Done this week (20121009 Tu - 12 Fr)
Tuesday I moved nova, the printers, and the starport (inside) router to the computer desk; moved polaris (the outside router) to the corner of the kitchen where the phone jack lives; and set up (linux desktop) algol and (mac mini) whitewood. Everything works! Much better signal from the routers, though there is still the occasional glitching from starport which I suspect is due to 802-11G/N issues.
Tip: it helps if you turn the printer on before trying to print a test page.
I did quite a lot of re-organizing, which resulted in a usable amount of space around the desk and several other items going to useful places. Decided to use Elfa "easyhang" shelving on the long livingroom wall -- it'll be fairly expensive, but a lot less than the price of even freestanding bookcases.
My copy of Cat Faber's new CD, The King's Lute, arrived in the mail. It's wonderful -- go get one. Cat is an absolutely brilliant songwriter. There are several songs on there that I need to learn.
Wednesday I got a confirmation of my COBRA health plan selections. WTF? I didn't recall making any. Thursday I got a letter dated the 5th saying that they couldn't contact me. WTF? Five phone calls later, on Friday, I determined that they had my area code wrong -- I might conceivably have messed up when I updated my profile, but they had my email address and never sent anything to it. The last person I called, Susan, was extremely helpful and pleasant to talk to. This was Friday morning, and may have been due to my already having decided what to do.
After determining that I had already received more from my FSA than I'd put in so far I dropped it, saving myself at least $860. (There was another $430 payment due, but I had already determined that I wasn't going to continue my COBRA coverage after my coverage from $K kicks in in December.) I also dropped my vision plan.
Friday I also (finally!) followed up on my house, car, and renter's insurance. And saved quite a lot. I should have done that months ago, of course. I don't know where my brain was between June and September. Well, job-hunting and moving and unpacking ate up a lot of it, I'm sure. Anxiety, apathy, and depression probably ate up the rest.
Colleen and I visited the Northshore Senior Center in Bothell -- it was only $50/year for a couple membership. If she can get transportation it'll be a great place for her to hang out, especially the quilting group.
I made several tasty meals, including a great corned beef hash using the potatoes that had been cooked in the slow cooker with the beast. Details, along with the usual links, in the notes.
1009 Tu * up 7:05; W=194.6; d, n, t; laundry, dishes * take down nova and starport. * move polaris router to kitchen. Nice, solid connection. Yay! Required some fiddling with the wall jack, and of course finding a bigger power strip. Eventiually we want a UPS there. Will be a bit of a squeeze. * move nova, starport gw to LR. Really want the other UPS and move the tower back to the bedroom, but this'll work fine for now. Everything back in operation at about 10:45. * both printers connected; test pages printed (helps if you turn the laser printer _on_ first) * obtained kindle editions of several of M.C.A. Hogarth's stories. I'm going to want something to read on the bus. * corned beef hash and eggs for brunch Yum! No separate starch, since we had the potatoes cooked with the beast this time. Win. * shelf brackets installed. Raised the shelf off the original supports to allow for a monitor underneath. * N's: pick up card table, UPS * install UPS in bedroom. It's shorter, so fits *under* the outlet extender. Win. * out to University Village with Colleen, mainly to get her phone looked at. Turns out it has essentially no onboard memory; the tech moved most of her apps to the uSD card. * my copy of Cat Faber's new CD, The King's Lute, arrived in the mail. @ A Seattle homeowner creates custom quarters and a backyard retreat with reclaimed touches (indirect via Bark Like A Fish, Damnit! - Decor Wars) @ Human Size Bat Caught In Peru / Philippines : Hoax forced perspective % 10:25 falling asleep at the keyboard * load drugs * 15min: clearing some of the spam backlog in mail.misc. Nice, solid connection to starport. Hmm. Just interference, then? Maybe. * 11:50 n, t. Maybe we can start accounting for that after all. 1010 We * up 6:45; W=196; d, n, t, h, e; shower, dishes sitting down with coffee by ~7:45. @ “Can you fix my Windows 95 computer?”: How to troll a tech support scammer | Ars : The loud clattering noise turned out to have been the living-room wall clock. Its "command" hook had fallen off the wall. Not the first thing here to be off the wall, but still... annoying. Now broken (running slow) and the battery has leaked. Bah. * 10:45 whitewood running. Had to put fresh batteries in the keyboard, and the monitor power cord was flaky. Otherwise smooth. Algol in progress. : power usage: 6%/84min with whitewood and monitor on. So that's ok. * 11:40 Algol running. Currently set up for standalone operation, which might be ok for now. Not on a UPS, which is also ok for now because it's non- core. Not audible from the other side of the room, which is good. * 15min: consolidation. One box out. Put prisms in with rocks and binocs. * humira * noonish: speakers on Whitewood. Should now be usable as media player. * Brunch: lamb bacon, breakfast potatoes, fried eggs. Yum. * set up: Whitewood, Algol * take pants in to be hemmed. Dry cleaner at towne center. * buy: ook hooks - I know we have some, but don't know where. * dinner: an attempt at chicken tetrazzini. edible but not great. Should have made veggies. * received COBRA confirmation of enrollment. Note that I never actually selected a plan -- they just assigned me one. That I probably don't want, because its not what I'll be getting via $K. Plus it includes FSA payments, but I can't find out what my balance is. I HATE Aon Hewitt. HATE. * start going to bed ~11 1011 Th * up 6:38; W=195.2; d, n, t, h; dishes, exercise, laundry * contact $K re: first-day instructions. Wasn't I supposed to have received those? Check mailing address * call benefits express re: COBRA selections. FSA balance inconsistent with what I've paid so far. May be simpler to abandon. Call cut off. * 9am leave for dentist * 9:30 dentist - -crown- _consultation_ Need a crown and a couple of fillings; crown cheaper with Cigna than Aetna crown fitting tomorrow at 11 * To Bothell senior center. Bought couple membership. Now in computer lab of the Health and Wellness center (across the street), on the free open wifi. @ Employer Takeover of Employee's LinkedIn Account Does Not Violate Federal Computer Hacking Law, Question of Ownership Remains (LinkedIn) : received letter from Hewitt saying to call -- they can't contact me. This is dated 1005. I have verified that my contact phone number is correct; it may be am email that I didn't answer. * called FSA - they are still confused about my payments -- have the feeling RII has been faking it somehow because of the difference in pay periods. Will try to stop payments; since I have paid in less than I've taken out, that would be a net win of about $800. They may not let me. * out for an explore with Colleen - Bothell senior center; out Bothell-Everett Highway to Everett, I5 back. Freddy's along the way for clock and toaster oven/toaster (Hamilton Beach Toaststation) * buy: wall clock @ The Wordsmith's Forge - National Coming Out Day Male, mostly-straight, graysexual (which makes it hard to tell exactly how straight :), demiromantic? And alexithymic, which also makes it hard to tell exactly. Firmly in favor of people having whatever relationships they like with whomever they prefer. * 15min: cleared out ~200 emails from mail.misc * 15min: started ripping CDs, now that algol is back up. * 15min: cleared ACM email in gmail (moving them to the obvious label) * 10:15 starting to get drifty * 11ish: heading for bed. d, n, t 1012 Fr * up 6:35; W=194; d, n, t, h, e; pots, light : it rained last night : The power-strip UPS I was counting on for polaris and the phone base station appears to be (mysteriously) broken. Claims to be online, but no power from the battery. Broken connection from a drop, I'm guessing. Growf! * 15min: cable management; rearrangement at the kitchen/DR appliance corner * called Hewitt and dropped FSA. Major win: available balance 548, remaining payments 1292. Total win. total COBRA due 3224.86 for Oct/Nov. Susan was extremely helpful and pleasant to deal with. Possibly because I was calm, had done my research, and was no longer concerned about the discrepancy between what they thought I'd paid in, and what it said on my last pay stub. (It's because RII has always paid twice/month, but the rest of the company pays biweekly. They're always screwing it up. Were. After the end of November I won't have to care. * 11:40 crown install @ Drupal's Golden Handcuffs | Mike Crittenden | Bullhorn Reach (linkedin) @ Linus Torvalds Compares Hard Disks to Satan | Wired.com * ping Shaun again * 0817 insurance 425-712-3664 M-F 8-5 -> 425-275-0570 Renee PLC Insurance, LLC: 4211 ALDERWOOD MALL BLVD #210, LYNNWOOD, WA 98036 -> 10:50 all taken care of, or at least set in motion, over the phone. * 1012t14:30 call to see what needs to be done next -> -> Renee will call back with modified policy. * reorganized storage: floor lamp next to the desk, art in the hall closet, luggage bins in the MBR (Colleen's side of the closet, laundry closet) * insurance: new insurance with Safeco; considerably less. Cancel Encompass policy on Monday (effective date of Safeco policy). WA auto insurance is about half my CA insurance. I now have an umbrella policy, too, which I hadn't before. * Vintage Guitars Info - Martin collecting vintage martin guitars @ End-to-end arguments in software design * (20:26:10) mdlbear: Unicorn tapestry hung over Colleen's dresser. Amazing how much difference it makes to the room. : It turns the wall from a blank into something much more interesting and dynamic. * (20:40:43) mdlbear: Piggie cage cleaned, Clea held and petted, briefly. : 9pm it's raining. A nice, cozy sound. % 10:27 getting drifty. Bath, then bed
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