Category Archives: Technology

Technology-related posts go here.

27 Months

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My non-weight-bearing status for my right foot was extended for two weeks due to not healing as quickly as the doctor would have liked. We’ve had a lot of rain, even into July, and that’s unusual for Central Texas. Unfortunately, the Texas Hill Country had almost 20 inches in a 24-hour period and experienced catastrophic flooding, causing extensive loss of life.

Two months of sitting around hoping a foot will heal has been counterproductive for getting things done. A friend is considering starting a local photography group, so that may be a way to get away from photographic laziness. I turn 65 next month, so I’ve been ensuring everything is in place for Medicare and all that. I updated my military retiree ID card for Tricare for Life, so now it truly is indefinite.

I’m taking it easy. Now that I can walk on my foot, I  reconfigured the house to have Jase back home. I purchased and assembled a catio to put on the front porch for the cats. Eventually, I’ll bridge a small doggie door from the door window by my desk so they can come and go as they please, but for now,  it will be standalone. Tarzan, Tartoo, and Hunter are out there now and seem to be adjusting nicely.

I think I’ve accepted that this is my life now. It isn’t terrible.

 

Six Months

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I’ve reached the six-month point. Life feels like it’s established a normal rhythm, but then it doesn’t. Sometimes things go smoothly for a while, then something will remind me that it isn’t. There are just a few things left to close out the estate — changing property deeds over to my name and paying taxes. I still have a whole lot more to do, but I can manage it in my own time.

The second property has been sold, and the proceeds have been distributed to the beneficiaries. The final portion of Alan’s retirement account still needs to be distributed. I have no say in that, but I’m monitoring it as a loose end. I had an unexpected opportunity for someone locally to pick up electronics recycling from the shop, so a lot of that task was taken care of sooner than I had planned.

I have estimates for the first two house projects — renovation of the porches and completing the driveway sills for the gates. I forgot to check the start dates for these projects, but the process is moving forward.

To help me design my new life, I’m re-auditing the Masker Key Experience class this year. It helps me focus on the good in life and how my new life is going to be going forward. I’m grateful to friends who continue to make this process seem effortless.

Zelda Says, “Enough of the Limelight!”

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I was slow to notice, but I’m sure you did. The last few subscriber emails have had the title, “Zelda Update.” Well, I know you now it wasn’t all about Zelda, but today she said, “Enough of this nonsense.” I think I’ve fixed whatever I did wrong in the RSS feed email configuration, but if I didn’t, I’ll keep working to prevent that sort of repetition. If there is repetition, it will be the blog title. This is part of the shallow learning curve for using MailerLite, which I much prefer over Aweber, by the way.

This is Exciting.

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As excitement goes, maybe not so much. For several months now, we’ve noticed the control switch on the oven has been misbehaving. As in, it turns itself on. As far as we know, it’s only been doing this right after we turn it off after using it. Today, I had steaks thawing on the oven rack. Why on the oven rack? Cats, especially Lady, like to tear into packages of steaks if I leave them on the counter to thaw. Sometimes the packages end up on the floor. This makes them less than desirable to think about eating.

I went into the kitchen a short while ago to get clothes out of the dryer to fold and put away. I heard the Preheat beep sound on the oven. I turned it off, opened the door, and sure enough, the styrofoam tray and plastic wrap had melted. It was not a pretty sight. Sorry. I didn’t think to take a picture. I just wanted to get it cleaned up.

I managed to salvage the oven from the mess, but I threw the steaks away. They looked fine, but I’m certain toxins from plastic and styrofoam had permeated them.

On a brighter note, I played my first gig last night. Mr. L is playing string bass with another couple who play classic country tunes — very classic country from before my time. They use a drum machine, and I offered to operate it for them (it’s the closest I’ll ever come to playing an instrument. I can’t even clap in time to music). We played at a small town community center about 40 miles away to a small but appreciative crowd last night. I rather enjoyed myself.

Tech Stuff: Spire

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I learned about this gadget from a Facebook ad. Normally, I scorn Facebook ads. Maybe my feedback to them about so many other completely irrelevant and uninteresting products is allowing them to hone in on what might truly appeal to me. Whatever the reason, I saw the ad for Spire … Continue reading →

Broken Links

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My Broken Links Checker is finally notifying me of what I’ve known since I merged the two web sites. Every single link is broken. I want to assure you, I’m getting them fixed as quickly as I can. In the meantime, don’t be surprised if you encounter missing images or … Continue reading →

Fresh Start

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I’m looking for a fresh start for my web presence. For a long time, I reserved several domain names, tried to blog in different areas for different interests, but I’ve been feeling drawn to consolidating my interests in one area. It’s not quite as bad as you may think. I … Continue reading →

E: Electronics

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I’ve been sort of a gadget junkie for years.  I try not to get carried away, meaning I don’t have the latest of every gadget.  I pick and choose.  I tried a GameBoy when they came out, but it didn’t resonate with me, so I sold it to a co-worker … Continue reading →