Right now I’m trying out a new SSG, Zola, and a theme, no style please. It’s quite basic, and maybe I should make my own theme but the whole point was to have a quick way to add stuff without faff.
Maybe I should’ve got Claude to make me an 11ty site that functioned just how I like and be done with it. There’s still time to do that.
Simultaneously, I’m making various papernote book things to use. Although will I use them? Who knows.
Now I’ve set this back up, including on my phone and using statichost.eu to host it.
I think I wanted it back as I missed writing here, which I could still do, but putting it online means it’s more real, and so I do it. I debated about TW but it can be a faff to edit and host. I was meant to write in a notebook. But just not made that really stick. I also don’t like writing on my main blog, nothing beyond “proper” posts. I don’t know why I can’t but there we go.
I’ve been selling stuff on eBay. Radios I don’t really need (although one is coming back as the firmware wasn’t right and so it wasn’t working properly - I never used that function so I didn’t know but must’ve been like that since I bought it. I’m just hoping a simple firmware update will sort it. Although it looks a right faff and the drivers don’t work on Windows 11 and it’s Windows only blah blah blah).
Anyway, it’s been good getting rid of stuff in exchange for a bit of money. Had a clear out of Nintendo DS, 3DS and Switch games. Mostly Pokemon ones, as that’s all I ever played, and they have been selling quickly. I generally price them at the going rate for similar items as Buy it now, then accept offers and usually will be fine with a few quid off. Issue now is running out of packaging stuff….I’ll have to buy some more things to have some boxes 😅🙈
The only thing is that these aren’t very physically large, and so whilst lots of packages are going out the house, it makes no visible difference. Need to find other things to get rid of. Maybe some books. I like books but some should go. I imagine my kids browsing through the shelves and picking out things to read. That does sort of happen with the kids books but I’m probably overthinking this outcome.
A book that should go is the one about Notebooks. It’s partially interesting but very dense and I’m not really that interested. Probably several more.
Everything that goes is worth celebrating no matter how small.
Tools are something I should sort out.
I was meant to write in a notebook. But just not made that really stick. I also don’t like writing on my main blog, nothing beyond “proper” posts. I don’t know why I can’t but there we go.
I think I have to remember that going to work all day, doing kids activities, tidying up etc., means I’m probably tired in the evening and if I’m not super productive then maybe that’s okay.
The desktop computer is something else I want to sort out but not sure what to do. Since the Windows lock out issue of a few weeks ago, I’ve just not touched it. Partially to see who gets most annoyed (the kids wanting to play Among Us), and if anyone is going to ask what I’ll do. No-one has really asked, so I suppose no-one is that bothered. We do have another computer in the office which works, so I think people just use that. It’s a used prebuilt HP running Windows 11, and mostly gets used for emails, homework, etc. Which is all I do anyway. So I’m thinking do I sell the main computer. It’s built for playing games but I don’t play games. Occasionally, I’ll play something with my friends. The most recent was Diablo 4, which we all got in a sale. Usually with those sort of games we play through the story and get to max level then after a few more days stop playing. No-one is interested in the endgame grinding to get better gear. This time I didn’t even make it until the end of the story. I think the others might’ve when I wasn’t on. That was maybe 3-4 months ago now. Sometimes we’ll replay Factorio or whatever else, but it’s rare.
I have it, so why not just keep it? Selling might get me a bit of money, nothing game changing, so is it worth it? Should I keep it in case the kids want to play some graphic intensive game? Maybe I don’t want to encourage that, or make it accessible. Perhaps it’s better to play Nintendo Switch games, together around the TV, etc. I have plenty of Nintendo games I could play, I have DS/3DS games I could play. I’m just not interested in playing games anymore.
It might be a good opportunity to rearrange the office, make it less computer focused but more open space for any activity…with a computer in one corner. I’d like to spend less time on a computer. Have I been doing that though since the main one is broken? I don’t think so. I’ve either been on the laptop or my phone. Probably my phone usage has increased as I’ve got stuck in a reddit rut. Instead of sitting on the computer, I’ve sat on my phone, which is a terrible experience but I still do it.
It would be nice to have a music setup in the office. The hifi in the playroom doesn’t get much use as someone else is often in there and watching TV or not wanting to listen to my music. Although I don’t think I’d move the hifi in there as it’ll become too much.
I could just install Linux on the computer and use it as before. Me spending too much time on the computer is not the computer’s fault. Plus then we’d still have it for doing stuff, playing games if I wanted to, etc.
Then there’s the monitors, would I move things to the other computer, or make it so you could plug in a laptop? Get rid of them too? I have a little one (22”?) from work that’s for my work laptop but would be a nice usb-c laptop dock one. Could keep that for my work, wife’s work, my linux laptop, maybe even a switch dock, on one side of the room and then the prebuilt HP with another monitor on the otherside or maybe the corner. I kinda like that idea. I’ll move around the printer and then there should be plenty of desk space for writing with pens, or doing projects, or just looking tidy.
Plus I don’t need to sell my computer first, I could just put it away somewhere, rearrange stuff and see how it goes. I think there are maybe some minor details to figure out as well.
Selling on eBay is exhausting. Photographing, listing, packaging, posting…but it has such a big audience.
After all that hot air and bluster about the Windows desktop, I finally fixed it (press forgot pin and follow instructions) and now it’s back and working. Now I have little incentive to change anything, particularly as it’s really the family computer. I have my nice Linux laptop.
Returned radio had a chip missing from the insides (why? Who knows) so I ordered a replacement from Yaesu. £100. But I was thinking of selling it a semi-defunct for £100 less so not bad. Better to have it fully working anyway. (Hopefully this works).
The kids finally noticed the garden slide has gone. That was a good 3 months minimum ago!
And my free VPS on Oracle cloud - from 2019 - might have come to an end. They still offer free ones but have reduced the available resources and now I’m stuck in a VPS disabled; only AI chat bot help. It’s a trade off between paying for a few hours to get my data off, and just letting it burn and start again. I have most of my data and that which I don’t isn’t really important. I could still use a free one, just to host vaultwarden, but perhaps I should get one I trust or just run everything at home. I kinda don’t like the at home option but it’s there. I’ve also thought about moving to keepassXC and keeping the vault in nextcloud etc. it’s more faff as probably no browser plugin but it also doesn’t require hosting.
I should sort out vaultwarden but everything else wasn’t really important.
The Yaesu chip was delivered, on a day I had parcels out for collection (separate companies) and guess what was collected? The Yaesu chip. Because the other thing was left behind but “we successfully collected your parcel”. 🫠 I wish I could pick no, don’t bring a label on eBay then this wouldn’t have happened. I messaged the buyer but they haven’t responded. I’ll wait until it’s marked as delivered then message them. Why do I have the feeling the buyer will be useless and I’ll never see that £100 chip again.
I sat on the computer for ages this morning and did nothing. Ugh. This is why I hate the computer.
I’m bored. I’m actually tired but feels like boredom and no desire to do anything. I did start the 3D printer going on a giant Lego glow in the dark skeleton for Halloween.