The Crotchety Old Man

Category: Technology and Me

  • Untethered

    Mavis removed a three-foot section of the fiber optic cable coming into the house. I’ve been intending to drop my cable service since January, but kept putting it off. Mavis forced my hand. I’ve had AT&T Uverse since 2012 and have made no changes. Month after month, the bill went up a tiny bit. The…

  • Fishing with AI

    The AI mode for searches has turned up lots of useful tips for my aquarium. The fish are much healthier. Blackbeard algae is less likely to be a problem too. “Preventing Blackbeard algae” was my first AI search. Overcrowding–my middle name–is a primary cause. The tank of my dreams is chock-full of colorful fish. Unfortunately,…

  • Cooking with AI

    The culinary arts are not my strong suit. Going out for lunch or an early dinner is increasingly rare. Delivery is great, but pricey. I end up cooking quite a bit. Most who read this are likely much better cooks than me. Since retiring, my skills have improved a bit. More often than not, I…

  • Hummingbird Watching

    My nephew gave me a hummingbird feeder for Christmas several years ago. It’s not the first I’ve had, but it’s definitely the nicest. It hangs just off the patio and is clearly visible from my spot in the living room. In the past, I mixed enough sugar water (one part sugar to four parts water)…

  • Keeping Up

    I still “run”, but have slowed down a lot and do well to go a couple of miles three or four times a week. Music is an essential component. The tempo dictates my pace so, the faster, the better. For most of my running career, playlists I created were the soundtrack for my run. Sooner…

  • Locked Out!

    I’ve been locked out of my web site several times over the past few weeks. Usually, I’m able to access the dashboard to fix the problem. Two weeks ago, I was working on a post about Tootsie’s birthday when an error message came up I couldn’t get past. Sigh. Many moons ago, I knew everything…

  • Movie Time

    Movie Time

    Finally made it to the theater to see Wicked–first movie I’ve gone to see since Les Mis came out in 2012. Loved it. Seeing a movie alone is not an issue–or wasn’t before my vision deteriorated. Wicked’s long playtime (more than 2 1/2 hours) and a mid-afternoon first showing forced my hand. I don’t drive…

  • New Phone Blues

    Some people lineup to be among the first to own the newest smartphone. Not me. I wait as long as possible to replace mine. Technology usually forces the change. My phone slows down or lacks the oomph for updated apps. When I’m frustrated enough, I contact my service provider for a new phone. I’ve dropped…

  • A New Look…?

    I’m guessing you noticed the new look to my website. I finally bit the bullet and swapped my custom design for a free template. Everything is really mess up. To be honest, I write this post wondering if it will appear on my home page. None of the previous posts do. Longtime visitors may recall…

  • Blogging

    Keeping my blog going is #2 on my list of retirement activities. Why keep blogging? Good question. My best answer is more excuse than justification. I enjoy writing. Blogging feels more constructive than journaling and is a lot easier than knocking out another novel. This blog and my reasons for keeping it have often changed.…