I can hear it now.

Why on earth are The Roaming Boomers talking about a desk chair?

Well, two reasons really:

• It is not unusual for me to spend upwards of 12 hours at my desk these days.
• I have a lot of friends who spend a great deal of time at their desks.

Years ago, when we bought my home office desk chair, we never dreamed that I would be spending so much time seated in it.  Therefore, our home decorator was the primary influence of our buying decision.

Warm and cozy she called it.

Nowadays, I rise at 5ish each morning, and other then the time that I spend with Carol doing our water aerobics, you will find me daily sitting at my home office desk working on our various media enterprises.

After a few years, that warm and cozy home office chair started killing me.  It simply wasn’t designed to be plopped in for such extended periods of time.

Determined to save my derriere from further abuse, I set about on a major quest to replace my home office chair.

After a sufficient amount of roaming on the Internet, and talking with friends and colleagues, I settled on the Herman Miller Aeron Chair.

I have been enjoying my new Herman Miller Aeron for a week now. Here are a few of the things I am enjoying:

• Breathable mesh seating.  It gets hot here in Arizona.
• Nearly infinite adjustments to tilt the chair up, down, backward, and even forward.
• Amazingly comfortable even after hours of use.
• The chair is so stylish (for a chair that is) it has it own place in the Museum of Modern Art.

From Herman Miller:

The Aeron chair didn’t end up in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection just because it looks cool. Although it does. Its looks are only the beginning. Aeron accommodates both the sitter and the environment. It adapts naturally to virtually every body, and it’s 94% recyclable. Even if it’s black, it’s green.

So, there you go.  That’s my show and tell for today.

Oh, I nearly forgot.  I hooked up a very special deal with a Herman Miller distributor. In fact, the deal was far better than I could find on the Internet.  Even more cool, they drop shipped the puppy directly from Herman Miller to my front door.  And best of all, no assembly required!

“Why would they offer such a nice deal”, you ask?  Because I promised them I would share my story with you.

Therefore, your buns can profit from my scouring the earth for the world’s best chair at a great price.

If you want a Herman Miller Aeron chair for yourself, drop me a note and I will put you in touch with my source.

Update:  I just received a note from the giver of the good deal, and she said that she would be happy to help any of you who might also be suffering from sore buns.  Please contact Jacqui Montano, Sales Manager, Goodmans Interior Structures, Phoenix, (602) 263-1110.

Note:  I am not receiving any financial gain from any purchase you might make.  I am simply sharing this with you as a friend.  Cool?

Author Jackie Dishner

Book Review: Backroads and Byways of Arizona, by Jackie Dishner – Here is an extraordinary fact that we learned shortly after moving to Scottsdale a few years ago:  a very small percentage of Arizona  has been developed.  I seem to recall less than 15%.

That means two things to visitors of Arizona:

1. There are vast wide open spaces to explore.
2. If you only visit Arizona’s metropolitan areas, then you haven’t seen Arizona.

Coming from Michigan, we were ill prepared to take in the incredible beauty, the unfamiliar long range views, the significant presence of mountain ranges, the massive reservoirs, the immense forest lands, the uniqueness of the Sonoran desert, the significantly different flora and fauna, the seemingly endless hiking trails, and the Grand Canyon for heavens sake!

I implore you, when you visit Arizona, get out on the backroads and byways and stand mute before the imponderable beauty of this land.

And when you do that, you must have Jackie Dishner’s Backroads and Byways of Arizona along with you.

Having Jackie’s book is like having Jackie in your navigator’s seat. Her book sets forth 12 proposed trips, and then she guides you all along the way with turn by turn directions, highlighting points of interest, recommending places to eat, places to stay, and things to do all along the way.

Carol and I are looking forward to exploring a few of her excursions. In fact, we intend to begin with her Wine Country North tour in just a few weeks.

After you spend a day with Jackie’s book, you can also continue the relationship by following her blog: B.I.K.E. with Jackie.

If you are planning a trip to Arizona, this is one book you will want to have in your hands.

Disclosure:  Jackie’s publisher sent us a free copy of this book to review.  I hope you know us well enough by now to know that you will always get an honest review from The Roaming Boomers, and any media benefit that we may receive will never, ever be enough to turn us away from your earned trust.  Without your trust, we might as well stay home with our bags unpacked!

The Roaming Boomers

However, if you happen to be crossing a couple hundred miles of relatively uninteresting terrain, there is nothing better than having a sophisticated spy thriller on your iPod playing through your automobile’s 14-speaker Harmen Karden sound system.

How do you do that?

Why audible.com of course?

On our most recent 10-day journey to San Diego, we loaded up James Patterson’s thriller Mary, Mary:

“FBI agent Alex Cross is on vacation with his family at Disneyland when he gets a call from the Director. A well-known actress was shot outside her home in Beverly Hills. Shortly afterward, an editor for the Los Angeles Times receives an e-mail describing the murder in vivid detail. Alex quickly learns that this is not an isolated incident. The killer, known as Mary Smith, has done this before and plans to kill again. Right from the beginning, this case is like nothing Alex has ever confronted. Is this the plan of an obsessed fan or a spurned actor, or is it part of something much more frightening? And particularly baffling, how could a woman be capable of these vicious crimes? Members of Hollywood’s A-list fear they’re next on Mary’s list, and the case grows by blockbuster proportions as the LAPD and FBI scramble to find a pattern before Mary can send one more chilling update. Filled with the ruthless and shocking twists that make his fans hunger for more, Mary, Mary is James Patterson’s most sophisticated thriller yet.”

In less than 5 minutes, I was able to download this novel to my iPod, and off we went with FBI Agent Alex Cross as he attempted to solve this ever twisting case as we traveled across the desert lands of Southwest Arizona.

It is amazing how these digital books can simply make time fly when you are driving.

Have you ever tried audible.com?  If not, we can highly recommend it.

Disclosure:  this digital version of James Patterson’s novel was provided by Audible.com.  Thanks Audible!

Gleefully, for over 50 years,  my optical system has performed admirably without need of any visual aid.  As my friends were poking small cylindrical pieces of glass in their eyeballs, or perhaps constantly poking the bridge of their noses to keep their glasses properly positioned, I was happily flying free of these devices.

Then one day it happened.

I was sitting at my desk, working on my MacBookPro, when I realized that I was continually hitting the “command +” function to make the text larger.  I also began to realize that I could no longer read the menu in a romantically lite restaurant.

ACK!  My body was beginning to fall apart!

Eventually, I succumbed to buying a pair of those $15 drugstore reading glasses, and went on about my life.  But a problem quickly emerged when I found myself in bright sunlight, and also in need of my readers.

Clumsily, I solved this problem by having my reading glasses, and my sunglasses in my possession.  I would hang the unemployed pair of glasses on the button of my shirt, and interchange as necessary.  However, this was a pain in the butt, and I was constantly smooshing (is that a word?) the unused pair with my automobile’s seatbelt.

Worse yet, once while flushing an airport public toilet, the glasses dangling from my shirt button wound up in the toilet!  YUK!

That was it, I had to solve this problem.  And, if I am completely honest with you, there was a part of me that feared that I might somehow wake up one morning and don a pair of those hideous “fit over” sunglasses.  You’ve seen them. Right?  Little old ladies at the grocery store with big black sunglasses the size of Mac trucks on their face?

I would learn Braille before I would submit myself to a pair of those things!

Most thankfully, I was searching the Internet one day looking for a solution, and what before my wondering eyes did appear?  But a beautiful, stylish pair of Maui Jim Ho’okipa Readers.

YEAH!  These things are great!

They are stylish, have all the wonderful features that I have come to expect from Maui Jim, and for us baby boomers, have a reading segment (that’s marketing talk for bifocal) very discreetly blended into the glasses.

I wear these puppies all the time now.  And traveling as much as we do, I am very happy to be rid of the constant back and forth changing of glasses.

Thank you Maui Jim!

Disclosure:  Ho’okipa Reader Sunglass were provided by Maui Jim.  Thanks a bunch!

With the recent launching of The Roaming Boomers, we realized that we were going to be away from home more, and that the benefits of today’s smart phones might be a real advantage for us.

We began to do a little homework, and decided to purchase a Motorola Droid using Verizon’s 3G network.

One of the many benefits of this decision was the free inclusion of Google Maps Navigation with voice guidance.

Let me share with you how we were able to use this on our recent trip to Hawaii:

• we are in Hilo, Hawaii, and we need to get to a particular restaurant.  We know the name of the restaurant, but that’s it.
• I activate the Google Voice Search on my phone and speak the name of the restaurant into my phone.
• In a few seconds we are presented with a Google search result showing the address, and phone number of our restaurant.
• But wait!  I don’t have to call for directions as there is a “get directions” button right next to the Google listing.
• I hit the “get directions” button, and whammo!, the phone switches to Google Maps Navigation, identifies my location by satellite, and begins to direct me on my way with voice activated, turn by turn instructions.

Holy techno-wonder Batman!  This is cool!  I now have a voice activated GPS device with me at all times.

I may never have to ask for directions again!

Do you understand what this means to the male species?

I have certainly felt this desire, and when I contacted the kind folks at RosettaStone, they were kind enough to offer The Roaming Boomers a trial subscription of their TOTALE system,  so that we might try it and share our results with you.

When we returned from our Hawaii trip, I found the bright yellow RosettaStone TOTALE box at my front door.  As I began to explore, I learned that the whole TOTALE system is online, and that my yellow box contained only a headset microphone, and audio CDs for practice on the go.

When I logged-in to the RosettaStone TOTALE website, I found that their system is divided into three different sections:

• The RosettaStone Course – this is where I can learn to speak, read, listen and write in their award-winning program.
• The RosettaStone Studio – here I can practice online in their live online sessions with a native-speaking Studio Coach.
• The RosettaStone World – here I can play games and practice speaking with other learners and native speakers in their online community.

Not being shy, I decided to jump right in and try out Level 1, Unit 1: Language Basics.  What surprised me right off the bat was that there was no introduction about what we might be doing in this course.  It was immediately sink or swim.  Albeit, the waters were only ankle deep.  RosettaStone calls this their Dynamic Immersion^® method.

The on-line course presented me with Spanish text, audible renderings of the text, and beautifully presented photography to represent each of the phrases.  Although I can’t speak a lick of Spanish, I was soon speaking some very basic phrases, matching the phrases with corresponding photographs, and even found myself able to match a Spanish spoken phrase, with no text, to its proper photograph.

My first course was divided up into five sections:

• Pronunciation -  I scored 95%
• Vocabulary – I scored 96%
• Grammar – I scored 93%
• Reading – I scored 96%
• Writing – I scored 92%

In just a short 30 minute lesson, I found myself able to properly pronounce a few basic phrases, and am off and running to speak a new language.

I must confess, my wife is already growing weary of me looking at her and proclaiming, “La mujar bebe” (the woman drinks) in my most sexy voice.

I will be posting a few more posts about my use of RosettaStone’s TOTALE language learning system over the coming weeks and months.

Stay tuned…

I called Garmin, and shared with them that I would like to conduct a test drive of their Garmin nüvi 1390T on The Roaming Boomers website, and they were kind enough to immediately rush one to my front door!

Carol and I took the Garmin nüvi 1390T out for a spin today, and here are some of the things that we noticed:

• The 1390T has hardly any more weight than our 360 (5.7 oz  vs. 5.1 oz), yet the screen is nearly an inch larger diagonally, the case is 25% slimmer, and has much improved graphics that are very easy to see, even in broad daylight.
• Amazon.com is selling this unit today for $205.  This makes the 1390T one third the cost of my older unit.
• The 1390T is pre-loaded with a NAVTEQ traffic receiver.  Therefore,  as we were driving around Phoenix freeways we were able to see, and steer clear of traffic snarls and accidents.
• As you can see in the graphic above, Garmin has improved the graphic functionality.  Therefore, when I am on those wide busy highways, the Garmin 1390T gives me ample warning, and a graphic to show me which lane I should be in.  I love it!
• When I put an address in the Garmin nüvi 1390T it takes about 15 seconds to get the address input.  With the touchscreen interface, it is significantly easier to use than my expensive German automobile.  In fact, I won’t even use the GPS in my expensive German automobile because my Garmin GPS is far more user friendly.
• I noticed that the 1390T has modes for walking/bicycling.  I can see the walking mode being real handy in Washington D.C., for example.  I wouldn’t have to ask for directions!  How cool is that?
• Another cool feature is that you can download inexpensive optional CityXplorer content and have subways, buses, trains, and all public transit information stored right in your hand-held GPS.  Now that’s cool!  I hate trying to figure out bus/train/subway routes.
• Even more cool, for my wife, the “Where Am I” feature will direct you back to your car in a large parking lot.  No more lost car, honey!
• With Bluetooth Wireless Technology, the nüvi can answer your cell phone for you.  This way you can keep your eyes on the road, and your hands on the wheel.
• The new 1390T also has something called ecoRoute.  With this, you can not only choose the fastest route, the shortest route, but also the most fuel efficient route based on known traffic patterns.  Wow!
• The other great feature I like is that once you have your destination input,  you can set the device in the seat and it will do a great job talking you all along the way, including announcing the names of the streets.  I like it!

Overall, I was very pleased with the improvements included with the nüvi 1390T, and as Will Smith said, in the movie Independence Day, as he just finished driving the alien space ship,  “I gotta get me one of these“!

Thanks Garmin for the test drive.  I am very impressed!

Many years ago, while driving through very congested Chicago traffic, we were approaching one of those spaghetti bowls of off-ramps.  You know the kind; you are in 8 lanes of traffic, driving at 65 miles/hour, bumper to bumper, you’re in the middle lane, and you must immediately choose between six possible off-ramps.

Further, if you choose the wrong one, you wind up in the wrong part of the city, and you are never heard from again.

Well, when I am in this situation, for some reason, this completely irrational madman appears behind the wheel of our car, and I begin to resemble the Tasmanian Devil.

In fact, while driving once in rush hour traffic in Houston, Texas, my wife told me that if I didn’t start to behave myself, she was going to jump out of the car!

Get the picture?

I am most embarrassed to say that it is not a pretty site.  I dearly love my wife, and she certainly doesn’t deserve to be around this type of irrational behavior.

Fortunately for me, many years ago I bought a Garmin Nüvi 360 GPS, and the raving beast inside me was slain.

Thank you Garmin, your GPS likely saved my marriage!

I am telling you all this because I am working on a review of the new Garmin 1390T.  Stay Tuned!

My Desert Hiking Gear

When one is traveling, or off on some great adventure, your gear can not only bring about convenience, but it can also mean life or death.

When we started hiking the mountainous back country of the Sonoran desert, we very quickly learned that this is not anything like hiking in Michigan.  In fact, during the hot summer months, we often hear of some unsuspecting tourist meeting their death while hiking in our arid deserts.

Here are a few of the important items to consider if  you plan to hike our desert mountains:

• Water – In this pack I have 6 liters of water.  This is overkill, but I like to have extra in case I encounter someone who is without water.  You will never find me on the desert trails without at least 2 liters of water in my pack.
• Sun Protection – the sun is very unforgiving in the desert.  You must have a strong sun block as well as a hat upon your head, and preferably a hat with vents that can breath.
• Food – at least have a protein bar with you.  If you become stranded for some reason, you will be happy to have it.
• Notification – never, ever, ever hike our desert mountains without telling someone where you are going, and when you plan to return.  This way, if something should happen to you, they will at least know where to look.
• For those who plan to become hiking enthusiasts, here are a few more considerations:
  • First-Aid kit
  • Whistle – three bursts on a whistle means you need help.
  • Compass/Maps/GPS – in some areas, it is easy to get turned around.  Know where you are going.
  • Hiking Poles – it is amazing what a good set of hiking poles can do for the hiker.  They provide you an extra set of legs for balance, they reduce a little stress from your joints with each and every step, and when dealing with inclines/declines, they provide a wonderful assistance.  I won’t hike without my poles.
  • Boots – a good-fitting pair of hiking boots, with a wicking pair of socks underneath will solve you a lot of problems with blisters, and sore feet.  They will also provide much needed traction in slippery areas.

I could go on with more, but I think this will provide the basic tools for the serious beginner.

In future posts we will get far more specific regarding various tools, gizmos, doodads, products, and gear.

Stay tuned!