The Purge will continue…

I’m talking about the cleaning of my room. Didn’t do much this weekend (I basically just wanted to watch the Mariners beat up what ever hapless team they’re facing). But I think the next Target will be the foot of my bed. I now have a redundant easy chair that for logistical reasons can’t be disposed of. Yet. But I can relocate it to another place in my room. And I’ll be able to properly sight my air conditioner. Which according to forecasts, will be needed on Sunday.

Yes, I’m cleaning my room. This is going to be a very long-term project. When dad had his stroke, there was concerns about his house and his room being accessible, and there was an extended, multi-day project to de-clutter it (he’s been there for 22 years). I’m in my 10th year here, and stuff needs cleaning…

Ok, hopefully this will last for a while….

Like I said last week, I wiped my tower once again. Went with Windows 8.1. Then, the night after I restored my Steam back-up (normally about an 8 hour job), as I was riding my bike home, I decided to give Windows 10 another chance. So, I did the stupid thing and upgraded to the April Update. Fortunately, most of my work was still intact, so I could just finish up the install. Tonight, I finished the build. Unlike when I did the clean install, I didn’t have any ‘permissions’ issue with the TV Tuner. And as for the lack of Game Explorer, the Xbox app (through the windows store) provides a lot of the functionality (if not all of it). Too bad Microsoft hasn’t done much to announce that.

It’s a good thing I’ve finished it (and I also have all the Windows 8.1 apps that I’ve missed). As my phone took a dump on me Sunday night, and I have to now rebuild that (I’m actually 75% done with that). This time, I’m not installing all the news apps that I used to install and never use (mainly I use Google News and MSN News). The hard part, is since my phone has a fingerprint scanner, I set my phone to sign in to most my financial apps with my fingerprint, and I now have to remember my passwords to sign in again…

Next up after all this will be my laptop…

What did I do this weekend?

Basically I installed Windows 8.1 on a whim. Don’t ask me why I did it. But there’s just something with the Windows 10 April update, that I don’t like. Maybe it’s the lack of the Game Explorer that’s been around since Windows Vista. Maybe it’s the new camera permission that’s fucked up my TV tuner. But it all works in 8.1. Maybe I’ll give the April update a try down the road.

Actually I’m surprised at how much I got done in the past 2 days. Normally when I install Windows, I start from scratch, wiping everything on the hard drive. That’s what I did. And I got pretty far. Normally what I did in two days takes over two weeks. And I also went to the Credit Union and deposited the rent money (and paid the rent, too)….

And when I finish this, I still have the laptop to finish…

The Purge Begins…

While setting up my Air Conditioner today, I realized it’s time to de-clutter. Going through my junk drawer (my top dresser drawer), I realized that I basically still had every ATI video card I've ever used. Including my original All-In-Wonder Radeon. All my previous towers that I’ve owned I parted out at the end of their useful lives, but most of the parts were at least 10 years old, and they’re not really compatible with what’s out there now (otherwise, I’d still be using them). So, they all got tossed. Along with several miles of cables, a few pairs of headphones, and at least 6 Comcast remotes.

My junk drawer has a lot of space now, and also the top of my dresser does as well (which means I can re-home my echo, since I had to unplug it for the AC). Next up will be my desk, and my entertainment center. But those should be a piece of cake. The real fun is going to be my closet. I have at least 2 printers, a stereo, and who else knows what….

So, like I said, two years ago...

This was originally going to be the previous post, but I realized that it was two years to the day that my mom passed on....

Anyway, one of the decisions that was made was that I got her air conditioner. Work (actually the commute) at the time dictated that I get up at 1:30 in the morning, which meant going to bed during the heat of the day. The AC was in my room for about a month and a half, and then I decided to move it to the living room, so my roommate could survive the heat wave that hit just at that time.

Anyway a couple of weeks ago, I saw a good deal on a refurbished portable AC unit, so I pulled the trigger. It arrived last week and I set it up today. And my room is air-conditioned again this summer. Though when I set it up, I heard some bad reviews about the noise. Unfortunately they were true. But I found a work around. Where the ac is spotted in my room, yo cant see the base of it. I quickly realized that the noise was worst when the AC was resting on it's castor. But if I wedged something underneath it, so that it's not on the castors, the noise is reasonable. So it's now resting on my old pair of Wolverines that I can no longer wear.

I am now ready for summer. I hope...

Two Years Ago....

Two years ago to the day, I went to Mom's apartment to check up on her. And I was the first to discover her passing. Of course, I called 911, and Central Pierce Fire & Rescue made the determination that she had passed. There was some more investigation (sheriff had to rule out foul play), and then the funeral home carted her off, and that was it. She had just paid her rent, so the landlord gave us the entire month to move her stuff out. The death of a loved one is a sharp and sure way to remind one of the frailties of life. Tell those around you that you love them today. They may not be here tomorrow.

May Barbara Bryant spend all eternity frolicking in The Beer Volcano and The Stripper Factory. Ramen.

I still have it….

I was scheduled to work today. But I woke up with it. It actually came on last night, when I was getting up from the chair after my last break at work. I still had it this morning, when I took my first pee, and I went into the shower.

I’m talking about plantar fasciitis, of course. And with the amount of walking I do at work, it’s not something I want to have. So I took another sick day. Not something I want to do on a holiday weekend, but I have to look out for my well-being.

When I was at my previous employer, foot problems were much worse. I started the day with a 4+ mile walk to the bus stop, then an 8-hour shift. But for the most part, I was just in one spot at work. Now, I don’t have to walk 4+ miles (thank to my bike, and the occaisional Uber). But I now walk essentially for 8 hours at work.

My foot should be walkable tomorrow. I hope. I don’t have enough sick time to cover another shift.

It’s about that time of year….

The Lunar year, to be exact. Anyway for those of you who are going to be fasting for the next lunar month or so: Ramadan Mubarak…

Finally…

Finally I got OpenSuSE installed. Into a VM. Which I immediately backed up to my external back-up drive because I really don’t have the time to install it again.

Of course right after I installed and backed it up, I wiped the drive because we all know that I just can’t leave well enough alone….

Called off the Linux install….

Started it at about 8 this evening. At 2:30 in the morning, it was still downloading, so I called it off. Was taking too much time, and I have to go to bed. I went and deleted my designated Linux partition, too. Problem is if I install Linux, and it messes up my computer, my only option would be to wipe my entire hard drive and start over. So, I think if I’m going to play with Linux, I’ll just go with Virtual Machines. Maybe my next computer will have enough space in the tower for more than one hard drive, and I can pursue the matter then.

Sorry, but I like being able to use my computer for really important stuff. Like Flight Simulator X…

So what happened Saturday…..

It actually happened Friday night. I rode the bike home from the bust stop (about 4 miles or so). Get home, and I put the bike on the stand. I went into my room, and an hour later, I hear a thud. My bike had fallen over. I put the bike back up. A few minutes later, I came back out and saw my bike leaning over. So I turned my bike around and backed it into my bike stand, and went to bed.

The next morning (Saturday), I get up and got ready for work. As I was about to leave, I went to get my bike off of the rack, and that’s when I noticed the reason why the bike couldn’t stay in the stand. My front tire was flat. But I had to go to right away (not enough time to fix it). On the bus ride up, I pulled out my phone and ordered a pair of inner tubes from Wally World. When I picked them up, they said I got the last two in the store. Normally, I wouldn’t order inner tubes when I’ve only had one flat on each tire, but I ordered them.

So Saturday night, I got home (I took Uber), I started fixing the flat. It was just a simple puncture, and patching it was pretty straight forward. So I started pumping it. Using the pressure gauge on my pump, I hadn’t even reached the recommended pressure on the tire. And the tube exploded. Sounded like a the love-child of a balloon popping and a gunshot. Fortunately, I had a brand-new inner tube that just happened to be the right size. Put the new tube in, reinflated it, and went to bed again.

Sunday morning, it held up enough. And I rode it home that night. And it’s still holding up. Just another adventure in cycling for a commute….

It’s here….

The April Windows Update is here. It’ll roll out through Windows Update on May 8th. I jumped the gun however, and I manually downloaded it for both my tower and my laptop. So, they’re now both running the latest updates. And I made sure the drivers were up to date, as well.

Now to put Linux on my tower. I’m going to try for OpenSuSE as a dual boot with Windows 10. I gotta have something to do on my day off. After all, the Mariners are off today. But tomorrow, they’re playing at The Safe, with King Felix on the mound. I’ll be watching it on my 55”….

Yet another day off today….

Had a split weekend this week. First day off was Tuesday, then I worked yesterday, and I was off today. Did as little as possible today. Played more Flight Simulator. Resized my hard drive partition, though I didn’t nuke my computer since I did it through the computer management console in windows. Made two different attempts to install Linux, but both times, I stopped because I had questions about the bootloader. But there will be more to be done on this later…

Well, that went differently….

I was playing Flight Simulator. Had the plane set on autopilot. Stepped out of my room to use the bathroom. Came back into my room to a computer crash. Tower rebooted and it appears to be working again, but this is something I will keep and eye on. I guess it’s time to update my backup drive, and I should probably keep my laptop up to date. This is why I got a TV Tuner for my laptop (and a GPS receiver, too).

Yet another day off today…

Currently playing Flight Simulator on the Tower. So this post is being written from the laptop….

Split weekend this week. So errands were run in the morning, and laundry is being done now….

With judicious application of USB, my laptop can do the same stuff as my last tablet can. I have a USB modem, so it has LTE internet access. And I just got a USB GPS receiver, so I can use the maps application on the road. And book Uber.

I also bought a GPS cycling computer recently. So I ride 6.25 miles home each night.Which is less than I thought (my estimate was 6.5 to 7 miles).

The Mariners won today. They’re winning a lot more games than they were last year at this time. That’s a good thing. Now if they can stay healthy…

My short-lived paycheck

It’s 2am. My paycheck arrived in my account at about midnight (I have direct deposit). Before I went to bed, I paid bills. Today’s paycheck lasted about two hours. But bills are paid. I’m back to being broke. Goodnight.

The end of the weekend approaches….

Did absolutely nothing today. The Mariners lost. Played Flight Simulator. Oh, I did change the cargo rack on my bike. This is somehting that I’ve been wanting to do for a while. But I kept successfully putting it off. Unfortunately today, my efforts at procrastination failed. Watching a lot of Stanley Cup Playoffs. And I saw the Kings get eliminated tonight. Way to go, Golden Knights.

Anyway, the weekend is over. It’s time to retire. Goodnight.

Today is a good day off…

Yes, I had a vacation last week, but today was also a regularly scheduled day off. And it was a good day off. The Mariners just won. Against Houston, even. I finished reinstalling all my software on my computer (and this time, it was only a week from initial format to job done…). Laundry is done (did it last night right when I came home from work).

And since I have an actual two day weekend this week, I think tomorrow will also be a good day off…

Begin: Weekend…

I got home from work and hour and a half ago. The ride from work to the transit center was ok. Got on the bus for the trip to the 512 P&R. And the heavens opened up. And the rain kept coming and coming. Got off the bus at the 512 P&R, and started riding through the rain. Needless to say, I was soaked by the time I got home. Got into my room, peeled off my clothes, and jumped into the shower. When I got out, I started laundry. Now my clothes are in the dryer, I have a bowl of Top Ramen before me, and I don’t have to go to work tomorrow…

All good things....

All good things must come to an end. This includes my vacation. It was more of a staycation than anything else. But alas, it is over, and tonight I retire and tomorrow I go back to work...

What I did on my final day of vacation….

So, this really wasn’t a vacation. It was more like a 4-day weekend. But it felt like a vacation. For the most part, I tried to do as little as possible today. But there was stuff to do. After all, I do have to get ready for work tomorrow. But aside from putting my laundry away, the big work prep was getting out the tire pump and topping off my tires. I think since I had my bike tuned up in February my bike tires lost about half their air. But I got that taken care of. Checking your tires’ air pressure is something that should be done regularly.

The other big thing I did today was get Flight Simulator X for Steam. I have the DVD edition, but due to activation restrictions, I could only have it installed on one computer (usually the Tower). But with Steam, I can have it installed concurrently on both my tower and my laptop. It appears as though all of my additions through the years will be able to work in the FSX Steam Edition. Most of them I’ve downloaded from Simviation and installation is simply a matter of unzip and drop.

Also during my vacation, I moved a couple of usb cables. These were what I used to charge my bike headlight, and my phone’s external charger. Where they were plugging in was causing a tripping hazard. I simply moved them to my tower’s usb 3.0 hub, which has 3 outlets that stay powered up when I turn the tower off.

I also got a cycling computer. Really simple to use. Just mount it on the handlebar and go. There’s no sensor/magnet to deal with (it does all of its calculations with GPS). In fact, it’ll even work in my pocket…

Vacation Day 4 Agenda:

Last day of vacation. Only went out of the house once this week. Agenda today:

• But away the laundry I did Tuesday.
• Watch baseball.
• Watch hockey.
• Change the cargo rack on my bike.
• Check the tires on said bike.
• Take out garbage.
• clean my room.

Or I could just say fudge it and do absolutely nothing…

Vacation Day 3 Report:

Today i got out of the house. Ran some errands (yes, I said I was broke when my vacation started, but these errands were already budgeted in). I did laundry yesterday. Today, I took it out the dryer, and it will be put away tonight/tomorrow. The Mariners played early this morning, so I didn’t watch the game.

Today is the beginning of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And I officially have a team that I’m rooting for: The Winnipeg Jets. Tonight, they won their first playoff game. Ever….

Tonight, it will be more Hockey, and then possibly a Blu-Ray.

Internet is out…

Internet went out. Comcast’s excuse is regularly schedule maintenance, but it’s still a PITA. But I still have my USB modem (which by the way will also work on my tower as well). I guess it’s time to go to bed. Vacation, Day 2, is now in the books. A good day. The Mariners won today…

BTW, my Sprint LTE modem is even faster than the apartment WiFi…

They’re doing well….

With King Felix on the mound the Mariners are leading the Royals 4-0, currently in the bottom of the third. Hopefully they can hold this lead, and not have the bullpen choke it. They are looking better than they were last time, and they’re still at .500 (even after the 10-0 whitewashing they received last night).

I can’t believe I’m watching The New World Order (Mind-Control Division) without an AFDB. Next thing you know, I’m going to believe that Belgium really exists, and Elvis isn’t dead.

I’ll be right back, there are some Black Helicopters landing….

Broke Vacation, Day 2 Check-In

Still broke. But bills are getting paid. Going to turn on the Mariners game in a about an hour. King Felix is on the mound.

Got PO’ed at my Tower last night, so I wiped it, now I’m just copying all of my files over. Once upon a time (10 years ago), I only 20 gb or so worth of stuff. Now I have 1.2 tB worth of crap. But my back-up drive is 4 tB, so space is not an issue…. It’s only time.

And today, for the first time in a long while, I slept in till noon. Might be because I got tee’ed off at my Tower last night, and was up late trying to fix it (Note: no bug ever survives the format c: command)….

On Vacation. And Broke….

<Blogging from the laptop>

I’m on vacation this week. Current employer paid time off accrues differently from previous employers. Once I had a couple of days’ worth, I decided to take some. It’s basically a four day weekend. But I’m taking it for mental health reasons.

I paid the rent last week. And so, I’m broke. So my vacation is a staycation. But it doesn’t worry me. I can find plenty to do at home…

Opening Day is in the books…

The Mariners won. King Felix won. Ichiro is back in a Mariners uniform. ITHey’re now 1-0. YOu can define an enitre season off of one game, but things look s good for the Mariners. And this is The New World Order (Mind-Control Divison), so keep your AFDB on…

Would someone please remind me?

Would someone please remind me that the next time I decide to try something different with my tower (i.e. a different version of Windows like Windows 8.1), I’m going to end up putting the previous version back on my tower again? On the bright side, this time it only took me a week from the time I formatted my hard drive to the time I finished installing Flight Simulator X. But because I have a laptop, I’m never without a working computer. I even have a Blu-Ray and TV tuner for it. In fact, this post is being written on it.

But all is well for now. Everything is restored to my Tower. Again. At least until the next time….

So what all happened last night.

Get home from work. Park the bicycle. See that my new printer was delivered after some issues with UPS (but I’m not going into my issues with UPS tonight). So I set up my printer, and install the software for it on my tower. Then I went to bed. A couple of hours later, the coughing started. No sleep, just coughing. So, at the ass-crack of dawn this morning, I decided to call out. Being a diabetic, when I get sick, I get sick, and I wasn’t going to be in any shape to go to work. So, I stayed home and chilled all day. The cough has settled down, and I should be able to return to work tomorrow.

Rather frustrating….

So, last week, I decided to install Windows 10 on my tower. Everything was going well. I reinstalled almost every program. And then it came time for Flight Simulator X. The initial install went well, activating without issue. Then I installed the Acceleration pack. And that’s where the issue came up. I could never get it to activate. I’m sure if I kept at it, I could eventually solve it, but I decided to fuck it, and nuked my sytem from orbit. Again. So, I back to square one.

But I did get a new printer this week. A Canon Pixma MX 922. It features all the bells and whistles. Duplex printing (and scanning, too). And it can print CD/DVDs. But I got it mainly for the scanner (since I already have a color laser printer that does duplex printing). My HP printer that I had before could no longer stay turned on, so it had to go.

A new trick I picked up last week….

Last week, I decided to go with Windows 8.1 over Windows 7. Don’t ask me why, but at least I had a recent back-up available. So I pulled out the restore DVD set, and wiped the tower. Then I upgraded immediately to Windows 8.1 Pro. Then I installed all the updates and patches and debloated (this is an OEM system restore rather than just an OS installer). Once I had done all this, I then installed all the apps from the Windows Store. And there are a few apps that are only available on Windows 8.1 and not Windows 10. Anyway, I had this all done, and then I came to my senses and realized what I had done. But I was too lazy to just up and wipe my entire system again. So I put the Windows 10 USB drive in and did an upgrade install (something that I usually avoid like the plague). The upgrade install went without a hitch. And afterwards, I realized that I still had those Windows 8.1 Store apps that I normally wouldn’t have in Windows 10, and they still worked.

Sometimes, you can get away with just upgrading…

No more MC Hawking…

And Lo! The Flying Spaghetti Monster has reached forth with his Noodly Appendage and has called home Stephen Hawking. May he spend all of Eternity frolicking among The Beer Volcano and The Stripper Factory. Ramen.

When I first got my library card, one of the first books I checked out was A Brief History Of Time. He advanced the human knowledge, and still made it accessible to the rest of us….

You’re not supposed to panic on you day off…

Day off today, as was yesterday. I turned my alarms off (they’re on my phone). So, my phone was showing my next alarm on Wednesday. When I woke up this morning, I just saw the Wednesday on my phone, and realized that I had overslept, and was going to be seriously late for work. So, I was panicking. And then I realized, ‘What happened to Tuesday?’. I finally had to ask Alexa what day of the week it is…

You’re not supposed to panic like this on your day off….

So, there was a shift in my schedule last week…

Instead of getting off at 11, I’m now getting off at 10. Still ride the bike home from work. And I’m still full-time. There has been another shift. My weekend has gone from Tuesdays and Wednesdays to Mondays and Tuesdays. Except for in a couple of weeks, when I’ll be working a split weekend, but that week, I’ll be off for opening day of The New World Order (Mind-Control Division). So I have that day to hide in my room with my AFDB on.

Shiny side out, people…

Some creative scheduling….

Yesterday and today are normally my ‘weekend’ from my $dayjob. But Monday night, I got a text message asking if I could cover for a co-worker at Mrs. Fields. So that was one day off gone. Then on Tuesday, the store owner asked me to come in for an hour. So there went my entire weekend. But the owner got creative with the schedule. He would work open to close today, and I would close last night in his stead, so my co-worker could have the day for a family event, and I could salvage my weekend.

So today is my only day off this week. Agenda: stay in my room, watch tv, turn the heat up, and possibly do laundry….

A very much lighter wallet…

So, about a month ago, I was riding home from work, and as I was riding right by JBLM, I thought I felt something caught in my bike chain (like a tree branch). So I stopped, got the flashlight out, and noticed that there was nothing wrong with the chain. But when I turned the crank, there was one spot where it stuck. I was able to ride the bike home, albeit very carefully that night. I then noticed for the next couple of weeks or so, my bike was making various clicking sounds in the vicinity of the bottom bracket. Never a good occaision, but I couldn’t do anything about it. Then I couple of weeks ago, the bottom bracket stopping making noises, but it had become loose. Not loose to the point that it was unrideable, but it was loose and getting looser.

Last week, my tax refund arrived. And so yesterday I took my bike to Bonney Lake Bicycle of Sumner in Puyallup (I think that’s what it’s called), and they said what I had feared the most: that I needed to replace my bottom bracket. But the price that was quoted was what I could afford. And I also mentioned an issue I was have with my rear derailer, and was offered a tune-up. Initially I declined it, but then I decided to go for it, since it was going to be a professional job.

Today, I picked up my bike, and my wallet is now $157.00 lighter. Got off the bus a couple of miles short, and rode it home. No clicks, no looseness, and for the first time ever, I can now use all 24 speeds…

Stuff has been on my mind of late….

I don’t get it. I find myself feeling jealous over something that isn’t really there, and in all reality won’t ever be there. I need to let it go. To stop deluding myself….

This is partly the ramblings of another introvert with a blog, but there is much I want to write about this. But to do so would reveal too much. I’ve learned my lesson from previous posts about posting TMI. So I guess I should stop obsessing about nothing, stop mourning that which never was, and face Reality, who never was a friend of mine…

Another do nothing day....

With the weather being as screwy as it has been of late, I din't go to work today. They were saying flurries turning to rain this morning. But they were also initially saying cloudy weather on Wednesday, and we ended up getting close to two inches. But I think we've seen the worst of it now, so I'll be back to work tomorrow.....

So, today was essentially a do nothing day. I stayed home all day. Though I did bring my back-ups up to date (no small feat, considering how my Steam backups are close to a tB in an of itself. Though that's because I now back-up the whole program directory in addition to using the back-up tool).

Get me….

Get me razor blade, a straw, and a rolled-up hundred. Its currently raining cocaine in Parkland. Fortunately, it’s my day off, so I can enjoy the view, and hope that it clears up by the time I go back to work on Thursday.

Riding home on Saturday night, I encountered a phenomenon for the first time: a flat tire. Fortunately, I was only a mile or so form home, so I just walked the bike home, and then I patched it. Then when I got up on Sunday, and saw the white stuff being blown horizontally, I decided to Uber home that night. And last night, it was in the 20’s, but I rode the bike home. The two pairs of hand warmers I had in my sweatshirt pockets kept me from freezing (and the cardio I got from cycling didn’t hurt either).

But it’s still snowing today. ANd it’s my day off. Let it snow…

Render Unto Ceaser, 2018 Edition

Just filed my taxes. Online. At Mrs. Fields, courtesy of my laptop. The three months I went without health insurance (from getting fired from one job and starting another) did have an adverse effect on my refund this year, but I still came out ahead. I’m getting a refund. Now to wait and see if the IRS accepts my return, though it shouldn’t be a problem since I filed electronically….

On the bus home….

Went to Mrs Fields this morning to get my W-2 so I can file my taxes. Those will be in tomorrow. So, I’ll be in tomorrow again. Now I’m on the bus home. Blogging on my laptop. Almost forgot that I have a Sprint USB modem. Traffic in Federal Way to Puyallup os horrendous….

For some odd reason….

For some odd reason,, I want some cake today. I don’t really know why. Oh wait, now I realize why. Happy Birthday.

February 2…

It’s Groundhog Day. If the Groundhog see his shadow, then it’s 6 more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, then it’s an early Spring.

Actually, the real truth is that the Groundhog’s shadow is irrelevant. The Groundhog is irrelevant. If it’s February 2, then it’s just going to be another Bill Murray movie…

So, the state of the union was tonight…

And I didn’t watch it. I watched college basketball and hockey instead. There is enough incompetence and corruption in this administration that I don’t need to hear anymore of it. I admire his call for more bipartisanship, though. But let’s face it, his tax reform package that he just passed is essentially running up the nation’s debt to give the 1 percent a tax break. And the rest of us (who really can’t afford it) will end up footing the bill down the road.

Only under Donald Trump can the same party control both houses of Congress and the White House, and yet we still have a government shutdown.

But there is still hope. We still have the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The mid-term elections are coming up. America may not be in a good spot right now, but we’ll overcome. We have before. We even survived 8 years of Dubya. I just updated my voter registration recently, and I intend to make sure that my vote counts.

You can tell it’s my day off today

It’s my day off. I can tell. The sun was out today. And right when I take out the garbage is when the hailstorm passes through….

Just another day off….

It’s just another day off again. And yet I feel like today I’m mourning something I’ve lost when it reality I never had it. When I keep boating to myself that I have no ego, and yet I’m still reeling from that which I’m not supposed to have is still being bruised. When I keep bragging that I’ve let certain things go, and yet deep down, I’m still attached.

Sometimes I think it’ll pass. That I just have to keep vigilant. But it doesn’t. But I shall overcome. If not today, but tomorrow. Maybe….

Yes, I’m just another introvert with a blog….

So I was Googling tonight…

And I realized that one of my mentors who helped through some pretty bleak times (right around the time my Mom came out of the closet) had actually passed away almost ten years ago. There is something to said about the frailties of life. Never take it for granted. Take a moment now to tell your loved ones that you love them. Balance your worrying about the future with living your life today…

A not recommended use for a garbage can….

A laptop stand. Usually when I’m at the desk, I use the Tower. But there were times when the tower was down, or I had to do maintenance on the laptop. And so I set the laptop on the wastepaper basket next to my desk. Not really the best for the laptop or for keeping my room clean. So, I’ve invested in a portable desk (think TV tray) to set the laptop on over the wastepaper basket. This way, the laptop is not resting directly on garbage, and I can throw stuff out again. And it’s foldable, so if I want to watch the 55” set from my easy chair, it’s not the end of the world.

Another Tuesday off…

Day off today. Usual stuff. Did laundry (currently in the dryer). Main thing I did today was installing the fenders on my bike.Took a few minutes with a 4mm hex to install the front fenders. The rear fender/cargo rack just clamps to my seat post (it’s a quick release. Also with the rear fender came two reflectors, so I can use my old cargo rack, if I actually had to carry stuff. I had to raise my seat up to make enough space on the seat post, so after I installed the rear rack, I took the bike for a test ride in the apartment building parking lot, and I can still ride it.

If you remember I had tried running Windows 8.1 and gave up on it after encountering issues trying to restore my Steam games. So last week I went with Windows 10. And I also tried a different approach. Instead of using Steam’s backup/restore feature, I simply copied the Steam program directory from my laptop over to my tower. Problem solved….

The growth of data….

When I got my first computer, I specified a CD burner when I ordered it. And I could back everything up onto a couple of 700 megabyte CDs. Then the amount of CD’s I needed  grew, and though I added a second hard drive, I still needed about 20+ CD’s to do a system back-up.

So I bought a DVD burner, and larger and larger hard drives. Eventually, I became adept at using my second hard drive to back up my stuff. There were times though (like when I was partitioning both hard drives) when I had to back up everything to external media. I could do everything to 6 DVD’s at first. And the last time I did a DVD back-up set, it was 8 DVDs.

Then with my second computer, I switched to using my second hard drive for backing up my data (and I would pop the side of the tower off and unplug the drive so the data wouldn’t be corrupted if I had a system meltdown). I then bought an external USB hard drive enclosure, and I started using them exclusively for backing up. Archives were now in the size of 100-200 gigabytes.

At the time my second computer died, I was using 3 1 terabyte hard drives (2 in the tower, and 1 in the usb). After I got my current computer, I put a 4 terabyte drive in the tower, and I started using a 2 terabyte drive in the back-up drive, which was now backing up my laptop, too. Then, due to a sizing mistake when I visited Newegg last summer, I got an extra 4 terabyte, which is what I use now.

I’ve gone from a couple of 700 megabyte CD’s when I bought my first computer, to 1.2 terabytes that I copied over last night. And I have another 600 gigabytes that I might need….

So, here I am at my other job….

So, here I am at Mrs Fields. Main task is actually fixing the owner’s laptop. So I pulled mine to compare them side by side. His is slightly smaller, and is designed for more power-business use (why else would you have a fingerprint reader?). But he has a good laptop (even better, now that it’s running ubuntu). Then again, the drawback is that it’s running Linux, and my skills are limited. But I’ll what I can do.

No weekend for me this week….

Today and tomorrow are supposedly my weekend. From one job. But I had to go to Mrs. Fields today, ostensibly to fix the owner’s laptop. He didn’t bring his laptop. But I bought coffee, so he still let me in the shop. And I have to work there tomorrow. But I’m ready. Laundry is already done and put away. Though I’m still disappointed that I don’t have an actual, do-nothing day off this week. C’est la vie….

Almost a record….

I’ve had Windows 8.1 on my Tower for over a week. And we’re done. The issue de jour was when I restored my Steam backups. But my workaround for that was simple. Just copy the entire Steam installation from my laptop. When I went to restore my Origin games, my system froze. And then crashed. I’m now currently backing up certain files. And then I’ll probably go to Windows 10. Why not? It works on my laptop…

A Surprisingly Productive Weekend

I started out my weekend with the intent of doing nothing. Ended up doing quite a bit. Wiped my tower twice (seems like when I switch to a different OS, it usually takes a couple of tries to get it right). But I got everything going right on the second try. At least with my laptop, I still have access to a working computer. While the 1 tB of my data (documents and such) was copying over from my usb backup drive. I also adjusted the front brake of my bicycle (there’s something to be said about not wheels not squeaking and squealing at 1 in the morning). And I pulled out the pump and I put about 20 lbs. of air in my tires. I’m going to take my cargo rack off the bike as soon as the fenders that I ordered arrive. I was only using it as a rear fender, and I figured I might as well get a matched set.

Laundry was done yesterday, of course. But all things must come to an end, and it’s time to get ready for work tomorrow. Goodnight.

Try, Try, Try Again

Well, the first attempt at putting Windows 8.1 back on my tower went well at first. Got it installed, debloated, upgraded to Windows 8.1 Pro, resized the partition, and got the updates installed. And then I couldn’t open the Windows Store. I tried all my tricks, and no luck. So, I’m starting over.

I guess it’s a good thing that I have a laptop….

What’s for dinner tonight?

So, you take Papa John’s BOGO offer, and add a $25.00 gifts card that I got for Christmas, and what do you get? 2 extra large pizzas to be delivered in about 20 minutes….

It’s my day off today….

Start of another ‘weekend’ for me. Today’s agenda: laundry (2 loads), wipe the tower (yes, I know I do it too much), and does as little else as possible…

I’m not really worried about Specter and Meltdown. If it’s going to happen, it will happen. These bugs are in the hardware, and they’ve been around for the past 20 years. Besides both my tower and my laptop both run AMD processors, (and all the buss is how these affect Intel processors). These are more hardware bugs than software exploits, and the only real solution is to upgrade your processor. And I’m not going to just buy a new computer just to patch a bug that’s been around for 20 years. I’ll just live with it. Though I will install the Windows patches when the come available. Though from what I’ve heard, there are stories of the latest patch bricking AMD processor powered computers….

Wiped the tower again (like I’ve already mentioned). This time with Windows 8.1. Though I remember what happened a year ago when I tried Win8.1, and my power supply went up in smoke. Literally….

Maybe I’ll order pizza tonight. I got a Papa Johns gift card for Christmas, and it’s time to use it….

So some comments were made on New Years…

First it was Kim Jong-Un saying he has a nuclear button on his desk. And then President Cheetos-Face said he has an even bigger one...

Basically, two madmen (one of whom is supposed to be the leader of the free world) are getting into a dick waving contest. Something tells me that nuclear weapons and egos shouldn’t go together….

An unexpected journey. And an unexpected bonus….

I screwed up this most recent paycheck. I went to pay my bills, and the two credit cards that were due. And the electric bill. And my bus pass (I still need to take the bus most places. My bike is mainly for commuting home when I cant take the bus). Then there was the last Facebook ad that I ran for Mrs. Fields this Christmas. So, I was looking at being about $75.00 short when it came time to pay the rent…

Anyway, I got a text from my boss at Mrs. Fields to come in and set up his new printer. So, my day off (today) from my main job I go in with my laptop. First thing, I notice is that my laptop still remembers the store Wi-Fi password, even though I’ve wiped the laptop since I last logged on. Not that I’m complaining or anything. So, I set his printer up (basically installed the software on my laptop and configured it so he could wirelessly print from his cell phone). And then he gave me a paycheck. That I had not been expecting.  And he gave my a Christmas bonus, too.

Needless to say, I won’t be short when I pay the rent. And I can afford the next vial of insulin….

A slightly later strange trip…..

Normally I’d post this on New Year’s Eve, but circumstances dictated otherwise (I had to work). When the New Year began, I was at the Transit Center, waiting for my bus. Anyway, in no particular order, here’s what happened this year:

• I transferred to a closer location for work. There is a difference between a 20 minute walk to work vs. 2+ hours on the bus….
• I got fired. Never a good time.
• I got hired at another company. And two months later, they pulled me into the office and officially made me full time (yay benefits!).
• I bought a laptop. Along with it I’ve also upgraded the RAM, added a USB Blu-Ray, and a TV Tuner. It can now do anything my tower can do. In fact, this post is being written on it.
• I got a  bicycle. Uber is expensive. Owing to my schedule, I’m getting off the bus at 12:30 in the morning at the SR 512 Park and Ride. If I walk it, I get home after 2. Not going to happen anymore. With the bike, I’m home at about 1 or so.
• Dad had two strokes. He’s still in therapy, but he is making significant progress.
• I took over the Mrs Fields Store’s Facebook Page. Not really, but I was given administrator access, so I could write the posts. And this also includes the Facebook ads…
• I bought 4 pairs of shoes. The plantar fasciitis is almost gone (though I also think that the bicycle is helping that, too).
• I thought that I could do all my Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. And then every time I set foot in Worst Buy afterwards, I still spend at least 3 figures….

Basically, a lot of stuff happened this past year. But 2018 is just beginning….

Christmas has come and gone….

Tonight was the official Bryant Christmas celebration. I did my Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving, and as soon as I brought my packages home, I promptly forgot who was getting what. So I didn’t bother wrapping them, and I ended up just giving them out at random. But everyone was happy, and I learned a valuable lesson (never do my shopping that far out early again). But all my Blu-Rays and gift cards made it to recipients. And I even gave away my spare present (one of my Christmas shopping traditions, is to buy for everyone on my list, and then shop for one person extra, in case someone extra shows up so they don’t have to be left out).

Christmas has come. And now it’s gone. Good food was had, and a good time was had too. And yes, Pizza is a quite appropriate holiday meal. Though this will be all the celebrating I’ll be doing this season since I have to work New Years’ Eve and New Years’ Day. Perhaps I shouldn’t have told my boss that I quit drinking for years ago….

Finished….

Day 2 of 3 day Christmas break is over. And today, I’ve finished rebuilding my laptop. Tomorrow, we go out to Karen’s for the actual Christmas gathering. Though I’ve already given my brother his Christmas present. He got the Harry Potter Box Set on Blu-Ray….

Feeling much better now….

The cold medication has kicked in. I feel much better now. Happy Holidays….

Sorry I’m late…

I hope you’ve all had a merry Christmas. Normally, on Christmas Eve, there’s the Big Bryant Family Reunion in Olalla. I missed it this year as I had to work. The ookiness that I’ve been fighting for the past two weeks finally became a full-blown cold. So I spent the day at home, self medicating with all manner of hot beverages. Finally today, I got out of the house and got to Wally World for some cold medicaiton. I went for the über-strength severe formula. If nothing else, I will get my sleep…

Our actual Christmas celebration will take place tomorrow. Due to transportation issues (Dad is not yet cleared to drive). So My Christmas will be a couple of days late.

And hopefully, I’ll feel better…..

Split weekend….

Normally I get two days off in a row. But not this week. I had to take a sick day on Sunday, and so tomorrow, I’m coming in as a make-up day (I have enough paid time off to cover the shift I missed, but I don’t want to use it yet). So that made today my last day off before Christmas. Didn’t really do much. I did finish installing all of my Steam games on my laptop, and I set up my new TV tuner….

Both my computers are equal now

Today, I set up my laptop’s TV Tuner. Now there is nothing that my tower can do that my laptop can’t do. Though since my tower has twice the hard drive space, and there are a couple of programs that are activated on my tower than my laptop. But I can now watch TV and Blu-Rays on both devices.

Now I just have to remember to keep both devices current…

Sometimes, nothing is best..

Second day of my weekend today. Absolutely no errands were run today.Or yesterday. Sometimes the most important thing to do is nothing at all...

Now, with Christmas coming up, yes, things are going to get really busy, especially at work, so this is the time to do nothing. While I still can. It is also the only way I can get a day off in without spending 3 figures at Worst Buy (especially after you've already decided that your Christmas shopping is done). Next year, I'll go back to procrastinating to the very last minute. It'll be cheaper that way. No chances to go back and get something else....

Monday Night.

Due to a shift in my schedule, I’m off tonight. Which means watching Monday Night Football. Here’s to Tom Brady getting humiliated. Maybe someone can give him an atomic wedgie.

Sometimes, it’s not the cutting edge….

There are times when you have to be at the absolute bleeding edge. Then there are times when it is best to stay one step (or more) behind. Like when a new version of Windows comes out. Like my laptop TV tuner.

I ordered from Newegg a  Hauppauge 1595 WinTV-dualHD Dual Tuner USB. I didn’t think much of it since I have a pci-e TV Tuner in my tower that also manufactured by Hauppauge. The problem is that the tuner stick I ordered doesn’t have an analog tuner, which is what I need since I use a cable box. And it says so right on the device’s web page. But I didn’t bother looking, I just ordered. Oh well. Lesson learned. I’ve already ordered the right TV tuner, and I made sure to get the right one.

BTW, I ordered this one.

Back in the saddle.

Ordered my replacement quickrelease skewer on Monday from Ebay. I was told that it wouldn’t be till next Monday that I recieved it. It arrived today. And I just installed it. While I had both tires off (I had to take them both off to fit my bike into my sister’s car Sunday night), went ahead and checked the tire pressure. And reinflated them both. Then I installed the wheels. The tricky part was adjusting the brakes and the rear deraileur (I have disk brakes). But about 20 minutes with my bike multi-tool, and a screwdriver and everything is now ready to go.

Weather permitting, I will be riding in to work tomorrow…

Unhorsed…

That’s what I feel like. Sunday night, I got off work and rode the bike to the transit center to take the bus. Since the ride to the transit center is mostly uphill, I kept it in a low gear. When the grade lessened, and I shifted to a higher gear, I felt it jump at least two gears. I was able to manipulate the shifter, and got it into the right gear, and thought nothing more. Maybe I just need to tune it up on my days off.

Nope. It was worse. When I got to the transit center & dismounted (Soundtransit rules dictate that one must walk one’s bike at the transit center), my rear wheel just about came off. Both of my bicycle tires are quick-release, and my rear quick release skewer went missing. It was only my weight on the rear axle that was keeping the wheel on. Needless to say, I didn’t ride the bike anymore that night (got a ride from my younger sister that night). Got the bike home, and after a quick email exchange with the manufacturer got me the size of the skewer, and I’ve ordered a new skewer. Though it won’t arrive until next Monday.

For those of you keeping score, I have a Vilano Duece 650b. And the customer service at Vilano Bikes rocks…

Another day, another wipe…

This time, it’s the laptop. I’m not trying anything new. It’s still going to run the current version du jour of Windows 10 (currently Fall Creators update). The reason why I’m doing this is I want my account name to be the same across my computers (it’s easier for me to back-up and restore my files). I’m also applying what I’ve learned from installing software in my tower (what to install, what not to).

I’ve also purchased a USB TV tuner for it. So now, my laptop will be capable of doing anything that my tower can do. My tuner does come with an antenna, and I’ve ordered a splitter and a length of coax cable so I can hook it up to the box…

As previously mentioned….

My laptop is now running Windows 10 Pro. When I run Windows 10 on my tower, this is the version I run (since I bought the upgrade to Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center for it 2 weeks before Win10 came out), and I used that to upgrade to Windows 10, I use Windows 10 Pro in my tower.  When I got my laptop, it came with only Windows 10 Home, and so I had to bite the bullet and pay the $110 and change to upgrade it…

My midweek weekend…

Yesterday and today were my 1st days off since Thanksgiving. This year was my first thanksgiving where I had to work. But I sitll survived Black Friday #23.

If you may recall, I did all of my Christmas shopping 2 weeks ago. So, yesterday I ended up sleeping till two. Got a phone call from Mrs. Fields to readjust some prices, so I edited the price list. And then he wanted me to come up to the store to print it out. And I finished reinstalling all of my games on my tower for the umpteenth time.

Today, I went up to Mrs Fields. Mainly it was to print out the new price list. Then it was to adjust the cash register. Ordered a takeout lunch from Red Robin. But more importantly, I got out of the house. I had to rebuild my accounts in Mozilla Thunderbird in the tower, so I also went ahead and did that in the laptop, too. Oh, and I upgraded my laptop to Windows 10 Pro as well…

But, my weekend is soon to end. It’s time to pull my laundry out of the dryer…

Fired up the laptop tonight….

I usually do all my computing on the tower. But every once in a while, it is behooving to fire up the laptop and bring it up to date. Not just Windows updates. Most of the update I installed today were Steam related. Namely I installed the games that I’ve purchased since I last turned on the laptop.

But the laptop is now up to date. Even Firefox.

A few changes…

For years, my phone’s ringtone was the Squad 51 klaxon from Emergency!. And my alarm was the ‘Act 3’ klaxon from that show (you know, when they had to send out multiple units). And my text message tone was the ‘raindrop’ tone I lifted from my T-Mobile Shadow. Since I had to nuke my phone, I’ve changed things. When my phone rings, I’ll hear the Lumberjack Song. When I get a text, it’ll be Squad 51. When I get an email, it’ll be the Spam Song…

Just like a new phone…

So about a month ago, I decided to try to install the xposed framework on my phone. Which promptly broke the SafetyNet api status. But I figured I could just live with it. I never use Android Pay (I keep NFC turned off to save battery), and once the netflix app is installed, it is still usable. At the start of this week, however, I started losing root. So I had to wipe the phone and start over. This time, there will be no xposed. Though if I ever go back to running KitKat on my M8, it’ll be the first thing installed…

This was only the third time I’ve reinstalled the ROM on my phone. And it feels just like a new phone…

On gratitude, 2017 edition…

Since I’m working tomorrow, I’m celebrating Thanksgiving today. I thought it was going to be a Chinese takeout sort of day. There was nothing wrong with that. Sweet and Sour is always acceptable. But I got marching orders to put the Turkey roast in the oven, so Philip has other plans. There will be turkey this year… No, I’m not getting Thanksgiving off this year, but I’m not going to complain. I knew what I was getting into when I was hired. So, here is a little bit of what I’m grateful this year:

• My job. After getting fired in July, I was hired in August (acutally they made the job offer in July, but it took a while for the background check). And after two months, I was made full-time, and I now have health insurance again.
• Family. Dad had a stroke this year. Grandma fell and broke her hip (literally the weekend after I was fired). But they’re still around, and they still have there wits. THings may not be the same, but they’ll be alright.
• Imagination. Sometimes reality is a bit dreary, and it’s nice to take a few minutes to escape it. The caveat is however that you have to remind yourself to come back to reality. Remember moderation people…
• My friends. Be them friends on Facebook. Or co-workers. Or former co-workers. They can be there when you need a lift. Or a laugh…
• And the future. No matter what happens, tomorrow can always be better.

All Done!

Without going into where I work at, but it is safe to say that I’m going to be very busy during the forthcoming holiday season. So much that there is a legitimate concern that I wouldn’t be able to finish my Christmas shopping. So, today, I called up my older sister (since she has a minivan and a drivers’ license). Actually, she had previously promised to occasionally help out with my errands since I don’t have a car. Today was one of those days. First thing we did was fill up at Red Robin. Then off to Worst Buy, and I cleared off about 2/3rd’s of my list. Then off to Wally World, and checked off the last of it. And I also got a designated spare gift, just in case someone unexpected shows up.

It’s Bah Humbug or bust. But it’s done. And I didn’t just grab gift cards for everyone, either…

1 week in…

I’ve been using the Fall Creators Update for a week now. And I’m impressed. I am noticing a few compatibility issues with a couple of games that I really don’t play, but that’s also why I have two different virtual machines. It has the standard Google account support (I use google calendar and Gmail contacts). And there’s the Cortana integration (meaning when I get a text, it pops up on the computer, and I can even reply without grabbing my phone. I haven’t done much in 3D yet, but paint 3D is intriguing.

But main thing I like about the Fall Creators Update of Windows 10 is that I can now use Open Live Writer with a native spell checker….

15 years ago…

This actually happened Saturday, but between work and my most recent computer teardown, this is the first opportunity I have to write this….

Anyway it was November 4, 2002 that my younger brother picked me up from work, and decided I needed to go to the emergency room. And I was in no shape to argue. For those of you keeping score, it is called diabetic ketoacidosis. The emergency room was crowded, but I was so sick that I was seen right away, and that’s how I found out that not only was I a diabetic, but I was a type 1 diabetic.

This was November. Since the previous August, I was averaging about 2 hours between trips to the restroom. I was so much out of energy that I was coming to work 2 hours early to start opening the store off the clock, so I wouldn’t be that far behind. I had lost about a third of my total body weight, and friends were commenting about how I had lost a lot of weight. But I was in denial. I thought that if I simply cut sugar out, it’d go away (I was an adult, and I thought I had the adult onset type). But it doesn’t work that way.

The doctor said that had I gone home and went to bed that night that I most likely wouldn’t have woken up….

I just can’t leave well enough alone!

The very day after I finish reinstalling the software on my tower (actually at 2 this morning!), guess who was so impressed with the Fall Creators Update on his laptop, that he just nuked his drive. Again. But then again, I like being able to Cortana from my tower.

But mainly it’s I need to blog with a spell-checker….

Hab QuchDu' ghajbogh los angeles Dodgers SoS!

Klingon has two main purposes: Shakespeare and insults (btw, the title of this post translates to The Los Angeles Dodgers mothers have smooth foreheads).

Yes, I’m going to watch Game 7 tonight. For as much mind-control that The New World Order (Mind-Control Division) uses, I do tend to watch a lot of baseball. This could also be why I suddenly think that Belgium really exists….

I’m rooting for the Houston Astros. I’ve been teased too many times in the schoolyard to ever be a Dodgers fan.

I now have health insurance again!

As you may or may not know, I went full-time at work, and therefore became eligible for the company health plan. I just completed my enrollment, and I now have health insurance again. And I was also told by personnel (the lady who worked there is also a diabetic) that under the health care plan that the company offers, my wellness checks are 100% covered.

It’s good that I now have employer provided coverage. Though I did stick my head in the health insurance marketplace to see how much the prices are, and….

My opinions on healthcare are complex, and are worth a post in and of itself. Maybe later…

Under way with Fall Creators Update….

My laptop is now running the Fall Creators Update for Windows 10. Not only did I update it, but I also deleted the previous Windows install. There is no turning back. But I am impressed with it. Perhaps the next time (god forbid) that I decide I wipe the tower, I’ll use it. Though I hope it will be a while before I do that.

Halloween….

Tonight was Halloween. I figured this year I would give out the King Size Snickers to the Trick Or Treaters who would knock on my door. So while I was out today, I bought a few. I told the guy in line behind me my plans. And he saw I only had three of them. I told him I only intended to give out the three Snickers bars. He made a comment about me wanting to have my apartment egged. But there was a reason why I only got three snickers bars: Nobody knocked. I enjoyed the Snickers, btw.

Finishing up….

If you recall my last attempt to install the Fall Creators Update of Windows 10 on my tower ended up with me wiping the hard drive completely and going back to Windows 7. Tonight, I just finished reinstalling my software on my Tower (the all-essential MechWarrior and Flight Simulator games). But I am going to be working with the Fall Creators Update. After all, my laptop runs Windows 10.

Now the next time I decide to try something with my tower that involves wiping it, would someone please remind me how much of a PITA it is to put things back together. And that more likely than not, I’m not going to like what I’m trying?

But for now, it’s all good. The tower is back together.

Truth, Justice, and All That Is Pre-Shrunk & Cottony….

Day off today. So, I went to Worst Buy. Perusing the Blu-Ray aisle, I decided upon a suerhero movie. Didn’t go for the Marvel Comics Universe stuff. Nor did I go for that DC Comics crap. No, I got a superhero movie that all can enjoy: Captain Underpants.

So, about last week…

So, if you may remember the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update came out last week, and I went to try it. Used the Media Creation tool to download and configured a USB drive. I even made sure I had my hardware drivers on it, so I could be ready to go from the start. And then I decided to do a clean install. So, I nuked my perfectly working Windows 8.1 install, and then installed it. And it turns out that I had downloaded the previous version (the Spring Creators Update).  So, I did what any responsible computer owner would do (besides redownload the update): I nuked the computer again, this time going with Windows 7. Tonight, I’ve just brought my computer back to the way it was when I last nuked it…

Though, I’m going to miss the spell-checker in Open Live Writer.

BTW, I haven’t even touched my laptop, yet.

Drat!

Just when I get moved into Windows 8.1, and I get it configured into something I like, Microsoft goes and releases the Fall Creators Update for Windows 10. All this work on my past two days off is going down the tube because I have to try it…

Better get started, I have a couple of hours before I go to bed, and I have my laptop to update, too…

Got called into personnel recently…

So, last Friday, I was minding my own business at work. I go to clock in, and I’m greeted by a message to see personnel regarding my future employment. It turns out that I was hired as a part-time employee, but I had been scheduled for (and working) a fulltime schedule. So, they offered fulltime. Yes, please, and thank you….

Long story short: I’m full-time again. Right at the start of my company’s open enrollment period, too.

It’s a day off today….

Got home late last night. Went to bed. And then woke up 4 hours later coughing up a fit. Yes, it’s my day off, and I had plans. And I got sick. Hopefully I’ll be over it by the time I have to return to work (I’m still new to the job, and I haven’t accrued any sick time yet). But this means no Taco Tuesday today, and no visit with Dad.

Today (and probably tomorrow), the order of the day is to stay home, and drink some tea. BTW, work on the computer, too….

Ok, so a couple of weeks ago…

I decided to go with Windows 8.1 a couple of weeks ago. Ok, pulled out the system restore DVD set and set about restoring my system (it came with Windows 8.1). Then came time to set it up. Right out of the box, Windows 8.1 normally sets up your Microsoft account, but in this case it didn’t. Ok, so I set up a local account, then fired up the laptop and googled it. And it turns out that it was a Windows Update patch that went terribly wrong. Microsoft was blaming this on the September Cumulative Update, but my computer was having issues without that update (I think it was Microsoft’s server). After about a week, I went with Windows 10 on my tower until Patch Tuesday this week, when I saw that this matter had been addressed.

And after installing Windows 8.1 (and patching it), I can see that the Microsoft Account issue with Windows 8.1 issues have been addressed. And I’ve also properly sized my hard drive partitions for a Linux installation, down the road….

Another day off today….

My laundry is currently in the wash. The football game is on the TV. I did a little bit of bicycle maintenance today. Nothing big, just lowered my seat & the cargo rack. And I tightened the seat. Also went up to Mrs Fields, and bought the owner a slice of pizza. Bought a pair of headphones from Worst Buy for my phone, only to realize that my existing headphones already have the feature that I was looking for….

Oh, and I wiped my tower for Windows 8.1 this time….

Finally…

HR at my previous job had me spoiled rotten. A fixed schedule. Even more so during football season since it meant that I had Sunday and Monday off, so I can watch the games. And then I was let go. I’ve since found work, but here at the new employer, it’s pretty much up to the fates as to when my days off are. And so far, I’ve been working Thursday through Monday. So, I’m missing every game so far.

And then this week came. I was scheduled for Monday Night off. So I can watch a Football game. And a Star Wars trailer, too (spoiler alert: Luke Skywalker still gets recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier from Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada…).

BTW, it looks like I’ll be able to catch the Thursday night game, too….

Maintenance, Maintenance, Maintenance….

About a month ago, I noticed that one of my Yahoo! accounts was having password issues in Thunderbird. Due to security issues, I use a unique password for each login, so I generated a new password, and that was the end of it. However, that login was on my Tower, and the Mozilla Thunderbird profile in my laptop was a copy of it, and it was going to have the same issue (not really that big of a problem since the laptop runs Windows 10, and Windows 10 mail supports Yahoo!’s latest 2 factor authentication.

Tonight, when it came to install Thunderbird and Firefox in the Tower (as part of the rebuild I started Monday night), I took a few minutes and rebuilt all of my accounts in Thunderbird, and then recopied that profile into my laptop.

And for some reason Worst Buy keeps wanting me to reset my password. Their new password requirement are extremely onerous, and as soon as I get my passwords set on the tower & and I go to update the logins on my laptop, I have to reset my password again. I guess I should think twice before I shop there again…..

A couple of tricks here and there…

My very first tower (the Gateway PIII 866mHz running Windows ME) came with Microsoft Works Suite 2001. The computer eventually went to The Beer Volcano & Stripper Factory, but I held on to the Works Suite. And also right after I upgraded to Windows XP, I also got Encarta Reference Library 2002, Picture It! Platinum 2002, Money 2002, and Streets and Trips 2002. And I held on to the CD’s when the computer failed.

So, last week, I wiped my tower. I was trying to go with Windows 8.1, but Microsoft screwed it to the point that I couldn’t even sign into my Microsoft account. So yesterday, I went with Windows 10. And I realized that while even Microsoft says that these programs aren’t compatible with Window's 10, I had never tried it myself. So I started plugging the CD’s in. I got the programs installed, and with judicial application with compatibility mode, I got them to work. I’m not going to use them, since they’ve been obsolete for over 10 years, but I can get them to work….

Saw dad yesterday….

Well, in addition to it being Taco Tuesday yesterday, I also went to my sisters to visit Dad. He’s still improving. His mind is still there. He’s regaining the control of his right side (when I saw him in the hospital, he was eating with his left hand). I think the longest lasting effect from his stroke will be his speech. I can see this from his use of circumlocution. But you’re not going to get it back if you don’t use it, I guess I can help him by just conversing with him.

Rehabbing from a stroke is very hard work. And I can see the effort he has put into it to come this far. I will never call my dad lazy again (although to be honest, I never did to begin with)….

Does it really matter?

There was a shooting in Las Vegas Sunday night. My only comment on that is that I will not comment on it. Other than to say violence in all forms is evil. It doesn’t matter if your pro-gun, anti-gun, democrat, republican, white, black, yellow, red, or even purple. Your life matters. Everybody’s life matters. Tell those around you that you love them tonight before it’s too late…