Your projects, what are you working on in your free time? Options

[Sakiri]

Treydog,

Sounds like quite the task! Buy you can do it!!

Decrepit,

Sorry to hear you haven't been feeling well. I know that all too well. I don't like walking alone and husband is always tired or feeling unwell.

[Decrepit]

Decrepit,

Sorry to hear you haven't been feeling well. I know that all too well. I don't like walking alone and husband is always tired or feeling unwell.

<nods> I started feeling better during yesterday morning's grocery run and felt rather decent by lunchtime. That held through the rest of the day. I seem to have relapsed overnight, but am still in better shape that I was the latter half of last week.

Project: Find TMJ lower teeth 'splint'
Status: Done
Having attempted sleeping on my back in bed last night, I woke at 0244 this morning to discover that my TMJ 'splint' wasn't in my mouth. My first thought was that I'd simply forgotten to don it before bedtime. Walked to its bathroom sink countertop contain. Not there! My next thought was that I removed it just prior to going to bed in order to swallow medicine, then forgot to stick it back in. In that case it would be sitting on a kitchen countertop. Nope. I next searched the bed. No. It's surroundings. Didn't see it. I couldn't see myself swallowing it, and at any rate had no way to double-check that. A second bed search at last found it, housed within the folds of the rolled small towel I use instead of a pillow when lying on my back. My great worry was warping from drying out, which thankfully doesn't seem to have occurred. Fits as well as it ever did.

Project: Prepare Sep 2020 state tax submission for internet purchases
Status: Dreading it!
This is going to be a challenging month. I made a goodly number of smallish online purchases. Several added both state and local tax at time of purchase. Several added state but not local tax. Several didn't add any tax.
I'm going to have to be very careful and double-check all these transactions, and still might get it wrong. I wish online 'stores' would offer the option of letting us tack on these due taxes. it wouldn't be hard to implement. Just a checkbox saying something like: "I need to pay state/local tax on this purchase". Then a field to type in the required percent (8.5% in my case, for state/local combined). Voilà, done! Short and simple, no forms/checks to fill out and mail. Folk whose states don't require online purchase tax payments don't have to opt in.

[Decrepit]

Project: When it rains it pours
Status: Bloody 'ell!

I swear. If it's not one thing it's another. First I feel poorly for an extended period. Then potential loss of internet/phone service rears its ugly head. That was put to rest yesterday afternoon. I was at last able to resume research for this coming Tuesday's Sleep Apnea treatment decision appointment.

Fast-forward to this morning. I composed a posted a number of comments on these forums, then piddled around on the web. Around 0600 nature calls. I traipse to the nearest porcelain convenience. I sit and begin to do my thing. I then wonder, "Why is water covering the bathroom floor?" My next thought is, "I known why." I quickly finish business and rush to the hot water heater closet. Sure enough, leaking. I turn off its flow control (behind the unit.) An extended period is spent mopping up water. Mostly from the bathroom and bottom of the water heater closet. A bit from the kitchen floor. Thankfully, the floor slopes ever-so-slightly toward the bathroom, which of course isn't carpeted. Between that and noticing it as early as I did, no carpeting was saturated, other than from my shoes.

The sun rose. I visited my next-door-neighbor, a handyman for some years prior to retirement. He's going to provide names to contact for a replacement heater once back from a morning therapy treatment. In the meantime I'm on a holding pattern. As I see it, replacement will likely occur early next week at the soonest. I therefore called the Clinic's Sleep Center and moved my appointment to the 27th, to be on the safe side.

[Acadian]

Decrepit, sorry to hear about your water heater but glad there seems to be no damage.

[mALX]

Project: When it rains it pours
Status: Bloody 'ell!

I swear. If it's not one thing it's another. First I feel poorly for an extended period. Then potential loss of internet/phone service rears its ugly head. That was put to rest yesterday afternoon. I was at last able to resume research for this coming Tuesday's Sleep Apnea treatment decision appointment.

Fast-forward to this morning. I composed a posted a number of comments on these forums, then piddled around on the web. Around 0600 nature calls. I traipse to the nearest porcelain convenience. I sit and begin to do my thing. I then wonder, "Why is water covering the bathroom floor?" My next thought is, "I known why." I quickly finish business and rush to the hot water heater closet. Sure enough, leaking. I turn off its flow control (behind the unit.) An extended period is spent mopping up water. Mostly from the bathroom and bottom of the water heater closet. A bit from the kitchen floor. Thankfully, the floor slopes ever-so-slightly toward the bathroom, which of course isn't carpeted. Between that and noticing it as early as I did, no carpeting was saturated, other than from my shoes.

The sun rose. I visited my next-door-neighbor, a handyman for some years prior to retirement. He's going to provide names to contact for a replacement heater once back from a morning therapy treatment. In the meantime I'm on a holding pattern. As I see it, replacement will likely occur early next week at the soonest. I therefore called the Clinic's Sleep Center and moved my appointment to the 27th, to be on the safe side.

Urgh, hot water heater issues are never any fun. You can get a cheap replacement from places like "Home Depot" or "Lowes" = but those are a two year fix at best; and usually only warrantied for half of that. Better to pay a little higher and get at least a ten year warranty, imho. I used to get mine for all my houses from Sears, (the good ones with the glass water containers). They cost a lot more than most; but they lasted a long time past their warranties.

[Sakiri]

aww that's no good! Water heater issues stink.

Hope you get it fixed soon!

Project Blanket hasn't gotten any work in two days. First the hospital now other stuff. Really need to get on it, I've only got two months.

[Decrepit]

Project: Replace hot water heater
Status: ongoing, potential good news

Following a bleak, dispiriting beginning, it looks as though I might have a new heater installed by this time tomorrow! A combination of my neighbor getting a unit for me from his pre-retirement supplier, and shopping around until I found a plumber who will do the install for $250 (plus a bit extra if positioning proves difficult, as was the case last time). Much depends on whether my neighbor can get the part to me by noon tomorrow. <crosses fingers>

Project: Prepare for Sleep Apnea treatment choice appointment
Status: Delayed

This morning I called the Clinic Sleep Center and moved this coming Tuesday's appointment to 27 Oct. It's for the best. I'm nowhere near as studied as I need to be before committing to any one treatment. At the moment I'm too frazzled to focus on it, and will likely remain so through tomorrow at the earliest. Better to give myself time research what needs researching.

I lucked out a bit in this regard. My neighbor, the one helping me acquire a heater, turns out to be a Sleep Apnea sufferer using CPAP. He showed me his setup and discussed getting supplies/replacement parts. Good food for thought, though not as helpful as could have been as he's not yet on Medicare. (He's about to. I'm giving him pointers on the switchover.)

One wrong assumption of mine you'll likely find silly. I thought air for CPAP was supplied by a big tank like skin divers wear, one that needs periodic refilling. Turns out it's just a smallish unit that pump out more or less regular air, not some fancy oxygen blend housed in an airtight container.



Later afternoon / early evening Addendum:

Project: Replace leaking Hot Water Heater
Status: Done!
My neighbor cut it close, returning with the unit about 1145, 15 min shy of the noon deadline. Was called by the installation company circa 1215 to confirm that the unit had reached me. Installers arrived...well, I'm not sure when they arrived. I was pretty burned out by then. No snags with installation, except for one scare early on when an installer asked if I had purchased a 'slim' unit, which my narrow closet requires. I had no idea, knowing nothing about water heater closet width restrictions. Either my neighbor knew I needed a 'slim' or I lucked out, coz that's what he bought for me. Installers departed at 1601, my customary supper time to the minute. I of course wasn't able to prepare supper then, as kitchen and bathroom needed to be returned to normal.

Total cost, unit plus installation: $796US. A bitter pill to swallow, but not a bad price. The weak-link is the unit itself, about as bottom-of-the-barren as you can get. That's a problem with hot water heaters, I don't think about them until they malfunction, and then it's too late to do any series research.

Project: Call AT&T about new internet service data-limit
Status: I plan to do so tomorrow
The rep who set up my new service said it includes unlimited monthly data. Confirmation email received from AT&T shows unlimited data. Yet when I checked data usage through myAT&T this morning it showed that I've used "xxxxx of 1tb". That's obviously not unlimited. What's more, I now seem to burn through data significantly faster than before the upgrade. Yet I do nothing different: watch lots of YouTube at 1080p, make an occasional smallish download. (I've uploaded nothing to YouTube since upgrading.) With my 'old' service I never had to worry about the 1tb monthly data limit because my DL speed was too slow to use up that much data in a single month. I now can burn through the entire 1tb and more! Ergo, I need to try and have my unlimited status restored, assuming what I saw this morning isn't a fluke that'll correct itself in a day or so.

Saturday morning ADDENDUM:

Project: Call AT&T about new internet service data-limit
Status: On hold, keeping an eye on it.
The AT&T page implying I still have a 1tb monthly data cap seemed 'off' somehow. This morning, a new message there says to check back tomorrow due to this being the first day of a new billing cycle. l now suspect that what I saw until this today reflects my old Basis-6 service rather than fiber-optic. Hopefully tomorrow with see a switch to unlimited. We shall see.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Oct 10 2020, 09:47 AM

[treydog]

Project "The Re-Imagined Athynae and Athlain Show"--- or whatever title it will end up having...

Book 1- Final draft, 90000 words, completed and waiting for feedback from beta readers.

Book 2- First draft, 45000 words, with the last 2 weeks being extremely (and for me, frighteningly) productive.
I have a general idea of the "broad strokes" for other major pieces that will need to be added.

Overall project- percolating in what passes for my brain, still no idea of eventual length.

[Decrepit]

Project: replace kitchen sink faucet aerator
Status: done
The old aerator was destroyed during flow tests immediately following water-heater replacement. I noticed the damage only later. Tried to research the part I needed online but didn't know its name so had no success. Took its outer housing to Home Depot this morning. A floor assistant was able to point me to what I needed. Cost? Roughly $4.40US including tax (and military discount). Installed it soon as I got home.

Project: Double-check possible internet monthly data-cap error and call AT&T to correct it if necessary
Status: Done
This turned out to be a non-event. When I checked less than an hour ago, AT&T now reflects my new service's promised 'unlimited' data. What's more, it no longer looks as if the new service churns through data at a higher rate than my old service (when comparing like activity).

[Sakiri]

Good good. You shouldn't use much more data than you were before unless you changed your usage habits.

As a side note, I live having higher speeds. DL a 80 gig game in 20 minutes tops. Lol.

[ghastley]

Good good. You shouldn't use much more data than you were before unless you changed your usage habits.

As a side note, I live having higher speeds. DL a 80 gig game in 20 minutes tops. Lol.

With things like downloads, faster can also mean less data required, if it eliminates restarts. The longer a download takes, the more likely an interruption will happen, and data will need to be re-sent.

[Sakiri]

True.

It's annoying when that happens, too.

[Decrepit]

Good good. You shouldn't use much more data than you were before unless you changed your usage habits.

As a side note, I live having higher speeds. DL a 80 gig game in 20 minutes tops. Lol.

With things like downloads, faster can also mean less data required, if it eliminates restarts. The longer a download takes, the more likely an interruption will happen, and data will need to be re-sent.

So true! In fact that very thing happened downloading one of two TS2021 steam locos I purchased from Caledonia Works. With my old service, each loco was a long DL. One was something over the 3/4th point when either the site or something between it and me froze for about 30sec, braking download. With my new service that DL would take no more than a few seconds. Such happens are now less likely to happened, and when they do are a major setback.

[mirocu]

Car project:
Brake pad change
Front wheel alignment
New discs in linkage

Status: Done


Backup computer project:
More RAM
Status: Done

New graphics card
Status: Unable to comply

Updating savegames, Advanced Systemcare and Firefox
Status: Pending

[Sakiri]

They couldn't find you a graphics card?

[mirocu]

They couldn't find you a graphics card?

It's impossible to install one as the casing is simply too small; no space available.

[Sakiri]

Oof. Yeah that's a damper. I'm guessing it either uses proprietary hardware or on-board graphics.

[mirocu]

Oof. Yeah that's a damper. I'm guessing it either uses proprietary hardware or on-board graphics.

Yeap. On the plusside, the games work fine anyway and will work even better now with more RAM. The diagnostics before rated game graphics to 3.6 or so and now it reads 5.9 I think. So it is indeed improved with regards to load time etc.

[Sakiri]

Excellent.

[Decrepit]

Project: 2020 flu shot
Status: DONE
Drove to Walmart this morning for it. I normally get mine at the clinic my Primary Care Physician works at. Can't this early due to his retiring and having not yet seen the fellow who will be my new Primary Care Physician.

Project: Vote!
Status: DONE
Drove to one of the County's early voting locations after leaving Walmart. Long line, which thankfully moved quickly due to there being lots of voting machines. (No paper option, alas.) I brought along a cheat-sheet to better remember how I planned to vote on our ballot's four initiatives. Only, once inside the voting booth I discovered that I'd left the cheat-sheet in the car, grabbing Walmart Flu Shot papers instead. No biggie, I recalled my choices without issue. The one downer is that no one was stationed outside to inform social distancing, which everyone ignored. Well, I didn't ignore it in that I kept good distance from the fellow in front of me. Alas, the person behind me was way too close. At least all wore masks.

Project: Groceries
Status: DONE
Drove back to Walmart immediately after voting. Nothing more to report.