@Decrepit+Khajiit - Thanks for the recs! I've mostly been relying on my motherboard's manual and Google searches for help on where to find everything and how to connect/disconnect things. tbh if I felt I could afford it, I'd go to a professional, but then I skimped on the shipping fee for my new part :v

Only five !ore days

Light at the end of the tunnel!

lmao so the PSU is in and the computer boots fine but it turns out the GPU is also busted,
since it won't boot while it's plugged into the power (and with the new PSU, the fans go crazy and basically rip through the air while the GPU is only inserted) so now I'm basically broke but I got a new gpu on the way

And arrives on the 5th

Eh... I'm going to miss all the neat free things in ESO but at least I'll have a working PC again. (Also it's fortunate that Black Friday came along to save my wallet. No Pokemon Ultra Moon for me but welp)

I can't recall how all this started. Did something happen to fry the PSU and GPU? After the new PSU was installed, were the correct power connectors attached to the GPU, if it needs any (some don't)? Which GPU did you order?

Two weeks ago Sunday my PC suddenly shut off on its own and wouldn't boot up, and it wouldn't turn on so long as the graphics card was hooked up to the power. Tbh I should have suspected that the GPU was also fried right there and then but I wasn't entirely sure. New power makes the PC boot now, so there's that. I got the card tested and the lady confirmed that it was busted. I'm just glad it wasn't anything else. I can easily swap that out now that I know how that butterfly lock works.

(Also I'm getting a GeForce GTX 1050 ti to replace my busted GeForce GTX 760)

All of my side projects have been put on hold until this semester is over. Wrapping up my last paper from Thanksgiving break, and then the last two weeks are going to see at least two more (probably a third).

But after that, there should be plenty of time to buckle down, chill out a bit, and do things that don't have a set date to do them (or at least one outside my control). I'm hoping to have that blog launched by the New Year's Day.

Not a bad upgrade either.

Went outside this morning to put an Xmas card in the mailbox and decided it was warm enough to get my exercise-walk out of the way, provided I wear sweats and toboggan, rather than wait until mid afternoon as planned. I don't think I've missed more than four or five walks total since I started back in... in late spring????? Amazing.

Besides walking and posting the holiday card, I ordered a pair of New Balance walking shoes off Amazon to replace the pair I use now, which are at the end of their useful life. I wanted to buy locally, but online research found no local store that carries the model I decided on. I still need to find an affordable replacement for my out-and-about shoes. No luck there yet. Funny thing about those Skechers...judged solely by their soles (pun intended), if displayed in a shoe store they could pass for brand new despite years of faithful service. There isn't an iota of visible wear on 'em. It's where soles attach to the upper portion of the shoe that's wearing out, including some crumbling cushioning in the right shoe.

Yesterday I posted holiday letters (composed the day before) to three of my old military buddies, made my weekly grocery run, and called and email my DC congressmen to once again inform them how they are to handle certain votes and issues. I knew beforehand that they aren't going to follow my advice, but had to give it a shot.

I'm quite happy with my 1060 card so I reckon the 1050 will very much do the job nicely as well

I think it serves my purposes rather well. The most demanding games I have are ESO and Skyrims Special Edition (I don't even play that). That said, I do sort of wish I was able to do more but wygd. I guess I was lucky enough to find a good deal this weekend. I was willing to go with another 760 but it was more expensive. :V

Anyways, the card should arrive later today so I'll get to see how it works then. I guess that concludes this let's call it adventure.

My project for the day thus far:

Called my three elected DC representatives and left a voice messages strongly condemning their recent actions, with instructions on how to, at least partially, make amends. As often as I as chastise them these days (which in my case never does an ounce of good), I begin to suspect that at some point I'll hear the sound of heavy treads on pavement, followed by the scrapings of a turning metal turret, followed by...well, never mind. Still, I'll not go down without a fight, insignificant and hopeless (in my case) as that fight is.

Signed several online petitions protesting certain political actions.

(Who would have thought I'd become something of an activist in my dotage? Not me.)

Placed last month's Electric Bill payment in the mailbox.

With any luck I'm done for the day except for meals, an afternoon exercise-walk, and goofing around in its many variants.

I think it's good that you make your voice heard, Decrepit. Even if they don't care, at the very least they should be bothered a bit..

Lol, exactly

Today's project (that interrupted trying out ESO) was to replace the headlight bulb on my car.

That meant taking off the front wheel to get at the wheel well liner. There's a panel in that which needs to be removed to access the bolts that hold on the light cover. Then you take off the light cover to get at the headlight itself. The bulb is a fiddly job to replace as you have to feel around the back of the reflector and unclip it before the bulb comes out. The wiring gets in the way of your fingers, even when disconnected from the bulb.

Then it's not easy persuading the new bulb into place. It has to be rotated to the right angle or it won't fit, and you're still groping around the reflector. Then the clip has to be put back, with more fiddling out of sight. Then the cover, access panel and wheel all have to be put back.

At least it's a cheap replacement bulb, and I already had one. Had to buy a pair when the other one burned out a year ago (after eleven years of use!) Which means this one lasted twelve. If the dealer had done it, it would have been a fortune in labor charges.

And it is a Lotus - which stands for Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious, I'm told.

Ha! That sounds familiar. I had to do that same procedure about a month ago. Mine is a Subaru instead of a Lotus.

Whatever trouble it may be, it is still a Lotus! Awesome car!

The postscript to this gets even better. Putting the light cover back disturbed the wires, and the light's not working again. So I have to repeat the whole process...

I'm positively surprised with Suzuki when it comes to replacing bulbs, in all of my previous cars, which were of European brands, replacing bulbs was a nightmare. But in Suzuki it's so simple that I find it almost unbelievable. In general, I'm more satisfied with Suzuki than with previous cars, not only is its fuel consumption very low considering that it's a SUV with 4WD but its running costs are much lower and the handling is better. I think I'm going to stick with Japanese brands.

Ooh, thank you for the information; I am going to pass this on to my son (he is needing to buy a car right now).






Urgh! That is irritating!

If I'm not mistaken, Suzuki is no longer available in the USA, at least newer models, older ones can still be bought. My cousin who lived in the USA for one year, returned in 2016 to Slovenia, said that they no longer import new Suzuki models. Still, other brands like Toyota and Subaru are available AFAIK. If I wouldn't own a Suzuki, then I'd probably go with Toyota.

Aw, darn it! And yeah, on the Toyotas = unfortunately the current Toyotas in the US are also made in the US plants and are no where near as good as those made in Japan. (but are still better than the American models imho). It is really unfortunate; I wonder why we aren't importing the Suzukis (or Toyotas) anymore?

Aren't some of the Susuki's still here but rebranded? You don't see a Susuki badge, but the model names are sometimes the same.

Of course, sometimes the problem is that parts have to be replaced to meet local standards, especially lights. The ones that weren't part of the original design always have the extra issues.

Apparently the Suzuki didn't meet expected sales so they moved out of the US market completely. They said it was hard to compete with so many different 4WD vehicles in the USA. Then again, Suzuki Equator, the only pickup ever made by Suzuki, was only made for the American market, it never appeared in Europe.


AFAIK Suzuki was never rebranded but could be I'm wrong. Their models, however, are sold under different names, for instance my car is called Vitara in Europe, in Asia and Africa it's either Vitara or Escudo while in the USA when it was still available, it was called either Vitara or Sidekick, depending on the state. But they all had the traditional Suzuki badge.

I've been very happy with my Subaru. However the light bulbs are still a pain in the @$$ to replace.

Today's high is predicted to be in the mid-high thirties! That's too cold for walking. A younger me might well have added an extra layer of clothing and braved it. There was I time I'd walk during snows, once local streets had been scraped of much of their snow/ice blanket. These days, I worry about cold settling in my lungs. I've enough lung issues as it is without adding pneumonia to the list, thank you.

I did manage to walk yesterday. Went out about 1430, temp about 55F. Day before that the high was in the mid forties. I gave it a try, but didn't make it passed the driveway before throwing in the towel.

ADDENDUM:
Now afternoon, my new exercise-walk shoes arrived during lunch. Something of an irony, this being a day too cold for walking, with very likely few days between now and spring warm enough to do so.

Debated walking today, with high temp in the mid forties. In the end, I decided to brave it. Went out circa 1420, dressed in t-shirt, sweat pants and top, field jacket, two toboggans, and of course shoes and socks. Was cold but endurable...until I reached the far end of my street, took the "circle" and started back down, facing straight into the wind. Brrrrrrr.... My first thought was to end the walk when I reached my house. By the time I got there I decided to stick it out, which I did.

Took a heart reading when done. Normal readings for me, well within safe limits.

Ordered two beanie cap (toboggan) plus neck snarf combos and three thermal underwear bottoms off Amazon. To my amazement, the confirmation email that arrived shortly thereafter showed me as having signed up for an Amazon Prime Trial. I did not knowingly do so. Did a bit of research and learned how to cancel the Trial, which I immediately did.

I used to wear my husband's long johns every winter; now I guess I'll have to go out and buy myself a pair,

I've a few old pairs too worn out to be of any real use. I keep forgetting to replace them...or did until a few days ago.

Speaking of which, my Amazon order arrived yesterday during supper. Too late for my exercise-walk. A shame. I most definitely could have used em. Brrrrr.... cold! Didn't stop me from walking the full distance, but it was a struggle. Irony is, today is the start of what looks to be warmer temps for at least a week or more. I might not need my new winter wear for some time.

Other than the exercise-walk, I can't think of a single "project" done yesterday. Ooops, I emailed one of my DC representatives. Waste of key strokes but better than doing nothing at all. Which reminds me I need to call both my reps today and yet again tell them to oppose something I know they are solidly in favor of and will not budge on. Such is life.

ADDENDUM: Now afternoon, I've gotten in my daily walk and called two DC representatives with instructions on what to do about two matters of importance to me. They will of course do the opposite, as is their wont. As for the walk, I wore one of my new toboggans, but it was overkill, being a relatively warm day for this time of year. If it weren't so windy I might have dispensed with a toboggan and gloves altogether.

Yesterday's "routine" heart appointment proved anything but. My Echo test revealed something going on inside my heart that my doctor can't understand. I'm now scheduled for a "TEE" (????) test, either next Tuesday pm or Wednesday am. It should have been done today, but no way can I arrange for someone to drive me home afterward -- assuming I'm allowed to leave afterward -- today. Since the driver is a requirement, no test for me until next week. Thankfully my brother is on vacation then. (I told 'em I don't mind sitting in a Clinic lobby for hours until I'm able to drive home under my own power, but they won't budge.)

In other news, one of the causes I've been actively championing went down in defeat yesterday afternoon not long after my return from the clinic. Not unexpected but disheartening for sure. I'm not giving up the fight, but it becomes that much harder.

Walked circa 1430. First walk wearing my new cold weather gear....beanie - neck scarf combo and insulated underwear bottoms. Helped a great deal.

Not much more to say about yesterday, other than that I now belong to so many political action groups that reading emails is now a major time consuming part of my day. Not terribly long ago I was lucky (or unlucky) to get three - five email on any given day. LOL

oh, no! Not good news about the heart issue! Good thoughts going your way as you battle the cold in your new winter gear and get ready for your TEE next week.

Aw, Decrepit! That is some scary news; I really wish you hadn't put it off for a week because being stressed for a week over the upcoming test can't be good for you at a time like this.

Just in case it will ease your mind to know in advance what they will be doing in the test; here is a link to a page that will tell you what the procedure is so you can be prepared:

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/H...55_Article.jsp#

It is just a better/clearer diagnostic of exactly what your heart is doing in action using ultrasound waves; and they can freeze frame and take pictures to look at and determine what exactly is going on when it is doing whatever concerned them (and better determine what best to do to fix it).

The hardest part of it for you is going to be a sore throat for a couple days afterward; so be prepared by having some nice soothing honey and lemon to heat or sherbet to eat (or whatever you use for sore throats).

As far as them not budging on letting you take yourself home = that is just to cover their butts if they can hand you into the responsible care of another person who signs that they will be taking good care of you for the next 24 hours.

(My son picked me up; signed = then promptly dropped me off at home and went to work; (which I would have preferred he stayed with me as he signed to do, but actually I was fine by myself and didn't need any special care that I couldn't handle just fine by myself).

The end result of mine was that they put me on meds to slow my heart down and I feel MUCH better now that they have regulated the beating.

Good luck with your test, Decrepit.

Really sad to hear the news on your heart, Decrepit. I do hope that after the test it proves to be something minor and nothing serious. In any case take good care now; we need our Grand Ole Champion here on the forums!


Also too bad about your cause. Only thing to do there is dust yourself off and get right back into the saddle - but only if you feel you have the strength now, mkey?

Thanks for the well wishes

Yes, I realize the driving requirement is to protest themselves should something go wrong. I'm sure I too will be left to fend for myself once my brother takes me to his house. Unless he has no plans for the afternoon and stays home. I thought about asking if they would allow me to arrange for taxi service to his house and have the procedure done today. But my cardiologist office says the procedure can wait until next week. Famous last words? We shall see.

As for today, I walked circa 1420 all, bundled up in winter gear. (A fellow not far down the street was outside putzing around in his front yard wearing jeans and a t-shirt.) Called three D.C. Congressmen to tell them how to overturn a recent bad decision (by another agency) and to remind them to vote NO on a certain issue. Ended up having to call my Representative's local office rather than his D.C. office, which would neither talk with me nor allow a message (full mailbox), a common occurrence with him as of late.

No plans for the rest of the day other than goofing around online and reading Wheel of Time.

Well, I hope your Brother does you better than my son did me, lol. But you should really be okay if he doesn't; it is just a precaution they like to take. Probably all this falls back on the HMO's not wanting anyone to spend the night in the hospital anymore; or the Cardiologist could have done the procedure and had you spend the night being watched by busty trusty nurses.

I have another headlight to change today. Oh boy.

And then I'm cooking dinner for my girlfriend.

I've been especially lazy lately, thanks to my recent health scare. Speaking of which, I finally received an status briefing from the Clinic, thanks to me bugging them with emails until they called with the needed info. Those heart "regurgitations" are, so they tell me, normal for someone my age and, at this stage, pose no immediate threat. Something to keep an eye on, but not worry overly much about. As to the odd unidentified mass inside my heart, noticed during the initial Echo Test, the subsequent TEE failed to find that mass, putting me in the clear in that regard. Got a second call not long ago letting me know that a new medicine the Doc planned to put me on is no longer needed, which my wallet is thankful for.

I haven't felt well for some days now, one symptom being chest soreness/pain. With heart issues now ruled out I suspect I'm likely suffering from one of my periodic lung infection episodes, and have begun treating it.

Alas, it looks as if my daily walks are over until Spring. Too darn cold!!!!!

No political activism worth mentioning since soon after my heart scare began.

One new project I've made tentative beginnings with: All these years I've put off writing a will. Started the ball rolling early this week. Contacted my nearest AF Base legal office, which provides will service free for us military retirees. They're sending needed paperwork to get started via snail mail. (I can supposedly download it off their website, but all three of my installed browsers consider the side unsafe and won't load it.) At some point I'll need to drive there (a several hour journey each way) for a face-to-face meeting to finalize things.

Stay safe and stay strong, Decrepit!

Projects today:

Searched my computerized account ledger for the one online purchase made during 2017 (back in Sep) that I still owe State User Tax on. Filled out the required paperwork. Wrote out a check (for a grand total of $3.82, postdated yesterday for purely cosmetic purposes...I have until about mid month to submit payment). Prepared a mailing envelop. Have the payment ready to post tomorrow. (I assume there will be no mail run today, it being Jan 1.)

Wrote a check, dated today, to pay City Utilities. I will hand deliver it tomorrow, if my memory doesn't fail me.

Was finally able to find out what this year's Social Security payments will be. Mine went up a whopping $21 a month this year, $10 of which is automatically eaten by a monthly Medicare premium increase, leaving me with an impressive $11 extra to splurge on per month. (My many prescription medicines all automatically increase in cost beginning now, eating that $11 and a good bit more. That said, I got another small pay increase in my Military Retiree pension, which helps a bit.)

Logged Social Security payouts and Medicare premiums through Jun 2018 into my computerized finance ledger.

Logged end-of-year State User Taxes Due payment and City Utilities payment into said ledger.

No grocery run today. Too darn cold!!!!!!! The 'feels like' temp varies between 0F - 5F. Brrrrrrrr... Tomorrow ain't gonna be much better. But every little bit helps, and I've enough food to last the extra day between runs.

We are freezing here too; but not as bad as you are having. It is in the teens here; but still way too cold for pets to be out in it = had to bring my dog Boo Boo inside.

First off, really relieved that the heart issue wasn't as crucial as I was worried about; but glad you are aware now so you can take precautions and be careful to follow whatever advice you need to for that condition.

Second: Really sorry about the lung infection; and hope you are feeling better now from that. That can really make you feel miserable, that is for sure.

Really hope 2018 brings you a year of good health!

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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



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.

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.

Oh, man Khajiit. Talk about bad luck

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.

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.