And now really the last day….

Ok, so tonight begins the last day of my vacation (work overnight, so my circadian rhythm is reversed). When we last left our hero, I was on the bus on i-5 headed up to Seattle as a spur of the moment day trip….

So, at 10 in the morning I got off the bus at the Westlake Park. The Westlake now doesn’t open until 11 am (when I worked at the Mrs. Fields there over 20 years ago, they opened at 9:30. So first ordered of business was to take a leak. And the only place that was open that had a, available restroom was the Pike Place Market. So, yes I went to the Pike Place Market just to take a pee. So, after that was all said and done, I was just aimlessly meandering, and I discovered the downtown Target. It’s a three story store (according to the one employee I talked to, it’s the only 3 story Target around). Bought my obligatory latte. My day trip to Seattle essentially became a Target run…

So, I then decided to head home, mainly because of the horrendous traffic on the way in. Got on the bus at 11 am. And didn’t get home till 2.

But I took a vacation, and I got out of the house on purpose for no reason related to ‘adulting’….

The Last Day....

Not necessarily the last day of my vacation, yet but it's close enough. Took a good nap last night, so I decided to do a day trip. Got out of the house, got on the bus, and headed to Seattle. I thought. Currently I'm stuck on the river I-5 where there is lots free parking....

Probably won't do much, just grab lunch and then it'll be time to head home.

But it got me out. 

Halfway Gone….

Halfway through what will probably be my last vacation of the year. Did all of my adulting yesterday and Sunday when I came home from work. I thought I did….

But it turns out I needed coffee. And shredded cheese. Well, I didn’t exactly need them, I just wanted to get out of the house at least once. So a quick trip to Wally World, and then I realized I had to pay at least one bill, and a couple of runs to take out the garbage….

It can get pretty busy when you’re just doing nothing….

On Vacation….

So with the National Shove Bread Up A Turkey’s Ass Day coming up, my employer traditionally blacks out most of November and December, so we can’t take vacations (on the contrary, when I was at Home Depot, this was our slow season, so I routinely took it during Christmas). So I decided to take a couple of days while I still could. Last night was the first, and I will take Wednesday night off as well.

So I got home yesterday and had my Target run delivered. Between that and the contents of my pantry, I don’t need to go to the store for the week. And I just finished my laundry. So, day 1 of my 4 day vacation, and all of my adulting is done already. I guess it’ll just be ass-sitting for the rest of the week. Though I am contemplating an excursion tomorrow.

So this past Friday night, I got up to go to work, and I had a headache. Not normally a problem. Took a couple of Day-Quil (I’m also dealing with the after-effects of a serious head cold) to tough it out, and power through it on my way to work. Then 20 minutes later while I was putting on my shoes, it came back up. So I called out. It’s not the barfing at work that’s problem, as I’m usually within arm’s reach of a mop. Rather it’s barfing on the bus that’s the problem. My experience on Pierce Transit has been that if a passenger gets sick on the bus, they’ll take the bus immediately out of service, and everybody is delayed at least an hour. Then the driver will call EMS and I’ll end up with a 4+ figure bill from inevitable trip to the ER. So, I called out, and had some tea and top ramen.

And why does it always rain the hardest when I’m on vacation?

An Anniversary I Almost Forgot....

 Almost forgot this with all the brouhaha of the election tonight. I have been living with Type I Diabetes for 22 years now....

Hail To The CHief. I Guess....

 So, CNN is projecting that Cheetos-Face will win the election. And he's won by the popular vote. It's not the result that I wanted, but I will respect it. I feel that there will be consequences for this, both nationally and on a global scale. But the people have spoken (the projections say he won by the poular vote, like I said). And that means that Donald Trump is my president. For the next 4 years, and then no more (thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster for the 22nd Amendment).

Yes, he won. It was close, like the pundits had predicted. But in the end, it doesn't matter if it by one vote or by a landslide, he won. 

Now it's time to cross the aisle and work together.

Hail to the Chief. I guess....

Election Day Is Today....

 So today is election day. Will it be Harris or Cheetos-Face? I voted a week ago, and my brother voted this past weekend. And according to VoteWA.gov, my vote has already been recieved and will be counted. So I guess I'll just spend the night watching results and hiding under the covers....

I meant to go to Wally World this morning, but I didn't have my shopping bag with me (forgot it), and I decided not to deal with the paper bags with no handle. So no groceries today. Not a big deal, as I have enough in my pantry. Perhaps I might order pizza....

On Death.....

 So Sunday afternoon while I was sleeping (I work overnights, if you're just dropping into this blog) I recieved a Facebook message from one of my cousins on my Mother's side. My aunt (Mom's only sibling) passed away Saturday.My employer does offer paid bereavement, but only for close relatives (learned this from when my grandmother passed away), and aunts aren't close enough. So I went to work that night. My boss did offer the night off, but I declined as I was already there, and I'm already on this ice with my attendence issues....

So long story short, we lost Aunt Linda. She was my next door neighbor when my brother and I first moved in here. Eventually she moved to live with one of my cousins, and we grew apart. I never really kept in touch with Mom's side of the family (for some reason, Facebook never really took).

Rest easy, Aunt Linda. Mom will show you around....

I voted….

So I filled out my ballot today. Voted for Harris. There is just too much baggage with Trump. 34 felonies and counting. The racist rhetoric (some of his talking point sound like direct quotes from Mein Kampf). Then there’s the comments that were made about Puerto Ricans yesterday at his rally at Madison Square Garden. But then again, his comments on the Access Hollywood tape that came up in 2016 were sufficient proof that he does not have the character requisite for the Oval Office.

For State Governor, I voted Bob Ferguson. Never really card for Dave Reichart.

I voted against all 4 of the state initiatives. Too deceptively titled, and they’re all put up by one special interest….

I specifically abstained the Pierce County Sheriff’s race….

I have cast my vote. May my preferred candidates win, and if that’s not the case, may I find the strength to accept the results….

About that last post…

No, not all my adulting was done yesterday. This morning, I voted (more about that in a later post, perhaps). But I still had to make a trip to store. Had a late night moment of regularity, and I realized that the last roll of toilet paper was over half-way used already. So I had to grab some more.

And I had to get some Chinese take-out, too (by far the most important errand of my weekend)…..

The Weekend Has Begin, But The Adulting Has Already Been Done…..

This all started a week and a half ago. I received a text from the apartment manager that one of the two laundry rooms at the apartment complex was ‘offline’. Didn’t think much of it at the time, as I had already done my laundry, and I only need to do it every two weeks….

Fast Forward to today when I get home from work and my weekend begins. By coincidence, I get home right when the laundry room is unlocked for the day. So I immediately grab my laundry basket and get my washing done while the machines are still available.

On my last weekend, I did my major Target and Wally World runs, so my pantry is still sufficiently stocked, meaning I can skip the trip to store (I still might go, just for some Klondike bars).

But this all means is that I’ve been home from work for a little over two hours, and all my weekend’s adulting is already done….

20 Years Ago….

20 years ago, they released Team America: World Police. Wherein through the use of puppets I learned that the best way to address terrorism involves a graphic sex scene and setting Tim Robbins on fire….

‘Murica! F*ck YeaH!

Learning To Accept The Unacceptable….

Ok, the election is 3 weeks or so away. And the polls are a dead heat now. In fact it seems that some of them have Cheetos-Face pulling ahead. No, I’m not going to vote for him, but there is a very real possibility that he may end up winning the election. I do not like saying this, but this appears to be the reality. But unlike Cheetos-Face, if that’s the case, then I will accept the results. It may not be what I want, but if that’s the hand that we’re dealt, then so be it….

God Forbid.

Been Underway For A Week And A Half….

So, on the October 1st, The Anti-Christ released the .iso’s for Windows 11, 24H2. Normally I’d wait until my weekend to install it, because if I have the .iso file, then I can do a clean install. But having dealt with Windows 10 issues for all of my previous weekend (not the fault of the OS. Epic Games and Spamazon games were giving me grief), I immediately installed it. It took most the week and a half to reinstall everything, but I think I got the move in right this time. So I suppose I can actually now use the computer instead of setting it up. Though there is something to be said about life being more of the journey rather than the destination…..

What happened tonight?….

So, this past Wednesday night was my Monday (meaning the start of my work week). My supervisor gave me my assignments, and I got to work (I’m being intentionally vague here. Office politics is something to be avoided). Towards the end of my shift, I was detailed with putting some supplies away, which caused me to stay late (don’t like it, but it happens). I eventually hit my bingo, and told my supervisor I had to leave, and he agreed (bus schedules can’t be flexed). And as I was approaching my bus stop, the bus arrived early. And I missed. And then the next bus was a no-show. I got off work at 7, and didn’t get on the bus home till 10. While walking from one bus stop to another and back and forth, I notices a pain in my foot. I powered through the pain, got home, and took my shoes off. I thought I was just on my feet too much and I needed to just rest them. The next day, I was in pain all day. But I powered through it all. Got home, and went to bed.The next morning, got up, showered and realized why I had foot pain. Blisters. So I took one of my lancets and open them. Went to work, and while the foot did hurt, but it was more bearable.Got home this morning, lanced them again, and went to bed. Get up, put shoes on go to work. And as I was walking to the bus stop tonight, I realized I still had a limp.

Long story short, I called off work tonight. Sorry, coworkers….

So it’s been 23 years….

It’s been 23 years since September 11. I remember getting up at my apartment in The Hamptons in Puyallup, flipping my nightstand TV on to catch the news, and seeing the first tower on fire then the second tower get hit, and realizing that this was an act of terrorism. In my shock, I realized that life still happens, and the Mrs. Fields at the Westlake Center still needed to open. So I got on the bus and headed to work. This was pre mobile web (I had it on my phone, but it was text only, and it counted against my cellular minutes, so I didn’t use it). And on the bus on the way up, I heard from another passengers that both towers had collapsed. Got there, started to open the store, and asked if the mall was actually going to open. IIRC, just as we were opening, it was announced that the mall was closing, so I cleaned up, and went home. Stopped at the South Hill Mall (only a 20 minute walk from my apartment), and went in to visit my friends at the hobby shop (closed 5 years later). On my way in, I passed by the Radio Shack, and I finally saw the footage of the towers collapsing. So after talking to Bob and Ray, I went home and spent the rest of the day watching the news. Sometime after I went home, the South Hill Mall closed for the day. The other thing I remembered that day, was that the next WWE broadcast went on as scheduled (it decided that the show must go on). Like was thrown into turmoil for a while, but in the coming days and weeks, normalcy tried to return. Some things will never return to what they were, as one can tell if you’ve travelled via air. There was the passage of the Patriot Act, and an erosion of civil rights in the name of ‘security’. And there was the invasion of Iraq…..

Since then, we’ve gotten out of Iraq. We got out of Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden was unalived. There are memorials and rememberances. But I’ve found the best way to show the terrorists that they didn’t win the day is by conducting business as usual. Yes, in a quiet moment, I will remember the day, and all that we lost (especially the innocence). But in letting the show go on, we won’t lose….

So the debate’s over….

Watched the debate (see last post). Both sides scored points, but there was a winner overall. Cheetos-Face should be sitting a lot lower in his chair after Kamala Harris handed him is ass.

For the most part, I like to view myself as socially liberal and fiscally conservative. I don’t necessarily fit into nor do I agree with every part of either party’s platform. I will vote for the most qualified candidate. And I try to keep myself non-partisan (especially at work). But I will express my political views where it counts. In the ballot box….

So I’m watching the debate right now….

So, while I’m waiting for my GOG games to finish downloading, I have CNN on the boob tube. It’s debate time. And it’s quite clear that Cheetos-Face is not fit for the office. The points he’s bringing up have already been debunked….

I’m going to continue watching it, but my mind for all intents and purposes is made up. I’m going to vote for Kamala Harris….

Here we go again….

When we last left our hero, I had decided to give the 24H2 release of Windows 11 a try. There were some compatibility issues with a few of my games, but with the application of some Google-Fu and lessons learned in trying to get MechWarrior 3 to work, I was able to resolve the issues. Next up will be an attempt to clean install it, but that will have to wait until Microsoft releases it. Until then I went back to Windows 10.  It’s days are numbered, but it still works….

Here we go again….

So a while back. Like back when I still had my HP towers, I used to run the Windows Insider Program. Mainly to get the Release Candidate Preview of Windows 10. When I wasn’t switching between 10, 8.1, or 7 that is.

So fast forward to when I built my tower, f*cked that one up, built another one, and Windows 11 came out. And for the most part I stuck with the mainstream releases.

Fast forward to today, when I got sufficiently curious enough about the forthcoming 24H2 release of Windows 11 that I joined the Windows Insider.

I used Windows Insider Previews before. Here we go again…

An eventful few weeks….

On a political front, both parties have had their conventions, and the tickets are set. i”m not voting for Cheetos-Face, that I do know….

My birthday was a couple of weeks ago. Got all the well-wishes on my Facebook wall, and I tried to respond to them all. Brother got me a Seattle Mariners coffee mug and a Seattle Seahawks hat. And meatballs for dinner. No cake though, but there were doughnuts…. Earlier that day, I did my Target run with my older sister, and we made a pit stop at Wendy's (a birthday just isn’t a birthday without at least a Son of Baconator)….

Last week, on Sunday night, I got up to go to work. Took my insulin shot. Showered. And while I was getting dressed, mu\y blood sugar bottomed out. I was so incoherent that I couldn’t even put my pants on. I had my supply of candy nearby (procured in the aforementioned Target run), so I was able to recover and get my pants on. But then I looked at the clock, and I realized I’m going to miss the bus. Another call-out from work then…

I make no excuses for not writing here sooner. Sometimes life just gets in the way….

So after I wrote the previous entry….

So after I wrote the previous entry, I got an email on my phone (I was making a Wally World run at the time). And it was from a Comcast recruiter. Wanting me video interview for a retail store position. Thing is the last I applied for any job was 7 years ago, and even then Comcast/Xfinity was not on the list of applications I put out. I think they scraped my email from the recent Executive Email Carpet Bomb I sent them. Which indicates Very Bad Form in handling customers’ information. Anyway, my reply to them was if their customer service is such a piss-poor disaster then I would never work for them, let alone apply in the first place…..

Comcast still sucks.

Some Nerd Talk with Thunderbird....

I use Mozilla Thunderbird for my email and calendar (and newsgruops if I ever go back to Usenet). When I first started with it you just needed your user name and password to sign into account (and before they had the isp server database, you also needed the servers' names)....

Noawadays, there's 2 factor authentication, Ave passkeys. Recently, I formatted my hard drive, so I had to download Thunderbird. Since I downloaded the most recent version, it recommended that I rebuild my user profile from scratch. So I did. I no longer needed the two extensions to use Google Calendar and Contacts since Thunderbird now supports them natively. Of course when I set my accounts up with Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo, there was a lot of back and forth to my phone because of 2fa. I get it. Security is paramount.....

Then came my 2 Xfinity email account. Set up the first one, and it sent me the authentication code to the Xfinity app on my phone. No biggie. Then came my next address. Put in my username and password, Ave it kept saying it couldn't connect. Used my Google-Fu and it came with fire my second Xfinity account, I had to use the 'normal password' signin option.

I guess that when I was able to get all equipment replaced and set up without a problem a couple of weeks ago was the exception to the  Comcast/Xfinity experience. I guess it's just piss-poor service by default. 

I hate to admit this….

Comcast. Their customer service is usually a piss-poor disaster. It seems like every time I reach out for support, I either have to call an offshore call center, or get a high-pressure sales pitch for a service that I don’t need. And if I say no, I become persona non grata to them. Reach out to them on social media, and they don’t actually read your email. Go in person to the cable store, and they give you the wrong equipment, which means at least two tech visits, and multiple online chats (but I eventually got my cable box to work). And not even the Executive Email Carpet Bomb will work anymore. When I send an email, I expect an email in reply (there are some things that need to be done in writing, based on the principle of if it’s not in writing, it didn’t happen). Instead, I get phone calls. That go straight to voicemail.

So anyway, I’ve needed to replace my cable modem since January 2023 (apparently Comcast now recommends replacing it every three years so your equipment keeps up with your speed). And I needed to replace the cable boxes (every time I rebooted mine, I got an error code about a missing sd card and I was unable to pause and rewind live tv anymore). So this time I went to them on social media (twitter to be precise) and asked if I just bring the equipment in to swap out. And this is where I started to realize that hell can freeze over. They answered my question in the first reply without asking me stupid questions that I had already answered in the first paragraph of my message.

So the following Monday (if you’re keeping score at home, it was last week, not yesterday) we headed out to the Xfinity store, I dropped off my equipment, and got it replaced. Right at the door. I was told to activate the modem first and to use the Xfinity app on my phone. And it didn’t hurt that I got the right equipment the first time. So, in and out in 5 minutes….

Got home, and since all the cable runs already checked out (a result of all the multiple tech visits from the last time I tried this), got the cable modem activated. And then both TV boxes (even the one in my room, which was usually the problematic one). For some reason or another it took multiple chats with customer service and/or service calls to get everything working.

For once, equipment replacement with Comcast was not and exercise in frustration…..

Waltzing with Walz….

I’m going to link to any news story for this. Use your Google-Fu to look it up if you have to….

Biden stepped down. There were concerns about his health and his age. I would’ve still voted for him on the principle of voting for the most qualified candidate. And being convicted of 34 felonies says your not qualified for the Oval Office (or any elected office). And Kamala Harris picked up the torch. And this morning, she chose Tim Walz as her running mate.

Like I’ve said I will vote for the most qualified candidate. And with Tim Walz, Kamala Harris is even more qualified than Cheetos-Face and JD Vance….

The Last Day….

Got up way too early this afternoon. Got my order from Wally World put away (my Spamazon arrived yesterday). Got an email from GOG about a free variant of Fallout 4. Though it turns out that it was an add-on to Fallout 4. Looking at Steam, and I see that GOG has it on sale. So I pulled the trigger. I also placed an order from Newegg, and that should arrive Saturday.

The other thing I also did on my vacation was a complete system wipe. I really didn’t need to do it. I just decided to do it. And I just finished it tonight.

So this vacation will mainly be know for socks, boxers, and Fallout 4 GOTY….

Day 4 Vacation Report…

Forgot to turn my alarm off, so I woke up like I was going to work. No problem. That’s what naps are for. But if the alarm hadn’t woken me up, what Phil was cooking would’ve. And it was so good that I did the dishes myself (it was also because I needed a cup of coffee, and I needed to clear the counter to the coffeemaker…. Anyway, once again, nothing was done, Ass-sitting achieved.

Goodnight.

Vacation Day 3: Report. Nothing has been achieved!

Did nothing at all. No errands. No adulting. No Laundry. And it actually takes effort to do nothing at all…

Update: as I was writing this, I got a text from the apartment manager regarding a leak from my toilet. Rather than play text tag, I just walked down to the office wherein she told me that she had a really old note from maintenance from when she had just started. I explained that her predecessor’s last act of office was to have our toilet replaced. Back in December.

And it hasn’t leaked since then,,,,

Adulting update (also Vacation Day 2: Report)…

While I’m on vacation, I try to keep the adulting to a minimum. It is necessary, yes. But I try to keep the  disruption to my ass sitting to a minimum.

So, I went to Target this morning (never mind the previous spelling. I was on my phone, and that’s how my smart keyboard renders Target). And what I was looking for was under lock and key. And there were no Team Members (it’s been over 25 years since I worked for Target, and that’s what the employees were called back then) around to unlock the case, so I just got a couple of 2 liters of The Nectar Of The Gods and left. Though it did get me out of the house. And because I showed up to the bus stop right as the downtown Tacoma express showed up, and I subsequently connected to the Route 574  right away. Sometimes it’s quicker to go from Parkland to Federal Way than to Lakewood or Puyallup.

Long story short, I didn’t find what I was looking for at Target. I get home, and promptly find and order what I was looking for from Wally World. And I also ordered some socks from Spamazon.

There was also that Executive Email Carpet Bomb I tried with Comcast last night. Got a voicemail from them an hour ago (phone’s on silent for reasons). Maybe I should call them back. Then again I prefer written correspondence for a reason…..

Adulting:Round 2.5...

Cable went out last night for a planned 'network upgrade' that they ship conveniently didn't tell us about. Got me pissed off enough that I sent an email to Brian Robert's, the CEO asking why the service is so piss-poor. I hunt think I'll get a response, but at least my complaint has been made. In writing.

And for my session of vacation adulting, I'm on my way to Targèt now. Though Targèt runs have always been day-off adulting in the past.... 

Vacation Day 1 Report....

Normally on vacation, I try to spend as much time as I can sitting on my ass doing nothing. But adulting must happen. Still today I did laundry and paid the two bills that were coming due. Also on the agenda is a trip to Targèt and Wally World, but those can wait. After all I'm on vacation, and I can put it off if I want to... 

Vacation:Commence!

I'm off for the next 5 days. Almost missed the bus, but I still was able to catch it. Now to go home and do as little as possible.... 

So much has happened….

First off, don’t try to assassinate Cheetos-Face. We need to defeat him at the ballot box, not with a bullet. Political violence is wrong. If you don’t know why I’m writing this, then brush up on your Google-Fu.

While we’re still on the presidential election: yes, Biden tanked the first debate. He’s getting up there in years, but Trump is no spring chicken either. Anyway, when I cast my vote, I will vote for the most qualified candidate. And Donald Trump is unfit to lead, as per the New York Times. But we’ll see when the conventions this summer….

In the past week, we’ve lost Dr. Ruth, Richard Simmons, Shannen Doherty, and Shelly Duvall. May they spend all eternity frolicking in the Beer Volcano and Stripper Factory. Ramen….

World Cup Time

So, USA as a host nation qualified for this year’s T20 World Cup. And after beating Pakistan (kind of like a high school JV team beating the Harlem Globetrotters), they qualified for the second round. Which also automatically qualifies them for the next T20 World Cup. Right now, as of the writing of this post, we’re getting our asses handed to us by South Africa. But I can’t be disappointed as a couple of the South African stars are also Seattle Orcas. It is what it is. But we’re the only Associate nation to make it to the second round, and we knocked off one the traditional powerhouses of cricket.

Willie Mays died yesterday. May he spend all of eternity frolicking in the Beer Volcano and Stripper Factory.

And one step back…

When we left our hero in October of last year, I  had to replace my computer chair. I initially replaced it with a no-frills office chair, but that meant no day off nap attacks. If I had the urge to take a nap, I actually had to go to bed and lie down. So, last week, I was looking through Newegg, and I found a gaming chair that I could afford. So, I pulled the trigger and the Fedex man delivered on Monday.Nice high-back chair that I can lean back in. It reclines. And it has a footrest. In a pinch it could work in the living room. Yes, I don’t have as much space in my room as before, but it’s a fair trade considering how most of the activities in my room are either sitting, dressing, or sleeping….

An attempted step up…

So, an important part of my computer setup has been my virtual machines. I’ve had two (one Windows ME and Windows XP) since 2013. Mainly for my really old programs (mainly games) that wouldn’t run even on Windows 7. Early on , I discovered VMWare Player. It supports 3D graphics, USB and drag-and-drop, even for Windows ME. So it was perfecto for installing games that I couldn’t really let go of, but never really played.

Fast forward through the years, and I decided to ‘refresh’ my virtual machines. A lot of the games that were on my VM’s I discovered how to get them to run on Windows 10/11 (mainly downloaded them from GOG and/or Steam. So, I tried Oracle Virtualbox. Got both OS’s to install, and I even got WinME fully setup. But the straw that broke the camel’s back was the lack of 3D acceleration in WinXP. So, deleted the new VM’s and went back to VMWare Workstation Pro, now free for personal use.

Of course the real bright side to all this was that I was too busy to fuck up my entire system while I was trying this….

So, what all happened last week….

This happened last week, but it was during my work week, and quite frankly I was too busy trying to mimic productive behavior to write about it….

So, Cheetos-Face has found guilty in New York. All 34 charges (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then use your Google-Fu. my friend). And if he’s (God forbid) elected this fall, this is a conviction that he won’t be able to pardon himself over as it’s a state conviction. It’s on his record. And now, there are cases against his still for the classified documents a Mar A Lago. And then there’s also the Georgia case (another state case).

But for now, he’s had his due process, and a jury found him guilty.

He did it….

All Good Things Must End….

So, may vacation now draws to a close. But in a couple months’ time, it’ll be time for another one (employer allows us to use it as we accrue it, and I take it as soon as I accrue 24 hours’ worth).

But as frequent as I may try to make them, all vacations must come to an end. Now to go to bed and go to work….

This is why I don’t throw out hard drives….

So, back in 2007 (if I did blog it then, I’ve deleted the entry), I bought a 160gb hard drive. Pulled out one of the 30gb drives I was using (and gave it away, IIRC). Served on my Gateway tower for almost 2 years before the Tower gave up the ghost. Bought a new tower, which came with a SATA hard drive, but still had a IDE ribbon cable slot, so I used as an archive/backup for a couple of years. Then my economic situation progressed, and I was able to go completely SATA. The hard drive got set aside. And forgotten. A few years later, and this ‘new’ tower gives up the ghost, and I replace it with an HP Pavilion. No IDE slots whatsoever. By this time, I had forgotten about the drive completely. Built my tower in 2019 (and completely rebuilt it in 2021). Again no IDE slots. During my misadventures on the internet I saw an ad (from Wally World even for an IDE/usb interface), and I remembered that I sill had the drive. So I pulled the trigger. And there have so far been at least 2 occasions where I’ve had to pull files off of that drive that none of my other hard drives had.

BTW, I also have a USB external hard drive mount, so I can still access all of my old SATA drives…

Sometimes being a digital pack rat does pay off…

The Last Day….

So today is the last day of my vacation. Woke up at the time I usually wake up for going to work (I actually left my alarm on). Thought about ordering pizza tonight, but Phil got into the kitchen, and his pasta was pretty good.

So, tonight’s agenda is to do as little as possible. A nap will definitely be in order later on tonight. Oh and to finish downloading my Steam library….

Vacation Day 4: Report

Stayed home, as I should’ve. Payday is today, so yes I had to Adult and pay a couple of bills. Computer rebuild is almost complete (just have to finish downloading my Steam library).

I suppose I should try to reset my circadian clock back to my normal ‘work’ schedule….

Vacation Day 3: Report….

Did as little as possible last night. Slept in. Ate some onion rings and realized we were dangerously low on ketchup. Took a nap. Got back up to watch some Cricket and saw enough of the match to know that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru have choked it, though they did have a good run.

Then to address the previously noted ketchup shortage, I took a trip to Wally World.

Also while on vacation, I decided to give in to the inevitable, and put Windows 11 back on my system with a clean install. Most of it has been just redownloading all of my games from their respective online stores. That’s good thing so I can honestly say that I’m working on my computer. When I’m actually sleeping….

OK, I”m done adulting today…

Finally got my laundry done. Apartment complex has two laundry rooms, but one was down for repairs. And everyone had to do their laundry this morning. Finally at about noon they fixed the other laundry room, and I was able to get my clothes washed. That and my Target delivery this morning concludes all of my adulting today. And thus Day 2 of my vacation concludes very late….

So I’m a Coke drinker…..

So I’m normally a Coke drinker. When the MD said the ‘D’ word, I switched from regular to diet coke. Yes, there is a taste difference, but I got used to it. And a few years later, Coke Zero came out, which tastes just like the regular stuff. I drink both (diet and zero) now. Initially, I couldn’t get used to the taste of diet pepsi. Every once in a while, I’d have one just for the difference.

And today, when I did my Target run delivered, they had a deal on 12 packs of soda. And I got one of diet pepsi.

Note on Dr. Pepper: Diet Dr. Pepper tastes exactly like the regular stuff. But still, it is mislabeled, and the FTC should pull it from shelves until it is labeled what it truly is: The Nectar Of The Gods….

Vacation Day 2: Report

Did as little as possible today. I am doing a little but of ‘adulting’ today (my laundry won’t do itself). And I’m making a Target run (actually having it delivered).

Slurm: It’s highly addictive….

Vacation, Day 1 Report....

 Did absolutely nothing last night. Right as my vacation started, I had to do my one important session of adulting (had to get insulin). Somewhere along the way, I have to laundry as well, but I'm going to practice procrastination on that. After all, I have until Friday night to do it....

Vacation: Commence! Again!

Yes, I had a vacation a couple of months ago. But $day-job’s policy is you can use your vacation as you accrue it, and I had another three days accrued. So, why not? Well, that now means is that I’m off until Friday night….

Let the ass-sitting begin!

A Discovery Tonight….

So I was playing Flight Simulator X just now. Once upon a time (back when I was still using the DVD-Rom version), I tried the DirectX 10 version, and most of the scenery didn’t render at all. So I never checked the box again. Fast-forward through subsequent computers (I think at least three) and an migration to the Steam version, and I’m still running without it. Numerous video cards, processor upgrades, and at least 3 OS upgrades (from Windows 7 to Windows 11). Vrey recently with my current hardware, I was able to crank the display settings to the max, but my in game framerate was still in the low to mid 20s (didn’t bother me since a typical cinema is only 24 fps).

Fast forward to Monday afternoon (this is being written very early on a Wednesday morning), when I was setting up FSX after a system wipe again (Lets just say that I’m not too big on AI and mandatory ads in the start menu so I went back to Windows 10). While setting up the display settings, I hit the DirectX 10 switch, just to see what happened. It’s almost as if I got a brand new Flight Sim. Everything renders as before, but the framerate is almost double as is was before. I did have to turn off the lens flare. It’s great that it renders, but I just don’t like it….

What Part Of Hell Has Frozen Over?

Watching the Mariners game tonight (normally a hallmark that they’ll lose). And they won the game. Not only did they win, but they have a winning record for now. And they’re leading the division. Granted it’s only April, but still what part of hell has frozen over today?

More Adventures On A Day Off…

So I set up my air conditioner last week (something to do with my room being about 10 degrees warmer than outside  and I have issues trying to sleep when it hits the ‘70s). And since I’ve set it up, I’ve hear the compressor kick in about three times…. Now that I’ve set it up, I don’t need it.

Watched a little bit of the Mariners game tonight. And they won. Normally when I watch the game, they lose….

So, it’s the middle of my weekend now…

I paid two bills and made my bed last night. I think that’s all the adulting I need to do. Period.

Starting to Heat Up Here…

Global Warming is real. But this isn’t going to be a commentary on it. It’s an average spring here. But it’s still spring. And the daytime temps are starting to get up there. It’s still comfortable, shirt-sleeve weather. But the issue is I have to sleep during the day, and I have a western-facing window. And right outside my window is the maintenance yard for Bunce Rental. And my window opens to Pacific Avenue. So when it’s shirt-sleeve weather, I can’t just open my window because while I can sleep through many things, I can’t sleep through the sounds of traffic or unmuffled two stroke engines.

Global Warming is real. And I just set up my air conditioner for the season today. Though I think I can get away with just the fan setting for now….

OJ did it…

Actually they only found one glove at the scene. And who do we know who wore one glove? OJ didn’t do it. Michael did it. But whatever. OJ is now no more….

KPLZ jumps the shark….

I grew up in a military family. When we were stationed in Germany, the only english speaking radio/tv stations were run by the Army (via afrts/afn). So I had no choice in the music on the radio. It was all Army issue. The one plus about that was the really kick ass anime after school programming….

So we get stateside, Dad retired from the Army, and settled down, and then I got my first radio. At first the 2 stations I listened to were KUBE and KPLZ. Both were Top-40 format. There was also KNBQ, but soon that station was sold and it went to Oldies. So most of my first mix-tapes were recorded off of those two stations. KUBE eventually went to rap, and there were a couple of other stations that were here and there. Eventually KPLZ was sold and it became Star 101.5. Format eventually be came Adult Contemporary, but I still listened to it. Then I got a CD player. As my mix tapes that I recorded off the radio wore out, I started downloading my music. And I’ve had a CD Burner ever since my first computer (currently, I have two: a Blu-Ray, and a DVD, both burners). While this was all happening, Star101.5 was sold again, but the format remained the same. Then I moved to streaming. Specifically Spamazon Prime music. I no longer need to fumble for CDs, or worry about having to point an antenna in a specific direction.

Fast forward to April 1 this year. When KPLZ switch to country. So now they’re going to hire Ted McGinley as a DJ, since they’ve pretty much jumped the shark. BTW, KUBE is now KJR, and they’re now a sports format….

Hopefully The End Of It….

So when we left our hero last week, I had apparently decided upon Windows 10 with the intent to stick with it since I had realized that not only could I run Windows Subsystem for Android on it, but I could do it with Google Play and root access. So early Monday morning, I finished setting it up. And then I promptly wanted to go Windows 11 again. Problem is I can’t sleep when my computer is downloading stuff, and whenever I do a clean install, it is 3 days straight just downloading games.

So I decided to just do an in-place upgrade. I only had to reinstall 3 drivers, 4 programs, and WSA. Now normally, I’d prefer to do a clean install, but then again, I don’t want to constantly wipe and rebuild my system…

10 Years On….

Sometimes the best way to show someone respect is to wish them well and simply leave them be.

One Of The Drawbacks…

There is a drawback to having a western facing windows in the spring. While having a graveyard job. There is something about the bright, afternoon sun shining through your window when your trying to sleep.  Fortunately, it’s still my weekend so I can get away with a 3-4 hour nap tonight.

And suprisingly and in a totally unrelated story, it is cheaper to order pizza that it is to Uber Arby’s. And this was 2 specialty pizzas so I don’t have to cook all night long, whereas with Uber, it was only a meal and a half…..

It finally works...

 So last week on my vacation, I started off by wiping my computer and putting Windows 10 back on it. For something stupid. I wanted to run Windows Subsytem for Andriod (with Google Play) on it. I could do it on Windows 11. What happened was 4 hours of frustration, and I ended up back with Windows 11, and I spent the rest of my vacation but my computer back together.

So my weekend started today, and of course I decided to be the idiot and try it again. And this time I got it to work. Which now means that anything that my computer can do in Windows 11 it can do in Windows 10 as well.

Now the problem is I just need to pick an OS and stay with it....

The Last Day….

Thus the last day of my vacation has begun. My cold has hopefully settled down. Fortunately through multiple 4 hour naps, I’ve been able to get enough sleep before the cough woke me up (and kept me awake).

As I mentioned earlier when my vacation started, I f*cked up my computer when my vacation started, so in between napping and watching TV, I’ve been putting my computer back together. My computer pretty much has been on for the past 3 days while I’ve redownloaded all my games from the Epic Games Store, EA Games, GOG, Ubisoft Connect, Amazon Games App, Steam, and Battle.net & Legacy Games. Not to mention the Amazon App Store and now Google Play (Microsoft may have sunsetted Windows Subsystem for Android, but I still have a use for it, and I can make it work).

So tonight’s agenda is finishing putting the computer back together (and hopefully not nuking it form orbit again). And in the background on the TV will be Beat Bobby Flay and whatever is on the Science Channel, and it will end with the opening night of the Indian Premier League…..

Vacation: Day 4….

So this morning, I went to Wally World and got my vial of insulin. Disregarding the lesson I was supposed to learn from the last time I got something from the deli hot case, and I got some jalapeño poppers and mozzarella cheese bites. I guess I have to live dangerously.

Tonight’s agenda is Guy’s Grocery Games. And possible Science Channel. Or Netflix. The only important thing for me to do is nothing at all….

Vacation Day 3 Update:

Like I said in a previous post, I wiped my computer on day one. Today I’m now to the point that I installed Open Live Writer so I can write this post….

Woke up this afternoon to an email that Dominos was 50% off this week. After having my groceries delivered this morning. So, of course I ordered pizza. Most if it’s in the fridge, but pizza is just as good cold from the fridge as it is hot.

Tonight’s agenda: do as little as possible. Currently, I’m watching a little NIT action. A trip to Wally World in the morning for insulin and whatever is on the Science channel overnight. That is if I don’t decide to do a 4 hour nap…

Vacation: Status Update....

 Stayed up all 'night' yesterday (since I work overnight, I tend to sleep during the day). But it was worth it. Took a day trip to the Commons Mall, and met up with my old boss from Mrs. Fields. Caught up over a pretzel, and he wants me to work for him in his current venture. I had to hard pass on it over location. This was the first time that I've been to this mall since the cookie store closed. It is essentially a shell of its former self. While I do want to see small businesses succeed, I just don't think that malls are going to cut it anymore....

So I got home, took a 4 hour nap, got up, ate something, and went back to bed. Today is a really late start on my vacation. I had to do a session of adulting this morning, but the 2 bills are paid. And I'm having my Target run delivered.... Otherwise the rest of day's agenda is just sitting on my ass, watching TV until my brains ooze out of my ears....

Vacation: Update

Fucked up my tower again last night. I figured out a way to get Windows Subsystem for Andriod to work on Windows 10. But unfortunately, I couldn't get Google Play to work with it, so I'm back to square 1. But what the heck. It's my computer and I'll wreck it if I want to. So, back to Windows 11. This time with Google Play *and* the Amazon Appstore (and rooted, too). Too bad, Microsoft has decided to sunset this. And this post BTW is being written on the blogger app for Andriod. On my tower....

Vacation: Commence!

Just got off work. And I'm on vacation until Friday night. Agenda this week is to sit on my ass as long as possible. Ave to get over this cold that I've caught......

But for now: L et the vacationing begin! 

Pizza gone….

So yes I ordered pizza last night. And it’s now gone. One thing about Dominos is that it’s just as good hot right at delivery and cold straight from the fridge the next day. Growing up, whenever the parental units got pzza, I had to be explicitly told that it was not to be my breakfast the next morning.

There is now sorrow in the house. The pizza is gone.

I Got Better. Finally….

So when we left our hero last week, I had started on the wonderful journey of food poisoning. And that started 4 1/2 days of diarrhea. And that one time when I barfed up my brother’s really good spaghetti. In the parking lot at work. So after nothing but chocolate, gatorade, and ritz crackers for too long a time, my ass stopped acting like a firehose every time I took a dump Sunday morning. Finally.

So last night, I had to test myself. Ordered pizza. And kept the whole pie down. And it was Dominos even….

Lesson learned. Avoid the hot case at the Wally World deli….

Something I Ate….

So I called out from work Sunday night. Felt a little bit under the weather and decided to sleep it off before it got any worse. It looked like that was a success. So, Monday morning, I head down to Wally World to get a vial of insulin, and I then bought some groceries. Swung by the hot case and grabbed a couple of breakfast sandwiches. Caught the bus home, and then I enjoyed them. By then they had cooled off. Big mistake. I’ve been regretting that since earlier this morning. Let’s just say that I’m quite regular now. Oh well. Live and learn. I just have to sweat it out, and let it pass (literally)…

Super Tuesday Today…

So, today is Super Tuesday. If you’re state is having a primary today, then vote for the most qualified candidate. Otherwise, beware the Idiots of March….

So I rendered unto Caesar last week….

Did my taxes last week. Electronically. My refund arrived today. Due to some creative budgeting, I got my haircut on Monday, but the shoes that were earmarked for this will have to wait. I had another pressing bill that needed to be paid this morning, so the they’ll have to wait.

So, yes I got a haircut this week. My hair was long. Too long. I can deal with the high maintenance issues with long hair, but eventually I had to act when too many of my hats stopped fitting. Now they all fit again…

Render Unto Ceaser, 2024 Edition….

Just filed taxes. Electronically, as usual. IRS has already accepted it, and I’ll be getting a refund. Going through my records, It’s about the same refund that I’ve been getting for the past few years. But, it’s done. And I’m getting enough for shoes and a haircut….

But above all else, it is done….

Bit of a warm stretch here….

Ok so we had a real cold stretch a couple of weeks ago. Today we’re temping in the 50’s, and the phrase ‘atmospheric river’ is being used about the rain. It isn’t warm enough yet to justify pulling out the AC (in fact there is talk of another really bad cold snap in the near future). But it is warm enough to pull out my window fan.

It’s not even February and I’m already looking to cool the apartment…

So I got home from work Sunday morning….

So I got home from work Sunday morning, and was greeted by a Christmas present that was delayed in shipping. A Seattle Orcas hat. Just like the one I got for my father, which to be honest I thought about keeping for myself (but I decided to give it to him anyway). But it’s the thought that really counts, and I really appreciate it.

Thank you Karen and Keely….

Giving Mother Nature Her Respect….

So, it looks like we’re headed for some real winter. Cold temperatures. And snow. All the forecasts I see indicate that the snow will start today. Some have it this afternoon. Some have it overnight (use your Google-Fu if you want to see the forecast). My rule of thumb is that if I wake up and I see snow that wasn’t there when I went to bed, I’ll call out of work for safety reasons. Yes I live along a state highway that’s the first to get plowed and de-iced, but it does take time for the trucks to roll, and even the buses have trouble with icy conditions. And also, I remember about a year ago, when we had freezing rain overnight, and the roads were completely iced over (to the point that Pierce Transit didn’t run at all until  4 in the afternoon).

So with that in mind, I’ve already called out from work for tonight. I have enough protected pto to cover it, so it’s not going to be an attendance issue. If it does snow, there’ll be enough time to roll the plows before I have to go to work tomorrow night.

Hopefully, there’ll be no freezing rain. Though I always get concerned when I see rain and sub-freezing temperatures together….

Yet Again Comcast Sucks!

So, I’ve written here previously about how terrible Comcast customer service is. Here we go again:

So last week, I got an email regarding a data breach. I had to change the password on one of my comcast email aliases. So I go to comcast, attempt to login, and I’m greeted by the password reset screen. Enter in all of the relevant information, and I then get an error screen. Multiple times. I’ve had enough of having to deal with their offshore call centers and their social media (the social media account are most likely now AI. They don’t even feel human anymore). So I went to the Executive Email Carpet Bomb. I sent it from a different email address than the one that I had the issue with. And this time I specified no phone calls….

So an hour later, I get an email reply. Sent to a totally different email address! In the meantime, I chatted with an agent, and actually got my problem fixed. So I replied to the email saying that I was able to fix my issue (no thanks to them), and the reply I got was an auto-ack, saying that to protect my account, I had to verify the last 4 of my social or the last 4 of my credit card. Via email. Involving an email account that I hadn’t mentioned or used. Yeah, they attempted to phish me. And this was their supposed ‘executive customer service’. I’ve said this before, but Comcast’s piss-poor customer service is by design. They’re a monopoly in most markets. And they know it.

Did I mention that Comcast’s customer service sucks?

Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot, 2023 Edition

Normally, I'd post this last night, but I had to work (it's to self: never tell your boss that you're 'dry'). So 2023 had ended and 2024 is here. I dint want to go into the headlines about what happened or who died this year (hint: use your Google-Fu). Nevertheless, in no particular order or priority, here's what happened that probably won't make headlines:

I bought no shoes this year. Spend a few more dollars now, and they'll last longer than the cheap ones.

I decided no more upgrades to my tower. This actually lasted until Newegg's Cyber Monday sale. Ave regrettably, I wasn't done. There was another Ssd that I found on sale and I had to order it. It's still in shipment.

Pulled my laptop out. Wiped it. Twice. And got it to work. Again.

Started brewing coffee by the pot again. Mainly because ground coffee can be cheaper than k pods. 

I arbitrarily decided that Sri Lanka is a part of West Indies (an inside joke with a coworker home terribly wrong}). 

I wrote at least one party from my phone. Namely, this one.... 

Threw out my big office chair (it broke), Ave leave it with a cheap desk chair. Which means I cleaned off my easy chair. Now when I'm at my computer avd I want to take a nap, I have to actually go to bed.

Ave there are a few other things that happened but I'm not mentioning here. Discretion is the better part of valor....