I just paid a few hundred dollars for prescription glasses at Lens Crafters. When I go to swipe my card, I'm shown a picture of a child in need of glasses or some medical care. It's prompting me to add money to some charitable organization. The sales person at least seems embarrassed and tells me to just skip the screen.

Then, I splurge on a pair of much needed walking shoes because my pair have holes in them. The only decent pair I can find for exercising are over $80 New Balance. After tax they are almost $100, and the screen pops up with some blurb about more children in need. The cashier starts badgering me to donate to help children in need of school shoes. She is pushy and rude. When I firmly tell her no, she acts like I want children to suffer. I figure it must somehow affect her paycheck or maybe she gets a bonus for x amount of donations.

Goodwill knows me by now, and they quit asking me to round up to the nearest dollar amount for the charity of the week.

I like to read articles on Substack, and they are always asking me to donate so they can continue to provide content. Go ahead and quit providing content, I dare you.

These corporations think customers are too stupid to realize they are getting tax refunds from our charity dollars.

Edit: I forgot to add the cars with cash app or venmo user id written on the windows to get money for birthday, graduation or just married. I see those about once a month.

I started walking really early because it's hot. I'm out the door by 6 am. There's a hill I like to tackle, and it is by this house with a completely overgrown yard. I don't care about that aesthetic, but it can be awful for your home. The front 'yard' has a bright trailer with Magical Magi or something painted on the front and a tree stump covered in bird seeds. So the squirrels he's feeding are everywhere. That's great except it will also attract mice and pack rats to your home.

One morning I saw the owner I assume. He had long white hair and a long beard. Again, cool I'm a hippie. But I can hear this guy from the bottom of the hill because he's always hacking. It sounds painful, and I can smell the skunk. A few years ago, I would have stopped to partake instead of just waving hello.Today, it just looks sad. Like a guy who can't maintain his health or home but would never relate it to the weed. It looks like something I used to think was freedom until I got my head out of the fog.

I'm so grateful I exercise in the mornings instead of filling my lungs with smoke. I spent way too much time starting my days with a wake and bake.

That Summer (2017) - IMDb https://share.google/Wi8ceLv4RXseyiafW

I haven't watched it yet, but Tubi is free. It's about Edith and Little Edie before Grey Gardens was filmed.

I am struggling to pay my dentist bills. Everything is so expensive. I always floss, use a soft brush to protect my enamel and avoid sweets. Recently I read to brush 30 minutes after coffee or food. Does anyone have any more helpful dental tips? I just had a root canal fail and had the tooth extracted. I'm saving up for an implant, but woah those are expensive. Thanks in advance.

A scientific study of cannabis (led by Dr. Jack Wilson) found it shows NO evidence of helping anxiety, depression or PTSD, but it might make all three worse. I thought that was interesting because I have cptsd and that was one of the reasons I had a weed card. I also have chronic pain, but the benefits of weed were not worth the adverse side effects. My doctor was really glad when I told her I quit. I think terminal illness is the only reason I would ever go back to using, and then I might take pharmaceuticals.