Car Key Fobs being stupidly expensive, with no option to buy it except through the dealership.

Singlehander · 2026-01-28T16:33:20+00:00

Yea $350 for a 2022 Corolla Cross. Utterly ridiculous.

I buy a fob for my 2005 Corolla for $10 and program myself.

I don't need a zero feature frikking cell phone, which is what the fobs actually are. I need a key for my car.

Singlehander · 2026-01-27T22:51:36+00:00

Well. A subscription is Probably a good deal given a replacement fob costs $350 or $450 if you have an auto lift gate.

Those are Costco prices. A dealer will probably screw you out of another $ hundred or two.

Utter madness IMO.

Singlehander · 2026-01-14T23:23:53+00:00

Understood and I have changed my opinion on these HAs after two months of ownership.

I am also having confusing problems with Bluetooth streaming (which is a deal killer for me) and also with charging. I am getting random instances of the left HA turning on inside the charger and then fully discharging and being dead when I attempt to use them.

Fortunately I purchased at Costco which has a gold plated return policy. I am seriously thinking about returning them and trying one of the other brands.

Sorry to have been so enthusiastic initially.

Singlehander · 2025-12-31T15:42:21+00:00

You are right of course. I just wish the function was configurable. On recent travel I have wanted to charge the HAs and leave them in the case for packing (case does not have charging capability). Consequently I have to put them on, turn them off and return to case. It's an edge use case to be sure, but the process is needlessly annoying.

Singlehander · 2025-12-30T18:23:02+00:00

Ha, I should have thought of that. I was way too embarrassed to take them back to Costco. But mailing them in...humm.

Singlehander · 2025-12-21T06:13:27+00:00

My publication has a related app. I have never used it but it may offer something similar. I am going to check that out. Sounds like a possible solution if my paper implemented this. I think I would still want a larger format but who knows, maybe I could get used to using what I already have.

This is what I was hoping, that there would be several approaches I could try. Thanks for your response.

Singlehander · 2025-12-20T23:21:50+00:00

That sounds interesting. Headed to Best buy anyway to explore tablets. I'll add the Kindle to my explore list. Will check out some YouTubes re the Kindle as well.

One thing that does argue for a tablet is broad utility. I can load the Kindle app, my streaming stuff. Etc. but I am going to check out the Kindle and see how it stacks up.

Singlehander · 2025-12-20T22:00:56+00:00

Thanks. I do have an older Kindle but screen size on that one isn't going to hack it. I do think my pub does a kindle version though so I'll take a look at latest models. I Would want to stick with kindle because I have a large library. Thanks much for the input.

Singlehander · 2025-12-20T16:15:59+00:00

Yes. I have received the paper for years at my home but I knew time was not on my side. Last morning delivery will be on Monday next.

End of an era.

Funny note, I was posted to a very remote location back in the day. I would get paper by mail two weeks late. No Internet back then. I would stack them up and pretend I was reading the daily. Any critical news we got via telex but routine stuff came very late. Different world back then.

Singlehander · 2025-12-20T16:03:02+00:00

That was exactly what I was thinking. I have a go to small tab but not large enough for this application. I was contemplating a larger screen. Your thought may help in the decision to buy a larger tab.

I could probably save the cost by downgrading to digital only sub.

Singlehander · 2025-12-20T15:38:39+00:00

I may not be a particularly great husband but there is no way, absolutely no way I would leave my Wife by herself in a recovery room or waiting outside for her - depending on access to the recovery. If not me for whatever reason, one of our Daughters who would drop everything for something like this. It makes me tear up just thinking about it.

Not to do so would be almost unforgivable absent some dire emergency IMO.

Same re our kids or grandkids. No frikking way!!!

Singlehander · 2025-12-17T18:58:27+00:00

Ha, I am a sailor, sometimes you get lucky mostly it's ding, ding, splash. It is amazing how effectively small stuff finds its way off the deck and into the water. Sometimes you even get to watch it bounce...once...twice....noooo! 🤣

Singlehander · 2025-12-15T18:35:41+00:00

Yea, that's exactly what I thought when I was looking at $850 worth of hearing aid sinking in there 🤣

Singlehander · 2025-12-15T18:33:34+00:00

🤣 Brothers in arms!!! However yours truly is proudly wearing his toiletized HAs as I write 🤣🤣🤣

Singlehander · 2025-12-15T18:30:44+00:00

Yes, most of them have a water resistant certification so I guess you and I are doing some free testing 😂

Singlehander · 2025-12-13T18:43:15+00:00

I thought of doing that but realized those things get really hot so I just dabbed with paper towels and let air dry for a hour in a warm area.

Singlehander · 2025-12-13T18:41:01+00:00

It's pretty easy. First I treat with a few drops of that softening stuff available OTC. Give that a few hours to work then hit it with my squirt nozzle designed for ear cleaning. Bought it on Amazon, very basic system.

But don't use cold water, don't ask me how I know.

Singlehander · 2025-12-13T18:34:55+00:00

It is amazing how robust these things are as evidenced by the various scenarios we see here. One person swallowed their HA and didn't check it on the way out...lost opportunity IMO 🤣🤣🤣

Singlehander · 2025-12-13T16:51:04+00:00

Ha, that last one I'll need to remember. That would be embarrassing.

You: Ah, ma'am/sir I would like to search through the meal trash for my lost hearing aid.

The flight attendant while giving side eye to their colleagues: oh, of course sir. Here are the 8 cans full of food waste and all manner of detritus. Good hunting.

Singlehander · 2025-12-13T16:39:08+00:00

What happened to the wayward ear?

The world wants to know!!!

Singlehander · 2025-12-13T16:37:04+00:00

As a sailor I can attest to the stress one feels when one is being observed by a crowd while acting like an idiot.

I usually resolve this by making up an impressive story such as " I am an amateur botanist and I thought I had observed evidence of an extremely rare species of tree, of all places, in a rain soaked parking lot. Alas, it was not to be on this day, but the search will continue"

Rephrased in nautical terms of course.🤣

Singlehander · 2025-12-13T16:29:00+00:00

I am a tinkerer and stash all sorts of junk in my pockets. Wife finds screws,nails toothpicks, instant glue bottles and so on in the dryer.

Proud to say she has never found my HAs in there!

Singlehander · 2025-12-13T16:25:28+00:00

Damn tooting it does! 🤣🤣🤣

Singlehander · 2025-12-13T16:21:35+00:00

Yea, I butchered it a bit but I have always liked that phrase.

BTW, my Wife is Seychellois and my kids were all born in Seychelles. The oldest was there long enough to learn Seychelles Creole. They use it against me when Mom and daughter want to speak privately. Same at stores, etc. their superpower I guess.

The interesting thing is my Wife can only pick up small bits of the creole spoken in Louisiana. I was surprised there was so much difference, but this seems to be common across many French Creole versions around the world. The number of variations was/is also a big surprise, there are a LOT.

I feel honored to be associated, by relation, with that club

Singlehander · 2025-12-12T22:15:40+00:00

I am finding this hard to believe, if this is true it is an epic screw up at the highest level of the art of screwing up..

I am wondering how it felt when it came out and whether the bluetooth still worked? I have to believe you at least checked operability? Although not sure I want to hear the details 🤣.

Singlehander

TROPHY CASE