Daylight Saving Time

Yay!  An extra hour of daylight for me.  Well, I get up late, so morning light is just wasted on me.  But 6 pm sunset suddenly becomes 7 pm sunset.  I love it!  😍

I know some people don't like it, but I sure do...

Emerging Daffodils

The earliest established daffodils are up.  Not blooming yet, but leaves about 4" high.

They will look like this soon.

I expected the gradual emergence about now.  My excitement is that some of the ones I planted in early Winter are showing up.  Planting was delayed because they arrived late, the weather was cold, it was a new spot, I needed to cover the spot with brown packing paper (to smother grass), shovel several inches on 50-50 compost/topsoil on top of that, my hip hurt, and I had to drill 250 holes.  The drill auger helped...

Because they were planted late and Spring bulbs need a certain amount of "chill time" to get out of dormancy and develop roots, I wasn't sure if they would emerge this year or just sulk until next year (if ever recovering).

So I am pleased to say that at least 25 (so far) have sent up leaves.  That suggests that more are on their way up.  I check each day and see a few newer leaves each time.  

Yay!  😁

Glasses Lens Loose Again

The right lens popped out again.  Fourth time in the four months since I bought them.  It's maddening.  There's no logic to it.  Last time, the technician said the frame screw wasn't loose, the lens just didn't fit the frames well.  This time a different technician said she added "screw-lock" to the screw hole.  Screw lock is tiny metal scrapings in oil that get crushed around a screw when it tightens to help hold it into place better.  Apologies if you knew that, but I never know who knows what.

I can't decide which to do if the lens comes out again.  I could fuss with the store about a free replacement (maybe in a plastic frame).  Or I could put on some latex gloves, grab a toothpick, and carefully superglue the damn lens in place!

My 2014 eyeglasses lens seldom fell out.  About once a year when the frame screw became loose.  And when one did, it was a simple matter to use my magnifying headstrap and jeweler's screwdriver to replace and retighten it.  

But I can't seem to tighten the screw on the new frame.  Even my magnifying headstrap isn't clear.  Maybe it is a hex-head or square-inset type.  I'll have to get out my jeweler's loupe to see it better.  Yeah, I have some weird stuff, LOL!

I'm glad my prescription hasn't changed much since 2014.  The old glasse are about the same as the new ones, but the old ones are a bit abrded from years of being kept in my shirt posket.  But I can still read a newspaper or the computer monitor with them.  They function when the lens of the new one pops out...

  

University Of Maryland Basketball

University teams have good seasons and bad ones.  This year has been good for both the Men's and Women's team.  They are in the "Big 10 Conference", but it actually has 18 teams these days.  The Conference Tournament ended yesterday.   

Both teams ended up the #4 seeded teams.  Which means they both get 2 "bye" days.  Which means lower-seeded teams have to fight it out for 2 rounds before Maryland even has to compete.  Which means no "early-out" and a couple days of rest and practice.

Both teams have been on fire the last couple of weeks, beating ranked teams.  I suspect both will reach the championship games.  Maybe one will even win.  I will be watching...

Go Terps!

I sometimes have to laugh at such an odd mascot.  I mean, a turtle?  But the University of MD started as an Agricultural College.  And we DO have a lot of terrestrial turtles around here.  Not too hot in Summer, not too cold for hibernating in Winter.  So I suppose it fits...  And I suppose enough Universities have Eagles, Falcons, Panthers, and Lions as mascots already.  As far as I can tell, as a mascot, "Testudo" (the diamond-backed turtle) is unique to the University.

There is a large 4' bronze statue of Testudo (in a normal turtle position) in front of the university library.  Students frequently rub the nose before going to take exams for good luck.  

I'm not REAL big on sports in general.  But if I watch them, it might as well be a local team.  LOL!

The Mews

I have mentioned this briefly before, but I want to elaborate...

Dring the day, I feed them, let them go outside and kind of keep s watch over them.   When they are inside, I toss toys and let them sit on my lap when I watch TV.  They are usually around me somewhere in the main living areas.

After sunset, I count them to make sure they are all inside, safe from "whatevers"

But there is a time after dinner when they all seem to want a nap.  It is a quiet time.  They each have some special places they prefer, but it is not always the same places each evening.  

So I get out of the chair and walk around the house quietly.  Four cats, maybe a dozen typical places for them.  I just walk around to look at them at peace.  It soothes my sometimes contentious mind.

Seeing a cat asleep is a peaceful thing.  I'm sure they know I am there (you can't sneak up on a cat even when it is asleep).  But they trust me enough to not even wake up fully.  I think that is wonderful.

So I go around the house, finding where they are and just looking at them trusting in the shelter of the house, stuffed full of food, and feeling safe.

I am sometimes amazed that these essentially wild creatures can live with me.  Dogs came to us as wolves for food scraps and we slowly changed them.  Other animals were forcibly tamed.  Cats don't really need us, but they seem to like us.  They are what they were millennia ago.  OK, a bit of fur-color changes, but the body of a cat is the same as it was.  

I let mine outside several times a day.  I have a tall 6' dog-proof fence.  They seem to understand that it defines our territory.  The younger ones can get up on the fence top, but they seldom go over it.  They know where "we" belong.  

So, when I walk around the house at dark, I'm just looking at them and marveling.  They are here by choice.  They could leave and find a new home anytime.  I'm not saying I am a perfect human, but apparently I'm "good enough" for them.  I like that...

A Small Computer Victory

 My new laptop has only a power port and 2 USB-C ports.  Very annoying.  Couldn't plug in a flashdrive or much anything else.  But I did find a 3" USB-C to USB cable so I could atattch a wireless mouse plug.  So it worked OK.

And it suddenly occurred to me that the same cable would work with any USB connection.  DUH!  I am so dumb sometimes.

I had 4 of those cables already (came in a pack of 5) sitting in a box on the bookcase.  But they weren't in my "big bucket of cables" so I didn't realize I had them.  

Other than that, Sunday was a pretty typical day.  I got up at 2pm after 10 hours in bed (I don't sleep great).  Got up, pulled on sweatpants and a T shirt, fed the cats and then let them outside, and checked blogs and emails.   Got the newspaper and mail (Saturday's).

I'm really going downhill fast.  But my awake time is pretty productive, so maybe that's not all that bad.  I hauled out the stepladder to refill the birdfeeder, did the dishes and 2 loads of laundry.  Added some air to the car tires.  Cleaned the litterboxes.  It's not like I just sit in front of the TV.  I'm actually on my feet about 6 hours a day.  But I do have to stop eventually...

Wasn't hungry, so I skipped breakfast and lunch.  Dinner was ham cubes with cabbage,  And a large tossed salad.  Watched some MSNBC.  Tried to find a movie worth watching.  Started 'Civil War' on a recommendation, but didn't feel in the mood for political thriller. so I turned it off.

Tossed toys around with the cats.  And they take turns on my lap.  Which we all enjoy.  And they were all around me on the bed later.  Hard to get a picture of that though,  If I turn on the bedtop light at night and turn the camera on, they leave.

Went to bed at 11 pm after watching a Bill Maher show I missed Friday.

That's what "old guy" life is like...  👴

Annoying Recall Notice

 The bad...  My electric Ryobi mower is on recall.  I received an email from them about that.  Directed me to a phone number or a website.  I thought the phone call would be easier.  I was sure wrong about that!

I called the number Friday.  Got an agent quickly (yay).  Gave her all the information she asked for (so they could set up a case file).  She said I would immediately receive an instruction email about disabling the old mower and they would send me a replacement.

I didn't receive an email...

So I called again yesterday.  It was a complete experience of ineptitude!  I guessed (correctly) that they had gotten my email wrong.  Even though I carefully provided it letter by letter (and spoke very clearly).  So this time, I had basic military code words written down for my email address ("Alpha" for A, "Bravo" for B, "Charlie" for C, etc.  

The agent still got it wrong 3 times!  It was maddening.  Even when I asked her to repeat it back to me, she used wrong words.  How can you mistake "Bravo" for "Victor"?  But we finally got that worked out.

Then came my address.  I recognize that my street name is not common.  There is a B where a V seems more likely.  But I gave it to her code word by code word.  And she got that wrong twice.  Apparently, she couldn't type accurately.  And let me say that I'm only saying "her" because her voice suggested she obviously was; not some sense of insult.

We finally got through that.  

Then came the Zip code.  I said 2O6O1, and that didn't register in her computer.  I didn't realize I was talking to a Canadian.  They have letters in their postal codes and in the US it is assumed to be all numbers, so saying O and 0 are the same.  OK, my bad!

Once I figured that out, I corrected it.  And apologized.  I repeated my Postal Code as all numerics.

So she read back all the information I had provided.  And had completed botched almost everything.  Still had my email wrong, still had my street name wrong, still had the Postal Code wrong.  Seriously, how can you confuse the spoken word of "one" with "nine? 

So it was another round of correcting the information. 

That was 45 minutes of idiocy.  She finally did get everything right, because I did receive the promised email of instructions while we were still talking.  And then she said to ignore that.  Apperently, she had to register me with Ryobi/TTI.  ARRRGGGHHH!

She said her system said there was still a problem and put me on hold for 10 minutes.  Came back finally and said it was all worked in their database that I was qualified.  Never mind that they had already said I was qualified for a replacement mower.  I might get the replacement in 2 weeks.  After following the instructions about disabling the old mower.  

And that the original instructions were correct.  In a pdf file I had to download and open, and print.  I have to clip off at least 6" of 2 wires and take before and after pictures.   And send a pic of the model/serial number label.  Which is so small and inconvenient that I'm not sure if I can, and then email it to them.  But that is tomorrow's problem.

I really don't need this kind of aggravation!

My new laptop has only a power plug and 2 USB-C ports.  Can't even plug in a wireless mouse directly

Keeping Track Of Pics

I keep a paper list of pics of The Mews.  But sometimes it is hard to find which daily folder they are in.  So I looked at it and asked myself "Self, what would make things easier".  Then "duh",  added a column to list the folder the pics are in.  

Damn, I really love organizing information!  Just saying...

Edited to add:  Oops, I meant that for tomorrow...

The Laptop

 I am not a mobile person.  I don't carry the laptop around with me.  But I have a particular use for it.

If I sit at the desktop computer I smoke.  It is the only place I do.  Can't seem to stop that.  But I don't smoke anywhere else in the house.  So, if I have the laptop in the TV room and I'm watching news or sports, I don't smoke.  

Well, maybe one thought about that.  The air return vent is just outside of my computer room.  If I set the fan on "continuous" any smoke escaping the room gets drawn straight in there.  And I have a latch hook that leaves the computer room door open just 2".  Enough to direct the smoke to the filter, but not enough to let The Mews in to breathe the smoke.  I am better about their health than mine.  👍

So the laptop allows me to spend time emailing or visiting friends' blogs without feeling a desire to smoke.   And that means we start visiting again!  Way too long and I really apologize...

Computer Madness And Success

 I was using an old laptop last year.  There were problems.  Several keys came loose, the battery died.  I read that both together would probably cost more than a new cheap one.  And about all I was doing with it was using it in front of the TV to visit other cat blogs.

So I bought a new cheap (simple) one.  And I couldn't get it to connect to my Wi-Fi.  OK, it decades past, I was a techie.  But tech slipped past me.  I have trouble with my smartphone (I can't figure out how to navigate to where I want).  So I couldn't get the new laptop to connect to my Wi-Fi account.

One suggestion I read was to bring the laptop closer to the router.  Yesterday, I did that.  It didn't help a bit!  But at least I had both my desktop and the laptop in the same room and could look up stuff on the desktop about the laptop.  

What I found by desktop computer internet queries suggested I was failing getting the laptop connected because I didn't have a WPA2  password.  I had no idea what that was.

Searches described WPA2 but didn't help much.  I'm sure what that is, is obvious to many of you, but it sure wasn't to me.  

Most sites said that if you lost your Wi-Fi password (and I didn't even know I needed or had one), you had to either connect your laptop to the router with a Ethernet cable or completely re-establish your router.  My laptop does have any such port and I definitely didn't want to mess with my router settings!

So. on my desktop, I kept querying about WPA2 in various ways.  For a couple hours (I am persistent) I tried various fixes.  None worked or suggested the "reset router" option.

And then I found a reference on a Mac discussion forum that said that the router comes with a model number and password usually located on the bottom.  OK, I'm not all that agile these days, and the cables are pretty tight.  So it was difficult get at the bottom of the router and I needed a flashlight to read it.  

But there was a model number of the router and there was an original password.  I thought I had changed that for general security.  But when I typed in the original router password to the laptop Wi-Fi query, it WORKED!  Wi-Fi was working.  I don't care why it worked.

I danced around the room, I went out and gave The Mews treats (real ones, not just kibble).  I danced around the living room!

And then I went back to the computer room.  There were browsers to download.  There were some bookmarks to add.  I use Duck Duck Go on most (they don't track queries of send ads).  I got Feedly on the Chrome browser (it seems to work best for me there).

Some things were complicated.  My laptop doesn't even have a port for a flashdrive, so I couldn't even copy bookmarks from the desktop to the laptop.  It just has a power port and 2 very small ports.  I think they are Micro HDMI type D or Mini Display Port.  I can't tell by just looking at the images of them.

I have to laugh.  I have a bucketful of various cables and adaptors, but never the right ones.

But the laptop reaches the internet now, and that's all I care about.  I'll explain why that's all I care about on the laptop next post...

Thankful Thursday

 I am thankful for many things.  Some are important in general, some are more individual and personal...

1.  Generally safe and clean food and water.  It takes work for the Government to assure that.

2.  Cats.  Mine are individually good to me, and getting along better with each other.  And that they use litterboxes.

3.  Inexpensive but decent wine.  A dinner without wine would be lacking something and I refuse to buy wine that costs as much as my dinner.

4.  My Federal retirement annuity.  It is inflation-adjusted and will last until I die.

5.  Computers and the internet.  They aren't exactly the same.  I love the internet for the communication, but I do things on my computer that don't require the internet.  I use Word and Excel a lot.

6.  My local butcher/deli/liquor store.  And the great sales they offer weekly.

7.  High-def consolidated cable TV.  I know a lot of people use streaming services, but I can get 90% of what I want in just one place.

8.  Civilization II.  It's an old game, but it is always a bit challenging.  No two games are the same.  And there is no time-clock.  I can play at my own pace.  Then leave and return to the same game later to continue it.

9.  My house.  I've lived here 38 years.  I can walk around it in the dark by now.  It has an easy circular traffic pattern for the kitchen/living/TV room and then a hallway that leads to 3 "bedrooms".  Of those, one is a bedroom, another the computer/library room, and the 3rd is The Mews Room.  And I own it outright!  And happy for a full basement and built-in garage.

10.  My car.  A nice, practical compact SUV Subaru Forrester.  Also owned outright.  

11.  Credit cards.  A wonder of the computer age.  I withdrew $200 from my bank ATM a year ago, and most of it is still in my wallet.  I only have 3 and they are automatically paid off in full each month.  And I get cash back and discounts from each.  Well, one is from Amazon and is dedicated to purchases there.  A second is dedicated to routine monthly bills.  The third is for all other purchases.  

12.  Sports.  I don't watch them generally, but I am a home-boy.  I watch the local professional baseball and football teams (casually), and University of Maryland football and mens/womans basketball (more intently).  

13.  Modern medicine.  And by "modern" I mean "in my lifetime".  I could have died from a severe hernia as a baby.  I could have died from a nearly-ruptured appendix at 18.  And I love vaccines.  The standard childhood shots helped.  And I'm happy to have gotten the shingles, RSV, and pneumococcal shots.  I get the flu and covid shots every year.  

14.  Books.  When I was pre-kindergarten, Mom home-schooled me about letters and words.  First, I started school with an advantage.  Second, it taught me to love to read.  I read every in the house (dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.  By the time I was 12, I had exhausted the library's supply of "young adult" books.  Then I switched to adult science and sci-fi.  Books taught me as much as school-days did.

15.  Telescopes.  I am not and never was a religious child or adult.  Science explained things better.  And astronomy was my favorite way of learning.  Telescopes of various kinds have gotten so much better since I was young.  When the Hubble was repaired and started showing fabulous pictures, I nearly cried from joy at seeing them.

16.  Magazines and Newspapers.  Yes I still subscribe to some.  Scientific American, Cook's Illustrated, Wood, Archeology, Consumer Reports.  I get detailed information from each one.  And The Washington Post newspaper.  Regarding The Washington Post newspaper, it feels entirely normal to me that it is my International, National and Local newspaper.  

17.  Career.  Out of college, I ended up in minimum wage department store jobs.  I knew I was better than that, but I couldn't figure out where to try.  I didn't like sales jobs, I'm not good at getting money from others (an ethical problem), and I wasn't mechanically skilled.

A friend suggested I take the Federal Goverment exam.  It was called the Professional Administrative Exam (PACE).  I aced it in all 6 categories at 2 grade levels (99th percentile in all).  I was offerred a job temporary job in "general office" work at the General Services Administration (GSA).  They had WWII veterans retiring and needed replacements.  GSA provided equipment/furniture/supplies/office space/telephone services for the rest of Government.  And this office provided internal agency support for all those things.  Talk about "general", LOL!

After 4 weeks, Management asked if I would take a permanent position.  DAMN HELL YES!  It was the perfect place for me.  I thrived and advanced.  I always got the most difficult jobs and I loved that.  I retired happy, satisfied and missed.

18.  I'm sure I will think of other things to be thankful for in a few hours, but I think it is time to end this post.  You all have other places to visit and I am late to make lunch.