Overflow: Cinco de Mayo, Greenbush, and words of wisdom from Bill & Ted

Cinco de Mayo on Taco Tuesday – whoa! Before we move on to our regular Overflow segments – grab a taco, mix a margarita if you need to and take a moment to enjoy the simple things that make you happy.

Did someone say… Chips N Guacamole?

MUSIC vs. TECHNOLOGY

I don’t drive much, but when I do, music is a must. Being a fan of gadgets and the latest technology didn’t always jive with the features of my 2004 Mazda 3 – no auxiliary inputs, no satellite radio, no Bluetooth and certainly no Apple CarPlay. It did have a 6-disc CD changer that brought me joy for fifteen years and that was enough until it refused to play any of the 6 CDs that have been locked inside it for 15 years – yes, the same six for fifteen years!

FM radio is not the most appealing option, so I set out to teach an old dog new tricks and bring Bluetooth music and onscreen navigation to my old ride. For under $50, I combined a phone mount, charger and Bluetooth transmitter to pull off a simple and fun upgrade. I was really happy with the mount. It stays in place and holds the phone snugly. The transmitter worked well to stream audio from the phone to the car’s speakers over FM radio. The cable is not required since the audio is wireless, but it will charge your device when plugged into the USB port on the transmitter.

I don’t expect this little hack to blow any minds, but it’s simple, cheap and it works. If you want to take a closer look at any of the components, click the image to view them on Amazon.

CRAFT BEER

Springtime is normally a good time to venture out and visit a brewery to enjoy the improving weather, preferably in a beer garden, with a frosty craft brew. Since we can’t do that right now, I started thinking about what I was drinking at this time last year. I dove into my camera roll and hit rewind to May 2019. I was happy to find a memory of one of my favorite breweries in the Midwest – GREENBUSH. This, my friends, is a Distorter Porter – one of many great beers from Greenbush. A hop, skip and a jump from Chicago, Greenbush which was recently shuttered by the pandemic, has re-opened for pickup orders. If you’re near Sawyer, MI or don’t mind a short drive, you won’t regret making the trip.