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.... 

Yippee-Ki-Yay Motherf*ckers!

So today is Christmas. Had the big Bryant Family Reunion last night. A tradition that still endures after Grandma Bryant’s passing. The gift exchange was White Elephant Style, and I brought an extra one just in case. It wasn’t needed. Lots of fun, good food, and I ended up giving my uncle a Klingon dictionary.

So this morning, I gave my brother 2 variations of Uno, and a Target gift card (that was actually the spare present I brought last night). This afternoon, we’re going to my sisters where bread is being shoved up a Turkey’s ass (it will be my first Gravy Volcano in years), and a secret Santa (I drew my older Sister, and she didn’t give me her list, so she gets what she gets).

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve written here. Yes, my cyber Monday purchase arrived, and I installed. And since it was replacing the system root drive, I had reinstall everything. And then life happened…. And in a couple of weeks, I’ll have to do it again, because SSDs were still on sale at Newegg. And I’m a fool.

Monday is normally my day off. I took PTO for Christmas Eve at work (overnights don’t work owing to being closed on Christmas Day). So I didn’t think anything about it when I wasn’t scheduled today (again this being my normal day off). Anyway, I found out right when I was leaving work yesterday that notwithstanding Monday night being my normal night off, and not being scheduled that night (I even screencapped my schedule), I was still expected to come in and work (apparently they couldn’t schedule me because I took PTO the day before, which they had to approve). And nobody communicated it to me until the very last minute. An email to manager later, and I was explicitly told not to come in tonight. I’m sure there will be an attempt at repercussions (retaliation does happen on a routine basis)…

So I survived yet another Black Friday….

Ok, for the record my day-job is in retail (I’m not disclosing where I currently work at as my opinions may not exactly mesh with my employer’s, and plausible deniability….)….

So this weekend I survived another Black Friday. In fact it was Black Friday #29. I thought it was #28, but I’ve apparently lost count. It started in 1995 at The Original Cookie Company (before the merger with/buyout by Mrs. Fields). Then Target (yes, I worked there for 3 1/2 months 25+ years ago). Then back to Mrs. Fields, this time with 2 stints in Corporate owned stores and 3 franchises. And then Home Depot. And now my current employer.

Anyway, several retailers that I purchase from (namely Steam, Gog, Spamazon, Newegg, etc.) started their Black Friday sales early. And I had willpower. I resisted. All weekend long.

And I get home from work Monday morning, and sat down to my computer, and Cyber Monday. I had resisted all the Black Friday sales. But my willpower has its limits. And I realized that the prices on SSDs are going to go up in the upcoming months. And there was a 4 TB one on sale at Newegg. And I could afford it just barely.

Long story short, I’ve just broken my promise to myself on no more computer upgrades….

Happy Shove Bread Up A Turkey’s Ass Day!

So, Happy Thanksgiving. Or, Happy Shove Bread Up A Turkey’s Ass Day. Owing to the work schedule, I have to work tonight, and my roommate/brother was invited out for Thanksgiving. So, for me, it’s just Thursday. But while I can’t celebrate with the excessive protein and carbo intake that is traditional for a day like this, I can still be grateful. I may not be sitting down to a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, I still have food in the pantry. I have to work tonight, but I’m still gainfully employed. I didn’t sleep that well last night, but I still got up and wore pants today.

Loosely translated, even though life may not be the best that you want it, it is still good. Always look for the good things and be grateful for them….

Well, it took about 6 hours….

Well, it took about 6 hours, but my laptop is usable again. Just for comparison, my Tower only took about 10 minutes to update yesterday….. I guess I have a usable laptop now. For another month, at least….

Just another slow night….

So I thinks it’s documented that I can’t leave well enough alone. Tonight, I’m redownloading my Epic games library (I think you can pretty much figure out why), so I set my downloads up and stepped away from my Tower. Sat down in the easy chair with my laptop (which again if you recall, I wiped completely 2-3 weeks ago). And it was slower than molasses. Yep. Patch Tuesday strikes again. Given the age of my laptop, the only choice I have is to just let it run its course. But that means I have two computers, and both are down for the duration. A part of me really wants to say that it’s that time of the month, but that just sounds too misongynistic….

I guess it’s India vs. New Zealand tonight in a World Cup semi-final, then…..

Just a reminder:

This is just a reminder. A courtesy, perhaps. But there is to be no Yippee-Ki-Yay Motherf*cker until you’ve stuffed bread up a Turkey’s ass.

One holiday at a time, people….

Just a lazy night off….

So, it’s my night off. And my tower is not running. I turned it off. I figured since I spent most of my vacation trying to get my laptop up to date and working, I might as well use it. So I’m sitting in my easy chair, rooting for the Dutch (England vs. Netherlands in the cricket World Cup). It’s also ideal for the ‘midday’ nap attack. When I had my big office chair, I could just lean back and have a quick snooze. But the chair broke, and I replaced it with a regular desk chair. It’s a better fit. I now have more space in my room. And from my easy chair, I have  a better sight line to watch my TV.

Now, about the tower: Sunday night, I pulled it out again. If you remember, when I put the Ryzen 7 5700X in it, I decided to go with my Wraith Prism cooler. Sunday night, I decided to put my Thermaltake cooler back in (no link, it appears to have been already disco’ed) mainly because it’s designed for 170w tdp vs. 105w tdp, And my processor averages about 30 degrees cooler.

Now about Sunday night: yes, I called out. I looked at the weather forecast, and saw that it was going to rain all night long, and my shoes aren’t the most waterproof. And then I woke up at 4 with the serious cast of the runs. A review of my time off showed that I had accrued sufficient sick time to cover my shift, so I used it. Good thing as I had to make another rush trip to the men’s room at 9, when I would’ve been normally on the bus… This was a decision that essentially made itself….

23H2 is underway…..

So apparently Windows 11 23H2 was released. Well, at least the .iso files so you can do a complete install. For those of us waiting to ‘update’, apparently Microsoft was working on patching the MCT, it should be out in a couple of weeks. But being the inpatient sort, and having just finished yet another system wipe, I downloaded the .iso file and used Rufus to create a usb flash drive (another advantage to using Rufus to create your usb media is that you can also disable the compulsory Microsoft account as part of the Windows 11 installation).

So skipping a bit, brother, I’m now on Windows 11 23H2…..

I have space in my room again….

For those of you keeping score at home, my really big office chair broke a couple of weeks ago. Last week while I was on vacation, I ordered the replacement. This time, I didn’t go for the really big, high-backed boss’s chair. I just went for a plain, desk chair. It arrived Friday, and today I dismantled the old, broken chair and assembled the new one. It’s much smaller. But, on the bright side, I now have space in my room again. Which means I can watch TV from my easy chair now. While using my now recommissioned laptop.

Oh, and I upgraded my processor. This time I went with a Ryzen 7 5700X. I was looking at the Ryzen 9 5950X, but the price is an issue. The 5700X was on sale at Newegg, and I figured save a few bucks. When I installed it, I also switched coolers, going back to the Wraith Prism, just because of the ease of installation. The TDP of this processor is 65w, vs. 105w of the 3800X/2700X that I was running before (and I still have, just as a backup…), so I should see cooler temps…

Having said that, I think that this will be the last upgrade I make to this computer. If something breaks, I’ll probably replace it, but I also need to remind myself that what I have is perfectly good, and this isn’t cheap….

Another first this fall….

Can’t sleep today. One of my UPS deliveries is signature required so I have to stay up for it. Which means I slept for most of last night. And as I woke up, the heat was on…..

For the first time this fall, it got sold cold it tripped the thermostat…

The turning of the seasons….

I can tell the seasons are turning. While I was able to take down the AC in my room earlier than normal, my window stayed open 24/7, and that was sufficient to keep my room comfortable. But now it’s down into the ‘30s at night. And this is the second night in a row that I’ve had to close my window. I may have to turn on the heat soo, but not yet.

It’s getting colder…

The Last Day….

Tonight is the last day of my vacation. Agenda tonight is: nothing. Except for the part about getting ready for the return to work. And another cricket match tonight (I should always take vacation during the World Cup).

Ordered a couple of items from Newegg this week, too. The UPS man should be delivering them tomorrow.

And all those posts about working on my laptop this week? This post was written on it. Hello World…

I’m awake! I’m awake!

Tonight would normally be a work night, but I’m still on vacation here. So I went to bed this morning, and somehow my alarm was still set as if I had to work. Side note: it was irrelevant since I got up before it went off.

So I’m up, showered, and I have a night off before me. Agenda: nothing….

Vacation Day 4 Status....

 I think this attempt to rebuild the laptop took. It just takes a lot of patience. Now I'm copying files over to it. In the Cricket World Cup, tonight's match is Australia vs. Netherlands. Hooray the Dutch. Though I'm probably going to take nap through it (I'm trying to keep my circadian rhythm constant as I work overnights).

So, onward with doing nothing...

Ok, so I did write it off as dead…

Ok, so I wrote the laptop off as dead. But by the same token, I now have nothing to lose. And I have three days left on my vacation, and I want something constructive to do. I can still work on it while keeping with my established goal of doing absolutely nothing, aside from watching the Cricket World Cup. Besides with the order I placed this morning with Newegg, I might need a backup system at least momentarily…

Vacation Day 3 Report/Update….

I slept all ‘day’ (I work overnights, so my ciradian rhythm is artificially maintained the opposite). Yesterday, I tried pushing my limit and staying up to the point that I could watch Monday Night Football. And I lasted only through the first quarter. So I pretty slept all night. First time in over 5 years.

Now I’m up for a few hours at least. And now I have to take a break from vacationing for a quick session of adulting. Namely the laundry. And possibly a trip to the grocery store. Than back to doing as little as possible for the next 3 days…

Success!

Success! or a Vacation: Day 3 Update…

Like I posted this morning, I had my target run delivered. And then for lack of anything else to do went back to screwing around on my laptop. Another session of Windows/Microsoft Update that lasted 3+ hours when the same updates on my Tower took only 3 minutes at the most. But I stuck with it being as it’s a 17.3” with a touchscreen.

But it finally happened. I succeeded in rendering it completely unbootable. Yes, I still have a restore flash drive, or I can just use a recent Windows 10 thumb drive to start over again, but what’s the point. It’s over 6 years old. Even more than that because I got it refurbished. It’s slow. I can’t just throw it out since I have my personal info on the hard drive, and it’s gonna be a (four letter word) to take it out. So, I think it will go into the equivalent of The Drawer.

I may end up rebuilding it again if I end up fucking up my tower.

Now to watch what I can of the Monday Night Football game…

Vacation Day 2 Update

Pretty much did nothing today. Needed a Target done, so I'm having it delivered. Decided to pull out the laptop and work on it some more. Currently watching Afghanistan and Pakistan go at it in the Cricket World Cup....

Tonight's agenda: nothing.... 

Vacation Day 1 Update

Currently watching India and New Zealand go at in the World Cup. It took a second wiping of the laptop to make it work. But it is patched and up to date. It is slow, and I’ve realized that I’m never going to use for anything productive (just a backup in case I fuck  up the tower). So I think I’m done with it for now. I’ve copied enough stuff over to it, so that if I ever have to use (God Forbid)….

And I think I saw a cricket match almost get called for fog….

End of update back to Vacation…

Vacation: Day 1 Agenda….

So the laptop still had issues, especially with hangups and freezes. Suspected a hard drive failure. Not that big of a deal (especially since the last time I turned on the laptop was over two years ago, when I rebuilt the tower). So this is just an exercise in the craft, more than actually using it for something productive…

Anyway, I decided to wipe it. First attempt was a system reset with the HP issued recovery partition. And it failed. Second attempt (successful, BTW) was with a Windows 10 22H2 flash drive. Also on the plus side: No HP bloatware that I have to uninstall…

Anyway, Day 1 agenda: work on the laptop, watch the Seattle Kraken on TV, India vs New Zealand in the Cricket World Cup, and the Rugby World Cup.

Failing that, the agenda will be doing as little as possible. After all, I am on vacation….

Vacation: Commence!

First of all: the laptop still works! It’s 6+ years old, and it’s a bit slow, but it still can turn on and surf the web. Proof: this post is being written on it.

So, a couple of weeks ago, I realized that I had three days’ vacation accrued, and thought it would be appropriate to use it. Booked it, and it was approved. Then, when the schedule was posted, I got an extra surprise: a bonus day off. I'm getting paid for it, but I’ll deal with that. So for the next 6 days, I’ off work.

Vacation: Commence!

14 Hours Later….

For those of us keeping score at home, I pulled my laptop out. Again. Literally the last time I turned it on was over 2 years ago. It took over 14 hours to patch and update it to the point of usability. There are still some thing I need to patch on it, but Windows 10 is up to date, and the current version of Firefox and Thunderbird are installed as well. I may actually be something productive with this….

It's been a couple of years.....

It's been a couple of years since I turned on the laptop. It's been so long that my brother put in storage....

A week ago I was at my computer, sitting in my big office chair. Nap attack hit. So I just lean back and rage a half hour snooze (it was my day off anyway, and that's what days is are for). And then I heard a pop, Ave my chair started leaning back even further. I broke it. Well, not exactly broken, but I can't lean back in it anymore. So, I cleared off my easy chair tonight. And remembered I still have a laptop. That I made Phil pull out of storage. 

It'll be a couple of hours before it's updated fully, but it still works. Battery is shot to shit, but that's par for the a 6 year old laptop.... 

Troubling Times Are Upon Us….

Troubling times are upon us, and I just have to say:

• Israel has a right to exist.
• The Palestinians have a right to exist.
• Hamas is a terrorist group.
• What happened Saturday night/Sunday morning was reprehensible.
• Targeting civilians deliberately is wrong. Period. This applies to both sides.
• What faith you practice is irrelevant. What your political leanings are is irrelevant. A war crime is a war crime. This applies to both Hamas and Israel.

What happened this past weekend was deplorable. And so is the ensuing retaliation. No matter who wins, it will be the innocent civilians who will lose. Make no doubt about it, this is a tragedy all around, and without peace, there will be no winners.

Shiver Your Timbers! Buckle Your Swash! Arrrr!

Today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day! Normally I’d call for a splicing of the main brace, but I gave up drinking almost 10 years ago, and I’m not really in the mood to go there again. But still, fire off a few broadsides, go out and plunder, and (optionally) make somebody walk the plank…

And it is also the day after my Grandmother’s birthday. So let me get a bottle of rum, and yo-ho-ho I’ll pour one out for her….

Just got a friend request….

So I just got a friend request on Facebook. It came from one of my friends who apparently had a second account. Or so I thought. So, I accepted it (based on the it appeared to be a carbon-based life form, and not a scammer). And within 5 minutes of accepting, I get a DM from them. Just the generic hey. Which for some reason raised a flag in my head. So I responded the same way I do with scammers and ‘compromised’ accounts: I blocked him. It’s not personal, it’s just me protecting my online presence. Especially since I had to change the password to one of my Yahoo accounts again after setting up Outlook last night.

So, there’s a new Outlook Preview out….

Actually it’s been out for a while, but a recent update to it means that you can use your IMAP mail service as well. I set it up tonight. And then I set up Outlook 365, and there is apparently a way to sync my google calendar with it. I think that Microsoft is trying too hard with this. The Mail and Calendar apps that are already with Windows 10 and Windows 11 already work perfectly fine. But Microsoft says they’re going away. Presumably to shove more ads down your throat (which I don’t see as I use a HOSTS file to kill most of the ads), since the new Outlook (aka LookOut!) is just a webmail shortcut.

But this was just an exercise is setting them up. There is a reason why I prefer to use Mozilla Thunderbird…..

I Think I’m Going To Regret This…

I think I’m going to regret this when the weekend comes, but I just took down my AC. Especially Saturday. One app is forecasting 84, another one is forecasting 78. But I’ll risk it. I just paid the electric bill (see the previous post), and I think my window fan can keep my room cool. For now. I hope.

Adulting is hard….

Turned 50 a couple of weeks ago. No candles were on my cake due to a burn ban being enacted that same day by the Fire Marshal, and I wanted to set the example….

So yesterday, my brother wrote me a check. Our financial arrangements are that I pay all the bills and he pays me a lump sum to cover his share of the rent and the bills (since the cable and phone bills are in my name. The electric bill is a joint account). Last night, I went to endorse and deposit said check (mobile phone photo deposit is a good thing). And as I was endorsing said check, I wrote the wrong account number. Having had experience with checks bouncing due to scratching out, I decided not to take the risk and I tore the check and asked my brother for a different check, which he wrote. Endorsed it, and pulled my phone to deposit it. First error message was that it was unable to read the account number. Then it couldn’t read the amount. So, finally I had to ask my brother for a third check. Endorsed it, and this time I was able to deposit it.

I think the problem here is what Mother once described: my brother and I both have Dad’s handwriting… There was another incident that happened 28 years ago when we got our first apartment in Puyallup. We each filled out our application and turned them in. And then a couple of days later we both had to go down there again and physically show our social security cards, and they couldn’t verify the numbers (apparently one number came back as ‘deceased’). We did get the apartment, though….

And after all this, I was able to pay the rent. Then I paid the phone bill. And I know climate change is real. Because usually August was once one the lowest electric bills in the year, as the windows were usually open, and we just ran with fans. Now, because we have AC (two portable machines), August now features the highest electric bill….

Paying bills on my day off. Adulting is hard….

All Things Must Come To An End

All things must come to an end. Including vacations. Now is time for me to retire. And go back to work tonight.

And last night I also decided to go back to Windows 11. For some reason it just looks better than Windows 10…

So I got a text from my brother this morning….

This morning while I was ‘adulting’ in Wally World I got a text from my brother asking what I wanted for dinner tonight. A thought about the matter, and I replied spaghetti. Then I added ‘or spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, baked beans, spam, spam, spam, and spam’ (think the spam sketch). So he came home, and I snuck a peak into his shopping bag and saw spaghetti noodles. So, a while later, and I stick my head into the kitchen and he’s chopping and sauteing. And I noticed something different. He’s making spaghetti. With spam. What started as a gag text went full UNO reverse. Oh well. Live and learn. And it was good. In fact it was even better than his normal spaghetti.

BTW, it was my birthday today. Received lots of well-wishes on Facebook, and I tried to respond to them all.

So tonight is the last night of my vacation. All things must come to an end. But I only have to work 2 nights, and then my regular weekend starts….

Vacation Day 3: Report

Yes, I’m on vacation. But today was also payday, and adulting is something that sometimes you really can’t take off from. So I paid bills. And now I’m back to being broke. Did nothing last night. Aside from the Nap Attack. Weather forecast has it to be slightly cooler today than this past week. So hopefully I can get a full night’s sleep in one sitting….

Vacation: Day 3….

Nothing is on the agenda and I think will be the day that I actually achieve it. Finally got to Wally World this morning (since my circadian rhythm is fucked up, that counts as yesterday). The heat of the day has past and the AC is finally cooling my room down to a livable temperature. Even with both AC’s going, my apartment is still in the 80’s when the heat of the day hits. The AC in my room is generally good for bringing the temperature down about 20 degrees compared to what it is outside. So at about 5-ish when it finally got too hot for me to sleep, and I see that my AC has it down to 78, that tells me that we’re pushing three figures outside. In a semi-related story, I can’t sleep if it’s the mid 70’s or higher…. I think a nap attack will in order later on tonight…

Vacation, Day 2: Update, Yet Again….

After I put my laundry away, and started on the Diet Coke that I had purchased on the grocery store run, at about 11:00, the nap attack hit. So last night I did what most everybody does during nighttime. I slept. Now I’m up again and watching a rerun of a The Premiership match (btw Peacock carries Rugby).

Current Agenda: Another attempt at Wally World. And all the while, downloading all my games again, after wiping my computer on Monday. I’ve already reinstalled all the software I need to by something resembling productive on my computer, but we all know that not why I have a computer….

Vacation Day 2: Update

Got some laundry done. Yes, I’m on vacation,  but I still have to adult. And I now don’t have to worry about it for a while. And I was also able to get to the store today (basically, my usual Tuesday morning errands were done 1/2 day late).

Now to resume sitting on my ass….

Vacation: Day 2…

So after the aborted attempt to shop and Wally World this morning, I then decided to try and sleep off the heat wave. Ended up waking a couple of hours ago, and I couldn’t go back to sleep….

So, right now, I’m chilling in my air-conditioned room, watching the Mariners game. I should try and venture out to the store later….

Vacation Day 1: Final Report...

Didn't do laundry. Went to the local Wally World, and then decided I didn't need anything, so I came back home (the fact that there were no hand baskets, Ave nobody knew where they were at didn't contribute to my effort to stay there either.

Now I'm going to bed early age sleep of the great wave. No plans for 'tomorrow' as it should be on vacation days.... 

Vacation: Day 1 Update...

 Got home about an hour late. Actually even later than that, as I had to take the side trip through Puyallup, and so I got off the bus on Pacific Avenue right when that trip was cancelled. So I walked the final 24 blocks home. Right when it was getting into the '80s (yay heat waves).

So I get home and my first official act of my vacation was to peel off all my clothes and take a shower. And turn on both AC's.

Then I did the stupid. Decided I wanted to run Windows 10 more than Windows 11. And so I nuked it. Again. But on the bright side of this is that there was a recent major update of Mozilla Thunderbird, and I was able to get it to play nice with my google calendar and contacts (again)....

Woke up earlier this evening and ordered pizza. It is currently 2:20 in the morning (still on the work overnights, sleep during the day routine). The remainder of my 'day' will probably be watching TV, and a possible trip to Wally World and laundry run later in the morning....

Vacation: Resume...

Vacation: Commence!

Well, today starts my vacation. Nothing much is planned. I'm fact, doing nothing is my plan.

I just got off work, And my vacation is starting off proper. Both busses that I would normally take have cancelled there trips. So after a Subway break, it's the scenic route through Puyallup....

Vacation: Commence! 

Not Sleeping In Today….

For the past 5 years or so, I’ve worked nights and slept during the days. Today was no exception. Being a day off tonight, I should’ve slept in. But no. I was dreaming about closing at Mrs. Fields. So I got up early. I already know how to close Mrs. Fields, and I don’t need to reenact it in my head. Besides, it’s been over two years since it closed, well over 5 years since I worked a closing shift there, and well over 10 years since I worked there for anything more the 10 in a week. So I got up.

Commence excessive coffee intake. BTW, I got Pumpkin Spice creamer today….

I’m still here….

Yes, it’s been awhile since I’ve written here. Sometimes life just gets in the way. Or more likely I’ve been too busy trying to fuck up my computer, constantly floating between Windows 10 and Windows 11. Windows 11 has won. I just need to remind myself that every time I start this I’m going to end up exactly where I started.

But I’m still here and I’m still wearing pants…

Begin: Yet Another Weekend....

So my weekend has begun. Normally I get home, kick my shoes off and immediately turn on the TV. If laundry is on the agenda, it normally waits till Tuesday morning. But for reasons, I did my laundry right when I got home today. May have something to do with fact that die to the holiday last week, the laundry romms weren't unlocked on time and I said fuck it.

In a semi-related story, I have enough socks and boxers to go three weeks without needing to do laundry.... 

‘Murica! F*ck Yeah!

So, once again, it is the Fourth. I’ve heard that some people don’t know why we celebrate it. I’ll answer the question: We celebrate the Fourth to commemorate George Washington single-handedly defeating Genghis Khan, Mecha-Streisand and Rodan.

And so we celebrate it by getting drunk, blowing ourselves up, and eating hot dogs. As for me, I just got back from Wally World with hot dogs for tonight. I quit drinking in 2003, so that’s out, and I’ll watch the trained professionals blow themselves up on TV,

‘Murica! F*ck Yeah!

There and back and there again….

Ok, so I had Windows 11 running on my computer for a month. I was happy. I didn’t need to wipe it completely. Note: I said that I didn’t need to wipe it. But I did anyway (reasoning be that it’s my computer, and I was basically bored). Put Windows 10 on it. There were some issues from the get go, namely a couple of apps that I used from the Windows Store (like AccuWeather) didn’t show up, but I worked around them. After a week, I decided to go back to Windows 11. So wiped the tower again, and started over. And a week ago, after finishing setting up Flight Simulator X, I messed up the file associations for Office. And I decided to nuke it from orbit. Back to Windows 10. This time, everything went well. And then tonight, I figured just fuck it and go to 11. Though this time, I went the upgrade route (normally I prefer not not to do this, but it appears to work well).

So, after three weeks and change, I’m back to square 1….

Almost 6 years later….

It’s been almost 6 years since I left Home Depot. Since I walked out of the store I’ve had nothing to do with them, aside from my taxes at the end of that year. And of course friends who still work there (there are certain bridges you don’t burn even if you do get fired). It’s not a bad place to shop at for home improvement, but still some triggers are best avoided….

So fast forward to today, when I get an ‘invitation’ to apply for a Home Depot card. Hard Pass….

I think I just placed my last Newegg order….

I think I’ve just placed my last Newegg order today. Their customer was always good, and they’ve seen to it that idiot UPS driver were properly ripped new ones in the past when things went wrong. But when I go to order a new charger for my phone, and I get greeted with 4 pop-up ads in a row for Rakuten related services, then I need to reevaluate whether or not I really need to shop there anymore.

Sorry, Newegg, it’s not me. It’s you…

Another hat in the ring….

I’m not going to endorse any candidate for President, yet (it is far too early). I will say that when I vote in 2024, it will be for the most qualified candidate. Mike Pence has thrown his hat into the ring, and declared his candidacy. I’m not going to endorse him, and I’m probably not going to vote for him. But I will say that he is the most qualified Republican so far. Cheetos-Face’s campaign will probably end with him locked up and facing multiple felonies. Ron DeSanctimonious is too far to the right, and some of his actions with migrants are bordering on human trafficking. And he’s also yet to learn that you don’t fuck with The Mouse. But Pence, let’s remember that on January 6, he was presiding over the certification of the Electoral College, and he shut down attempts to introduce “alternative electors” (no wonder why they wanted to hang him in the ensuing riots).

No, I won’t be voting for Mike Pence. Yet. But he is the most qualified Republican….

7 Years Ago….

7 years ago today, I went to Mother’s apartment…. A subsequent call to 911, and the responding fire personnel immediately called out the chaplain…

But enough about the circumstances about Mom’s passing. Let’s shake up a 2 litre of Safeway Strawberry Soda, chug a plate of deviled eggs, and walk up and down every aisle in the local Walgreens. And pour one out for Mom.

May Barbara Bryant continue frolicking in the Beer Volcano and Stripper Factory…

Ok So I didn’t need to panic….

So I didn’t need to panic last night. I did have coffee. In my pantry was a box of my last Smart Sips K-Pods, with three pods left. And when my brother woke up, he told me that put my K-Pods into the pantry, where I found them. With the tea, on a different shelf. Meanwhile, I had also placed an order for delivery, which just arrived, which included more coffee, along with some other groceries (I now prefer delivery when I need to get perishables, since I have to take the bus everywhere)…

I rebuilt my system three weeks ago, and I’m still happy with it. Normally by now, I’d get the wanderlust to go back to the previous version of Windows (especially when I was running Windows 7) only to go back to the current version 4 hours later… With my current motherboard setup (AMD X570 chipset for those of you keeping score at home), it was every two week, switching between Windows 10 and Windows 11. Or it could be when I run into something that I couldn’t fix right away, and I decided to nuke it from orbit, when all I needed to do was change a simple setting…

Sometimes I just need to remind myself that if it ain’t broke, then I shouldn’t try to keep fixing it…

Ok, it’s time to panic…

I’m out of coffee, that’s all. Everybody Panic!

Ouch…

Normally, I don’t post online when I call out from work. But I have been dealing with a blister on my foot, probably caused by my Columbia’s wearing out. I can’t afford to replace them right away. But I don’t want to spend 8+ hours limping tonight. So, I’ve called out tonight to give my foot an extra day to heal.

In a related story, if you need to drain a foot blister, the lancets you use in your blood glucose meter work really well. They’re short, sharp, and sterile….

Now back to radio silence for the night….

2 Bags of Garbage Later….

Laundry Day today. 2 loads washed, dried, and put away. And I decided to start a Purge. And by Purge, I meant cleaning my room. Usually, it’s a multi-day project, but I have to start somewhere. And today, it was my never used Easy Chair. Never used because of all the junk that was on it. Like my previous video card (still works, so into the Drawer). And a never-used USB 3 hub (right after I ordered it, I found another one that I liked, so I ordered that one. Still in the box, so into the Drawer again. I also found all three umbrellas that I thought I lost (could’ve come in handy during the past wet season). So that was the first bag of garbage.

Then my next Target was right in from of my TV. A lot of junk. Trashed. Then my TV stand. A lot of stuff on the bottom shelf that I never used. Like my electric tire pump (foot pump works just as well). Trashed. Old video cables. Trashed (I have the sad habit of just ordering new cables if I can’t find one right away). Old DVD burner from my HP 500-314 tower. Trashed, replaced by a Blu-Ray drive from when I was using the tower as my Blu-Ray/streaming box. Now I just use a Blu-Ray drive, and I can access all my streaming services via my cable box (with a voice activated remote).

These were only two areas in my room, and I filled up two 30 gallon bags. This is a work in progress. But I can sit in my easy chair again (though I should look into getting rid of it completely). And I can now walk from my bed to my door….

Finally After 4 Years….

<A History>

I use online game stores. A lot. It started with the Microsoft Store when I first started using Windows 8.1/Windows 10. Then came Steam (I actually initially set up Steam back when I was using Windows XP, though I never purchased anything through it). Then through the grapevines I heard that EA games had Origin (now the EA App), which had a recurring on the house game special. So I started with the free games. Then I was looking for SimCity 3000 (after realizing the CD-Rom version would no longer work), and I came across GOG. This is where I get a lot of my older games. Good thing about GOG is that when you buy the game, an offline installer is usually available, so you really don’t need to install GOG Galaxy to install the game, though I use it. Somewhere along the line, I had to install Ubisoft Connect because of my Steam Games required it, and they have a store, too. Somewhere along the line, I learned that Spamazon offered free games through Twitch if you have Amazon Prime. And they do. Though the Twitch app has long gone away, there’s still the Amazon Games App. They offer about 5-9 games a month, at least, and they’re still yours even if you leave Amazon Prime.

</A History>

When I built my computer in 2019, the video card I installed had a promo for free copy of World War Z. Available on Epic Games Store. They normally offer a free game every week. And now, I have filled up half of an 8 TB drive with them. But tonight is when I finally bought something from them (some DLC for Sim Meier’s Civilization VI).

And after all this there are still games that I have that I can’t install for various reasons. That is also why I still have my Windows ME and Windows XP virtual machines….

Our first heat wave….

We had our first heat wave this past weekend. Although since I sleep during the day and I have a westward facing window, I had previously set up my AC a few weeks ago, when the temperature first start hitting the ‘70s. I guess summer is here.

Mother’s Day was Sunday. May Barbara Bryant spend all eternity frolicking in the Beer Volcano and Stripper Factory….

So Cheetos-Face was found liable in the recent lawsuit, and the jury also stuck him for $5 million in damages from it. And he can get sued again for his comments he made after the verdict was rendered. Character is required to hold the office of President, and openly advocating sexual assault is an automatic disqualifier.

Wiped my computer again last week. Windows 10 works perfectly fine, but the urge to go with the latest and greatest was irresistible. So I went and installed Windows 11 again. Learning the lessons from computers past, I did not do an upgrade install. I just went with a ‘clean’ install. And this time, I even got the start menu set up to my tastes (the start menu is usually the reason why I end up going to the previous version of windows).

Change is in the air….

According to Foreca, it is forecast to hit 69 today. 78 on Friday. And 80 on Saturday. Since I have to sleep through the heat of the day, I thought today would be a good time to set up my AC. Yes, I’ll have to deal with the noise from the compressor, but it’s easier to sleep through that than try and sleep through the heat of the day…

There have been a couple of incidents in the past couple of weeks where I’ve gotten on my usual bus, but it was so late that I’ve missed my connection in Tacoma, and I ended up an hour late. Yes, I’m treading on thin ice with regards to attendance at work. So, on weekdays, I’m now catching the next earlier bus. Which means leaving for work an hour earlier. Which unfortunately means an hour less sleep….