To be filed under "It wasn't broken, why did you 'fix' it?

Audible, in their infinite wisdom (said in a very sarcastic tone), have decided to force all their subscribers to use the "Enhanced Audio" version only. 

First, they did away with Format 3, which was ok with my old Treo Smartphone,  leaving us Format 4.  I have been using it for close 10+ years with SansaView.  Their excuse umm 'reasoning' is they are moving to a more mobile direction. How is only being able to play them on my Desktop MOBILE?!  In other words, phones.  I used my phone once for an audio book, and it chewed through the battery. But since I had my SansaView, it was a non-issue.

Oh, did I forget to mention that their new enhanced version can't be played on my SansaView? Also, my mp3 player is smaller and lighter than my phone.

Audible has given me three choices:
1: Use all my credits, download everything NOW in Format 4 and cancel my account.
2: Shell out $200 for a new Audible 'approved' device. (Nope, not happening, health more important)
3: "Jail break" the Enhanced Audio files into MP3s (which I am capable of doing), and then downsize their bitrate so they will play on my SansaView. It also will make the file size smaller.

I'm a nerdy sort of person. Anyone want to bet what I will end up doing?

Dug out a fossil

In computer terms, it's close to a fossil. My old Acer Aspire 5735 laptop.  It was relegated to the closet, not just because of it being limited with 4gb of ram, but because it kept overheating and shutting down.

I took it out, booted it up, and it actually boots up fast.  I updated a few things, but not the OS (it's running Win 7 64bit Pro, and please don't nag me about upgrading to Win 10. I have plenty of security for it) But that overheating problem.

I remembered that we got some thermal paste when we were building the two boxes (Alan's and mine). I removed the back while he was finding the thermal paste, and then he took off the fan with built on heatsink. Cleaned all the old thermal paste off, and replaced it with maybe a smidge more than what was originally on the CPU.  I got it currently downloading Windows Defender updates, while watching a movie on DVD.  That area that would get scorching hot to the touch is just warm.

I have to remember that it only has 4gb of ram onboard, and has to share it with the graphics card (note to self, I should check for driver update for it).  I've gotten so used to The Beast with all its bells and whistles.  It is limited, but within those limitations, it seems to be working just fine.  After Windows Defender is finished updating, I will try using On1 Photo 10. Graphics editing used to make it seriously overheat then shut down.

Getting fed up with Fujitsu

We had ducted/central heat-ac installed about 7 years or so ago.  At least once every freaking year, it has some sort of malfunction. This wasn't an issue when it was still under warranty, or the parts that needed replacement were under that warranty.

So, once again, the control panel is kicking out and error code. This time Err 00:11.  It was working fine yesterday, during the morning, but when it was turned on last night to warm the house before we went to bed.... nope.

Of course, Fujistu doesn't have an after hours message bank. Called them this morning. They can send a tech out tomorrow at 9:30am.

Wagering starts now!

1: He/She will get here, and it can be fixed right away, same day.

2: He/She will get here, but has to go back to the shop to get the parts needed.

3: The parts will have to ordered, who knows how long it will take to get here.

PLACE YOUR BETS!

Part one done

Saw "Meg the Motivator" (afterward, at home, I call her Meg the Merciless!).  Because my heel was taped up in such a fashion, there was no pain, so I sort of overdid it on the weekend and again on Monday. 

No mercy!  Well, a little bit. Was on treadmill for 20 minutes, but a a slightly slower pace than I usually do.  Then off to the "Reformer" (aka pilates machine)  I used to snicker about those things, but I don't any longer! It keeps the spine and hips in proper alignment, so when you do the actions/exercises, it's equal, and helps correct poor posture. Mine poor posture is due to years of a bad disc, and it's subsequent collapse, and having a bad knee.  The realignment isn't fun, or easy, but necessary.

Exhausted, but have to see Dr H, my GP, about getting my anti-seizure meds prescription.  He only gives me two months worth, because of the law.  It's deemed a 'controlled' medication.  Me, I call it the "Three little white tablets a day that keep my body from trying to painfully fold into sharp geometric shapes.  No nap, not yet.

I miss bloggers

And blogging.  I miss web BBS forums. Facebook is a pisspoor substitute.

I have to use two different blog posting software. That in itself isn't a problem, but it's the "not suddenly working" with little (or no) forewarning.

Ok, moving on:

Turns out I don't have plantar fasciitis. I have enthesopathy of the plantar tendon.  It's like having a pebble under then skin, between the tendon and bone of the heel.  To say it's painful would be an understatement.  Physio has found a way to tape the heel and arch of foot and it relieves about 98% of the pain. Problem is, I can't keep my foot taped all the time! ARGH!  Might have to see a podiatrist. Dammit, I'm not old enough to need orthotics!

Onto my rant about Twitter (and what followed).  It would have been nice to have them send an email, or maybe an ironic SMS, to say they were discontinuing being able to receive SMS notifications.  I thought my phone was faulty, went to Telstra to find out why I couldn't send text messages to Twitter, and why my Caller ID was coming up as PRIVATE NUMBER.  The girl there couldn't figure it out, and suggested I recontract early, and see if that and a new sim card would fix it. It did not.  She told me I should call Tech Support (which I did, but that's a different story which I will add after this) What she didn't tell me was recontracting cancelled my "StayConnected" subscription.  I figured out why the Caller ID wasn't working, it was because of Samsung firmware update.  It added a new setting I had to untick.

Moving on again, I called Telstra tollfree number, wade through the most annoyingly voiced menus, the type that make you want to grind your teeth to nubs.  The first time I tried, I got disconnected.  I tried again the following day, made it through all the menus and spoke to "Steve",  wonderful support, and when I told him what happened regarding the recontracting, how I wasn't told that it would lead to the cancellation of my StayConnected, he said to go back to that Telstra shop and speak to the manager.  I will as it will be well within my rights to have this new contract revoked and go back to my original contract, including my StayConnected.

Loki, big grey Bengal of ours, has been ill, twice in as many weeks. He was throwing up. Took him to the vet, he was given a shot of anti-nausea medication, some take home antibiotics,  and bloods drawn for tests.  Nothing nefarious in the blood tests, and he stopped barfing.
 
Then a week later, he started sneezing. Not a lot at first, just a few times. Then a half dozen times a day, then so often I called the vet.  Exam and nasal swab taken.  Antibiotics (again) and an anti-inflammatory.  

After a few days, his nose dried out, but he still sneezed, just not as often, or as hard. As Alan described, "He lifted his head, opened his mouth, his eyes would cross, and then he would sneeze two or three times.".  

Call back about the nasal swab results: as yet unidentified bacteria, but it would react/die with the antibiotic he was given.  Brought him back in to the vet this morning for a follow up.  Sneezing a few times, but not constantly, and also no more nasal discharge.  The bacteria was identified, and it's no biggie. 

Consensus was that the smoke from the controlled burn off, people using woodstoves, pollen from all the wonderful blossoming trees/flowers, and using the heat triggered his allergies into overdrive.

Other than that, I haven't been bored. This "Self Isolation" and "Social Distancing"... I've been stuck doing it for the past 2 years because of car accident, followed by pneumonia, then seizures, and to top it off more surgery.  Who knew my life was called "Quarantine"?