What made me unhappy today ?

Not very far south. Just Oklahoma. While snow on Christmas isn’t at all common for us, we’d normally be at least a little chilly if not cold. This almost felt like summer!

Funny you should say that. I'm very, very deep into the Southern Hemisphere (just over 2,000 miles from Antarctica), so our winters are cold but not snowy ... but our Christmases are in summer. ;) But this year, summer's been windy and cold. Including the wind chill factor, we had days when the mercury didn't climb above 9 C (about 48 F). :(

But today and for the next few days, we'll have closer to 30 C (86 F), which is more like it! :)

nothing like your computer randomly restarting in the middle of your writing session to throw you out of the writing mood 🫤

I hope Word backed up your work for you, JT! 🤞

Was it a Windows Update? Windows usually (or should, anyway) warn you about those.
 
I always have the automatic update turned off for that very reason. Then I have it update after I am through with my tasks.

Hmm, it's odd that it doesn't warn you. There's an option for Windows Updates to warn you rather than start the update regardless.

I've even seen an option where you can set the update to start at a time that suits you. (On my work PC, I set it to start at 5:03 pm -- i.e. when I've finished working). :) About 15 minutes before that, it gives me a warning that it's going to start. Then it gives me another warning 5 minutes before. ;)

Sure, it's a bit annoying, but it's much less annoying than losing your work!
 
I guess I wasn’t clear. Windows does show a little pop-up in the Message Center but that’s all. I ignore it if I am in the middle of something but when I am done, I go back and tell it to proceed.
 
This week, I got super into Downton Abbey and made it to season 4. Thankfully, I read spoilers, and won't be continuing. I am mad, because the writer fell off into the fanfic void. What I mean by this is: Writer decides to made terrible things happen to the characters for shock value, rather than actually write a plot. The writer re-hashed a prison plot line that took up most of season 2-3. Made the gay character suddenly decide to act out of character (from what I have read) and try to be NOT gay. After saying in the show: "I'm not foul" and standing up to the idea that being who he is is wrong. Also, in season 3, mistreating this character and making him seem creepy. Which I felt like was wrong. This character isn't a stellar upstanding man, but... I feel like the writer decided to go: Gay = must be creepy and harassing? which is NOT true! Gay people are NOT those things.

In short, Downton Abbey becomes Game of Thrones for no reason at all starting in season 4. Because this writer killed off one character and now has a taste for blood like the shark in Jaws.

GOD DAMNIT! I LIKED THIS SHOWWWWW!!!
 
This week, I got super into Downton Abbey and made it to season 4. Thankfully, I read spoilers, and won't be continuing. I am mad, because the writer fell off into the fanfic void. What I mean by this is: Writer decides to made terrible things happen to the characters for shock value, rather than actually write a plot. The writer re-hashed a prison plot line that took up most of season 2-3. Made the gay character suddenly decide to act out of character (from what I have read) and try to be NOT gay. After saying in the show: "I'm not foul" and standing up to the idea that being who he is is wrong. Also, in season 3, mistreating this character and making him seem creepy. Which I felt like was wrong. This character isn't a stellar upstanding man, but... I feel like the writer decided to go: Gay = must be creepy and harassing? which is NOT true! Gay people are NOT those things.

Watch it before you pass judgement.
 
Hmm, it's odd that it doesn't warn you. There's an option for Windows Updates to warn you rather than start the update regardless.

I've even seen an option where you can set the update to start at a time that suits you. (On my work PC, I set it to start at 5:03 pm -- i.e. when I've finished working). :) About 15 minutes before that, it gives me a warning that it's going to start. Then it gives me another warning 5 minutes before. ;)

Sure, it's a bit annoying, but it's much less annoying than losing your work!

I haven't noticed lately, but at one point it would pop up a box with focus. So if you're typing madly away (as one does), it's very possible (especially if working off paper notes or revisions) and has happened to me that the box steals focus and you press Enter to begin a new paragraph, and the the box steals the Enter and takes it a confirmation of a reboot. You may never even SEE the box. It's infuriatingly poor design from developers who have little conception of how a "real" user's usage of Windows or a particular tool differs from their own. People have complained about this design bug since forever. User testing has always been a major weakness in Microsoft company culture. They do it, they just don't pay much heed to it.
 
Season Four was when I tossed in the towel, too. A soap opera is still a soap opera even if it features great period clothing.
Yeah, I felt like the last character death was CHEAP. It was ALMOST perfect. Then, I read more stuff online and was like, "NOPE. I'm leaving!" This is NOT Game of Thrones. Please don't ruin it. But the writer did....
 
I never got into it. Couldn't relate to any of them. I was rooting for everyone to die after the first few episodes. A house fire or maybe a sudden bout of dysentery.

... which, of course, reminds me of this:

s-l500.jpg


Yes, I'm old. Whatchu gonna do about it, Willis? ;)
 
Yes, I'm old. Whatchu gonna do about it, Willis? ;)
Isn't that still pretty well known? I am 25 and know about it. The comment Homer made actually reminded me of it as well.

I'm pretty sure they made a remake. I doubt it has the same heart and spirit though. Games with old and "bad" graphics have character.
 
I'm old and absolutely clueless about the Oregon Trail Card Game. However, if I look northeast from my front window, I can see the real Oregon trail.
 
I haven't noticed lately, but at one point it would pop up a box with focus. So if you're typing madly away (as one does), it's very possible (especially if working off paper notes or revisions) and has happened to me that the box steals focus and you press Enter to begin a new paragraph, and the the box steals the Enter and takes it a confirmation of a reboot. You may never even SEE the box. It's infuriatingly poor design from developers who have little conception of how a "real" user's usage of Windows or a particular tool differs from their own. People have complained about this design bug since forever. User testing has always been a major weakness in Microsoft company culture. They do it, they just don't pay much heed to it.
I'm pretty sure it was the Windows 10-11 update that was totally nonconsensual for me. I was working on a writing project, left to use the toilet, and when I came back I found that I was some percentage into the update to the new Windows, permission be damned. Mid-day or evening too, not at 3am or something when one might be expected to be asleep. I'm just too lazy and scared to transition to Linux and I've made my feelings on Mr. Jobs' Monster clear at several points in the past. :)
 
Actually yesterday afternoon. The wife and I were at our usual game of Scrabble, waiting for the van to drop off our son. Suddenly we heard a loud crash. I opened the door to the garage and routinely pushed the button to open it. A creaking and popping followed, and pieces of things dropped everywhere. Apparently the driver had forgotten to put it the van in park -- or it slipped out of park --- and it surged forward into the door. I don't know if it hit the car or not, if so only slightly, but then with modern cars one can never be sure.

The owner of the van company agreed to pay the cost of an emergency repair visit; the result was a declaration that the door was unsalvageable (which I expected) and it couldn't be opened; I had the option of leaving the car out in 5 degree (F) for the next few days, leaving it inside, or having the door removed and the garage left open to the elements and whatever. Complication is the holiday week, it's unlikely we can get a new door installed until next Monday (though the technician, a nice young guy, said he would try to get permission to put the new door up this Wednesday as a special effort). So we opted to keep the car inside for the duration; friends and neighbors have already offered to provide rides or even car shares if we need it. Wife can work from home. And the van owner says he will pay for the new door -- and any damage to the car.

So things appear to be working out (crossed fingers). Such an amazingly unexpected complication. In the scale of things happening in he world and to others not that important, but a big pain to us. And the most frustrating thing is the reminder that the insurance industry is a big scam. Our agent advised us to avoid filing a claim if possible because even though we are clearly innocent victims, filing a claim would likely raise our rates.
 
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