I bought a set of cooking chopsticks on a whim. I use them constantly: the combination of being able to stir or pick something out of boiling liquid / oil is really useful. More control than a spoon.
The handcycle is just a three wheel recumbent that’s pedaled with the arms. Mine is from Invacare(XLT Pro) though there are a number of other manufacturers.The trailer is a Croozer Cargo.
I did have to cobble together an attachment point for the trailer hitch as it’s not designed for a handcycle.
The handcycle is slower than a regular bike(and harder to pedal),a foot powered recumbent trike might be a better purchase unless your legs are compromised in some way. With a tadpole trike(2 front wheels), the trailer can be attached as it was intended.
I scoffed when MrPanda put together a first aid kit. That thing has saved our asses multiple times.
Three years ago I found a Kodak Brownie 2 box camera, circa 1930, in my late aunt’s house. My expectations certainly were exceeded, considering the lens — such as it is — has no colour coatings, or any at all, probably.
Some of the pix I took with it are here, here, here, here and here.
The camera takes 120 film. Most of the above were shot with Kodak Porta, 160 ISO. The shutter speed is approximately 1/50th.
Best (overall) motorcycle I’ve ever owned. Ridden it places it was hard to walk. Had it on the freeways of Southern California. Flogged it on a motorcross track. Tens of Thousands of miles off-road in the deserts of CA, NV, UT, AZ. Used it comute in Las Vegas. Loaded it up, hit the interstate and did “mini-tours”. Loaded it up and idled down the road selling beer to DeadHeads logjammed in traffic in the Vegas heat.
It has never let me down. (I burned the clutch out once, and had to haul it home, but that was totally my fault) I’ve ridden it home with flat tires, broken cables, run it out of oil… it just keeps going!
Awsome machine!
I have the bigger DR650 but would love to get my hands on the 6-speed little brother. Hard to find though and they sell quick when they do show up. But, my 650 has been my most versatile and fun moto I’ve had and I’ve had a lot (too many in my garage right now).
A PSP…
That little bastard is in use to this day, purchased sometime in 2006-2007? Once I hacked the thing to run open firmware it has been my almost constant companion.
Plays everything from NES to PS1 games, MP3s, videos, it ended up being the best and most durable digital media player type toy I’ve owned. And it still works fine, the thing has so much battle damage but it won’t quit. I even use it as a room light during power outages.
My 3DS gaming device has been very helpful.
It has made waiting (which is normally quite aggravating to me) into a pleasure. I was at my new psych med provider’s office yesterday playing Plants vs. Zombies until she came to get me. Paused the game, picked it up later. Excellent. No stress!
In the old days I probably would have read a book, which is kind of sad when you think about it. However my concentration is not good enough for books right now. I’ll get back there I’m sure. I was an early reader and love books to death.
I wish I could get a DS for my mom, who gets extremely rattled at waiting for anything. To the point she starts thinking maybe they forgot about her and cries. I try to be with her when she goes out if at all possible.
Take care!
For cooking I prefer tongs (silicone coated for nonstick use). Not many people realize this, but they’re very useful for other things than cooking:
-pick up crabs
-handle burning coals
-pick up rubbish in the garden (like the grabber, but more durable I guess)
-I used it to pick up a raw chicken someone dumped in the wrong bin where it was left outdoors for a month
Although I’d recommend you use a separate one for cooking. I used a cheap $2 all steel one for these. I got the idea from seeing people use these to collect trash - so much cleaner and safer than using your hands.
I can’t believe how much I use my chamber vacuum sealer. I bought it as an extravagance, a present for myself when I came into some extra cash. I wanted one to go with my sous-vider.
The thing weighs something like 50 pounds, so it’s not an appliance that you stick in a cupboard and take out as needed. So I cleared room on a counter, and it’s lived there ever since.
I use the thing almost every day; the plastic bags it uses are cheaper than ziplocs, and the seal is a thousand times better. I can buy stuff to throw in the freezer and never have to worry about freezer burn. It’s easy to use, fairly quick, and does the job with a minimum of fuss and hassle. I use it sometimes for sous-viding, but a lot more for packaging things for storage. At this point, it’s one of the most-used appliances in my kitchen, and I’d really miss not having it around.
Every single night, I watch my Sony television that I purchased in 2002. It will be 13 in May. Great machine.
I got a FlipFold about eight years ago, for something like $20 off eBay. I must’ve used it thousands of times, and it’s still going strong.
Did you adopt it when it was two years old?
I use my “grabber” to pick up shells on the beach.
Back in TN (another time, another place) my stepfather worked for the railroad and brought home all kinds of discarded stuff. One thing was a steel kind of grid, diamond-patterned, like a wide ladder. He dropped it across the ditch between our house and the barn and you could pull anything over it. But the thing I still have and still use is a railroad tie. It’s heavy as shit and perfect for weighting glued things down as they dry. (Like repaired veneer on a piece of furniture.) It also works as an anvil. You can hit anything on it; it’s indestructible.
Nm
Actually it’s a piece of rail.
Bought a hand mixer for $5 at the grocery store in 1977 so my then girlfriend, now wife, could make me chocolate chip cookies. Still use it for all cakes, cookies mashed potatos, etc.
My timex I’ve worn every day since 1981. Put a new battery in yesterday for $15, more then the watch cost new.
I have a short piece of rail, too. Surprisingly useful. It’s a weight, and an anvil, too! 