National Donut Day One Day Late
It’s the day after National Donut Day, and I’m one day late celebrating. But when you know someone selling Krispy Kreme as a fundraiser, you end up with this.
Don’t mind the missing donut(s).
Life
Trying Out Orbi’s Mesh Network
Walking the lanes of Costco, I noticed a new pack of Netgear’s Orbi wireless networking devices. Instead of the three-unit pack I had seen previously, Costco carries a two pack (one base and one satellite), and the cost is good, right under $200. While a single Wifi router has been working in my household, speeds have been down and coverage was sufficient.
So far so good with this Orbi setup. Speeds (as measured by Speedtest) have been very good, and configuration was easy (a little too easy). Compared to other NetGear products, configuration of the gear seems too simple. Where’s all the “advanced” settings that I’m used to seeing? I can’t even assign IP addresses to specific devices. The settings must be there, I just gotta do some research. I think the Orbi is a keeper.
My SmartThings Experiment Is Done
I was an early adopter of SmartThings from its Kickstarter days, but my forray into SmartThings is done. My Gen 1 base unit still works but pretty much every accessory I own has stopped behaving. One motion sensor stopped responding a long time ago and the second sensor had been working then stopped. My on-off switch was reliable until one of the countless updates made it unreliable. Sometimes it would work according to my programmed schedule, often times it didn’t.
With all the UI changes in the app, I had a hard time figuring out where everything went. How do I stop the blinking light on the on-off switch? I had found it a long ways back but since an update, I can’t find the setting anymore.
During the days, I would get a notification that my base unit was offline, and I’m not sure why. Was my home Internet down? Who knows, but with all this aggravation and minimal benefit, it was just easier to unplug all the SmartThings and say good bye.
eBay Tip: Pink > Roger Federer
Usually Roger Federer-logoed items sell. If you see that RF logo, odds are it’ll move on eBay. There’s one glaring exception that I’ve observed though.
The color pink is greater than the great tennis player. I had found a Nike polo shirt infused with Nike tech and endorsed by Federer. But it did not sell. Heck, it didn’t even get many views.
So eBay lesson learned – say yes to RF gear except if it’s pink.
Missed the UNIQLO Preview Event
Yeah, I’m a little disappointed that I missed out on the UNIQLO Pop-up Preview event at Ala Moana this afternoon, but… kids finishing the school year and spending the day with them was the right call. The day would have been even better if JR Smith at least hoisted up a shot after his rebound, but there were many other factors before then – the reversed charge call on LeBron, Steph’s 3 to end the half, Hill’s missed free throw.
Anyways, UNIQLO opens on Friday, June 1. I forgot to ask if the KAWS x Sesame Street collection would be available (currently coming soon online), but the Barry McGee collection is certainly in store.
Ready for UNIQLO Ala Moana?
Tomorrow is the day of the pop-up grand opening.
Featuring Hawaii exclusives as well!
Nike Wishlist Update 1
This is the first update of probably several of my Nike Wishlist. Remember, this list is the Nikes I would get if I can find them deeply discounted. My original wishlist includes:
- Air VaporMax Utility
- Air Max 270
- Odyssey React
- React Vapor Street Flyknit
- LeBron 15
- Air Jordan 1
The first change I’m making is taking the VaporMax Utility out of the rotation. I still love its look but after watching a review of this sneaker by Hes Kicks, I’m hesitant due to the squeaking and chaffing. If I find a pair, I’ll try them out of course, but instead I’ll probably opt for one of those “Past Meets the Present” hybrids like the Air Max 97 VaporMax or Air VaporMax Plus. I gotta like the colorway though.
I’ll leave the 270 on the list for now but again, I’d have to find a great looking pair. With so many variations coming out, this shoe is ultimately bound for discounters in a about a year.
The original Epic React runner still has the nicer colorways than the the Odyssey React, but for fit purposes, the Odysseys are a better match. These stay on the list. So do the React Vapor Street Flyknit if the price, color, and fit are just right.
Win or lose in the NBA Conference Finals this year, LeBron James continues to impress. Getting up in age, he’s still producing and playing at an unreal level. To pay tribute, I’d go for the LeBron 15 (which reminds me, did LeBron even switch to his Solider line this post season like he’s done in the past?). The LeBron 15 high top version is cool but the LeBron 15 Low sounds better for me according to the Weartester’s reviews by Duke4005 and Nightwing2303.
The Air Jordan 1 would have been crossed off this list if Nordstrom had come through. But instead, I took a loss with the AJ1 Shadow. Again, so disappointed with Nordstrom and its wonky inventory system, but I digress…
Another Nike that caught my attention recently is the new ACG Dog Mountain. Yeah, weird name, but kinda useful to have an outdoorsy shoe that can take a beating. This shoe may eventually replace the React Vapor Street Flyknit in my Wishlist.
So here’s my Nike Wishlist updated for May 28, 2018.
Air VaporMax UtilityAir Max 97 VaporMax/Air VaporMax Plus ($190)- Air Max 270 ($170)
- Odyssey React ($120)
- React Vapor Street Flyknit ($180)
LeBron 15LeBron 15 Low ($150)- Air Jordan 1 ($145)
- ACG Dog Mountain ($110)
My Odd #rossfinds – Nike Gyakusou Socks
You never know what you’ll find at Ross, and although not a big find, I did have to look twice when I saw these socks cast to the side. The Nike label didn’t look typical, and it isn’t.
These socks are from the NikeLab, and the style code of SX7234-524 say these are Nike Gyakusou NikeGrip Unisex Quarter Socks. Originally priced at $28, these socks were $6 from Ross. Personally, I wouldn’t pay $28 for a pair of quarter socks, but I’d do $6 even in a Purple Dynasty/Olive Khaki colorway. They do look cool…
I Gotta Flip this SPAM on eBay!
Update: So while the EST199N label is a match, the canning date is out of range of the recalled products.
So Hormel Foods sent out a recall of it SPAM Classic due to metal found inside. Supposedly, Hawaii is unaffected by the recall of 228,600 pounds of SPAM since supposedly none of the cans were sent to Hawaii.
The identifier of the recalled items have the Establishment number (EST. 199N) printed on the bottom of the 12-oz cans. It looks like this.
So unless the period of “EST.” vs “EST” makes a difference, I have one can of these recalled products. Any takers on eBay?
Double Air Jordan Loser!!
Not once but twice in the same day I became an Air Jordan loser. First, I totally missed the sneaky launch of the Off-White Air Jordan 1 collaboration in the UNC colorway. I learned of the drop one hour later, so it’s no surprise I took that loss.
A few hours later, I get an email from Nordstrom. I had ordered a pair of Air Jordan 1, Shadow colorway at a discount earlier in the week. Sometimes Nordstrom surprises me with what they carry, and they were clearing out the black and gray AJ1. After much refreshing and retries on their online store, my order successfully went through with a confirmation email. Well I guess a Nordstrom confirmation email is easily reversed with a cancellation email.
Dammit, Air Jordan loss number two of the day!! The day was just about a bust except for one saving grace at Starbucks. I hadn’t paid attention to their ads, but I scored a BOGO offer in the afternoon.
So I had two Caramel Macchiatos, one for each AJ1 I missed out on.
Ba-Le Kailua Closed
Not sure when this happened but Ba-Le, a mainstay in Kailua for decades, is now closed. The storefront now looks like this.
From its days in Don Quijote then moving down to Hekili Street, this franchise provided affordable and tasty Vietnamese sandwiches and other dishes. I loved their iced coffee ratcheted up caffeine levels. Sadly, the owners decided to move on and out of Hawaii (so I hear), but hopefully, this gap is quickly filled. The Pig and the Lady (or Piggy Smalls) would fit nicely in this lineup of boutique shops…
eBay Tip: Running vs Golf Shirts
When it comes to shirts, golf doesn’t but running does… sell that is. Although golf shirts look sharp and can be worn in non-sporting situations, they simply don’t sell. I think there’s just too many of them out there, and although the prices are deeply discounted, they just don’t move.
Running shirts, on the other hand, surprise me. There’s really no other ocassion to wear a distinctively-looking running shirt other than for running. But I guess as the miles add up, the shirt needs to be replaced. When I list a running shirt, it quickly gets watchers and does sell relatively quickly. Not just ordinary shirts mind you, but higher-end Nike ones made of their premium fabrics. Yeah, these shirts do cost more, but they do move so you’re not stuck with inventory.