When we got rid of our old mattress, we got rid of the box springs as well. They were over 15 years old, and it was time for them to go. When we did the 75-day trial period of the Saatva Mattress, we used their matching foundation, but now we need something for our Sapira (as it did not come with a matching foundation).
My YouTube Review of the Zinus Low-Profile BoxSpring
With most modern mattresses, our bed-height was a little too low without a foundation or box spring, but a little too high with a traditional 8-10 inch box spring. Enter the Zinus 4-inch Low Profile Bi-Fold BoxSpring!
This handy product is one where the title pretty much says it all (except for the "Spring" part -- read on). It's great for when you need just a little more height for your mattress, which makes getting in and out of bed easier. Additionally, I feel that it just makes things look nicer -- a low mattress just looks a bit out of place. We ordered it though Amazon (click here to see it on Amazon), and it was eligible for Prime shipping.
This low-profile foundation does exactly what it says it is supposed to do, and does it very well. Our goal was to raise out mattress up about 4-5 inches with ease, little assembly, and no squeaking or sagging. It comes in a fairly large box and is a bit heavy, so an elderly or frail person would likely need help. However, once it is unboxed, there is no assembly needed, just unfold it, flip it over, and zip it up. It would be very easy to take with you in a move.
This is not a "Box of Springs" - there are no springs inside. 95% of modern mattresses do not need a true "box spring" anyhow so that's fine. The purpose is just to raise up your mattress. It does not soften the mattress, nor is it designed to. "Foundation" is the better name.
The Zinus 4-inch Low Profile BoxSpring on a basic base.
The bars are about 1/4 inch thick, and almost exactly 3 inches apart. The Foundation (as I measured it) was about 4 1/4" high (no big deal for me, but just noteworthy if you need "exactly" 4 inches).
I was a bit Leary at first about using this with my Hybrid mattress since I was afraid that (because the bottom is foam) it would sink through. However, I emailed the mattress company and they assured me that this foundation is fine to use (I have a Sapira mattress). Most of the reviews I have read said it's OK for almost any type of mattress, but if in doubt, check with the manufacturer.
About 3 1/2 weeks of use so far, it's holding up fine, and the mattress works very well with it. It is very sturdy, no sagging. No noise, no squeaking. The bars have not sunk into the mattress. The sides are a nice patterned white cloth. Nice enough that we have not felt the need to cover it with a sheet like with did with our old one! I would recommend this foundation if 4 inches is the best height for your bed setup.
The Zinus Bi-Folding!
We have a queen and it supports two grown adults just fine. According to the paperwork that came with the Zinus, it has a 5-year limited warranty (though it didn't specify what that covers), The flyer that comes with it also says that it can support up to 2,400 lbs. for the queen size or larger -- which seems a bit ridiculous, but I think the point is that it is very sturdy!
So far this is perfect. I will update my post if things change as we use it more and more. Really, I see no drawbacks, so all I can do is wholeheartedly recommend it!
Click this box to view on Amazon
Clicking this box does not commit you to buy; it merely shows you the product. Why not place it in your cart and think it over?
Places to buy: (this is not exhaustive, I encourage you to shop around!)
- Ordering Direct from Zinus, the manufacturer: Click HERE -- there will be a 10% discount that's applied automatically if you follow this link (you won't see the discount until you get to the cart).
If you have Amazon Prime, the shipping from Amazon is 2 day, whereas the link from Zinus is about 5-6 days, at least where I live. Prices, discounts, and conditions vary, so click on the links. Since prices change frequently, I suggest looking around and finding what works best for you.
The above links are affiliate links; please see the disclosure at the bottom of this web page. Note that I paid full price for all products unless noted otherwise; all opinions are my personal reviews and preferences. Thanks for your consideration.
For our second attempt at a new mattress (see prior review here), we decided to try out the Sapira Mattress.
My full Sapira video review
My video of the Sapira Unboxing
The Sapira Mattress was created by the Leesa company, and is their offering in the hybrid category. The word "hybrid" can mean many different things in the mattress world, but in this case it is essentially a cross between a memory foam mattress and an innerspring, offering the best features of each, and mitigating some of the drawbacks of all-foam or all-coil mattresses.
Sapria Construction Layers
I won't go into loads of detail on the construction as you can read all about it on the Sapira web site, but I'll hit the highlights. The top layer is called the "Cooling Performance Layer" and is punched with a bunch of little holes for breath-ability. It's pretty dense and responsive, has good bounce, and is not at all like a traditional memory foam feel. Just very nice and very smooth.
The next layer is the "Pressure Relieving Memory Foam Layer." This is more like traditional memory foam and is slow to respond, provides pressure point relief, and creates a moderate degree of contouring. However, since it's not the top layer, and it's only 1.5 inches thick, there's no feeling of being enveloped.
The base is a sandwich of pocketed coils and stabilizing foams. (The blue foam in the picture is really just to provide stability and to hold the springs in place it seems.) The pocketed coils provide the support.
My impressions:
We're about a month in to the no-risk trial period, which is 100 days. So far so good! This is definitely a better fit for us than the Saatva was. The biggest problem we had before was due to a large weight disparity between my wife and I (she is significantly lighter than I am). No problem there with Sapira. It holds me in place nicely, but my body impression doesn't go out more than a couple inches from me, so Debbi has her side nice & level and all to herself.
I would rate the firmness right around 7 (where 10 is the most firm).
Regarding the feel, it's kind of a luxurious feel. I know that sounds rather generic, so I'll try to elaborate more. It's a tight top, IE, not tufted. It's totally flat before you lay on it. Once you lay on it, it is forgiving yet somewhat firm. In a very general sense, it's what I'm looking for. The top two layers work together very nicely. It creates full and complete support under my lower back (locally) without bending the whole mattress (globally).
Regarding back pain relief, it helps some. For years I have had some lower and mid back pain, and general aches and pains when I wake up in the morning. I have a bad back, which is something I've had since high school. It's not terrible, just more of an annoyance. I know some have it far worse. With that in mind, most mornings when I wake up from the Sapira, I feel "decent" in the back pain department -- I don't know that I can ever feel amazing, so I'm pretty happy with "decent." Lately I've only been taking one ibuprofen every morning instead of two (update, 05/16/2017: I'm happy to report that I've decreased my ibuprofen intake even further as my body has adjusted more and more!).
I want to sleep on my back more, but I do still flip onto my side quite a bit. I'm trying to adjust to this style of mattress and am still experimenting with how thick of a pillow to use, if I want a pillow under my knees, and just generally trying to figure out the best way to sleep in my Sapira. Fortunately, they provide a good long trial period to figure that out.
We also just bought the Purple Mattress Protector a few days ago, and that makes the Sapira feel even nicer! I think a thin, flexible mattress protector is best for this kind of flat-topped mattress. (I made a YouTube video of that, and you can see it being used on my Sapira here.)
The coils of the Sapira Mattress. Notice
how the edge coils are smaller and
more densely packed.
The edges of the Sapira are WAY more supportive than our old Wal-Mart hybrid mattress. You can sit
on the edge and it's virtually as good as a traditional all-spring mattress. I think that's because they use more dense, smaller pocketed coils near the edges. See the picture at the right.
So far, I'm liking the Sapira but I feel like I'm still in the adjustment period. I will keep you posted and update my review once I'm ready to make more detailed observations!
From what I've been seeing lately, Sapira will give you a $200 coupon pretty much automatically, all the time. I can't say they will be doing the discount indefinitely, but that's what I've been seeing. (Note: Please use discount code "Dugroz" at checkout to be sure to get the $200 discount!)
Sapira bills itself as a Luxuy Mattress, and rightly so. It's one of the more expensive online-only mattresses, as you can see below, coming in at $1,475 for the queen ($1,325 "net cost" - including the Amazon gift card). Even though it's not cheap, it still looks to be around $500-$1,000 less than traditional in-store competitors, based on my quick searching. (For example, I would compare the overall feel to the Beautyrest Black Series, which I tried in-store.)
There is a risk-free in home trial period of 100 days, and you can return it during that trial period for a full refund. Shipping is free if you set it up yourself (it comes compressed in a box). If you want white-glove delivery and setup, that's $99.
Prices: (these are the prices BEFORE the $200 discount)
Twin: $975
Twin XL: $1,075
Full: $1,125
Queen: $1,475
King or Cal King: $1,775
(Looking for a mattress but can't quite afford the Sapira? Check out my recent post HERE of 4 great budget mattresses, all under $300!)
I paid full price for my Sapira. We bought our Sapira because we wanted to try it out just like anyone else, but, several months later I was offered a chance to participate in their affiliate program. I will earn a referral fee if you buy (and keep!) a Sapira. Other links on this blog are considered to be "affiliate links" as well (such as the links to products through Amazon) and I am paid a referral fee if you click one of these links and subsequently make a purchase. This costs you nothing. All opinions are my personal reviews and preferences, and do not represent the opinion of any particular company. Thanks for your consideration.
If you'd like to see my video review, you can see that here, or click this link to watch directly on YouTube. Read on for the full written review . . .
(You may want to wear headphones or turn the volume all the way up,
as the audio is a bit soft. It was recorded on an older Kindle tablet.)
Edit, 01/03/2017: My wife and I have now returned the Saatva. We ended up buying the Sapira, which seems to suit us better. See that review here.
I have become a mattress junkie. I have spent many hours in the last 3-4 months researching mattresses.
All of my research led us to Saatva. (You can use my refer-a-friend link to get a $75 gift card if considering a Saatva purchase!)
Saata is an online-only mattress company. They bill themselves as "America's Best-Priced Luxury Mattress" and "the highest reviewed mattress brand on Google" according to this YouTube video. You can also read several review for the Saatva on Amazon (though they do not actually sell through Amazon).
After reading review upon review, I decided to give it a try. The 75 day in-home trial period (with a full refund if you don't like it) was the clincher for me.
UPDATE, APRIL 2018: At the time of my purchase, the trial period was 75 days. Now, I see on their website that the trial period is 120 days.
Saatva offers three models: "Firm," "Luxury Firm" (ie, medium-ish), and "Plush Soft." All three models are innerspring mattresses (as opposed to all-foam, latex, or hybrid). More specifically, Saatva features a coil-on-coil construction, with a Euro-top style layer on top. If you want details on the construction, Saatva has lots and lots of technical info on their site, and there is a bit more on that in my video.
We settled on the queen "Firm" model which is an "8" (out of 10, where 10 is the most firm) on the firmness scale according to their web site. I feel that it's more like a 9 to 9.25. It's VERY firm. After 45 days or so, we paid the $99 shipping fee again and switched to the "Luxury Firm." Their website states it is a 5-7 on the firmness scale, but it's more like 7 to 7.5 in my judgment. We also bought the corresponding foundation (what used to be called "box springs" - very few companies actually use springs in the foundation anymore). We did not try out the "Plush Soft" model.
Having tried both "firm" and "luxury firm," here are my thoughts. Of course, mattress feel and preference is such a personal thing, all I can do is give you my point of view.
Mattress "guts"
I will rate each category on a 5-Star Scale, where 5 is the best.
Construction: 5 stars
The Saatva mattress was certainly impressive in its construction. You can tell it is sturdy and not cheaply made. It's also made in the USA, which is a pro. It is made mostly from organic materials, if you're into that kind of thing. The top is 100% organic cotton and is well sewn. The sides were sturdy with no loose threads and elegant braiding. Running around the edge (internally) is a layer of support foam, which helps if you're sitting on the edge. I was totally satisfied with the edge support and overall sturdiness. The bottom was a quality fabric of some kind which seemed unlikely to tear. Noise: 5 stars
There was no noise. None. No squeaking at all. Smell: 4 stars
There was just a little bit of the "new mattress smell" but not much. Was not noticeable more than 2-3 days. No chemically smell. Feel: 4 stars
The top was pretty nice and comfy. Now, when I say comfy, I don't mean that the mattress was a big pillow that you fall into, or anything like that. I just mean that if you run your hand across the top, or push down, it has a very pleasant feel. It has a deeply tufted top-part with fabric covered buttons holding it in place.The first impression lying on it feels very nice and relaxing -- luxurious. (Through this deep tufted feel may not be a benefit when it comes to support -- see those comments further down.)
Motion Transfer: "Firm" model = 4.5 stars; "Luxury Firm" model = 3 stars
The Saatva is pretty good for an innerspring mattress, but it is an innerspring mattress. There is some degree of movement felt, but I've been on far worse. Debbi (my wife) noticed that on the "firm" model, she didn't feel me moving around too much, almost not at all. However, when we switched to the "luxury firm "(the medium model), she could feel my movement a fair bit. (I'm a pretty frequent position-changer at night.)
Support: 3.5 stars
"Support" gets into tricky-to-describe territory. I don't mean that firmness equals support. (If it did, the most firm mattresses would automatically get the best grade!) By support, I mean, does the mattress hold you up OK? Does the firmness feel even, as opposed to lumpy or firm in spots without being firm in other spots? Although subjective, to me the support was "alright." I felt like my hindquarters and shoulder blades did sink through the top 2 inches of padding layer and engaged the pocketed coil layer in a way that wasn't great (but again, I've had much worse). This might partially be a "me" problem, as I have a fairly pronounced curve to my back.
Pressure Point Relief: "Firm" model = 1 star; "Luxury Firm" model = 2 stars
Here's where the mattress just didn't do it for me. The "firm" model was like someone laid two quilts across a board and told me to sleep on it. Can it be done? Yeah, but I didn't like it. My shoulders and hips were rather sore in the morning. Now, having said that, I need to reiterate that the grades I've given are all from my point of view. Debbi was "meh" with the "firm" model, and said that if she was sleeping alone, she could have kept it. When we tried the Luxury Firm, it was a little better, but, as I mentioned above, I felt like my hindquarters and shoulder blades did sink through the top 2 inches of padding layer and engaged the pocketed coil layer in a way that's hard to describe, but just didn't feel quite right. Conformity: "Firm" model = 3.5 stars; "Luxury Firm" model = 2.5 stars
Things weren't great here either. What am I looking for in conformity? I want something that feels firm where it's supposed to feel firm, and soft where it's supposed to feel soft. I know that's a pipe dream (or a $5,000+ mattress), but let's at least get as close as we can. I want something that conforms to my body locally, but not globally. In other words, I want to sink into my mattress just a bit -- maybe an inch or two, but I don't want a giant valley to be formed while the mattress tries to accommodate my whole body. I also definitely don't want the 100% memory foam or Tempurpedic feel where my body is totally enveloped and I can't "escape" (I know some people like that, but not me). Can't I just get a happy medium between sinking in and floating on top?
With the "firm" model, I did mostly stay in place, and sinkage didn't spread out more than 4-5 inches from my body (although the pressure point relief was so bad, this couldn't overcome it). The problem with the "Luxury Firm" was that with the slightly softer feel came more "spreading" of the sinkage my body created. The valley the bed would form to "take me in" would spread out 12 or more inches from me, and that means it would lap onto Debbi's side. This wouldn't be a big problem except we have a substantial weight disparity, so my pressure-valley was too global -- in other words, there would be a 1/2 inch to 1 inch slope where my side was generally lower than hers and she would roll into me. This caused big problems for us. This might be another "unique to us" problem.
Customer Service: 5 stars
Saatva did great in this area. I called them a couple times with questions before committing to buy, and emailed as well. I communicated with them during our trial period and found them to be very responsive and they never pressured me to make any particular decision.
At this point I should probably reveal that we didn't end up keeping either of the models. When we decided to return the 2nd mattress we were issued a full refund (except for shipping costs -- see below) that was applied to my credit card within 5 days. In fact, the refund arrived before they even picked up the mattress and foundation. I was asked to describe why I wanted to return the mattress, but was never pressured to change my mind. If I was evaluating them on customer service alone, I would wish there to be more companies like Saatva.
Shipping:
I don't think it's proper to give a star-rating to shipping. I figure with any product I buy, as long as the shipping costs are stated accurately and fairly, I can't complain, because I'm smart enough to factor them into my decision. It's just something to take into consideration. We paid $99 for shipping, both for the original shipping and $99 at the time of the exchange. There was no charge for the final return, but once you begin the trial of a mattress, the shipping you paid to get it there is non-refundable. In other words, you only pay shipping when they send something new to you. I'm not excited to be out $198 in shipping expenses, but I knew about it up front, and it was a risk I was willing to take.
Saatva isn't sent via UPS or Fed-Ex -- it is NOT a bed-in-a-box. Your time from order to delivery will vary as they make their mattresses to order. You will be quoted a time frame. I was quoted about 7-10 business days for both models we tried, and the actual timing was true to their estimate. They rely on local delivery companies to bring the mattress to you, so your experience may vary, but my delivery experience was fine. They called ahead and gave me a date and a 4-hour range, asked if it would work, and then stuck to it.
At the time of our purchase, I paid $39 to have them remove our old mattress.
UPDATE, APRIL 2018: At the time of my purchase, shipping was $99. As of now, I see on their website that shipping is now free. Foundation:
Just a word on the Saatva foundation. While you don't have to use a foundation at all, and aren't obligated to buy their foundation, they do have a very nice one. It's a combination of wire-frame and wood, very sturdy, and doesn't make any noise. The wire frame forms a bunch of 5-inch squares, which might actually be more sturdy than traditional slats. We got the low-profile 4.5 inch foundation, which looked perfect on our bed frame. I was originally planning to keep it, but ultimately decided to return it so that we would have the flexibility to go with whatever works best with our next mattress. It was just a hair pricey, though, at $250 (queen size). I won't give a star-rating for the foundation (since not everybody needs one), but I will give the overall score a 1/4 point bonus due to the very nice foundation.
Summary: PROS:
- Very well built. You can tell it is quality construction, doesn't feel flimsy at all.
- Has the "innerspring feel" -- which is hard to describe, but you likely know what I mean. This is more important to some, less important to others.
- Outstanding customer service. No one made me feel pressured, and when I returned it, there was also no pressure.
- 75 day trial period with full refund available (minus shipping). CONS:
- Consider with caution if you and your significant other have a substantial weight disparity (40+ pounds, for example). With the "Luxury Firm" especially, we felt like my body "pushed down" the Euro-top layer and made a gradual valley that my wife could feel on her side of the bed, since I am heavier.
- If you have a pronounced curve in your back, you may also want to consider with caution. Comfort is a funny thing and very subjective. The top layer has a comfy feel, but doesn't react quite enough for my tastes to fill that lower and mid back area.
- Moderate motion transfer (neither terrible nor great).
Final Thoughts:
For someone who sleeps alone, or for a couple that is within 35-40 pounds of each other, many of the concerns I expressed would not apply. Also, I'm not the (ahem . . .) most athletically built guy in the world. Someone with a more athletic build might have less reason to be concerned about what I expressed.
I think Saatva would be a great choice for a lot of people, it just wasn't for us. They held up their end of the bargain and gave us a full refund during the trial period. All things considered, I would say that Saatva should be high on your list for consideration.
Prices:
King: $1,299 (also available as Cal King)
Queen: $899
Full: $849
Twin XL: $699
Twin: $599
You can use my refer-a-friend link to get a $75 gift card if considering a Saatva purchase!
Earlier this week, I was driving around our neighborhood about 3:00 PM on a weekday - just within a mile or so of our home.
(A brief note of why I'm driving around my neighborhood at 3:00 PM on a weekday -- you see, I work from home, so sometimes I can feel "cooped up." To get over this, I often take my lunch break and get in my car and drive around just a bit -- I might eat my lunch in my car, or stop at a nearby park, etc, just to get out of the house for a few minutes. I also tend to eat a late lunch. Anyhoo . . .)
In the space of about 5 minutes, I drove by 8 houses that had at least one package sitting on the front porch, presumably waiting for one of the occupants of the house to come home. This is your typical middle-class suburban neighborhood where there are often two parents who work outside the house, and the kids are all in school.
If you think about it, right around 2:30 or 3:00 PM is the ideal time to strike if you're a package thief. The mailman, UPS guy, and FedEx guy have already made their rounds (in many areas), but it will likely be another hour before mom, dad, or the kids get home. Certainly that doesn't apply to all families, but many. In my little time of observation, I would say I could have fairly easily walked up to all-but-one of those houses and simply helped myself to one of the parcels. (The one house that would have been more challenging had a neighbor with an open garage next door, and a guy walking around.)
With the rise of Amazon.com and other online retailers, daytime package theft is becoming a real thing. I'm not an expert by any means, and I don't even have any stats to back it up, other than random local news stories. (I'm sure someone could search out the topic online if they so chose.)
While I'm not an expert by any means, I have thought of a few ideas on how to protect those front-porch deliveries from daytime theft, if your home is generally unoccupied during the day:
- UPS and FedEx both offer services that allow you to re-route packages to different times, or have them delivered to a local retail store that participates in their program.
- You could always have your deliveries go to a friend or family member in your town that generally has an adult home during the day. It might not be a bad idea to tell your family members as well that you want any gifts to go to Aunt Sharon's house.
- Ask a friendly (or nosey) neighbor to watch for the delivery truck and secure the package for you
- Ask the delivery company to place the package in an out-of-sight place (like behind the bushes). Most online orders have a place where you can place delivery comments. It may not always be heeded, but doesn't hurt to try. If it's out of sight, it's less likely to attract a thief.
- You could consider a home security system (camera, motion senor, or some such thing), or some other kind of deterrent.
What do you think? Does anybody have any experiences with this they'd like to share?
May your Christmas be merry and all your deliveries fulfilled!
(a short video of a package being stolen, with a funny twist:)
Today is May the 4th. So, "May the fourth be with you!!!" -- This isn't going to be my typical blog entry, I'm going to go full on nerd. So, if that's not your thing, you may want to go back to Facebook now.
First, credit where credit is due: almost all of this concept is drawn from this web site.
How should someone watch the Star Wars saga? Or, maybe a better question, -- if you wanted to watch the entire Star Wars saga, in what order would you watch? If you were introducing a total noob to Star Wars, where would you start?
Might I propose: The Machete Order
"Hey, where's Episode I?"
... It's gone.
Yes, revolutionary. Perhaps a bit hard to accept at first. But ask yourself this question: Is there anything in Episode I that is exclusively critical to understand the greater Stars Wars saga? I say "no."
I had to let that sink in for a bit myself. The Phantom Menace (Episode I) is my least favorite of all the movies, however, I have always thought that it does have some redeeming value. The major redeeming value is the movement and manipulation that shows how Palpatine came to power. (I still contend that Palpatine is the "menace" in the title though some disagree.) Pretty cool that he started a war - and it didn't even matter who won - just so he could become the chancellor, but I digress. Do you truly need to know how he became the chancellor to appreciate the rest of the story? No, no more than you need to know why Han Solo became a smuggler to appreciate his role in IV-VI.
What about how Anakin left his home and his mother? What about Qui-Gon? Why did Anakin get chosen? Well, I don't think you need to go into any of those things to understand the arc of Star Wars. After all, we know nothing of how Obi-Wan became a Jedi, and how he spent his childhood. Focusing on the relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin is far more important, and that hardly even starts in Ep. I.
Then there's all the other stuff: The podrace, Amidala/Padme changing clothes & identities, Jar Jar, Messed up Yoda, the Gungan city -- all fluffy tripe that I'm glad to do away with.
Sure, I'll miss the duel of the fates and that epicness, but the thing that has bothered me the most is that Episode I just doesn't seem to fit. It's like someone wrote a precursor to the prequels. Sure, it has a few cool scenes and sets the stage a bit, but it's not a "part of the whole story." If a noobie watches the other 5 episodes and loves them, he or she can then go back and pick up Episode I as a "stand alone" movie set in the Star Wars universe
"What's with the messed up order?"
There are problems with watching in both release order and chronological order.
Chronological order: So you start out knowing that Anakin turns into Vader before you even enter the original trilogy. There is no build up/big reveal. You lose the charm of meeting Obi-Wan and Yoda with the veil of mystery. Also, if waching with a noob, you may lose them by showing the poorest (story-wise) films first.
Release Order: You end on a major downer. You thought the end of Empire was a downer? Try Revenge: the last thing you see is Anakin turing into Vader, Padme dying, most of the good guys getting slaughtered, the baddest guy taking over the universe, and Obi-Wan & Yoda accepting soul-crushing defeat and going into exile.
The machete order gives you the introduction to the characters and the universe, starts off very well, and leaves the viewer feeling like he or she wants to see more. Just when "No, I am your father" [oft misquoted] comes along, and you wonder, "Is Vader really his father? ... why does Vader seem to despise old Ben? etc.," you are given a 4 hour flashback that answers your question. Then you come back to "present day," see how it wraps up, how the Luke-Vader relationship is redeemed, and everybody is happy! (As an added bonus, it makes the look-at-different-planets end to Ep. VI from the Special Edition suddenly seem relevant.)
The machette order isn't perfect, but when thinking of the net of gains minus flaws, it's the winner for me.
+ + +
Side note, for being the biggest Star Wars fan I know, I've never watched more than 2 of the movies in consecutive order. I know in high school my buddies and I planned to. I have a very vague memory of going to (I think) Thom Hennen's house and I walked in part-way though A New Hope and stayed to watch Empire, but that's as close as I got. With a wife and kids, I don't see any 10+ hour marathons in my near future, but perhaps if I'm left home alone for some weekend this summer, it may happen.
I began a new position with my company about 2 weeks ago. This requires about 6 weeks of training, and during this time, we're in a training room all day every day. (It really feels kind of like taking a college class again -- except I'm getting paid to do it and there's no take-home work.)
I think I'm the oldest trainee in my "class," though I haven't verified that with 100% certainty. [edit: verified.] I do know that there is one 24 year old and at least one 25 year old; most are in the 26-29 range.
And I have to say -- the gulf between 24 and [almost] 36 has never felt broader!
Here are some interesting moments over the past two weeks. Remember, these are all individuals who are supposed to be my "peers":
- "September 11th? Oh, I was in 5th grade when that happened" ("Um.... I was already married...")
- Somehow the movie Forrest Gump was mentioned. One of the other guys implied that it was a really old movie, the kind you only see on cable channel replays and such. Then again, he was 3 when it came out.
- Realizing that at least 2 of my peers we not alive for a single day during the 80's...
- Cell phones, cell phones, cell phones!
(a) They simply can not be put down.
(b) I am the only person in my class who does not have a web-enabled phone.
- Partying and "going out" on weeknights are still things. ("Sorry guys, I've got a big evening of playing Ocarina of Time with my boys and going to bed on time planned.")
I'm sure there will be more over the next 4 weeks, I'll try to keep updating!
This past Sunday, I took a quick trip down to Ottumwa to visit my parents (down and back the same day). On the way there, I stopped at the cemetery where my Rose-side grandparents are buried, which is west of town (near Munterville). While I've been to O-town several times since high school, I've only entered town from the west maybe once or twice before. So, I decided to grab a camera and snap some pics as I went (don't worry, I did keep one hand on the wheel the whole time, and didn't look thru the viewfinder. It was the point-and-snap-hope-you-aimed-well method of picture taking.)
So, without further ado, here is a very brief photo tour of my route. I thought this may spark some memories for those of you former Ottumwans who haven't been back in years.
You can click on any picture for larger version.
Where "old" highway 34 meets "new" highway 34 (it looks like I was playing chicken with the train, but really it was stopped).
That's the entrance to some new stores -- "new" Wal-Mart on my right, and the building you see is a Kohls. Menards is nearby, too.
Vaughn Motors is now here on Hwy. 34 opposite the mall.
Quincy Place Mall. What used to be Wal-Mart is now M.C. Sports.
We have Arbys!
Looking toward downtown.
Facing NE at the intersection of Hwy. 34 and what used to be Hwy. 63. When the bypass was finished, the "in-town" portion of the N-S highway was re-numbered as the southernmost extension of Hwy. 149, which ends here.
End of the Market St./Church St. exit, facing east. I've always been a fan of the sign with the blinking light that tells you if the other end of the Market St. bridge is blocked by a train. I've never seen one of those in any other town.
The "new" Bridge View Center (former Coliseum). You can see that [unknown to me until after I turned north] the Market St. bridge was blocked off due to construction. So I turned around at the Beach entrance.
"Hey Todd!!!"
I used to work admissions/concessions at The Beach. The yellow slide was added some time after 1997.
This is where Fareway used to be (Peter!), I was told it's now out on Albia Road, near the former Pamida site.
Turning left (north) onto Jefferson St. viaduct.
Tried to get a picture of my little league field -- the "National League." Sorry it's blurry.
Looking east/southeast -- Railroad bridge (now a pedestrian bridge).
"We'll all join in together, to root for OHS!"
Downtown from the bridge.
Looking west down Main St. at "The China Restaurant" (not sure if still called that). I always wondered why they didn't call it "The Chinese Restaurant?" Main is no longer a 1-way street.
"Voc-Tech!" -- The standard "band member" entrance. Note the doors on the far right are a little different. I'm guessing those are no longer unlocked all the time.
J.R. ... Richards???
Facing West on 4th street, at intersection with Jefferson. Catholic church to the right, Methodist to the left.
Continued up Jefferson to Pennsylvania, then I found out that this gas station, AND this intersection was blocked off due to construction!!! OK, time to find a different way up to Elm St. ...
Chris Ellis's old house.
Decided to head up Jay St. ...
Which is NARROW!
What street am I on? :)
Heading North on Elm.
Memorial Park (non-playground part). Looks perfect for leaning up against a tree for senior pictures!
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