Monday Meanderings - 2.16.2015

We have a new alarm clock. There is a woodpecker who visits a tree in the backyard every morning. Early every morning. For a rather smallish bird, this woodpecker's rata-tat-tat  is very loud and very penetrating at that hour of the morning.

It's that time of year in Austin when plants and trees (and people) get a little confused. It has been in the 80's for several days, and there are dandelions blooming in my backyard and the neighbor's ash tree has a faint illusion of buds - but... it got cold again and it may get real cold again. It's not nice to fool Mother Nature.

 Is it a sign of old age when you have a daily reminder on your phone to check your reminders? No, I didn't think so, either.

You know those screens that pop up when you go to Amazon.com, and that great computer in the sky says "People who bought/looked at/thought about such-and-such product also ended up buying/looking at/thinking about..." and then there are some products that Amazon will send you at the drop of a hat, or the push of a button, and you can even get them delivered on Sunday? I think the computer algorithm might need some tweeking.

Last week Amazon suggested Wax Traps (have to do with hearing aids and probably suggested because I buy hearing-aid batteries) and plastic landscape edging. Huh? What do these products have to do with each other? And then later the pairing was for skin-care lotion and a ball of twine. I'm clueless.

And here is a product that I really didn't know I needed until I saw it at Walmart. Remote controlled "candles."  Really?