The Hinge Experiment Meets Cruise Mode: Dialysis, Detours, and a Last-Minute Road Trip! 🚗🚢
It's Wednesday afternoon. Normally, after dialysis, I'd catch up on sleep, recover from treatment, and prepare for the rest of the week.
But apparently, I decided that a quiet Wednesday wasn't exciting enough.
Instead, I made some last-minute changes to my travel plans, and now I'm adding another road trip to The Hinge Experiment.
Why make life simple when you can add a few extra miles, a hotel reservation, and some logistical gymnastics?
The Cruise Is Calling!
Tomorrow, I'm embarking on a cruise out of Tampa, Florida!
Originally, my travel plans were pretty straightforward. I'd fly from Charleston (CHS) to Charlotte (CLT), then connect from Charlotte to Tampa (TPA).
Simple, right?
Well, I started looking at the numbers.
What would it cost to change my flight? What about a hotel? Could I use some points to make the arrangements work? Was there a better way to get where I needed to be?
After reviewing the options, I came up with a different plan.
I'm removing the middleman.
Instead of flying from Charleston to Charlotte and then connecting to Tampa, I'm driving toward Charlotte, staying at a hotel near the airport, and flying directly to Tampa tomorrow.
A little driving, a hotel stay, and one less flight segment.
And the best part? I actually enjoy driving!
Of course, that means I have to get organized, pack everything, drive, check into the hotel, and get ready for an early airport departure.
All while coming off dialysis.
What could go wrong? 😂
But Wait... There's a Columbia Detour!
This is where The Hinge Experiment comes in.
The following weekend, Airica is heading to Las Vegas. With both of us on busy schedules and separate travel plans, I made time for another visit.
So, before heading to my hotel near Charlotte, I'm driving to Columbia, South Carolina, to spend some time with Airica.
Yes, you read that correctly.
I'm going to drive to Columbia, spend some time with her, and then head toward Charlotte to prepare for tomorrow's flight to Tampa.
Somewhere along the way, I should probably eat something, too.
I'm beginning to think that my car deserves its own frequent-flyer program. It may not fly, but it certainly accumulates the miles!
What's on the Agenda Tonight?
I'm not going to overcomplicate the plans.
I'm looking forward to laughing, enjoying some food, spending time with Airica, and doing a whole lot of driving.
That's a pretty good Wednesday evening if you ask me.
It's been fun getting to know Airica, sharing experiences, and finding opportunities to spend time together despite our schedules. I don't know what the next step will look like, and I'm not going to pretend I have it all figured out.
For now, I'm enjoying the journey.
And apparently, the journey involves a lot of interstate highways.
I'll be trading the Columbia roads for a Charlotte hotel, then an airport, then Tampa, and finally a cruise ship.
Not exactly a restful week, but it should give me a few stories to tell.
And you know me. If something funny happens, it’ll probably end up here on the blog.
A Quick Message to Any Would-Be Burglars
Before I go, a little public service announcement.
If you're thinking about robbing the house while I'm away, don't.
My father is still in the house.
And there's also a giant leopard.
No, I won’t explain that any further. You'll have to use your imagination. 😂
Let's say the house is occupied, and this is a very poor time to test your luck.
Consider this your friendly neighborhood travel advisory.
Stay Tuned!
For now, I've got a road trip to Columbia, some quality time to enjoy, a hotel near CLT to get to, and a flight to Tampa to catch tomorrow.
Then it's cruise time!
I'll share more as it unfolds, including the cruise, the travel logistics, and whatever other surprises life throws my way.
The Hinge Experiment meets cruise mode. 🚗❤️🚢
Stay tuned. There's more to come!
Selena Gomez’s Vaping Admission Deserves a Bigger Conversation
I heard on the radio that Selena Gomez had spoken about vaping and how it affected her voice. Her honesty matters: when a public figure describes a personal consequence of nicotine use, it can help others take the risks seriously.
But I’m uneasy when the story becomes something to celebrate without enough attention to the harm behind it. The Fox News article describes concerns doctors have raised about nicotine dependence and vaping’s possible effects on breathing, sleep, anxiety, heart rate, and blood pressure. Gomez’s reported experience is a reminder that vaping is not harmless.
I also want to be careful about the timeline. Claims online that Gomez started smoking at 14, switched to vaping at 22, or vaped for 12 years are not confirmed by the article linked here. Her kidney transplant at 24 is public, but I haven’t found a reliable source confirming that vaping was discussed as part of her transplant care. Those details shouldn’t be presented as fact without stronger sourcing.
What we can talk about is the gift of organ donation and the seriousness of receiving a transplant. For people awaiting an organ, health decisions can carry enormous weight, and transplant teams counsel patients based on their individual circumstances. I’m a potential organ recipient myself, so this feels personal: I hope the conversation includes the care, commitment, and support involved in protecting a donated organ.
I respect Gomez for speaking candidly. At the same time, the media could do more to connect stories like this to nicotine dependence, prevention, quitting support, and the extraordinary gift of organ donation. The most useful takeaway is honest information, compassion for people struggling to quit, and encouragement to make choices that protect our health.
Sources
The Medicare Kit Is Back! Apparently, MyChart Really Wants My Survey Answers 😂
Well, well, well. Look what showed up in my inbox today.
Remember that email I received offering me a supposedly free Medicare Kit in exchange for completing a short survey about my MyChart experience?
Apparently, the first invitation wasn't enough.
They're back for another round!
This time, the email arrived with the subject line “Fw: Some Recent News.” It came from someone named Jessie Gaines, using a Gmail address, and included four attachments—two text files and two PNG images.
And right there in the message is the familiar offer:
A completely new Medicare Kit!
All I have to do is complete a short survey about my experiences and preferences with the MyChart portal.
How thoughtful.
My inbox is apparently determined to improve my healthcare experience, one suspicious email at a time.
Déjà Vu: The Medicare Kit Edition
The message uses the MyChart name and logo, addresses me as “Dear MyChart Customer,” and claims the survey is part of a special feedback program designed to thank people for participating in their digital healthcare journey.
The promised reward? A Medicare Kit.
The call to action? A big green START SURVEY button.
The pitch is simple: answer a few questions, share your feedback, and claim your reward.
But here's the thing: the email doesn't establish that MyChart or any healthcare provider actually sent it.
The sender's Gmail address doesn't demonstrate an official connection to MyChart. The message also doesn't identify a specific healthcare organization sponsoring the promotion.
And the fact that it arrived as a forwarded message doesn't make it any more trustworthy.
Why Does This Raise Red Flags?
A few things caught my attention.
1. The sender isn't using an official healthcare domain.
The email comes from a Gmail address. That doesn't automatically prove it's fraudulent, but it certainly doesn't verify the sender's claimed connection to MyChart.
2. The offer uses a familiar healthcare brand.
MyChart is a recognizable patient portal. A familiar name and logo can make an unsolicited message seem more credible than it is.
3. The reward encourages me to click.
Who doesn't like a free gift? The promise of a Medicare Kit gives the recipient a reason to act before asking whether the offer is legitimate.
4. The email includes unexpected attachments.
There are four attachments, including text files and images. I haven't confirmed what's in each attachment, and I'm not going to open suspicious files just out of curiosity.
5. This offer has appeared before.
I've now encountered a very similar Medicare Kit pitch in another email. Repeated messages using the same reward and survey formula make me even more cautious.
I can't confirm the sender's identity or where the survey button goes from this screenshot alone. I also can't say definitively what happens if someone clicks it.
But I don't need to click it to recognize that the offer deserves independent verification.
What Would I Do If I Really Wanted to Check?
I'd open the official MyChart app or go directly to my healthcare provider's website.
If I had questions about a promotion, I'd contact the provider through a phone number or contact method I already knew was legitimate.
I would not use the link in this email to verify the email itself.
And I certainly wouldn't provide my login credentials, Medicare information, payment details or other sensitive personal information to claim an unverified reward.
If the offer is legitimate, I should be able to verify it without trusting the message that brought it to my attention.
My Inbox Is Becoming a Rewards Department
Let's review the recent opportunities my inbox has presented:
A supposedly free Medicare Kit for completing a survey.
A USPS Cart offered in exchange for feedback.
An unsolicited loan offer advertising up to $40,000.
A mysterious recruiting message promising an exciting job opportunity.
Now the Medicare Kit has returned for an encore.
I'm starting to wonder whether my inbox has mistaken me for a professional survey participant with an unlimited appetite for suspicious freebies.
Maybe next I'll receive an email offering me a free hospital, a complimentary postal truck, and a corner office with a $300,000 salary.
One can dream.
But I prefer to keep my personal information, my healthcare accounts, and my money out of these little adventures.
The Bottom Line
An email featuring the MyChart logo is not proof that MyChart sent it. A free gift is not proof of a legitimate promotion. And a survey button is not an invitation I need to accept.
Verify the offer independently. Don't click first and ask questions later.
Have you received an email offering a free Medicare Kit or another reward in exchange for completing a survey? I'd like to hear about it.
Send screenshots and your experiences to niel@nielflamm.com. Please remove sensitive personal information before sending anything.
I'll keep documenting what shows up in my inbox. Apparently, the freebie department isn't going out of business anytime soon.
Until next time: stay curious, stay cautious, and don't let a green button make decisions for you.
$713 Million, Nine Fraternity Brothers, and a $4 Return on Investment
Good morning, fellow dreamers, degenerates, and future owners of questionable luxury properties!
This morning, before I even checked our fraternity lottery pool tickets, I saw that Powerball had climbed to $713 million.
Naturally, my first thought was, "Well, this could get interesting!"
My second thought was, "I wonder how badly we got our asses kicked in the last drawing."
Welcome to the exciting world of fraternity lottery pool management, where dreams are unlimited, spreadsheets are plentiful, and the return on investment can be downright embarrassing.
Nine Guys. $180. Two Games. One Dream.
Here's the current breakdown of our little financial operation:
9 fraternity brothers
$20 per person
$180 total
$90 allocated to Powerball
$90 allocated to Mega Millions
We're diversifying our portfolio, naturally.
Some people invest in stocks, bonds, and real estate. We invest in little slips of paper that let us fantasize about never attending another work meeting.
And, of course, I've been keeping everyone informed with spreadsheets, odds, payouts, and the occasional reminder that we're statistically more likely to remain exactly where we are financially.
But hey, somebody has to win eventually, right?
Please don't send me the mathematical explanation.
The Moment of Truth
After seeing that $713 million jackpot, I finally checked our tickets.
Drumroll, please!
🥁🥁🥁
Out of the $90 we spent on game tickets, we won a whopping $4.
FOUR. DOLLARS.
That's a return of approximately 4.44% on the $90 spent.
Wall Street, eat your heart out!
At this rate, we'll be able to afford a yacht sometime around the year 3026.
The good news? We didn't lose every single dollar.
The bad news? Our $4 victory won’t get us a reservation at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
I suppose we could reinvest the winnings, buy a celebratory coffee, or put it toward the down payment on our future bologna-filled swimming pool.
I'm leaning toward the pool.
Naturally, I Asked Them to Double Down
So what did I do after discovering our magnificent $4 windfall?
Did I resign as Lottery Pool Commissioner?
Did I announce that the experiment had failed?
Did I throw my spreadsheets into the nearest recycling bin?
Absolutely not!
I asked the guys to double down with another $20 per person for Wednesday's drawing.
Because apparently, nine fraternity brothers and a combined $180 weren't enough to convince the universe to cooperate.
We're going back for another round!
This is either perseverance, a questionable financial strategy, or evidence that I should never be allowed to manage a casino.
I'll let you decide.
The Fraternity Retirement Plan
At this point, our retirement strategy consists of three simple steps:
Buy lottery tickets.
Check the numbers.
Pretend the next drawing is the one that changes everything.
If we actually hit that $713 million jackpot, I'll have to update the spreadsheets, calculate everyone's share, and figure out how much money we can spend on ridiculous things before someone suggests we act like responsible adults.
Responsible adults?
In this fraternity?
Let's not get carried away.
For now, we're nine guys, a few lottery tickets, and a $4 victory that probably won't make the history books.
But Wednesday is another drawing, another opportunity, and another chance to turn our spreadsheets into America's most unnecessary financial documents.
Stay tuned. The Lottery Commissioner isn’t ready to surrender his clipboard yet.
And if we win big, remember: I was the guy buying the tickets, tracking the numbers, and keeping everyone organized.
I'm sure the guys will remember that.
I'm also sure I'll have another spreadsheet ready.
🎉 Google Says People Are Clicking on Me! Should I Be Worried? 😂
Well, look at that! Google sent me a little congratulations message. Apparently, NielFlamm.com received 70 clicks from Google Search in the past 28 days! 🎉
Seventy! That's practically a standing-room-only event online. 😂
Now I'm wondering... what exactly are people searching for?
Did someone Google my name out of curiosity? 🤔
Did someone hear about my website and think, "Who is this guy, and why does he have a website?"
Did somebody search for a movie review, stumble across my blog, and suddenly find themselves reading about dialysis, life as an amputee, dating adventures, or my ongoing saga with Nextdoor?
Or did someone accidentally click the link and immediately think, "Well, I'm here now. Let's see what this guy is talking about!" 🤣
I'll probably never know, and that's part of the fun.
But here's what really matters to me.
When I started tracking these numbers, I was getting barely 50 clicks a month on the website. The numbers have grown steadily, and 70 clicks in the past 28 days is another small milestone worth celebrating.
I'm not competing with major publications or trying to become the next internet celebrity. I'm simply sharing my experiences, opinions, movie reviews, and stories from this crazy thing we call life.
And to those of you who have been visiting since the early days, THANK YOU! ❤️
You know who you are.
Whether you come to read a blog post, watch a video, check out a movie review, follow one of my adventures, or see what nonsense I've gotten myself into this week, I appreciate you.
It doesn't matter why you visit. You took the time to click, read, watch, or share your thoughts, and that means something to me.
Every click represents an opportunity for someone to discover something new, laugh a little, relate to an experience, or maybe see something from a different perspective.
So, to my early supporters and everyone who's joined along the way, thank you for helping NielFlamm.com grow.
And to the person who Googled me, clicked the link, and is now reading this very paragraph...
Welcome! There's a lot of internet garbage to explore. Grab a virtual cup of coffee and make yourself at home. ☕😂
Here's to the next milestone!