33 Days to Go: Buying Peace, Quiet, and Sparkling Water

The cruise countdown now says 33 days to go.

On October 29, I’ll board Radiance of the Seas for four nights in the Western Caribbean. Between now and then, I need to finalize a few important details.

How am I getting to Tampa? Undecided.

What will I be drinking with dinner? Already planned.

Some people organize transportation first. I apparently work backward from the Pellegrino.

In a few days, I’m planning to purchase two add-ons: The Key and the Refreshment Package. For the way I like to cruise, I think both are worth the money.

I’ve reached the stage of vacation planning where I’m willing to pay for fewer things to think about. My brain has requested shore leave.

The Key comes with several benefits, including:

• Priority terminal access during the designated arrival window.

• Carry-on bag drop-off and delivery to the cabin.

• An exclusive welcome lunch in the Main Dining Room.

• Fast-lane access at select onboard activities and priority ship-to-shore departure at tender ports.

• Dedicated seating at shows.

• VOOM internet for one device per guest with The Key.

• An exclusive à la carte breakfast and choice departure on debarkation day.

There are also select dining, sports, and spa discounts, with conditions attached. Benefits vary by ship and sailing, so I’ll check the details for mine before purchasing. Royal Caribbean’s current benefits

All very nice. But what gets my attention is sitting down for lunch on embarkation day.

I want to board, take a seat, and have someone hand me a menu. I do not want to begin my vacation balancing a plate while searching for a table like I’m scouting real estate in a highly competitive market.

“Lovely location near the windows. Unfortunately, another family has already made an offer with three backpacks and a cardigan.”

The buffet has its place. I will almost certainly visit it. But on boarding day, when everyone arrives hungry and towing their belongings, I prefer a lunch that doesn’t require evasive maneuvers.

The same goes for the sit-down breakfast on debarkation day.

Leaving the ship is disappointing enough. I don’t need to combine that disappointment with a crowded buffet, luggage, and a hunt for somewhere to put my eggs.

Let me have a calm breakfast before returning to a world where nobody makes my bed or asks whether I’d like another pastry.

The internet, priority access, and other benefits are welcome extras. My main interest is starting and ending the cruise seated comfortably, with food arriving at my table.

Apparently, my idea of VIP treatment is being allowed to chew in peace.

Then there’s the Refreshment Package, which covers drinks such as fountain soda, bottled still and sparkling water, premium coffees and teas, fresh-squeezed juices, and mocktails. Royal Caribbean’s package details

My personal beverage itinerary is already taking shape: San Pellegrino at dinner, possibly lunch, Coke Zero, and a decaf Americano at breakfast and after dinner, subject to what’s available onboard.

Yes, decaf.

I want the coffee experience without lying awake at midnight mentally reorganizing my garage.

Pellegrino makes dinner feel a little more special. It’s water with bubbles and enough confidence to arrive in a nice bottle. I respect that.

And Coke Zero remains a dependable travel companion. No complicated preferences. No disagreements over excursions. Just show up cold.

What I really like about the package is being able to order an included drink without mentally adding it to a running total. I don’t want every dinner to come with a small accounting assignment.

“Would I enjoy another sparkling water?”

That should be a question about thirst, not the opening meeting of the budget committee.

For me, the value is in both the drinks and the convenience. I’m paying ahead so I can spend less time thinking about individual beverage charges and more time staring at the ocean with absolutely nothing useful happening in my head.

Meanwhile, driving versus flying remains unresolved.

The options still involve roughly seven hours in the car or a 5 a.m. flight from Charleston that reaches Tampa via Miami. One requires highway patience. The other requires being dressed and functional at an hour when even my bad decisions are usually asleep.

I can confidently select my after-dinner coffee 33 days in advance, but choosing how to reach the ship apparently requires further deliberation.

And for anyone following the other ongoing search: no future ex-wife has been announced.

The Key offers quite a few benefits, but matchmaking does not appear to be one of them.

So that’s where things stand: two add-ons planned, beverages selected, transportation pending.

I may not know how I’m getting to Tampa, but once I’m onboard, I intend to be seated, hydrated, and very difficult to hurry.

Another TikTok Car Deal — But Who Actually Has the Car?

At this point, TikTok may know my viewing habits a little too well.

Another extremely inexpensive vehicle landed in my feed. This time, it's from an account called davidcarautos, and the featured vehicle looks like a Honda Civic.

The advertisement couldn't be much simpler:

PRICE: $2,000
DOWN PAYMENT: $250

Two thousand dollars for the car, and apparently I can get started for $250.

But this video caught my attention for a reason beyond the price.

Wait—Whose Video Am I Watching?

I watched the video instead of just looking at the price.

That's when something looked odd.

The video appears to have been overlaid with new audio while the original video's audio is muted. As the camera moves around the Honda, I can see what appears to be the original person recording or speaking reflected in the car's window.

Meanwhile, the narration I'm hearing doesn't seem to match what's happening in the original footage.

The new narration makes a particularly interesting pitch: you don't have to go to a dealership to purchase a car.

That's supposed to make the transaction sound easier.

To me, it raises the opposite question:

Does the person posting this TikTok actually possess this car?

I can't establish from these screenshots alone who originally recorded the video or whether the TikTok account has permission to use it. So I'm not going to claim I've proven the footage was stolen.

But an apparently repurposed video combined with a new sales narration is absolutely something I would investigate before sending $250 to anybody.

🚗 A Real Honda in a Video Doesn't Prove the Seller Owns It

This is becoming one of the recurring lessons in my TikTok car series:

A real car doesn't automatically make the offer real.

That's especially important here.

The Honda clearly exists.

A license-plate frame is visible that appears to say Howdy Honda. There's a parking lot. A person is reflected in the vehicle.

All of that makes the video look authentic.

But those things establish the existence of a car and a video.

They don't establish that @davidcarautos owns the car, possesses the car, represents the owner, or has authority to sell it for $2,000.

That's a huge distinction.

The FTC issued a consumer warning this month specifically about scammers impersonating dealerships. It says scammers can copy legitimate dealerships' branding, vehicle listings, and photos, then collect money for cars the supposed seller doesn't actually have. The FTC recommends independently verifying the dealership and, when you can't visit the vehicle yourself, arranging an independent inspection. Consumer Advice

The FBI has also warned about fraudulent online vehicle advertisements involving cars that aren't—and sometimes never were—in the advertiser's possession. Internet Crime Complaint Center

That's why this video's altered presentation matters to me.

“You Don't Have to Go to a Dealer”

Technically, that's true.

People legitimately purchase vehicles remotely every day.

Dealerships deliver cars. Buyers purchase vehicles from other states. Documents can be signed electronically. Independent inspections can be arranged.

Remote car buying isn't inherently suspicious.

But there's a big difference between:

“You don't have to physically visit our dealership.”

and:

“You don't need to independently establish that we actually have the car.”

That second part is non-negotiable for me.

If someone wants my money for a vehicle, I want to know exactly where that vehicle is sitting.

👀 Then I Looked at the Profile

The account had approximately:

3,807 followers
10,200 likes

Its bio says:

🔥 Quality Cars. Better Deals.
💰 Buy • Sell • Trade
📍 Your next car starts here
➡️ DM us to find your ride
💬 Text Now +1 380-867-7913

Then I looked at the inventory.

Here we go again.

The Honda is advertised for:

$2,000 — $250 down

Another vehicle:

$5,000 — $400 down

A Dodge:

$6,000 — $700 down

A Chevrolet Hennessey vehicle:

$7,000 — $600 down

Another:

$3,500 — $500 down

And more vehicles appear farther down the page with similarly low asking prices and down payments.

Different cars.

Different backgrounds.

Different dealerships appearing in some of the footage.

Same account selling all of them.

That doesn't prove anything by itself.

It does make one question increasingly important:

Where are these cars actually located?

📍 The Honda Video Says Phoenix

The TikTok interface on the Honda video displays Phoenix, and the hashtags include:

#Arizona #cheapcars #usedcars #affordablecars

Meanwhile, the visible dealership plate frame appears to identify a Honda dealership.

So before sending $250, I'd want to independently identify that dealership and call it using the telephone number from its own official website, not a number supplied by the TikTok account.

Then I'd ask a remarkably simple question:

Do you have this Honda, and is @davidcarautos authorized to sell it?

That could clear up a lot very quickly.

💰 And What Does “$250 Down” Actually Mean?

We've seen this repeatedly.

A tiny down payment gets enormous visual emphasis.

$250 DOWN!

That number feels attainable.

But it tells me almost nothing about the financing.

If the vehicle's total price really is $2,000 and I'm putting $250 down, the remaining amount is $1,750 before taxes, fees, interest and other charges.

So give me the rest:

What's the APR?

What's the term?

What's the monthly payment?

Who's the lender?

What's the total amount financed?

What's the total of payments?

What fees are included?

What credit requirements apply?

Is $2,000 actually the cash purchase price, or is there another condition attached to receiving that price?

The FTC has long warned consumers that unusually low advertised prices, down payments and monthly payments can come with qualifications or additional terms that aren't obvious from the headline advertisement. Consumer Advice

The giant number gets my attention.

The contract gets my money.

I care much more about the second one.

🎥 The Video Overlay May Be the Most Interesting Part

This is what distinguishes this post from some of the others I've documented.

The video itself appears to contain evidence of two different presentations:

The original footage.

And the new narration selling the vehicle.

Maybe there's a perfectly legitimate explanation.

Maybe the account licenses videos from dealerships.

Maybe it's a broker.

Maybe it has agreements with multiple dealers.

Maybe the person who made the original footage is connected with this account.

All of those possibilities can exist.

But I shouldn't have to guess.

If you're asking me to send money, tell me:

Who recorded the original video?

Who currently owns the vehicle?

Where is it physically located?

What's the VIN?

What's the dealer's legal business name?

Can I call that business independently?

Can someone inspect the vehicle before I pay?

A legitimate transaction should survive those questions.

🚨 This Isn't a Hypothetical Type of Scam

The FTC's September 2026 warning describes consumers paying supposed online dealerships only to discover that the actual dealership has no record of the order or payment and no car waiting for them. The FTC says fraudulent sellers can clone legitimate dealership material, including vehicle listings and photos. Consumer Advice

This problem isn't limited to websites, either. FTC data released this year show that nearly 30% of people reporting a scam loss in 2025 said the scam began on social media, with reported losses totaling $2.1 billion. Federal Trade Commission

So seeing a real automobile in a TikTok video isn't where my verification process ends.

It's where it begins.

🏡 Be a Good Neighbor

Here's the person I worry about.

Someone desperately needs transportation.

Their credit isn't great.

They've been turned down elsewhere.

They see:

HONDA CIVIC

PRICE: $2,000

DOWN PAYMENT: $250

And then they hear:

You don't even have to go to the dealership.

Convenient.

Affordable.

Easy.

Exactly what they need.

That's when somebody needs to say:

“Before you send the $250, let's verify the car.”

Not ridicule them.

Not call them stupid.

Help them investigate.

Reverse-search screenshots from the video. Identify the dealership visible in the footage. Call that dealership independently. Ask for the VIN. Verify the title. Check the seller's dealer license. Compare the price with KBB and wholesale values. Arrange an independent inspection.

And most importantly:

Verify that the person asking for your money actually has the legal ability to sell you the car.

The FTC's current advice is similarly straightforward: if you're too far away to see an online vehicle yourself, ask to have a mobile inspection service examine it. If the seller won't allow that, consider walking away. Consumer Advice

The Cars Keep Changing. My Question Doesn't.

Different TikTok accounts.

Different prices.

Different down payments.

And now apparently repurposed-looking video accompanied by a new narration telling me I don't have to visit a dealership.

I don't necessarily need to visit the dealership.

But before anybody gets one dollar from me, I need something considerably more important:

Proof that you actually have the car you're trying to sell me.

Because if the seller doesn't possess the vehicle or have authority to sell it, I'm not purchasing a car remotely.

I'm just sending $250 to somebody on TikTok.

Questions or another suspicious car listing you'd like me to look at? Reach out by DM or email niel@nielflamm.com.

Taking Care of Myself Was a Lesson I Learned the Hard Way

This morning, my mother was in the day room at the skilled nursing facility. She had finished her fruit and was drinking coffee while talking with a CNA student.

As I watched, she seemed to become agitated.

“We were looking for your nurse,” the student said.

I asked Mom what was wrong. She told me she had been waiting three or four hours to get cleaned up. She was losing her patience.

That was her account of the wait. I hadn’t been there the whole time. But I could see her frustration, and I could understand wanting help with something she could no longer easily do herself.

This post isn’t an assessment of the facility or its service. That moment brought up something personal for me: the responsibility I have to take care of myself when I have choices.

I am accountable for myself and the decisions I make.

For a long time, my mother didn’t see a physician. She wasn’t taking medication to manage chronic illness, and stress was a regular part of her life.

She was also my father's primary caregiver. From what I witnessed, he expected a great deal from her, including managing his medications and meals. Her own health needed attention while she was carrying those responsibilities.

Then she had her first stroke. Later, she had a second.

I can’t say exactly what caused either stroke. But I worry about the years her health went unattended and the opportunities there might have been to address it.

She was making progress after the first stroke. After the second, she lost some of that ground.

I don’t know whether she ever imagined living in a skilled nursing facility or planning a move into assisted living. Before her second stroke, I had spoken to her about the possibility of needing that level of care if her health continued to decline.

Watching her struggle now brings me no satisfaction in having raised that concern. I wish she had more independence. I wish everyday things were easier for her.

And I recognize something of myself in her situation.

I didn’t make my health a priority either.

I didn’t manage my diabetes. I didn’t see a physician. I behaved as though I were invincible, as though there would always be time to deal with my health later.

I learned, painfully, that there wasn’t an unlimited supply of “later.”

In my case, an open wound led to an infection, then sepsis, and eventually an above-the-knee amputation.

Those consequences became part of my everyday life. I couldn’t undo them by finally understanding how serious things had become.

Today, I take my medications seriously. I don’t miss my Ozempic shot. I take my medication for anxiety, my GERD medication, and the other medicines that are part of my care. I show up for dialysis.

I would like to keep the body parts I have left. And I hope a donor kidney will eventually become part of my future.

I still have a life to live, and taking care of myself helps make that possible.

Being accountable doesn’t mean I believe every illness is preventable or that someone who becomes ill has failed. I know people can do everything asked of them and still face devastating health problems.

My mother deserves timely, respectful care now, regardless of her past decisions. Her frustration matters.

I can hold that belief and still be honest about the choices I made in my own life. I put off appointments. I neglected my diabetes. I treated my health as something that could wait.

I paid a price I’m still living with.

I’m sharing this because I hope someone reading it will recognize their own habit of putting things off and take a step toward caring for themselves. Make the appointment you’ve been avoiding. Have the honest conversation about what you’re struggling to manage. Ask for help, especially if caring for someone else has left you with little energy for yourself.

I wish I had done those things sooner.

I can’t change that history. I can take responsibility for what I do today.

And I hope you get to learn that lesson more gently than I did.

Coffee, Cold Cuts, and the Donna Woods Show

Before visiting Mom this morning, I stopped at Harris Teeter to pick up a few things.

A salad for me. Two slices each of turkey, roast beef, and Swiss cheese for Mom. Literally two slices each—she told me she doesn’t eat much, and I was following instructions.

I also picked up a fruit cup with pineapple, strawberries, and melon.

Then I stopped at McDonald’s for a small coffee using points. A little grocery shopping, a little rewards redemption. I was feeling reasonably accomplished before I even reached the facility.

I dropped a few things in Mom’s room and headed toward the day room with the rest. I could see her in the distance.

I walked in, and guess who was there?

Donna Woods.

“Niel!”

“Hello, Donna Woods!”

There’s something nice about walking into a room and hearing someone call your name. A few visits ago, Donna was someone I’d just met. Now we have a greeting.

She said something else immediately afterward, delivered at her usual 200 miles an hour.

I have absolutely no idea what it was.

The television was playing Chicago P.D. at a volume that suggested the day room had been asked to assist with the investigation.

Between the television and Donna’s conversational pace, I could establish that words were being spoken. Beyond that, I would have needed subtitles.

But Donna had company.

A group of CNA students was gathered around her, and she was putting on a show.

I don’t know what was on their lesson plan for the morning, but they had arrived in time for the Donna Woods portion of the curriculum.

I’ve seen her round people up for Coffee Chats, greet nurses, meet new residents, and check on Mom. Yesterday, she approved my shoes. Today, she had an audience.

Her calendar appears to be filling up nicely.

I couldn’t make out the conversation over the television, but I enjoyed seeing her surrounded by people. I’ve been getting to know Donna through these brief encounters, and this morning I got to watch other people getting their introductions.

I hope they were keeping up better than I was.

My plan had been simple: bring Mom a little food and coffee, sit with her, and spend some time together. Along the way, I got a familiar greeting and another installment of life in the day room.

Those moments are becoming part of my visits, too. I arrive thinking about what Mom needs, and then someone calls my name from across the room.

Today, I brought two slices of everything.

Donna brought enough conversation for the whole table.

Officially Donna Approved

A quick update on my friend Donna Woods: apparently, her interests also include footwear.

Mom needed some help getting cleaned up and getting into bed using the Hoyer lift, so I stepped into the hallway to give her privacy. While I waited, I worked on the blog.

Then Donna came walking by with her walker.

She asked how my mother was doing and where her room was. I told her it was right behind me.

I appreciated that she asked. We’ve spent time talking about her life, her family, and her favorite foods. Now she was checking on Mom.

Then, as she passed, Donna looked down at my shoes.

Light blue Hokas. Pink no-tie laces.

And I received Donna Woods’s approval.

I hadn’t realized I was being evaluated, but I’m pleased to report that I passed.

The no-tie laces are practical. The colors apparently meet community standards. Finally, a review process in my life with a clear outcome and no additional paperwork.

I’ve learned quite a bit about Donna during these visits. Today, I learned she notices the details—and that my shoes have at least one fan.

These little encounters have become a welcome part of visiting Mom. A familiar face comes down the hall, asks how she’s doing, and gives me something to smile about while I wait.

Today, that smile came courtesy of Donna and a pair of light blue Hokas.

I’ll keep wearing them. I’d hate to jeopardize my standing with the fashion committee.