Ranger Hal Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 I don't know about a challenge. I'm tired. I'm stressed. How is it only two weeks before Christmas? I don't have time for this. I have to buy a new phone that I don't really want. I have to get presents. I have to keep going to work and try to get stuff done on the project I'm supposed to be working on instead of the projects that keep popping up and being urgent. I have to fix my living room wall heater that won't turn off so I don't need to turn it on and off with the circuit breaker. I feel like I should decorate (at least put up a few snowflakes or something) and bake cookies, but when will I have time to do that? Anyway, this is my Corner of the internet and maybe I will get some things done. 1 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Link to comment
juliebarkley Posted December 12, 2020 Report Share Posted December 12, 2020 20 hours ago, Ranger Hal said: How is it only two weeks before Christmas? I know, right? Someone tell me what I want for Christmas (and my birthday), because right now I only want kettlebells maybe, and they're out of stock everywhere. And some new feet for my computer. My son, whose birthday is in a week, gives me a blank stare when I ask him what he wants too. Buying off people's wish lists only works when they wish for things. 20 hours ago, Ranger Hal said: I have to buy a new phone that I don't really want. Why? Is it for work? 20 hours ago, Ranger Hal said: I feel like I should decorate (at least put up a few snowflakes or something) and bake cookies, but when will I have time to do that? It doesn't sound like the idea of those things is making you happier, only more stressed. If you only have your own preferences to worry about, I say have some hot chocolate with gingersnaps and call it Christmas cheer. 1 Quote Challenge archive Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted December 12, 2020 Report Share Posted December 12, 2020 8 minutes ago, juliebarkley said: It doesn't sound like the idea of those things is making you happier, only more stressed. If you only have your own preferences to worry about, I say have some hot chocolate with gingersnaps and call it Christmas cheer. Yeah, buy the cookies, if you're not into baking this year. This is not a year for forcing yourself through hoops. Stores sell very nice Christmas cookies. (As someone who is gluten free, I don't underestimate the value of conveniently purchasing premade baked goods.) 2 Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
Elastigirl Posted December 12, 2020 Report Share Posted December 12, 2020 Agreeing with the others. Baking is something to do for enjoyment, not a have to. 1 Quote Wisdom 22.5 Dexterity 13 Charisma 15 Strength 21 Constitution-13 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind' Luke 10; 27 Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted December 12, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2020 1 hour ago, juliebarkley said: Why? Is it for work? Might be easier if it was for work, but no. My cell phone carrier is getting rid of their 3G network which will make my 10+ year-old non-smart phone non-functional. So a new phone is necessary. I'm probably going to upgrade to a smartphone, even though I don't want 90% of its features, because there's one mapping app that will be very helpful for my outdoor activities. But getting a first smartphone at this point is complicated. There are so many options, and they all do way more than I need (but some of them apparently aren't so good at making phone calls) and they require multiple accessories (case, screen protector, etc.). And they're expensive and probably need to be replaced every couple of years which will be very disappointing after keeping the last phone for over 10 years (and it's still mostly functional, just doesn't like when other people text me emojis and animation thingies). Although, when I checked today, it was really hard to find anything definite on my carrier's website about the actual deadline when my phone will stop working. Maybe I'll give them a call and ask. Perhaps Covid has delayed things and I can keep my phone a bit longer! 2 hours ago, juliebarkley said: It doesn't sound like the idea of those things is making you happier, only more stressed. If you only have your own preferences to worry about, I say have some hot chocolate with gingersnaps and call it Christmas cheer. 2 hours ago, sarakingdom said: Yeah, buy the cookies, if you're not into baking this year. This is not a year for forcing yourself through hoops. Stores sell very nice Christmas cookies. (As someone who is gluten free, I don't underestimate the value of conveniently purchasing premade baked goods.) 13 minutes ago, Elastigirl said: Agreeing with the others. Baking is something to do for enjoyment, not a have to. Okay, y'all have convinced me. I don't like store-bought cookies that much, but I may be buying large quantities of chocolates and peppermint bark in the near future! Work was interesting today. The project that I was supposed to be working on (and actually was for once) that kept getting derailed by more urgent jobs, was halted unexpectedly. The client just told us to stop work because of funding issues. So, on one hand, this project was stressing me out a lot because I wasn't making as much progress as I'd like, but on the other hand, I liked the type of work it was and really just wanted all the other projects to go away so I could work on this one. So, very mixed feelings about this, but a lot less stress because it was looking like the other projects were going to take up at least three days of next week and now I'm free to work on them without falling more behind on the now cancelled project. Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted December 12, 2020 Report Share Posted December 12, 2020 12 minutes ago, Ranger Hal said: But getting a first smartphone at this point is complicated. There are so many options, and they all do way more than I need (but some of them apparently aren't so good at making phone calls) and they require multiple accessories (case, screen protector, etc.). And they're expensive and probably need to be replaced every couple of years which will be very disappointing after keeping the last phone for over 10 years (and it's still mostly functional, just doesn't like when other people text me emojis and animation thingies). Screen protectors are not necessary, and are often in the way. A good case will handle most screen risks. I've only ever damaged one tablet or phone screen. It was minor, and it's because it was not only caseless at the time, but I did something stupid. And it was four years old. You also don't need to replace it every couple of years. My four year old phone is fine. Both Apple and Android have ways to keep the phone going. I don't know Apple well, but their thing is hardware with a long life. On Android, at some point the phone will seem slow with some apps. The best way around this is to replace as many apps as you can with open source alternatives from f-droid. I find replacing the default launcher with a light open source one helps a lot. (The launcher is the screen you launch the apps from, and makes very little difference to use, so it's a trivial way to really lighten up the load.) On my 2013 tablet, that's all I did (pre-emptively), and it's running anything and everything I put on it, including one moderately heavy desktop media server. On my 2012 tablet, it doesn't have as much memory, and that's usually the issue with newer apps, so it's doing a stripped down set of media apps perfectly well. The media apps aren't light, but I disabled all the default Google apps so they wouldn't use background memory, and everything goes to what I want it for. It's also running the heavier desktop media server, though I tend to not use the interface directly, because it is clear it's pushing it a bit; I use the lighter remote control app (on the same device) to control it, and that works perfectly well. I am a really heavy user, and the less you ask your phone to do, the longer it will last. But when it gets slow, a lot of the memory hogs can be replaced and you can get another year or two out of it, maybe more. I've gone off the budget brands (mostly Chinese companies) after finding Chinese adware buried in a phone from a small US company that was not able to keep their Chinese manufacturer from installing it. I'm now more into the larger, more accountable companies, which does add a little price. But I never buy a current model, which brings the prices down a lot versus the new ones. Last year's model will be virtually the same, and half the price. 1 Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
juliebarkley Posted December 12, 2020 Report Share Posted December 12, 2020 1 hour ago, Ranger Hal said: Might be easier if it was for work, but no. My cell phone carrier is getting rid of their 3G network which will make my 10+ year-old non-smart phone non-functional. So a new phone is necessary. I'm probably going to upgrade to a smartphone, even though I don't want 90% of its features, because there's one mapping app that will be very helpful for my outdoor activities. But getting a first smartphone at this point is complicated. There are so many options, and they all do way more than I need (but some of them apparently aren't so good at making phone calls) and they require multiple accessories (case, screen protector, etc.). And they're expensive and probably need to be replaced every couple of years which will be very disappointing after keeping the last phone for over 10 years (and it's still mostly functional, just doesn't like when other people text me emojis and animation thingies). Sounds like you are like me, and will nurse along old technology until it is no longer fit for purpose. I use an iPhone 5S and won't replace it until the apps I rely on most are no longer useable. I don't use a case, screen protector, or any other accessories. My son knows phones, and for best value smartphones on the lower end of the market (stuff that will last for a while) he recommends a second-hand 6S/7/SE if you want an iPhone or a Samsung A-series model (like the A10) if you want Android. Should be doable for under $200US. 1 Quote Challenge archive Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted December 12, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2020 1 hour ago, sarakingdom said: You also don't need to replace it every couple of years. My four year old phone is fine. Both Apple and Android have ways to keep the phone going. I don't know Apple well, but their thing is hardware with a long life. On Android, at some point the phone will seem slow with some apps. The best way around this is to replace as many apps as you can with open source alternatives from f-droid. I find replacing the default launcher with a light open source one helps a lot. (The launcher is the screen you launch the apps from, and makes very little difference to use, so it's a trivial way to really lighten up the load.) On my 2013 tablet, that's all I did (pre-emptively), and it's running anything and everything I put on it, including one moderately heavy desktop media server. On my 2012 tablet, it doesn't have as much memory, and that's usually the issue with newer apps, so it's doing a stripped down set of media apps perfectly well. The media apps aren't light, but I disabled all the default Google apps so they wouldn't use background memory, and everything goes to what I want it for. It's also running the heavier desktop media server, though I tend to not use the interface directly, because it is clear it's pushing it a bit; I use the lighter remote control app (on the same device) to control it, and that works perfectly well. I am a really heavy user, and the less you ask your phone to do, the longer it will last. But when it gets slow, a lot of the memory hogs can be replaced and you can get another year or two out of it, maybe more. Thanks! I'd forgotten that I'm still fairly happy with my 2013-ish tablet. I don't do anything crazy with it, but the only thing I'm disappointed about is that it won't run apps requiring Android 5 or higher. 1 hour ago, juliebarkley said: Sounds like you are like me, and will nurse along old technology until it is no longer fit for purpose. I use an iPhone 5S and won't replace it until the apps I rely on most are no longer useable. I don't use a case, screen protector, or any other accessories. My son knows phones, and for best value smartphones on the lower end of the market (stuff that will last for a while) he recommends a second-hand 6S/7/SE if you want an iPhone or a Samsung A-series model (like the A10) if you want Android. Should be doable for under $200US. I am rather fond of Samsung since that's what my current phone is! And yes, I will use my old technology until it no longer functions. I tried to get the battery replaced in my iPod nano (battery life had dropped to about half an hour), but the only available batteries were aftermarket and they were slightly too big to fit. My poor little iPod A good case and most likely a screen protector are necessary because of my search and rescue hobby. SAR folks are notoriously rough on gear and I want my phone to survive long enough that people are amazed that something so ancient still works! I pulled out my heater that wouldn't turn off. I was going to replace it with one from the bathroom that I never use, but the bathroom one is 240 volts and the living room one is 120 volts. I'm rather confused as to why the electrician who rewired my house did that. I think the problem with the heater is the thermostat, so I ordered a replacement. I'm feeling overall more cheerful. The reduced work stress is very nice and at least part of the last couple of days was likely hormone related. (This time I remembered, but that didn't always help.) 2 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted December 12, 2020 Report Share Posted December 12, 2020 1 hour ago, Ranger Hal said: I am rather fond of Samsung since that's what my current phone is! For the record, Samsung is my new go-to. 1 hour ago, Ranger Hal said: I tried to get the battery replaced in my iPod nano (battery life had dropped to about half an hour), but the only available batteries were aftermarket and they were slightly too big to fit. I've got an older smart phone I want to use for a project, but the battery was swollen, and I can't find a replacement. 1 hour ago, Ranger Hal said: A good case and most likely a screen protector are necessary because of my search and rescue hobby. SAR folks are notoriously rough on gear and I want my phone to survive long enough that people are amazed that something so ancient still works! That does change the protection calculus, yes. 1 Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
juliebarkley Posted December 12, 2020 Report Share Posted December 12, 2020 5 hours ago, Ranger Hal said: A good case and most likely a screen protector are necessary because of my search and rescue hobby. SAR folks are notoriously rough on gear and I want my phone to survive long enough that people are amazed that something so ancient still works! Check out the iPhone SE. I've heard it described as the guts of an iPhone 7 in the body of an iPhone 5S, and the 5S is very sturdily built. 1 Quote Challenge archive Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted December 12, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2020 7 hours ago, sarakingdom said: I've got an older smart phone I want to use for a project, but the battery was swollen, and I can't find a replacement. I hate how phones (and lots of other things) are so disposable these days. 1 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted December 12, 2020 Report Share Posted December 12, 2020 3 minutes ago, Ranger Hal said: I hate how phones (and lots of other things) are so disposable these days. Agreed. I'm waiting on an open source hardware phone. 1 Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted December 16, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 On Sunday, I ran into a friend at the store where she works (I didn't know she was working that day). We talked for a few minutes and then had a phone call later after she got off work. Life is so messed up right now, but friends help a lot. I've been feeling so much better since running into her. Today, I made chickpea veggie curry which was pretty good. 1 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted December 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2020 Soooo, I kind of stopped posting there for a bit. The forum says it was less than a week, but it feels longer. Here are the updates: I don't have the new phone yet, but have picked one out and I have a plan for getting it, and it only took two trips to the store, three phone calls with mom, and a bunch of tears. I'm waiting for the case I ordered which is scheduled to arrive between Christmas and New Year's (assuming it doesn't disappear in the chaos of pandemic shipping combined with Christmas). Then I will go to the store and buy the phone and have it activated. The tears were mostly about the fact that I'm spending hundreds of dollars and doubling my monthly phone bill to get a device that will probably track my every movement and record what I say, and which is unlikely to improve my life significantly. (Just to be clear, I can totally afford this. I think I have uncovered an issue that I have with spending money on myself for things that I consider "unnecessary.") I'm telling myself that I'm not buying a way over-featured phone that I don't need, I'm buying the ability to see SAR maps in real-time. I'm not sure the cost-benefit analysis really works out, but it makes me feel a little better, so there is that. The project that went away came back, at least my part of it did. But the three working days it was gone allowed me to get through other stuff I had to do. Now the other stuff is cleared away (mostly) and the stress of conflicting projects is gone for the moment. I bought lots of chocolate instead of making or buying cookies. I keep thinking it would be nice to have a few decorations. Maybe some paper stars or snowflakes. But that hasn't happened yet and I'm not sure it will. There's a thing that's been making the rounds on Facebook about a Muslim guy who never celebrated Christmas growing up (for fairly obvious reasons), but because he can't visit family in the holidays this year, his roommates are showing him how to have a first Christmas. And his first observation (he wrote a list of them) was that Christmas is a part-time job from mid-November to the end of December. Which seems like an excellent observation to me, especially when phrased in a way to show exactly how much work it is. I really don't have the emotional capacity to deal with a part-time job right now, and that's okay. I will do the minimum necessary: wrapping presents for my immediate family and grocery shopping so I have some good food to eat. --------------------------------------------------------- I think I need to set some goals so I know what I want to do and how to get there. And not get over stressed on the way. Because right now, I think I'm just doing the minimum and spending the rest of my time on Netflix and computer games. And I want to be doing more than the minimum. Maybe the rest of this challenge and zero week for the next one will be figuring some of this out. The big things I'm doing right now are work, church, SAR, and climbing class. Actually, looking at it all, maybe I'm doing a lot. Church, SAR, and climbing class all compete for weekend time (although some of them are also on weeknights). Saturdays are my only morning to catch up on sleep (assuming I don't have something scheduled for way too early in the morning.) Maybe I also need to fix my sleep during the week so I don't need the weekend to catch up. I need to get some conditioning hikes into the plan (that will help with SAR and climbing). I should probably also add some general house maintenance stuff (cleaning, etc.). Wait! Should is a bad word! I *will* add some minimal level of housework. No more stuff though, or RangerBrain will take over and I will get overwhelmed. I will work on this more later. Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Link to comment
juliebarkley Posted December 22, 2020 Report Share Posted December 22, 2020 2 hours ago, Ranger Hal said: There's a thing that's been making the rounds on Facebook about a Muslim guy who never celebrated Christmas growing up (for fairly obvious reasons), but because he can't visit family in the holidays this year, his roommates are showing him how to have a first Christmas. And his first observation (he wrote a list of them) was that Christmas is a part-time job from mid-November to the end of December. It certainly can be. If it's not your holiday, you can enjoy the pretty decorations without all the stress associated with it. Although, to quote Zarqa Nawaz, "My children will enjoy Christmas without presents only because they know their holiday is coming and it better be good or else they'll convert." 😂 I can't get away with nothing, but it's still a lot less stress for me than for most. 2 hours ago, Ranger Hal said: Maybe I also need to fix my sleep during the week so I don't need the weekend to catch up. This seems like a healthy place to start goalwise. It should help with the stress, too. Everything is so much harder when you're tired. 2 hours ago, Ranger Hal said: I *will* add some minimal level of housework. Also reasonable. Environment affects your general mood, or so I'm told. 1 Quote Challenge archive Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted December 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2020 Ha! The weather decided it wasn't going to wait around for me to make snowflakes and made its own! Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Link to comment
Elastigirl Posted December 22, 2020 Report Share Posted December 22, 2020 6 minutes ago, Ranger Hal said: Ha! The weather decided it wasn't going to wait around for me to make snowflakes and made its own! It was so pretty. Lasted only a bit here.Started just as we headed out to the store. By the time we left the store, it was raining.The people who worked at the store were happy that they didn't have to drive home in the snow though! Quote Wisdom 22.5 Dexterity 13 Charisma 15 Strength 21 Constitution-13 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind' Luke 10; 27 Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted December 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2020 6 minutes ago, Elastigirl said: It was so pretty. Lasted only a bit here.Started just as we headed out to the store. By the time we left the store, it was raining.The people who worked at the store were happy that they didn't have to drive home in the snow though! Yeah, it looks like it's back to rain here too. I'm glad I walked out to check the mail when I did or I might have missed it! 1 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted December 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2020 Here's a thing that made me happy today! When I moved into my house a few years ago, I was slightly baffled by the line on my water bill labeled "surcharge" that was 70% of the bill. It turns out that some years ago when the neighborhood was hooked up to water system (we apparently used to have a private well of some sort for the neighborhood), the water company added a surcharge to all the bills to recover the cost of whatever they had to do to hook up all the houses. It was a slightly unpleasant surprise, but there wasn't a lot I could do about it. Well, today I opened the latest water bill and the surcharge was lower than it had been. So I called the water company and the lady who answered the phone said that she heard that we were paying it off this year and the lower surcharge might be a final payment kind of thing! I guess I find out for sure when the next bill comes, but there's a pretty good chance that I'm getting a permanent 70% reduction in my water bill! 1 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.