I have had these winter boots for over a year. I needed something warm to work outside in the snow, something sturdy and not too heavy / bulky. These Herman Survivor boots fit the bill. I also liked the pull-on design - no strings or zippers, just pull the boots on and go. The boots turned out to be very warm, excellent for cold winter. I only use them in the coldest weather - otherwise, my ...

When I first tried these winter gloves, I thought, "No way, they are too thin for our Midwest winter." They fit well and felt very nice on the hand, but I just did not think they would be warm enough. Then I learned that the gloves were named "Thinsulate," and despite being thin they were thermal insulated with microfiber that was supposed to trap more air and keep the warmt...

Geothermal systems are the most efficient heating and cooling systems available. They use a small amount of electricity to heat and cool your home by utilizing geothermal energy readily and freely available in the ground. In other words, in summer the heat is removed from your house and dissipated in the ground, and in winter, the heat from the ground is brought into your house. We have install...

A friend of mine had bought this snowmobile used in 2006. I got to try it during our sledding trip to Colorado. As a fan of Arctic Cat and Polaris, I was a bit prejudiced and inclined to find faults. The first one I had found when helping my buddy to unload this sled: it was HEAVY! It did look nice and impressive though, I had to agree – as good as new, and the overall built was very neat...

I bought STIHL Weed Whacker KM 55 RC two years ago. It is a neat, powerful tool, a bit on the pricy side, but STIHL is considered the best brand out there, and I did not want a cheap version that would not last me one season. I also purchased a rototiller attachment, so I have been using this weed wacker both to prepare soil and trim weeds.The first season everything was fine, no complaints. Th...

Swiss Air is one of the finest airlines I have flown. I have never had any unpleasant experience like lost luggage or flight delays with this company. From the first minute of my trips and to the last, I have always enjoyed traveling in comfort and style. Flight attendants are very polite and polished, always ready to help. In-flight meals are generous, with one of the best kinds of ice cr...

Arctic Cat King Cat! The name alone is a seller, and it fits this sled quite well. Praised as America’s #1 mountain sled by the Snow Goer magazine, this 150-horsepower snowmobile is lightning fast, amazingly powerful, and at the same time easy to handle. In fact, its agility and obedience was what I liked about this mountain sled the most, I had a blast circling & climbing hills, no...

This is not the prettiest pair of boots, and not the lightest one, either. However, when it comes to safety, it is one of the best. We are required to wear safety boots at work, with steel toe protection in case a heavy piece of machinery decides to fall right on your foot. The store had several types of safety boots available, and the company would reimburse us up to $100 for them. I picked Ca...

I bought this duffel bag two years ago, and it turned out to be a good purchase. Measuring at 28" X 13.5 X 13", the bag is large enough to hold quite a lot, and yet it is not bulky - excellent to be taken as a carry-on for an airplane trip. I like the convenient zipped side pockets where I put smaller items I might need during the trip. I also appreciate the fact that the bag has...

For those of you who do not know what a doo rag is, it is a headpiece welders wear under their welding helmet. It looks very much like a biker's bandana, only it is made specifically for welding, with added features like sweat absorption.I wear this doo rag at work, as you might have guessed. I have several of them that I rotate, bringing used ones home for washing. They are made by Comeaux...

I had this back in 2006. This digital answering machine has its good and bad points. On the good side, it is compact and light, with some nice features like remote access (you can check your messages if you are away from home), message guard (if you experience power outage, your messages will not be lost), and number announce (if you have caller ID, the machine will speak out the incoming numbe...

Dutch Blitz is a very entertaining card game - or, "A Vonderful Goot Game!", as stated on the box, with which I completely agree. A funny Dutch-accented poem of the same title printed on the back of the box warns that once you've started, "you'll play for most the day!"; I can attest to that as well.The game is for ages 8 and up; it can be played by two, three, or fo...

I have worn this winter jacket for two seasons, and it has held up very well. Purchased at Walmart for about $30, it is warm, well fitting, neat looking, and practical.The jacket is made mostly of polyester. It has two outside pockets (with zippers) and four inside ones, one of them made and sized specifically for a cell phone, and if you're not smart enough to figure it out just by looking...

I had been contemplating buying the Blackadder series after enjoying it when it ran on TV, so when I accidentally saw this DVD set at a Barnes & Noble bookstore, on sale, I grabbed it. The set has 5 discs. The first four contain one of the 4 major parts of the show: Blackadder, Blackadder II, Blackadder the Third (my favorite!), and Blackadder Goes Forth. Each part consists of 6 episodes. T...

I was first introduced to Oral-B Brush Aways teeth wipes during a Swiss Air flight, they were given to me as a means to clean my teeth after a meal. Each wipe was individually packaged into a card-like carton with a picture on it that showed how to use the product. There were some written directions as well. As I opened the carton, I found a smaller pouch with the actual wipe ins...

Westinghouse BR-30 Spotlight, also called reflector spotlight, is designed for indoor use as an interior decor enhancer. As said on the box, these lights are "ideal for track, recessed, and downlights." I have installed these as track lights in our new kitchen, right above the stove and kitchen counter so that we can avoid turning on big lights when we just need to fix a quick snack. ...

I own 7 or 8 pairs of these jeans and wear them to work every day. I also wore this brand when I was building my house, and I can say that the name Carpenter Jeans is well justified. These jeans are designed for work: in addition to regular front and back pockets, there are also a tool pocket (that's where my carpenter pencil went) and a hammer loop. I still wore a tool belt when I was building...

Our Mutual Friend, filmed in 1998, is based on a novel by Charles Dickens. This BBC mini-series is excellent. I have always said that the BBC knows best how to film English classics, and this series proves it once again. The story is too complex to re-tell here, besides, re-telling will spoil the fun. I will just say that the plot involves murder, arranged marriage, romance, attempted murder, s...

Martin Chuzzlewit, a wealthy old gentleman, distances himself from his numerous relatives, suspecting them in being only interested in his money. He is quite right in his suspicions. Everyone around him wants to make their way into the old man's will - everyone except his grandson, also called Martin Chuzzlewit. Unfortunately, the old Chuzzlewit quarrels with him as well, and the young man ...

I am not much of a hiker, but we have nice walking trails at a state park close to where we live, which my wife and I use once in a while. For those occasions, I have a pair of Ozark Trail High-Top hiking boots. They are comfortable for walking, well-fitting, with durable rubber outsoles and padded tops. I especially appreciate the latter; some high-top boots have these hard tops that can rub y...