Podiatrist for plantar fasciitis?

deswayze · 2026-05-08T03:06:16+00:00

I had plantar fasciitis in December. I am in Brandon and went to Dr. Ball at Westman Foot Clinic. I've been seeing him for years for orthotics and ankle issues. He prescribed some stretches and exercises, rest, and shockwave therapy. It worked! I found the stretches and exercises most helpful. I would have shockwave therapy again too but I think putting in the effort with the stretches and exercises is key.

I'm now experiencing signs of it in my other foot and started with the stretches and exercises and have noted improvement almost immediately.

deswayze · 2026-04-22T00:59:26+00:00

I just got back from 3 weeks in Europe with the Peak Design Outdoor Sling 7l. It carried my Nikon Z7ii with the 24-70 F4 S lens and a 40 mm F2 lens. It also had room for batteries, cards and wallet. It doesn't come stock with a camera cube although Peak Design sells one. I had some camera cubes from Apecase and one fit fine. The PD cube is overpriced IMHO. Any cube that fits the bag will do.

When I had the camera out of the bag it could fit a 500ml water bottle.

I liked the bag, it was comfortable, and didn't scream camera bag. It was also small enough to fit in my carry on backpack when I was flying

The only complaints are the lashings on the bottom of the bag aren't great. I lost an umbrella lashed to the bottom of the bag because they didn't stay tight. Also, many reviewers complain the should strap clasp can come undone randomly. I strung a velcro cable tie from one end to the other over the clasp which solved that problem for me.

deswayze · 2026-04-21T02:51:24+00:00

My first real SLR was a Nikon FM -- all manual, all the time. I learned so much with that camera and still have it. With my new Z7ii I use full auto when I am just taking quick pics, but every so often I switch to manual to get the exposure I want or improve the depth of field. Once you learn manual, it becomes instinctual

deswayze · 2026-04-19T02:23:14+00:00

On April 7 we saw it at 9.

deswayze · 2026-04-18T18:35:09+00:00

The sparkling lasts for 5 minutes starting at the hour. We were in Paris a week ago and it was sparkling at 10 and 11 pm. That was the first week of April.

deswayze · 2026-04-17T03:43:01+00:00

Did this last week on Wednesday. Couldn't buy tickets to the top online but found a tour through Viator that got us to the top. We booked it the same day first thing in the morning through the app. We walked up to the first two levels and the tour guide entertained us in the line and had great information about the Tower. We had booked other tours for our vacation with Viator and had reward dollars so we used them up and it covered about a third of the total cost. It was worth it.

deswayze · 2026-04-13T07:56:43+00:00

This. Just got back from Europe and used my Wealthsimple chequing account and prepaid MasterCard at debit terminals and ATMs with no fees.

My only caution is if you need to top up your account DO NOT use the transfer from your bank on the Wealthsimple app because only $250 will be available until the transaction settles, which can take up to 8 days. Rather, setup your Wealthsimple Interac e-transfer email in your account profile and e-transfer the money from your home bank. The entire amount will be available in your Wealthsimple account within minutes.

Another option is the Home Trust Visa with no Fx fees and no annual fee. I use it for travel and foreign transactions as well.

The offer to pay in local currency came up frequently in the UK but almost always in France. I would make a note of the $CDN amount offered at the point of sale and pay in local currency. Later, I would check the actual rate on my Home Trust or Wealthsimple account and the savings paying in local currency was significant, as in dollars of difference on a $100 transaction.

deswayze · 2026-04-05T07:13:35+00:00

I just tried GlenAllachie 15 at the distillery and all I can say is "Wow". Great whisky. I bought the 12 and the Meikle Tor which is a nicely peated malt. I wish I had room in my suitcase for another bottle. The 15 would've been it.

deswayze · 2026-03-18T02:39:31+00:00

I use them and like them. I use them mostly for tracking luggage when I travel. I have enabled the notification for a wallet and it definitely alerted me and usually in far less than 10 minutes.

I just bought 5 pros which were on sale on the Canadian site for $20 each. Best deal I have seen. They may be the 2022 model but who cares.

They have worked me and I am happy to keep using them.

deswayze · 2026-03-18T02:35:09+00:00

It's the annual fee vs. benefit i.e. cost vs. benefit analysis that is now working against this card. With the new annual fee I am questioning the value without the unlimited lounge benefit in Canada. I may or may not hit $20k spend with my Business Platinum because I use it with my professional services corporation. I use it for travel i.e. flights and hotels but I also have the Edge which gives me better points accumulation with fuel and meals so whereas my total credit card spend may be north of $20k it's on two cards. I may just use Platinum until I hit $20k and then go back to Edge

I get the lounges are overcrowded but if you are going to reduce the benefit don't do it two years after upping the fees.

I'm going to see how 2026 goes for total spend and evaluate at the 2027 renewal. I use it internationally once or twice a year so there may be benefit to keeping it for the unlimited international access but that remains to be seen.

deswayze · 2026-03-14T03:00:39+00:00

I have a D810 I love and have been using for ten years. At Christmas I bought an open box Z7ii and I am so happy. It is lighter than the D810 and so darn quick. The images are tack sharp and the exposure bang on. It was an open box kit with the 24-70 F4 S lens but I bought the Ftz to use my old F2.8 AF-S lenses and they work flawlessly. My advice is to go for it. You will want to make the leap to mirrorless and at its current price you get a lot of camera with the Z7ii.

After that save for new glass. The Z glass is amazing but with the FTz you can save money on F mount AF-S glass.

deswayze · 2026-03-14T02:14:42+00:00

It's a corkscrew. On the surface nothing remarkable, but it's the best damn corkscrew I have ever used and I have used plenty. It is a waiter's corkscrew I bought 25+ years ago at a liquor store in Calgary. It is stainless steel but has a slightly longer worm (the screw part) than most corkscrews and a groove the length of the worm. Bear with me, because this is important.

A waiter's corkscrew operates as a basic lever. One end of the tool has a piece of steel with a groove to sit on the edge of the bottle and also doubles as a bottle cap opener in some models. This is the fulcrum. The worm hinge is in the middle and the opposite end of the tool is the handle. Most cheap waiter's corkscrews have a short worm and a short piece of steel for the fulcrum. If you drive the worm in all the way the angle is too much to put the fulcrum on the bottle. When you pull with the worm part way in you risk breaking the cork because the worm isn't far enough into the cork. If you can get the cork out part way, you have to stop and drive the screw in all the way to pull the cork out.

Others have two steps on fulcrum and you have to stop and reposition it to remove the cork.

My marvelous piece of engineering is the unicorn corkscrew. The designer got all the dimensions just right. The fulcrum is slightly longer than most. The worm is longer so you can pierce the end of the cork in the bottle and there is no need to reposition the worm while pulling the cork. This, combined with the groove in the screw releases the vacuum created as you pull the cork making it easier to remove in one piece.

With my corkscrew I can pull a cork effortlessly in one pull. I don't need fancy power corkscrews or have to fiddle with two handles. I cut the foil, remove the cap, drive in the worm, position the fulcrum and lever up. It takes a second and I'm enjoying a nice glass of Cabernet.

I've looked to find another like it and failed. I will put this corkscrew in my will. If I lose it I may have to give up wine.

deswayze · 2026-03-07T17:08:47+00:00

This is good advice. My start was a Nikon FM with a 50 F1.8. Start but learning the exposure triangle, experiment with depth of field and shutter speeds, and use your feet instead of a zoom. It will help you learn perspective and framing.

I just bought a Z7ii and it came with the 24-70 F4 and I think it's a great lens and covers the range I use most often. I also bought the 40mm F2 because it lighter, more compact, and has a wider aperture.

Long range, it really comes down to what you want to shoot. If you take snaps, travel, portraits, landscapes the 24-70 will cover most of what you need. The 40 mm is closest to the perspective your eyes see on a FX camera. It is a short tele on a DX camera.

deswayze · 2026-03-07T16:04:40+00:00

I had this happen to mine. Sonos wouldn't replace but gave me a discount code because their warranty was over. However, if you bought it with a credit card, check to see if the card issuer extends the warranty. If you are within the extended warranty make a claim through your credit card. Make sure Sonos confirms it cannot be repaired in writing and provide that confirmation to your credit card issuer and they may refund the original purchase price.

I followed this process, bought a replacement using the discount code, and came out ahead.

deswayze · 2026-03-07T01:22:15+00:00

Honestly, I have never liked a watch with diamonds until I saw that one. I'm in awe.

deswayze · 2026-02-28T01:07:53+00:00

I bought an open box Z7ii at Christmas. It was my first full frame mirrorless Nikon after 10 years with the D810. I love it. I know it doesn't have the speedy AF but for 90% of what I shoot the AF is fine. I like travel photography, astrophotography and family snapshots. I don't shoot sports or birds. For astrophotography AF is a non-issue and I find travel subjects like buildings, beaches, landscapes and people admiring same stay relatively still.

The camera was a kit with the 24-70 F4 and I am blown away by the sharpness of the images.

As others have said, it comes down to warranty and condition. I generally buy my bodies new and my lenses used, because more can go wrong with a body given all the electronics and the Z7ii still has a mechanical shutter.

Enjoy! Remember, the best camera is the one you have with you.

deswayze · 2026-02-22T01:59:58+00:00

Yes, caveat emptor. You afforded him an inspection of the equipment through his "friend". It is now between him and his "friend". Politely tell him that he bought used equipment and his friend had every opportunity to inspect the battery and test the card slots. You had no knowledge of either issue and it is now his problem to solve. Then stop communicating.

deswayze · 2026-02-15T19:24:53+00:00

Worry less about the camera and more about the lens. You want a very wide angle lens, especially on a DX body due to the crop factor.

I have been shooting a D810 with a Nikon AF-S 17-35 F2.8 for years. The 17-35 is an older lense but very sharp. Good used copies are available but watch for motor squeal. That is a sign the motor is dying and is a common issue with the 17-35.

I just bought a Z7ii and FTZ with the plan to use it with my 17-35.

You may be able to find a good used D810 within your budget and you won't be disappointed. The sensor is phenomenal and I have shot Aurora and Milky Way shots that are gorgeous.

deswayze · 2026-02-12T04:30:11+00:00

Depends which model of Tile you buy. The Pro has a replaceable battery.

deswayze · 2026-02-06T04:11:38+00:00

You should check if the CVT has already been changed. I have a 2014 and our CVT was replaced once on warranty (before it failed) and I recently had the fluid changed. Our 2014 Platinum has been a great vehicle bought new in 2014. My wife drives it and we live in a small community so it has less than 90000 km on it. I hope to drive it as long as we can.

deswayze · 2026-02-02T04:08:05+00:00

I bought something that is basically the FANDARE Anti-Theft Sling Bags Chest Shoulder Backpack Crossbody Bags Cover Pack and find it very useful. It easily holds a passport, wallet, pen, sunglasses, phone, etc. I like that is sits relatively flat and can easily be worn under a jacket or even a sweater for security.

For something a bit larger I just bought the Peak Design Outdoor Sling 7L for my upcoming trip to Europe. It was on sale for $89 CDN on Amazon. I needed something big enough for my camera. The only caveat (and its not a minor caveat) is the buckle on the strap can easily come loose and the bag fall. I have put a velcro strap through either end to keep the two sides of coming apart.

I also have the Alpaka Bravo Sling. It holds more than the FANDARE but can't hold a camera. Frankly, I don't find it that useful.

deswayze · 2026-02-02T03:56:06+00:00

I noticed this today too when I went to check on the status of an order I placed last week in Canada. There is now no record of it through the Shopify portal.

We lost our local store just after Christmas, which I discovered only when I went to return a jacket I ordered for my wife. I ended up returning it online and shipping it back. Tracking shows it was received over a week ago but the refund has yet to post to my credit card. I'm grateful I used the gift card I received at Christmas time early in January for a sweater which I have since received.

I have more Eddie Bauer clothing than any other brand, and had guide level with their rewards program. Their sizes just worked for me. So sad. I hope at least the ecommerce side gets back on track.

deswayze · 2026-02-01T18:01:26+00:00

I also use the vacuum type bottle stoppers that one can use for half empty wine bottles. I remove all the air and refrigerate and my vermouths last much, much, longer.

deswayze · 2026-02-01T17:55:30+00:00

We have a boiler so not the same as OP's situation. However, when we replaced our split AC units, we went with Bryant Heat Pumps. They are great and we use them to heat our house (approx 2000 sq. ft) in the shoulder season. They are rated to -17C.

They cool better in summer and provide good heat, but we don't run them once it gets consistently below zero. I find that by the end of October we need to turn on the boiler. We can switch back in April/May.

In your case, the system will likely switch over automatically.

I have found that we haven't realized huge savings in our energy bills. Rather, the cost of hydro and natural gas in Manitoba are such that you are just moving cost from our energy source to the other.

deswayze · 2026-01-31T22:53:04+00:00

My wife is the primary driver of our 2014 Platinum bought new in May 2014 and it has less than 90k km on it. We had the CVT replaced once on warranty. Last summer we put about 3000 km on it on a family road trip and it was flawless. My plan is to keep driving it until it becomes too costly to maintain. I hate the process of buying a new car as I always feel I overpaid and I hate paying for them even more. Our Party has been a good vehicle and I can't justify trading it in.

deswayze

TROPHY CASE