100% cotton t-shirts. Really. In these days of brutal temps and ungodly levels of humidity, a blended t-shirt just doesn't cut it. Be aware of the fabric caressing your skin. A well-made, 100% cotton tee truly is the ticket to comfort and coolness.
Electrolytes. Hey, guess what? The life you save may be your own. Dog Days. You walk out in the furnace of a day, and sweat your ass off. You think drinking water is gonna help. Maybe a little, but really, you need electrolytes. Life-safer. No doubt. Experiment on yourself. It's true. The difference between a heat-stroked, numbed-out zombie, and a fully-functioning human.
Sun-block. Lather it all over your exposed skin. I use a lovely coconut-scented brand. No burning. A must have, for sure.
Timberland boots. These boots are made for walking. I wear a pair of heavy Timberlands. Pretty sure they are reason I have no knee, ankle, leg problems. A solid base. Sure, it's sort of like wearing weights on my feet, but they keep me grounded, and provide stability, gravity. Well-made, a bit pricey, but so worth it.
Koss KSC-75 Ear Clips. Ha. Turns out the best "headphone," is not a headphone at all. It's an ear-clip. It's a unique device, in a catagory all by itself. It's cheap, less than $25. I have owned some great headphones over years, from some well-regarded companies: Grado, AKG, Sony, Audio-Technica, Philips, HiFiman. I have been on a journey looking for the best sound at prices I can afford. These ear-clips go toe to toe with headphones in the $200 range and up. Really. They sound amazing, full, rich, sound, and they are so comfortable, you forget you are wearing them. Who knew?!
Dean Markley BlackHawk Acoustic Guitar Strings. I've tried every kind of acoustic guitar string on the market. There are many good ones. These BlackHawks just sound perfect on my guitar. Again, it's been a long journey and on-going experiment. Small change, big difference.
Wood-filler. Speaking of guitars. I own an old one. The bridge was cracked, and worn, with divots, and grooves. I was going to take it to a shop to maybe fix or replace the bridge. One day I got the brilliant idea of fixing it myself. The magic words: "Wood-filler" popped into my head at a band rehearsal, when another string snapped while we were playing. Yes, that bridge was eating up strings at an alarming rate. Anyway, armed with wood-filler and fine-sand-paper, I redid the bridge, filled in all the holes and cracks. And now it looks good as new. So far, so good, lately, it has been smooth-sailing, no broken strings.
Small portions. I am talking food here. Meals. Really. I think I've stumbled upon the secret to better eating. It took me most of my life. But I have finally arrived. Over the years, others told me the secret, I just didn't listen. And then, one day, I did. Small portions. It has transformed my life, one little bite at a time. Funny.
Anyway, there a million other little things I've tried, and tweaked. One day, I wake up, and I think, I'm not the person I used to be. I mean, in some ways, yes, and in some ways, no. That's just how the story goes.
