Pithy

I think this says it all. (via BoingBoing)

Inaugration Day

I don't think I can follow-through on my plan to cut out (or severely cut back on) drinking.

Adventures in Internetting

I've had DSL for... a long time. Sure, I could go cable and get a faster connection, but then I'd have to go with Comcast or AT&T and I'm not big on putting too many of my needs at the mercy of monopolies. So I've sucked it up and gone through smaller providers. It's been a mixed-bag, all-said. As a rule, the customer service I get from smaller providers is top-notch, but it does make it hard to iron down... issues.

For some time now, I've had connectivity issues. I've gone back-and-forth with my provider for a while, but I think - possibly - I got the issue resolved today.

I hope.

First sick day of 2017

And I thought I was getting better.

Thirteen hours of Nyquil-induced slumber later and I am. Kinda.

First Head Cold of 2017

I made it six days.

Yesterday, going into work, I had a horrific attack of sinus issues. I figured it was allergies. I seem to suffer from allergy-related sinus issues most days of the year. I figured mold or something got in the office ventilation.

I got home and I was feeling worse. The sinus issues were so bad, I could barely breathe.

Loaded up on decongestants and realized my throat was bothering me. Added Nyquil to the mix and took a nine-hour nap.

Woke up this morning to the sound of rain and a sore throat.

I've got a cold. Good times. I think the nine hours of Nyquil-sleep helped. My congestion isn't too bad, but I'm definitely sick.

Good times.

Five days in

It wouldn't be the new year season if I weren't going through some ill-advised attempts to get in-shape. The jogging, step-climbing stuff isn't a problem, all things considered. I've been faithful enough with jogging that it's not too troubling.

No, it's the upper-body stuff that's kicking my ass. I've neglected push-ups and chin-ups for longer than I ought. I've been pretty faithful for the last five days, but I'm starting to feel it a lot.

I guess that's a good sign in that I'm doing something right, but... ouch.

I think I'm going to take 2017 slow. Get one thing done, then move on to another. Gonna be that kind of year.

On the plus side, my pool game is improving a lot. While I'm still the worst person in my office by a mile, I'm starting to win games properly instead of due to the other player scratching.

Whee.

Now we're due for a cold snap before a major rain storm hits the Bay Area. Should be a fun weekend.

Review: TAD Gear Rogue RS and Sentinel Field Jackets

It's winter. It's cold. It's currently also quite wet. It's that time when one has to have a suitable coat when one goes outdoors.

During the blitz of endless adverts sent to my email, I noticed Triple Aught Design (aka TAD Gear) came out with some new jackets.

I have purchased some of their jackets in the past and never regretted a purchase, despite the expense.

As Autumn hit, I found myself in need of a nice, light jacket. And I came across the Rogue RS Jacket.

It was exactly what I was looking for. It's a breathable, sturdy jacket made of nylon and cotton. When open, it's comfortable on a warm day. When zipped up, it keeps a blustery wind from giving too much trouble. While not waterproof, it's a workable garment in a light rain.

The Rogue RS has two zippered hand-warmer pockets that have smaller pockets within for items (flashlight, gum, whatever). There's also two smaller pockets inside the jacket that could fit a small wallet or maybe a phone.

Totally worth the cost in my book. I liked my Rogue RS so much that when TAD had a one-day Xmas coupon in early December, I got a second one (in a different color) with the Spring in mind.

I thought that was that.

Then those crafty buggers at Triple Aught Design set another lure for me.

It was a few days later when I saw the Sentinel Field Jacket first go on-sale. I was intrigued. Then I looked at the price tag and choked a bit. With Xmas expenses melting my credit card, I decided I couldn't afford it.

The next day, I decided I could probably manage it and tried to buy one. They were sold out. In one day.

Bummed, I occasionally checked out the site (by which I mean I looked multiple times every damn day) to see if they restocked in my size.

Right around Xmas (I think maybe Xmas Eve?) they restocked. I made the purchase before I was even conscious of what the hell I was doing.

A few days after Xmas, I managed to line up with UPS and get my jacket.

I.
Regret.
Nothing!

The Sentinel Field Jacket is a truly delightful garment. Highly water-resistant, the Sentinel is made of a light, breathable fabric called "Ventile" that layers well for cold weather (like now) but would likely fare well come Spring and Autumn.

And then there's the pockets.

I do love me a jacket with pockets and the Sentinel doesn't disappoint. There's two large, snap-closed, pouch pockets in front with a pair of zipper-closed hand-warmer pockets on the side. There's also a zipper-closed pocket over the left side of the chest with another zipper-closed pocket on the inside. All have good-sized capacity for things like wallets, small cameras, phones, a medium-sized book, sunglasses, or whatever.

I won't lie to you: the Sentinel is currently my favorite jacket.

Damn well better be for the price.

TAD is an expensive place to shop, but I have to say I've liked everything I've gotten from them.

Temporal Confusion

There's a downside to taking a long break from work, then returning to a short work week: it's damn hard to track what day it is.

For the most part, it doesn't really matter to me what day of the week it is this week. My daily obligations are pretty much the same. As long as I don't try going into work on Saturday morning, I ought to be fine.

Some of my co-workers are not so lucky. Case in point: one co-worker was telling us today about his Wednesday deadline to get something before a Friday morning meeting.

There was a moment of silence.

"You mean, Wednesday as in today?" one co-worker asked the other.

"For the meeting that's this Friday?" I chimed in.

There was a widening of eyes. A slight paling of the complexion. And the obligatory "Oh shit!".

Yeah, I'm not the only one having trouble tracking this week.

Well, it's 2017

My start-of-the-year checklist:

• Sleep in? Not really. Didn't sleep well.
• Eat a fattening breakfast? Check.
• Go for a jog? Check.
• See the family? Pending.

An anticlimactic end to 2016 on my part. With the bug still lingering, I opted to chill out and read in bed until midnight. I texted my happy new year greetings to a few folks then passed out. No Nyquil. No whiskey. Got to be a personal first in ages.

Ah 2017. What do you have in store for us? Melting icecaps? Earthquakes? Plague? Flood? Locusts? Sweet Meteor of Death? Unicorns? Sentient Homicidal Furbys? I guess time will tell.

Oh, and to any of the few crazed who read this blog: Happy New Year. I hope 2017 treats you well, or at least better than 2016 did.