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

[RaderOfTheLostArk]

I have been immensely lazy this Winter Break, and it's pissing me off. I hate feeling lazy, although that hasn't always stopped me from being that way. It's my own fault, though. The semester will be starting up Monday, at least (although I don't actually have class until Tuesday)

So with the time I have left on break, I am to be useful as well as get to some projects I have been meaning to get to. I am also constructing a to-do list of sorts for this year. I'm not really into making New Year's resolutions, although I guess in a sense this is what I am doing. I'm divvying it up between free-time projects, video game backlog, books to read, and miscellaneous stuff. This miscellaneous has a lot more...personal stuff in it, along with not-so-personal things (like losing these last 5-10 pounds that I have stagnated on getting rid of for the past few months).

Hoping for 2018 to be my most productive year yet.

[RaderOfTheLostArk]

Pretty much any side project I want to do is going to be put on hold for now, but I do have a side project of sorts that is almost near completion.

I mentioned previously that I had lost some weight, but I don't think I ever expounded much beyond that. Well, it seems that I have finally broken through the impasse I was experiencing. Really, I don't need to lose more, but I want to get rid of all the extra fat around my stomach and I am just about there.

My heaviest weight was 280, back in March 2015. It was at that point that I finally decided I was tired of being overweight (which had been an issue since about 3rd grade, but really ramped up in my undergrad years) and I was going to do something about it. I have been around 180 for about the past 3 or 4 months, and I have finally broken through. Now I am down to 175, for a grand total of 105 pounds lost due to diet and exercise. I even found I could wear medium clothing this past month.

I think another 5 pounds will do the trick. If I have to go a bit further to get rid of all the excess fat, though, I am going to do it.

[mirocu]

Props for your accomplishment, Rader! Losing weight is hard for most people and requires determination and perseverance foh sho. Not to mention keeping the new weight.

[Decrepit]

Pretty much any side project I want to do is going to be put on hold for now, but I do have a side project of sorts that is almost near completion.

I mentioned previously that I had lost some weight, but I don't think I ever expounded much beyond that. Well, it seems that I have finally broken through the impasse I was experiencing. Really, I don't need to lose more, but I want to get rid of all the extra fat around my stomach and I am just about there.

My heaviest weight was 280, back in March 2015. It was at that point that I finally decided I was tired of being overweight (which had been an issue since about 3rd grade, but really ramped up in my undergrad years) and I was going to do something about it. I have been around 180 for about the past 3 or 4 months, and I have finally broken through. Now I am down to 175, for a grand total of 105 pounds lost due to diet and exercise. I even found I could wear medium clothing this past month.

I think another 5 pounds will do the trick. If I have to go a bit further to get rid of all the excess fat, though, I am going to do it.

Congrats on the weight loss!

Just typed in my height and weight at an online site to determent BMI (body mass index). My current weight of circa 145lb puts me within "normal" but VERY close to being overweight. Realistically I don't see myself dropping below 140lb, though I'd love to hit 135lb. The most I've weighed is 199lb back around 1999. That's easily "obese." for someone my height. The least I've weighed is is 118lbs following a circa 2000 months long nasty battle with pneumonia I nearly lost. Even 118lbs is considered "normal" for me!, at least according the chart. BTW, I do not endorse pneumonia as a means to lose weight. That said, one good thing to come out of it is that because almost all food tasted repugnant I was easily able to ween myself off the crappy diet I'd been following for some years. By the time I'd recovered enough for food to be enjoyable again I'd lost my cravings for junk food and converted to the healthier eating habits I follow to this day. (I also used the occasion to further ween myself off migraine trigger foods, in so far as that's possible.)

[RaderOfTheLostArk]

Props for your accomplishment, Rader! Losing weight is hard for most people and requires determination and perseverance foh sho. Not to mention keeping the new weight.

Much appreciated. Yeah, the desire to do it is really the most important thing.

Congrats on the weight loss!

Just typed in my height and weight at an online site to determent BMI (body mass index). My current weight of circa 145lb puts me within "normal" but VERY close to being overweight. Realistically I don't see myself dropping below 140lb, though I'd love to hit 135lb. The most I've weighed is 199lb back around 1999. That's easily "obese." for someone my height. The least I've weighed is is 118lbs following a circa 2000 months long nasty battle with pneumonia I nearly lost. Even 118lbs is considered "normal" for me!, at least according the chart. BTW, I do not endorse pneumonia as a means to lose weight. That said, one good thing to come out of it is that because almost all food tasted repugnant I was easily able to ween myself off the crappy diet I'd been following for some years. By the time I'd recovered enough for food to be enjoyable again I'd lost my cravings for junk food and converted to the healthier eating habits I follow to this day. (I also used the occasion to further ween myself off migraine trigger foods, in so far as that's possible.)

Thanks, D. While BMI is a very flawed measure, I do like to use it for some measure of comparison. Mine is finally considered normal. Just don't put too much stock into it.

The biggest issue for me was how much food I used to eat. What I ate wasn't great either, but I used to just eat way too much in general. I enjoy weightlifting and playing basketball, but I had gotten lazy and inconsistent about working out during my undergrad years, so I changed that too.

Speaking of losing cravings, indeed some of those things I used to really enjoy I have weened myself off a lot. I actually was eating a bit more dessert recently, which was a factor in keeping my weight stagnant around 180 (although it isn't as detrimental as it used to be, thankfully). But one thing I have not missed at all is soda, which actually wasn't too hard to give up. After not drinking it for a while, the few times I have had tastes of it since have made it very unappealing. It is amazing how much your taste buds change on such things when you stop consuming them.

This post has been edited by RaderOfTheLostArk: Jan 20 2018, 05:09 PM

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

So for the past few months Khajiit has been having trouble with his laundry dryer. He’s replaced 2 parts on it, one of which was s thermal fuse yesterday. Welp, the dryer was getting so hot that the safety mechanisms would kick in and shut down the dryer. Turns out, we have a massive blockage in the vent pipe and we bought a kit that would clean that out. It’s a series of flexible rods that screw together to form the length you need. We were getting lots of sludge out of the vent and it seemed to be working fine, but then the rod on the end with the brush on it unscrewed and is now deep in the vent pipe.

[mirocu]

Oh, man Khajiit. Talk about bad luck

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

Welp after fighting it, the good news is there is definite air flow through the vent pipe. The bad news is that Khajiit was unable to push the lost brush out. So not sure what to do about that, but this one is thinking that is a problem for another day in the near future. Khajiit is exhausted and still has to clean up the mess.

This one thinks it’s time for a beer.

[ghastley]

You'll probably have to attach something fairly big to the end of the poles, so it doesn't just push through the stuck brush. Maybe a bunch of rags tied and duck-taped on? They'll help clean the vent a bit more, too!

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

You'll probably have to attach something fairly big to the end of the poles, so it doesn't just push through the stuck brush. Maybe a bunch of rags tied and duck-taped on? They'll help clean the vent a bit more, too!

Yeah there was another brush in the kit about 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Khajiit tried using that to push it out but it didn’t budge it.

[Decrepit]

Checked my online weather site of choice just after lunch. Holy smokes, temps in the high fifties! Took my first exercise-walk in a month (or so). It winded my and made me light headed, which I don't recall happening before. Heart reading soon afterward shows blood pressure okay at 109/65 but pulse a little high at 95.

Otherwise I've done no projects worth mentioning, my time still being spent playing the game Mashinky.

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

Checked my online weather site of choice just after lunch. Holy smokes, temps in the high fifties! Took my first exercise-walk in a month (or so). It winded my and made me light headed, which I don't recall happening before. Heart reading soon afterward shows blood pressure okay at 109/65 but pulse a little high at 95.

Otherwise I've done no projects worth mentioning, my time still being spent playing the game Mashinky.

The weather here has been gorgeous this weekend! Yesterday saw temps in the high 60’s and today we are in the 70’s!

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: Jan 21 2018, 08:42 PM

[Decrepit]

An on-again off-again project of sorts, normally doomed to failure: I successfully slept in my bed, lying on my back, several hours during the night. The first is now a rarity, the second almost unheard of any more. What's more, I woke circa 0430 to a neck in appreciably less pain than usual. (Neck pain has since returned, but is not (yet?) as pronounced as is my norm this days.)

This came about because I woke from sleeping on my side on the sofa at 0230 to a neck hurting even worse than usual. I wanted to get in a bit more sleep but knew I couldn't tolerate the sofa any longer. I hesitantly and with some reluctance decided to give the bed another chance. I know my bed mattress and add-ons to be a poor choice for side sleep, but in its current configuration untested for back sleep. I gave the latter a go. To my surprise, none of various shoulder, upper and/or lower back pains that normally afflict me while lying abed did so. Next then I know I wake and see its 0430. No back pain. No shoulder pain. Greatly diminished neck pain. (I also have neck pain to some extent, though it can be ignoreably insignificant. More stiffness than pain.) Quite a pleasant surprised, and very refreshing.

A little snooze inducing history:

1) From the mid 80s up until circa 2013/14 I slept on a waterbed mattress that was ultra comfortable to the point of being therapeutic and possibly curative. It was a dream to sleep on. One of the best purchased I ever made.

2) From at least my teens until again circa 2013/14 I always slept on my back, never my side.

3) Sitting at the computer on day circa 2013 I was out of the blue hit by severe posterior pain. My rump had gone out on me! It was not temporary. I suffered posterior pain while sitting or lying on my back for several years. When lying abed this pain spread to my lower back and part way down my thighs. (I could tolerate sitting only by placing a very thick pillow beneath me, and then found it hard to endure sitting for any great length of time.)

4) Due to posterior pain I began, for the first time ever, to sleep on my side. This reduced posterior pain to tolerably levels, but took a long time to adjust to.

5) As luck would have it, during my lengthy bout of rump pain and while still adjusting to side sleep was when my beloved waterbed mattress gave up the ghost, developing a significant tear along one of its corner seams. None of my repair attempts lasting more than a month or so, if that. I at last reluctantly admitted it had to go.

6) Due to posterior pain and still not use to side sleep, I found that I could not "audition" mattresses. In the end I made my best guess and ordered a memory foam mattress online, using my waterbed's designation as Extra Firm as guidance. (It was also 95% waveless.)

7) The mattress I bought turned out to be far too firm for either side or back sleep.

8) Over the next several years I bought three different mattress toppers to soften the bed. None worked for back sleep, either alone or in combination. I could, however, sleep reasonable well on my side.

9) During my bout of TMJ syndrome I was required to do jaw/neck exercises several times a day. These exercises ultimately messed up my neck so that side sleep in bed became problematic.

10) Sometime last year I admitted defeat and begin sleeping on the sofa. Not overly comfortable or pain free, but better than bed.

11) A few months ago I tried yet another bed topping placement experiment. Directly atop the mattress I placed my 2" gel foam pad. I cut my 2" memory foam topper in half lengthwise, placing the two halves one on top of the other positioned mid bed width wise. This gave me 6" of padding. Alas, it proved no better for side sleep than other softening attempts. I returned to the sofa.

12) Last night's neck pain forced me to try something not done in ages, lie on my back in bed, with those six inches of padding in place. As mentioned, to my utter surprise it worked!!!! But is it a fluke? We shall see. I'm pessimistically hopeful.

ADDENDUM: BTW, my rump pain finally began to reside after buying a decent quality computer desk chair and a special purpose thick seat pad to place atop it.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jan 24 2018, 01:51 PM

[Decrepit]

Alas, last night's bed sleep didn't go a well as hoped. It started out okay. Then sometime during the night I woke to a bit of shoulder blade area pain. Stayed awake just long enough to switch from back to side sleep. I have a vague memory of having done so. It wasn't desired move but rather an auto response. At any rate, I woke again at circa 0400 with neck and shoulder pain from side sleep. Not giving up just yet. I'll give the bed a few more days before throwing in the tower returning to the sofa.

Otherwise, I've no projects to report.

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

Just got zapped by the outlet the clothes dryer plugs into. Wasn’t nearly as alarming as it should have been.

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: Jan 26 2018, 06:23 AM

[Decrepit]

Am downloading and installing Windows Updates for my Win7 PC. Am not going to do anything to slow the downloads so no YouTube vids until its finished.

Had a scare on my primary PC. Checked for new emails first thing this morning. Not only wasn't there any new mail, there was no mail at all. All email and folders were gone. Had a few minutes of worry, but thankfully signing out and back in to my account mail everything visible again.

Several weeks ago, following an illness of some sort, my voice went all raspy in its upper range. The lower range was fine. Since then it's never gotten better or worse to any appreciable extent. Until this morning. I woke with raspy voice throughout my entire range!!!!! I can sort of speak recognizably if a keep to a whisper, and even that's no so good. Gonna call my doc's office right when it opens this morning and set up an appointment, though this being a Friday I almost certainly won't be seen until next week.

ADDENDUM: I see my Doc about my throat early Monday afternoon. That realistically about as soon as could be hoped for, barring Urgent Care. As there has never been pain associated with whatever is going on, I assume it to be non urgent. Famous last words? We shall see.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jan 26 2018, 03:54 PM

[Decrepit]

Errands today:

Drove to local Post Office for book of stamps.

Drove to Best Buy for TurboTax.

Walked to Barnes & Noble for the 2018 edition of Great Model Railroads...they were either out or don't carry it this year.

Drove to Primary Care Phisician's clinc. Was prescribed a steroid for my voice loss and told to contact them again if it doesn't return within two weeks. Was given the second two pneumonia vaccines Medicare authorizes.

Drove to Walmart to buy groceries and pick up new prescription med.

Drove home. Put away groceries. Logged today's expenses into my computerized account register.

[Decrepit]

Installed TurboTax first thing this morning. Transferred old yearly return files from the i7-930 to my "new" PC. Progressed in preparing this year's return until I needed info on my two mutual funds. The form is missing. I checked online. Turns out it won't be mailed until mid February. I'm dead in the water until then. No biggie. I "officially" do taxes during February in any case.

Added a number of mods to my primary Oblivion install, residing on my secondary computer. Some were performance enhancers, some character/NPC animations, some odds and ends.

Balanced my computerized Checking and Savings Account ledgers. Checking gave me a bit of a problem. Was originally off by $55.xx. The bulk of that was spotted right away. I'd mistakenly marked one debit as "cleared" that hadn't by the bank statement's cutoff date. The remaining 22 cents took while to trace. Ended up being an AT&T payment I'd entered wrong.

[Decrepit]

Yesterday......let's see..... Hmm...

Figured out how much state sales tax I was due to pay on Jan 2018 internet purchases (the Steam games Mashinky and Kingdom Come: Deliverance). Prepared payment for posting today (which I already have).

Was going to participate for the first time in my town's new "pay your monthly city utility bill online" option. Registered at the website. Went to its bill pay page. Discovered it costs $4 extra per payment in processing fees to pay online. To heck with that!!!! I'll continue to drop off payment in person at city hall as I have in the past. It's all of a five minute walk from my house, for goodness sake.

Registered at their respective sites to pay monthly electricity and gas fees online. So far as I can tell there is no processing fee associated with either of these.

That's about the extent of it. The rest of my day was spent in goofing around on the computer, mostly gaming.

[ghastley]

This one needs sharing.

Last week I realized that one of the hoses on my washer was leaking, so it was time for a new set. It turned out that the end connectors were the problem, having been made from plated steel, instead of brass. So they'd rusted, and that meant the ends no longer rotated independently of the hose, to unscrew them from the faucet and the machine.

My first attempt to remove one twisted the rubber hose like a spring, and when I was unable to hold it any longer, just unwound the twist, and screwed the connector back into place.

Then I just cut the hose, which was going to be discarded anyway, and solved the problem. I wish I had a video of that first attempt, especially the part with the hose screwing itself back onto the faucet.