My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on June 5, 2021

Brenda and I are still a year away from a milestone wedding anniversary, but we aren’t taking our 39th for granted – Happy Anniversary Brenda!

This past year has been challenging … but an improving year on all counts.  Everyone has been dealing with the COVID19 pandemic, but thankfully for us, we are coming out of it vaccinated and stronger than the previous year.

Brenda has been dealing with osteoporosis related health issues and is at least now functioning without the back pain from compression fractures in her spine. We still suspect that there might have been some missed damage from falling off a ladder in 2015, but a DEXA scan also points to osteoporosis which has likely contributed to additional spinal fractures (MRI scan below).

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Category: Archive, Health, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: anniversary, back, brenda, covid19, doctor, osteoporosis, pain, pandemic, richc, spinal, spine, treatment, tymlos

Posted By RichC on June 4, 2021

The Joanna Sterns review in the WSJ about the new Apple iMac highlighted a few plus and minus points last month … and started me thinking about a desktop computer replacement. It is difficult to imagine spending $2000 again to replace my aging late 2012 iMac 27” model, especially since I run a dual monitor (plus Parallels Windows 10 Virtual set-up) on a second matching Apple monitor, but eventually I will be tempted.

Having had an Mac Mini back in the 2000s until the iMac … after Apple’s switch to Intel chips …  I liked the small size and less heat (coming from G4 and G3 Macs) and being able to replace individual components. So a new smaller M1 or eventual M2 Apple Mini would not be something that I would quickly discount when it is time to upgrade.

The Mac mini was among the first Macs to get the M1 processor, so it makes sense that the 2021 model would be the first to get the follow-up. Prosser reports that the new chip will be an “X” variant of the M1, which “will greatly outpace the performance and capabilities of the current M1 chips,” according to a report by Mark Gurman in Bloomberg.

Specifically, the new chip may feature “eight high-performance cores and two energy-efficient cores for a total of 10.” The current M1 chip in the Mac mini features four high-performance cores and four energy-efficient cores. With such power, this new machine will likely replace the 3.0GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 model.

The Mac mini’s GPU is almost certain to be integrated into the system on a chip, but it will reportedly be much more powerful than the current Mac mini’s 8-core GPU. Gurman reports that the new chip will come “in either 16 or 32 graphics core variations.”

MORE at MacWorld

Category: Apple, Computer, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: computers, imac, mac mini, macintosh, macworld, parallels, tech friday, techfriday, wsj

Posted By RichC on June 3, 2021

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Category: Automotive, Entertainment, Human Interest, Humor, Music, Photos, Social Media | No Comments »
Tags: aftershokz, cars, concert, covid19, delray beach, florida, funny, jimmy buffett, margaritaville, mp3, pandemic, Photos, radio, siriusxm

Posted By RichC on June 2, 2021

Although I’ve enjoyed summertime on the beach ever since I was a little boy (we live on a beach), there is something relaxing about seeing the photo above that a friend sent me from his families rented beach house in North Carolina … it look very relaxing. The older I get, the more I enjoy the carefree “in the shade” porch or palm tree view of the ocean verses sitting under the sun in sticky sun lotion or covered with a hat and sun shirt.

But … the view walking through the path in the dunes at Delray Beach (it has been a month already) was … and is … hard to beat (video below is a segment from October 2019).

Category: Friends, Photos, Recreation, Travel, Video | No Comments »
Tags: beach, delray beach, family, florida, mp4, north carolina, ocean, porch, relaxing, summer, views

Posted By RichC on June 1, 2021

The robin eggs in the back porch (earlier in May above) wreath Brenda made from her grandmother’s grapevines years ago, have hatched Below was day one (left) and day two (right) … as Brenda commented … “you should wait until they’re a bit cuter.”

The weather was “so-so” this past Memorial Day weekend, but since it was Brenda’s holiday to work, I figured it was appropriate to do a few home chores (although really it was too wet to mow).

The components for the office inverter mini-split AC/Heating unit came in came in the other day, so I started to prep the office by cleaning out junk (check out the old Palm Treo I found in one of my old computer bags- below), then measuring and marking for holes on the wall and climbing the trusses in the attic in order to route the high and low pressure copper, drain (with proper pitch) and electrical – I think I have it figured out, but it is more work than I thought.

When the rain stopped, and in-between sweeping out the pool, I disconnected and removed the old basement AC unit to make room for the Pioneer unit and wall mount. The circuit is already 220VAC so I’ll used the same electrical box for the new 22.8 SEER high efficiency AC; I’m anxious to see if it makes a difference in my comfort now that I’m traveling less for work and in our electric bill IF I can keep the main whole-house AC system thermostat a little higher?

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Category: Misc, Nature, Personal, Photos, Weather | No Comments »
Tags: air conditioning, chores, eggs, grapevines, hatch, minisplit, palm, pioneer, pool, robin, treo, weekend

Posted By RichC on May 31, 2021

This should have been a post for last week’s Music Monday, but here’s a belated 80th Happy Birthday to the legendary singer-songwriter-poet Bob Dylan. What a unique and talented musician.

So now they your 80 years old … Mr. Rolling Stone 🙂 … “how does it feel?”

Category: Music, Video | No Comments »
Tags: birthday, bob dylan, music monday, musicmonday, poet, rolling stone, singer, songwriter

Posted By RichC on May 30, 2021

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day and was first observed on May 30th, 1868 to commemorate the sacrifice’s of Civil War soldiers. It was declared a General Order No. 11 by General John A. Logan on May 5, 1868.

The General Order stated:

“The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.”

I heard a comment by this weekend by Taya Kyle, the wife of the American Sniper known as “The Legend.” Chris Kyle, who was killed in 2013 by a veteran suffering from PTSD:

“Remember those who paid the ultimate price in service of their country and enjoy Memorial Day by appreciating the life and the freedom they sacrificed to secure and preserve” (paraphrased).

Category: Books, History, Holiday, Millitary | No Comments »
Tags: American Sniper, chris kyle, civil war, decoration, kyle, Memorial Day, taya

Posted By RichC on May 29, 2021

A separate air conditioning unit has long been on my “want list” for my home office. I’ve contemplated adding a high efficiency minisplit inverter unit for years to better balance the southwest corner upstairs office in our house. It has never really been comfortable in the summer with multiple computers, printers and gadgets, especially in the afternoon.

So after hearing 2021 price increases were imminent as inflation rears its ugly head, I decided this year was right to bite the bullet and order and hopefully sellf-install a lower priced 10.50 HSPF heating and 22.8 SEER cooling Pioneer inverter heatpump minisplit. The home office remodel is long overdue, but now that I’m working from home nearly all the time, comfort is a priority.

I’m not sure when I’ll start the install, but when the pallet of components arrived last week, I opened things up to make sure there wasn’t any damage – it looks fine. Currently my weekends are a bit booked, but I am anxious to get routing the copper, drains and electrical lines. Hopefully I can plan the install so that I won’t have to disconnect or remove things when I do the full office remodel (some planning on my part). Stay tuned.

Category: Archive, Energy, Misc, Personal, Photos, Shopping | No Comments »
Tags: air conditioning, heating, home, hspf, inflation, inverter, minisplit, office, pioneer, project, remodel, seer

Posted By RichC on May 28, 2021

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Category: Archive, Personal, Photos, Travel, Video | No Comments »
Tags: annalyn, brenda, dance, drew, ellerie, family, granddaughters, katelyn, mp4, pool, recital, richc, splashing

Posted By RichC on May 27, 2021

When I come across an item that interest me in woodworking, I either try to write them down, take a photo or save the plans.

In this case the idem is a simple shop helper … a table saw push stick, of which I have many … BUT, I really like the simple curves and handle idea which mine do not have and probably could make a thin 1/4” one with a slightly thicker handle for those “close to the fence” push cuts?

Category: Tidbits, Tools, Woodworking | No Comments »
Tags: fixture, helper, ideas, jig, pushstick, table saw, tablesaw, woodworking, workshop