Almost First Class


Barb’s iPhone put this little video together. Barb and her friend, Lisa, braved the long lines to fly to Europe overnight. These photos were taken (by someone) in the cabin of a JetBlue plane. According to Claude their seats are in JetBlue Mint, their business class product.

“The seats are lie-flat, converting to a roughly 6’8” bed. The privacy dividers between seats are what you’re seeing in both photos — they can be raised or lowered. The suite-style pods have a sliding door for full privacy on some configurations (the “Mint Suite”), though these look like the standard Mint seats without the door. The cabin has that signature blue mood lighting JetBlue uses — pretty distinctive and instantly recognizable.”

“The transatlantic product is notable because JetBlue positioned Mint as a direct competitor to legacy carrier business class at a significantly lower price point when they launched transatlantic routes (JFK to London, Paris, Amsterdam). The menu in photo 2 appears to say “Transatlantic” on it, and mentions what looks like a Charlie Bird partnership for the food program.”

“Practical details: Mint includes a decent amenity kit, good Wi-Fi (JetBlue’s Fly-Fi has a strong reputation), and the food program has been well-reviewed compared to comparable seats on legacy carriers.”

A few days in Amsterdam then on to Paris. Part of our Die Broke strategy.

Holiday Photos


I think Barb is planning to use this for the greeting card. These took a lot longer when Barb had to frame the shot, hit the timer button, and scurry around to get in the shot. Used the AirPods remote for this but was unable to erase the AirPod.
I think the idea behind this pose was to recreate one by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

Lifting heavy stuff

I’ve never been keen on lifting heavy stuff. When a friend was moving and asked me to help get his refrigerator in the truck or the mattress up the stairs… I took a pass. Offered to contribute to hiring a mover, but don’t lift heavy shit.

I’ve stacked a lot of logs, moved a bunch of rocks and helped Barb with some big ass flower pots. But I’m real careful about what and how I lift. 

I paid way too much for an electric winch (that was almost too heavy to lift!) and never did figure out how to use a come-along. 

I asked ChatGPT for ideas and she suggested a block and tackle (photo). I purchased a small one and gave it a try this afternoon by dragging a railroad tie up out of the woods. Continue reading