Saturday, November 19, 2022

Things Should be simpler

 ONE OF A KIND:

 1957 AUROURA Safety Car


Speaking of big birds yesterday. We woke one morning with this beauty on our picnic table. He jumped down and showed off  for us  just a little later

back in 2006 

For today:

 I was expected to maintain my first car. Keeping it clean was important, but changing and watching oil levels was very important, my daddy said.

It was not unusual for any car with over 50,000 miles on the odometer to ‘use oil.’ Service Stations ‘BACK THEN’ checked the oil and washed the windshields when you bought gas.  If you asked they would check the water in the battery and radiator.

Back then (40-50s) an engine needed an ‘over haul’ above 70,000 miles. Now with the improvement in engines some go up to 200,000 miles and not use or ‘burn’ oil. You seldom see a car today that ‘smokes.’ I cleaned my spark plugs every 1500-2000 miles.  Now a car will go way over 100,000 miles and not need plugs. Son Jack has an Odyssey with over 300,000 miles and just recently changed the plugs. WOW!

So some things last much longer today than they did in years past. Refrigerators, washers and dryers need repair and replacing much sooner than years past it seems. We had one refrigerator go out in about 15 years, the stove, bought at the same time died a few years later.

(I feel like this at times facing technology!)

I guess one thing that bugs me (BEING ANCIENT) is phones and Televisions. The telephone used to last forever, but NOW? You are lucky if you can keep a Smart phone 2-3 years. Plus every one we have bought in the last ten years got smarter and smarter.

And the TVs?  While in NC I bought 3 new TVs to replace the ‘now outdated’ ones. I was lucky I got replacements for $100 each. The instructions were: Plug it in, follow the SIMPLE instructions and enjoy. TODAY to an old man, there are NO SIMPLE instructions….

Then the TVs here in the motor home (that we seldom watch) refused to work right.  I found two for $80 each. More simple FIRE TVs.

A Selfie of She & Me

My sweetheart asks, “Can’t we just buy a TV plug it in and turn it on?”  The answer is a NO!

I’m griping too much, once you get them working you have clear pictures. While I was installing the last TV Son Mark caused a lot of trouble! Using the installed TV! He was showing Sherry how to get U-tube, Rumba, jambo, netfix, etc.

But at least they worked and we followed the last storm here.….

Ouch, not a button or switch anywhere, gotta have the remote…. (I lose remotes ;-(   )

Nite Shipslog

PS:      To my Blogger friends who read here!

Thank you!

6 comments:

Chatty Crone said...

I agree with you 100% on the new technology and how long they last - it is because they make things way too complicated!

yaya said...

TVs drive me crazy all the time. We still have cable but I keep saying we'll cut the cord one of these days! I hate when I have to replace a phone. Jack hates it even more than me. He'd still be super happy with his old flip phone! We just replaced our fridge that was 21yrs old. Not bad but we've had 3 microwaves. They didn't last as good as the fridge! We also just replaced the garage freezer that was also 21yrs old. I'm hoping we'll move before we have to replace them again! Take care Jack and Sherry

Mevely317 said...

You said it! I don't even attempt to 'control' our television -- Tom's in charge of both remotes, and I'm not even sure he knows the difference.
Yep, like our cell phones, appliances just aren't built to the same quality standards. It makes me sad -- same as the demise of full-service gas stations.

Susie said...

I agree with your wife, why can't we just buy a blasted TV plug it in and turn it on. Yikes, everything is absolutely over engineered. Some things should have remained the same. I just wish the U.S.A. had stayed self contained in many ways. As having appliances companies here making and servicing what was made. We need to get back to having jobs making American products. If it comes to medicines and military equipment , it should always be made right here. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

Victor S E Moubarak said...

Great observation - appliances today do not last very long. I think it is deliberate so you buy a new one. On average, here in the UK, people change their cell phones for a new model every 12 months. The old phone is still OK; but the new one has extra gadgets you probably did not want anyway. Do we really want phones with two cameras, three lenses, and the capability to edit photos and ... and ... and ... Yet, people buy them.

People laugh at my old cell phone. It is so old the instructions are in Latin.

God bless.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

You mentioned a smart phone, I have a smart TV and it's proven to be smarter than me. I've had it a year and am just starting to figure it out. All the new technology seems to change faster than I can keep up with it. Just about the time I figure it out, it changes again. I did learn that when the remote won't work, I need to replace the battery. Ha !