Mac mini woes

My Mac mini is acting up again. I can't get to boot up. Ugh!

I suppose that it's a sign. My Mac mini is a decade old. Perhaps it's time to retire it.

Surgery eight years later

Eight years ago yesterday, I had back surgery. I can't forget the date or how I felt that morning before heading to the hospital. Everything happened so fast.

I recently reflected about my surgery with my dear friend. She had had surgery and I was visiting her at the hospital. I haven't really talked about my surgery with friends. The experience is still pretty fresh in my head.

I am thankful for having the surgery. I have lived a pretty normal life ever since. I have lived my life as best I can.

My friend was discharged from hospital on Tuesday. She is resting and mending at home now. I'm so glad that she is doing so well.

Leather belts used on a bad girl

After work on Monday, I went grocery shopping at a cool discount store. It sells clothes, shoes, housewares, and more. The quality is decent for what you pay. I was there to get celery.

I walked into the store and saw an assortment of leather belts. It has been a while, but I was turned on just looking at them.

I have fantasized about having my hands tied with a leather belt. Another belt would be used to strap my bare backside.

I'm glad that I can think about it and get excited. I don't think I'd like to actually go through it in real life, even with a trusted partner. I enjoy thinking about it.

My friend is recovering well after surgery

My friend had surgery on her bowel. It got twisted, which caused her abdominal and back pain. She lives roughly two hours away from me.

I went to see her on Saturday. She is healing nicely. She was understandably tired, but in good spirits.

I have known her since we were both twelve years old. She is roughly two weeks older than I am.

Both of us never thought that we'd have surgery. I had back surgery eight years ago, almost to the day. I think she felt better when we talked about and shared our surgery experiences.

I gave her a card and a gift card. I wrote how much I appreciated her. I said that our friendship meant even more now.

She thanked me several times for coming. It was the least that I could do. The drive wasn't anything. I was thankful that I could brighten her day as she continues to recovery.

It was good seeing her. I hope to check up on her again soon.

Quick update

My friend is healing nicely after her surgery. I was hoping to write about everything, but I'm tired and there is a lot to process.

I am thrilled that she's okay.

Visiting and thinking about my friend who is in hospital

A dear friend texted me the other day to say that she was in the hospital. She let me know yesterday that she had had surgery.

Later on today, I will be heading over to visit her. The drive is just under 1.5 hours for me. I asked if she wanted visitors. I'm so glad that she said yes!

I just finished writing a get-well-soon message for her. I filled out an entire greeting card and will bring it with me. I want to get her a gift card, too. I'm keeping things lightweight.

Troubleshooting is my forte

I have been using an app on my phone to upload photos and write about my experiences for a while. Earlier this week, I upgraded the app to the latest version. It caused the upload photos feature to die.

I used to work in technical support. I was good at it. I ended up in second-level support. I'm not bragging. I look back at who I was back then and I was great.

These days, I often do troubleshooting at work. I am good at it, too. I am proud that I have this knack.

I reported this app issue to the software company. The woman insisted that I use the e-mail address associated with my account with this app. I had to explain that my messages get forward to my current account and provided my actual e-mail address on file. It is never a requirement to log into the account and write from it, although it is helpful. Just ask me for the e-mail address that I have registered with would have been sufficient.

The woman asked for screenshots and steps on what was going on. I write for a living, so that was easy for me to put together. I also pointed out that I have a Google Pixel 2XL phone running Android 10.

As expected, support couldn't reproduce this issue. It went to the engineering department.

I fixed the issue by myself a couple of hours ago. I could strengthen this support department if they offered a job to me.

I basically removed the faulty app. I went and downloaded an old app version that was released in March. I then installed it.

I proceeded to upgrade the app to the current version. The upload photo functionality works again. Go, me!

I wrote back to support and said that I fixed the issue myself. I didn't bother thanking the woman, as I did all the work. I did end the message cordially, though.

Thank goodness I enjoy solving issues. Otherwise, this app would be useless on my phone without this functionality restore.

Depleted battery on my Fitbit Alta leads to a new Versa Lite

I have had my Fitbit Alta for nearly three years. While in the Twin Cities, it died on me. It had a full charge the night before.

I worked with support. Sure enough, after a full charge, without any notifications or fancy, draining functionality, the battery depletes roughly 1.75 days later. It's supposed to last at least four days on a full charge.

Unfortunately, my Alta is no longer covered by the limited warranty. However, I do get a discount on my next device. It's a nice way to keep me as a customer.

I will get the Versa Lite and see how it goes. I get 40% off its regular price. Not too shabby!

Seeing myself in my friend's conversation

I have been sitting here, trying to figure out what I want to write. It's not that I haven't got a topic. On the contrary, there's a lot going on in my head that I really don't where to start.

Work is busy. I noticed the other day that my friend had to interact with our incompetent colleague. I could swap my friend out for me, and it's the same song and dance.

At one point, my friend said to her, "Don't twist my words." I have said something similar to her on multiple occasions. I apparently told her to do something when that never happened. She is delusional.

I look forward to the day when I do not have to interact with her. I don't enjoy talking to her. I don't like hearing her talk. Her thoughts are jumbled and incoherent. I don't even like to say goodnight to her when I leave work. It's that bad.

My friend spent some time venting to me on Monday. It's mutual that we vent and listen.

Election results - Canada voted!

Monday was election day. We voted our Prime Minister back. However, he leads a minority government this time around.

I had voted at the advance poll before heading to the Twin Cities. It's important to vote.

I like watching election results come in. It explains why I am writing this post so late on a weeknight.

I'm off to bed!

Fortune about only the wisest and stupidest people never changing

On Saturday, I went to a Chinese restaurant for a late lunch. At the end of the meal, I got a fortune cookie.

Here was my fortune:

I don't think that it's just men. My incompetent colleague fits this scenario, for instance.

Perhaps it can also be applied to my ex-guy. He has broken up with me three times. I should have known that he had issues and wasn't going to change the first time he broke up with me.

Of course, it's easier to look back and observe. This fortune was interesting that way. It's all about perspective and interpretation.

Rita Ora and her butt

I like Rita Ora. I first heard about her when she was in Fifty Shades of Grey. I like her music. She seems like a fun, optimistic person.

She recently posted this pic on her Instagram account.

She has a perky butt.

It would be interesting if we all wore such an outfit daily -- guys and gals.

The weekend - the possibilities!

The weekend is here! I have a good problem. I don't have an agenda. I simply have a number of places that I'd like to visit.

I have my usual errands to run. I need Diet Coke. I'm out of cream cheese.

I also have some Groupons to use up. I like exploring new places.

It's nice to have a weekend where I have a ton of flexibility. It's also nice to unwind. Shorter work weeks tend to wear me out faster.

Rest and hobbies

I took Thursday off. I was chilled and tired. I slept. It was all good.

These days, I have been resurrecting my love for sewing. I find it relaxing and a nice way to unwind. I hope to get around to learning how to crochet.

It's nice doing quiet hobbies, especially when the weather is getting colder.

I'm going to break your heart

Last week, on the plane going to Minneapolis, I watched a documentary called I'm Going to Break Your Heart. The documentary spotlights the relationship between Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida, who have successful music careers and have been married for over twenty years.

They relationship has bumps. They are seen going to counselling. They work at their relationship, as head as it can get.

They wrote many songs together during this documentary. One of them was the title of this documentary. I lost it. I was crying on the plane.

My ex-guy broke my heart -- three times too many. We never went to counselling. Part of me wishes that we did, but he abruptly ended our relationship.

There are nights where I think of him. One part of me misses the good, fun parts of our relationship. I know that it isn't healthy to want to try it again. I do not want to be hurt by him again. I want better.

I continue to heal. It's not an easy journey. I get by one day at a time.

Back home with a luggage search at border security

I got back on Monday night. I was too exhausted to post anything.

My arrival at the airport was odd. First, I was asked to go to a customs/border security line after declaring that I had only brought back $90 worth of goods. The customs woman was pleasant, going through my luggage and rolling computer bag. I had nothing to hide. All went well.

My guess is that it was the long Thanksgiving weekend. Perhaps it seemed odd that I wouldn't splurge while in the States. I truly didn't go to shop. I was there for a hockey game.

Within the last year, I have been asked to go over to this special lineup twice. I'm not sure what makes folks think that I need additional questioning. I just know that I am honest and everything checks out fine. Perhaps I should have a flag in my record that I'm good!

There's more to this story regarding getting a taxi. I'll save that for another post.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am a few hours away from flying home. It has been a great weekend in the Twin Cities. I walked too much, though. My legs are feeling it. They were pretty achy yesterday, but some rest has helped.

It hasn't been the best year for me. However, I am thankful for being healthy, and having you with me as I mend a broken heart and get through life. Thanks for all your support. It means the world to me.

Thanksgiving long weekend and voting

Tonight, I am staying at a hotel closer to the airport. It's fun. It also saves me time in the morning getting to the airport. I don't need to do an hour-long commute.

I voted at the advance poll on Friday after work. I won't be able to vote on a Saturday like I typically do. I also don't like voting on voting day. It takes me forever to get back home and it is whenever everyone is scrambling to make their voice heard. I'd rather do it early.

I like voting. I have a say. It makes me feel good after the fact.

This weekend is the Thanksgiving long weekend in Canada. Yes, I'm heading stateside, but it's worth it.

Work annoyances, including explaining processes to clueless people

My manager made a statement yesterday that I agree with when it comes to folks at work. Those who have to make a decision do not understand all aspects of the issue, including technicalities. Because they don't, there are so many problems that surface.

I have a project manager who does not know what she is doing. She immediately panics whenever I have a clear explanation for her in an e-mail and needs to talk to me. I work from home on Wednesdays. She called a meeting five minutes before its start, which I did not care for. I like to given more time than that.

I managed to cancel a second meeting that she had called. I just wanted an update and said that I am swamped with five conference calls in the afternoon. I am on the receiving end on deliverables. Why hold the meeting with me? It's the folks that are late with the deliverable who should be in a meeting with you. I spend far too much time in meetings and it's mainly because the other person doesn't get it. She said that she'd write meeting minutes. Nope, it didn't happen. I went ahead and did it for my own sanity.

The most enjoyable new feature in our instant messaging application is that I can hide my status from people who are not added to my list of contacts. This feature has significantly reduced the number of folks who contact me. I dislike instant messaging at work. I'd sooner do e-mail. If I don't reply in a minute, people come directly to my desk. I dislike this panicky mentality that folks have, including my incompetent colleague.

Two more days of work before the long weekend. I can't wait.

Packing and restoring my iPod classic

I am packing light for my trip. I am away for three days and I am in the Twin Cities for two of them. I am technically done. I'll I need are snacks.

As of late, I want to return to simpler times. I spent some time last night restoring music on my iPod classic. Yep, folks say that it looks like a brick. However, it holds my entire digital music collection.

I like it because I don't need to stream my music. I don't have the option to check my e-mail or do searches online. I am removed from plenty of distractions.

The fact that it is probably over a decade old and still works well is nice. I am contemplating getting the newest iPod touch. It would be a distraction, as it has bluebooth, wifi, and messaging capabilities.

I'll stick with my iPod classic for now.

Reminders of a severed relationship and looking forward to travel

My ex-guy's car is parked at work again. This time around, seeing his car doesn't hurt as much.

He broke my heart. I find it difficult to have him in my life. It is far easier to sever ties with him. It is too painful to relive being happy in our relationship and having the plug pulled on a Monday -- likely the worst day of the week to break up. Then again, any day to select as a break-up day isn't great.

I have a few days before I fly off to the Twin Cities. I am excited to be back after nine years. It'll do me some good.

Sewing, and wanting to learn how to knit and crochet

On Sunday, I spent part of my day sewing. I had a few articles of clothing that needed some attention.

I enjoy hand-sewing or using my sewing machine. I find it relaxing.

For years, I have wanted to learn how to knit and crochet. Years ago, I managed to knit a scarf. I simply couldn't bind off, though. I hope to resurrect these projects. I have a feeling that I'll find it relaxing once I get the hang of these techniques.

Heartbreak advice from Dax Shepard

I was listening to an episode of the Ellen on the Go podcast. Dax Shepard was on the show for a segment called Dr. Dax. It's where audience members ask him advice.

He offers funny and sensible answers. There was a woman who had just been dumped and asked how she should handle heartbreak.

He first joked and said that she should sleep with every female friend of his. The more serious answer was to say, "It is only temporary," as a mantra.

It's similar to how I am approaching my broken heart,. It is temporary. Time will help and heal.

Missing being spanked and being a bad girl

I miss being called a bad girl. I miss being spanked.

I haven't indulged in self-spanking for a while. Perhaps this weekend would be good to resurrect it.

Nearly sideswiped by a woman who did not check her blindspot

One of my biggest fears is driving next to someone who does not check her blindspot. It happened to me last night.

I was driving home and a car moved into my lane, almost hitting me. I moved into the middle turn lane and honked at her for a long time. My car has a decent whiny, annoyed tone that she finally moved over. It was scary. It made me angry.

I finally got to take a look at the person as I managed to pass her several minutes later. She was an older woman with silver hair. She looked embarrassed and didn't look at me.

I do wish that folks would take the time to do a shoulder check. It can save lives. It can also make them better drivers.

When I got my car, one of the features that I wanted was as much of a clear view around me while driving. I didn't get that when I tested the C-HR. I love that I do with my Corolla hatchback.

I am a bit rattled, but I'll be okay.

Hacked account on POF

I signed up for a Plenty of Fish (POF) account. I wanted to check out how the dating scene works again.

Well, my account got hacked last night. The person changed my profile photos. I became a black woman with a height of 5'5". In reality, I am Asian and am five inches taller than that.

I noticed a number of POF notification e-mails coming in about men being interested in me. I didn't get it. It wasn't until I signed into my POF account where I found out that some, but not all, of my answers in my profile were changed.

This person cannot write for beans. It is likely why my profile description remained the way that it was. This person was likely trying to get credit card information. I have a free account, thankfully.

I actually saw conversations between the fraudster and other men happen right before me. I changed my password immediately. It took a while for the other person to be kicked off the system.

To be certain that this person wouldn't be able to hack into my account, I changed my password again a few hours later. The crazy thing is that my original password seemed pretty secure. Obviously, it wasn't.

I will wait a couple of days before logging back in. The notifications have since ceased. After this experience, I'm not sure if I truly want to go back on this dating app.

Purchasing a jacket that I thought I didn't need, but actually do

The other night, I realized that I had some GAPcash left. It means that if I spend $50 at either a regular GAP store or its outlet, I can get $20 off. That's not bad at all.

My problem? As much as I love this store, I don't exactly need anything. Well, that's what I thought.

I drove over there after work on Monday. There was a lightweight puffy jacket that was 50% off. I actually needed one. I have had mine for five years and it was falling apart. Some of the stuffing (yes, the fluff inside the jacket) was coming out of the sleeves and sides. I didn't get rid of it last year because it is perfect for me. I got a replacement jacket and it is too warm when it's not nippy outside. It works better when it's the middle of winter and it's truly cold.

Anyway, I tried this jacket on and I liked it. I got it. I'm so happy.

I had another GAPcash coupon left. I knew that I wasn't going to use it, as it was the last day that it was valid. Instead, I gave it to an older female shopper who asked how much a coat was. The cashier who had helped me out said that it was $55. She could get it for $35 with the coupon.

It's nice to pay it forward and make someone's day.

Working from home again and taking a break from the incompetent woman

I am back to my regular schedule this week. I am working from home today and tomorrow.

It has been a grind going to work every day for over three weeks. I don't mind hanging out with colleagues that I like, including my student. It is dealing with the sheer ridiculousness spewing out of my incompetent colleague that puts a damper on things.

She has this tone in her voice when she gets excited. She sounds like she is constipated and I cringe every time I hear her. She did that taking a phone call at her desk, which isn't exactly professional. We all sit in an open area and can hear her while we are working.

It'll be nice to take a break from her. Everything that she does seems odd.