Iron Gym pull-up bar

As a frugal guy starting an exercise program, I didn't want to spend $45 on the pull-up bar available from the local Sports Authority store.  Checking on Amazon, there are many less expensive products available.  There are tension bars, which are supposed to stay up because of tension place on the door frame.  These cost about $15, but many people complained that they come loose too often.  The other style of pull-up bar is the frame hook, where you use the moulding around the door frame to hook the device on.  Prices for these are generally in the $25 range when shipping is added.  After reading the comments on several of these, I decided on the Iron Gym for $27.50.  It doesn't look as fancy as some of the others, but it should fit my 24"-wide 6"-deep door frame.  We shall see if the quality holds up to the praise.

Swivel Cushioned Barstool from Big Lots

Since my only chair broke, I have been looking for a replacement.  My tables are high, so I was looking for a barstool.  While shipping at Big Lots today, I found a 24" swivel cushioned barstool.  The 24" height is not available online, but the 30" version is and can be found at this link and is pictured below.

Now, I don't really have any qualms about buying something made in China.  My objection is to the lack of quality allowed by companies, like Big Lots, that use the inexpensive labor.  This tubular metal chair had flaws.  First, the leg walls were used as the nuts for the bolts.  Not really a problem, except that the bolts included in the kit only fit one specific hole!  The Chinese factory could not even get screw thread tolerances correct.  In fact, one of the bolts is still not in all the way because the threads were beginning to strip.  Tolerances were also off on the lengths of the chair legs.  One of the legs is much shorter than the others, causing a rocking of the chair while in use.  Third, the last step in assembly uses screws instead of bolts, and one is to screw the frame to the cushion without starter holes or self-drilling screws.  Who designed this?  There are unprotected screws inside my cushion that I eventually expect to feel jabbing my butt.  And these screws were Phillips head screws, so I needed to get another tool to complete assembly.  Fourth, the swivel assembly is very tight.  I have to use quite a bit of effort to get the seat to actually swivel.

What does this all mean?  It means that Big Lots should do a little more quality control on the items it sells or advertise that it is selling crap on purpose because can be obtained cheaper.  The quality of the chair itself is below my expectations based on comparison to the floor model and the assembly difficulties above.  The $30 I paid, in my opinion, was more than I should have.  Only time and the lifespan of the chair will ultimately determine if this opinion remains accurate.

Progresso Soup - Cream of Mushroom

Our local grocery store, the King Soopers, is having a sale on Progresso Soups at $1 per can; so I thought I would give some of them a try.

The Cream of Mushroom is one of the most horrible soups I have ever eaten.  The base looked more like paste water than cream, and it had almost no taste whatsoever.  The pieces of mushroom had the texture of pencil erasers.  All in all, I will never be eating this soup again.

Progresso Soup - Hearty Tomato

Our local grocery store, the King Soopers, is having a sale on Progresso Soups at $1 per can; so I thought I would give some of them a try.

This can was the hearty tomato, although I fail to see what is so hearty about it other than it has chunks of tomato.  It had a pleasant taste but was nothing to brag about.  All in all, it is a passable soup for the price.

Progresso Soup - Minestrone

Our local grocery store, the King Soopers, is having a sale on Progresso Soups at $1 per can; so I thought I would give some of them a try.

The Vegetable Classic Minestrone is the best tasting of the Progreso soups I have tried to this point.  There is a distinct flavor of black pepper.  However, I am disappointed by the appearance.  For a soup with such a fresh name, one would like to see more vibrant color, but that is probably not possible in a processed canned soup.  All in all, I would buy more of these for $1; I am not sure I would pay full price, which is currently more than $2.

Nose Hair Trimmer, the purchase

I just ordered the Panasonic ER-GN30-K Vortex Wet/Dry Nose and Facial Hair Trimmer from Amazon.  When it arrives, I will provide a review of the item.

Solar Car Fan, the set up

I thought being homeless and sleeping in my car during the winter would be a problem.  Thanks to the Cascade -40 sleeping bag, this was never an issue.  However, summer has come, and it is getting very hot in the car.  Therefore, I have decided to purchase one of those solar car window fans, the Solar Powered Car Auto Cool Air Vent Cooler Cooling Fan.  (Believe it or not, that is the name of the product listed on Amazon.)

While waiting for the fan to arrive, I am going to test the interior temperature of my car compared to the exterior temperature.  On Friday, I am going to stop by my storage locker and pick up my temperature and humidity gauge, which I previously used to make sure the temperature and humidity was acceptable for candy making.  On Saturday, then, I will start creating a spreadsheet monitoring temperatures.  I will repeat this when the item arrives.

One thing I have already learned:  Always read the entire add before buying something on Amazon.  The second last sentence of the description states that the item will not work on dark tinted windows.  That must mean the solar panels end up inside the car, which is a pretty stupid design decision.  Anyhow, we shall see how the thing works when it gets here.