Ponderings and Musings

I’ve kicked off the Resolution Revolution for 2023 and I’ve been focused on finances. Over the years I have accumulated some recurring subscriptions (redundant?) in Apple’s App Store. They are for apps that I use with some regularity and quite frankly it’s unfortunate that the tech industry has moved to this recurring charge model.

I wiped out a LOT of little subscriptions today. To the tune of savings around $1000 a year. $50 a year for web access to a task manager? Gone. Nearly $400 a year for aviation software that does practically everything but fly the jet? Reduced to General Aviation levels. Linux servers in the cloud? Relocated to home, where they run for free.

I get that developers need to make cash but our bank account can’t afford to be so gratuitous to these folks. If there’s an open source version that I can support and run on my own server I’m going to do it.

I feel like there’s some turbulent times in the financial world coming for all of us 2023. It’s time to get things in a row so we can weather the storm.

It’s been a wonderful Christmas morning here in our desert home.

Chris and Jamie lit the pool room with a hundred tea lights and other ambient holiday themed lighting. It was very nice.

We decided to run some errands after dinner on Wednesday night. We had some gifts to pick up, so we made the rounds of the neighborhood. I asked my husband if he wanted to stop for a drink and he thought that was a great idea.

There’s a couple of nifty bar and restaurants in our general vicinity. I’ve been telling Earl I would like to find a happy hour situation for a once in a while visit with perhaps other folks that work full time from home. I really enjoyed going out like this once in a while when we lived in Chicago (until the pandemic brought that to a halt) and I said we’re not doing it enough now that we live in Tucson. So we’ll probably do this a little more.

I just remember that’s it’s a drive, and not a train that gets us home afterwards.

Even at 54 years old, this makes me so very happy.

The sunrise was beautiful this morning.

Up until today my home office (where I do my day job) had three desktop computers of some fashion. I have my standing desk with my work setup and then I had my “back desk” with a Linux desktop running on a 2011 Mac mini and an NCR RealPOS (what a name) cash register. All that was missing was the actual drawer on the cash register, all the parts are there.

I’m on a minimization kick and I decided to retire the back desk computers for a while. While we were traveling back east earlier this month I had great success in making my iPad Pro my main driver for all the things I accomplish on a day to day basis. Now, if I want to edit music or make a video or do things of that nature, I still have my Mac mini in the upstairs office. Cleaning up my home office was good for my psyche.

Clean desk, clean mind or something like that.

My husband is very kind. A few times during the week he’ll make me a snack plate when he thinks I’m starting to get peckish. I suspect that he overhears me starting to be cranky with the folks at work or something, so he gives me a little snack to help me finish up the afternoon.

This is a typical snack plate. All that’s missing is a flute of champagne.

Eight years ago I was doing my impersonation of a Visitor from the original “V” from the 80s.

Pretenama.

I saw this wallpaper while we were out and about yesterday. I found the color and design interesting. I do wonder what caused the grease splotch and unfortunately it’s become a point of focus when I now look at this photo.