Peter A. Klein's Blog, page 13

On the Road Again – Saving Your Memories of the Trip

After your road trip is complete and you are home again, you will think back to the places you have visited. Over time you may forget things you did and saw. How do you keep those memories from fading away?

There are three things I do to keep track of what I have done on my travels. Take lots of photos, keep a journal, and compile a photo book.

Selecting the Right Neighborhood for You

Not everyone wants to live in the same place. Some people like the mountains, others like the coast. Maybe you want to see the Fall Colors in the Northeast every year. Once you figure out the area you want, then you need to find the community that fits you.

The first decision is to figure out if you want to be in an incorporated city or unincorporated county? Incorporated means that the city, which can be small or large, has a formal municipal government and the zoning, planning, and building regulations that generally go along with a municipality. An unincorporated area means that the local county is the government for the area.

On the Road Again – Will Your Health Insurance Cover You Out of State?

There are many financial items to consider before embarking on a road trip, or any trip for that matter. One of the most important and hopefully least used is health insurance. While vehicle insurance may cover any injuries you receive as the result of a collision, health insurance probably differs in several ways.

Vehicle/Auto insurance, in most policies, will cover you. Just provide your proof of insurance to the health care provider and your costs are covered, within the limits of your coverage.

The True Meaning of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is not about sales and parties. It is about those who died while serving in the military.

Think about that for a few minutes!

Protect Yourself and Your Home from Scammers

If you want to get a limited idea of what is going in your neighborhood, give NextDoor.com a try. Most of the time the posts are self-serving or boring. A couple weeks ago a post popped up in my area’s NextDoor.com that really annoyed me. Not the post itself but the topic.

A homeowner needed some landscaping work done on their home. I do not remember how the homeowner found the “landscaper” they used. They man gave the homeowner an oral bid or proposal for the work the homeowner wanted done.

On the Road Again – Did You Pack Everything?

[image error]

A few years ago, on a driving trip to the San Francisco Bay Area, I realized I had failed to pack one of my medications. Luckily, we were near Palo Alto, and I was able to go to the Palo Alto Veterans Administration Medical Center and have my prescription filled. The experience got me thinking.

Since we had a cruise scheduled for later in the year, I used Excel and put together a packing list. Since then, I have modified it a few times. I think the newest revision will be to make sure I have a copy of my COVID vaccine card and recent COVID results with me.

Things to Consider When Remodeling Your Bathroom

One of the positive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the amazing increase in home remodeling. Part of this rise is because many people are working from home and they need to make their homes more business friendly.

Some common ideas revolve around making one or more parts of the home being made into an office. As people are spending more time at home, they are noticing things about their homes that could use improvement. Sometimes this can be as easy as a fresh coat of paint.

Do You Have the Space You Need for Your Hobby?

With the coronavirus pandemic still very present in our lives, and many still working at home, ways are needed to get some relaxation. One way many of us to get their minds off work and things like COVID-19, is to spend time with a hobby.

One thing that many hobbies require is space. I, for instance, have a model railroad. Not only do I have the railroad, the legs of an L on shelves on the walls of my office. On top of the layout, as it is called, there are tools, extra train cars, and scenery accessories that must be stored somewhere.

Customer Service: Is It Dead or Dying?

I am sure we have all had both good and bad customer service experiences. Lately, it seems the bad experiences far out number the good experiences. 

We just had terrible experiences with Marriott over the last two days. We were trying to make a reservation and see how many points we have on our awards membership. The first person who answered couldn’t figure out how to check our history. We ended of call. The second call at least got us the reservation we wanted. The third call proved that the second hotel we wanted a reservation was not where it was said to be on the website. The fourth call got our account password reset but the Marriott representative said he could not tell us our number of points nor our last stay in a Marriott property. Ended that call.

On the Road Again - Safely Refueling/Recharging

As more Americans are receiving one of the COVID-19 vaccines and infections are decreasing in some areas of the country, many of us are itching to travel. While many are flying to get to their desired destinations, others may be going shorter distances so they will be driving.

I have always enjoyed road trips. The lure of the open road, except at rush hour, is a big draw. Taking in the countryside at ground level instead of 30,000 feet has a certain appeal.