language. I’ve had blind friends over the years… one who tried to teach me how to read it with my fingers… now, though, my one hand has almost no feeling in it so it would be hard. I had a really bad week, but this morning was good as I now have a new kitty. I actually am smiling again…that’s a good thing.

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    1. Oh, I’m so very glad you’re smiling again. That’s wonderful!

      As for learning to read Braille with your fingers, it’s really hard when you’re older, because like you experience, your fingertips will have lost sensitivity. I learned to read Braille as a child and also extra care is taken to preserve my fingertips. For example, I can’t have my finger pricked for blood sugar testing etc. However, I know it’s possible to learn to read Braille in adulthood, but you’ll be much slower and not be able to use it for like reading books, like I do.

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      1. Sugar testing is part of why. My mom was convinced that I was diabetic (a lie) and took joy in picking my finger every hour. I wasn’t diabetic, just mal nourished because she wouldn’t let me eat.

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  5. I read the Cathy Glass book just recently and it’s great indeed. 🙂
    The weather here had been warm like this as well, but today it feels a lot more windy and Sofi – our family metheorologist – claims that it’s going to snow next week again. We’ll see.
    Sorry to hear about your staff leaving. I hope the person who will come to replace them will also be nice.
    Oh wow, you’ve really been having a lot of hassle with those Braille displays! I know they can be flimsy sometimes and not the most durable things in the world but that really sounds like a lot of bad luck. Perhaps you should go for a different brand next time you buy one, if that is an option.

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    1. Thank you for commenting. I’m not sure I can get a different brand of Braille display. I’ve used the Focus ones for many years and they haven’t given me trouble until this model.

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      1. Hm, I’ve heard a lot of good things about Focus and I always thought that if I wanted a standalone Braille display – not a Braille notetaker – I’d go for a Focus, but since it’s Focus giving you so much trouble I also wouldn’t know what could be a better alternative.

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        1. I don’t know either. The older models, up to fourth generation, were pretty good. I mean, they did need cleaning once a year or so but other than that they all were fine. Besides, I apparently have a bit oily hands, so that’s why mine needed cleaning this often. I have a fifth generation Focus now and that’s the only one giving me major trouble.

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  6. It sounds like you’ve had quite a positive week, apart from the Braille display that is. I hope you get it sorted.
    Wishing you a wonderful Sunday! x ☺️

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  9. Hi Astrid, I hope I’m wrong but worry that I’m not, by telling you that many manufacturers from shoes to computers, from kitchen faucets to cars are deliberately designing their products to fail in some short number of years. No manufacturer wants to sell you a clothes washing machine that lasts 20 years. They want you back in something like 8 years to buy a new one.
    I stopped growing taller by high school and I had a pair of boots that I bought 2 years after graduating which I hiked and worked in for 2 plus decades before they wore out. I was fine with that. They were expensive but my father had told me to buy this brand because they last for so long and he was right. But when I replaced them with new models by the same manufacturer, those expensive boots lasted less than 10 years and by then I wasn’t working as a painter anymore and wasn’t hiking anywhere near as much so they most sat unused. One day I wore them to simple camp out with my kids and when I stepped out of my van, one sole crumbled into dust and I fell and nearly twisted my ankle. I could not believe my eyes when I looked at the bottom of that boot. Literally, the sole was turning to something like dried bread and when I took it to my shoe repair guy, he told me these kind of boots are designed in such a way that they cannot be resoled so my only option was to trash them and buy new boots. Instead, I wrote the manufacturer and read told them how long I’d been one of the most trusting customers and how their new boots were an embarrassment to their label and reputation. I made such a stink that they offered me my choice of any new boot from their line and one day they arrived and as near as I can tell even these new boots are going to fail the same way. This is how our companies feel they have to operate now. Selling us products that don’t last as long by design is terrible but I’m convinced is how business is done now.

    I’m sorry, but I bet your Braille machine is now being produced by people with the same mentality because they pretty much have to to stay in business. = so sad. . .

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    1. Thank you for offering your perspective. I’m pretty sure you’re right indeed. I mean, here in the Netherlands the vendor is bound by warranty, but this brand of Braille display is manufactured in the United States, where warranties are more limited or so I think. Besides, here, mandatory basic health insurance pays for the Braille display so if they aren’t satisfied, they’ll terminate the contract with the vendor.

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  11. hoping your braille display is repaired by now? And also sorry your nice staff is leaving … hope you find a better replacement!

    I’ve been busy out and about, walking, visiting etc. Our restrictions have lifted so life is pretty much back to normal.

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