Happy Birthday to Me!
Hell's Dells
I'd forgotten how much I loathe Dell's website in general. After buying my new laptop, I had points racked up. After receiving said laptop, I completely forgot all about them until I received an email that they're expiring in a couple of months. So like any geek, I went looking for something to spend them on. Seriously, their search leaves much to be desired. After an hour of clicking around, I gifted myself a new shiny toy which should be coming in just after my birthday. Hooray for me! :) Unfortunately, I've been having to hit the Dell Support site for work-related items several times over the last few weeks and it's now the bane of my existance. I thought IBM's site was bad. I'd clearly forgotten Dell's is worse. I remember having to look up something during my time with ibml, and raged endlessly about how bad the experience was. Right now I'm on 'chat' with someone in Dell Basic Support because I can't access anything else without a service tag. My question is about Dell OMSA (OpenManage Server Administrator), making it a software issue, not related to any one machine. I look over on the next tab here and there's a big QR code with "We're available on Apple Chat. Scan to start a conversation with Dell Technical Support." Yeah, NO. They're on WhatsApp too. Seriously? I half-considered creating a throwaway WA account just to get to speak to a real person. Bleh. So far MSP life has been ... nothing like I expected. The horror stories I've heard haven't applied to Dataperk, so I'm super happy about that. I haven't started in the on-call rotation yet, but so far this job is fun and I'm learning tons. As much I wanted SVP to be great, the truth is: the year I spent with them took at least 5 years or more off of my life. I feel that the way I was treated leading up to and post- my departure speaks volumes about their culture (or lack thereof). "And that's all I'm gonna say about that." So anyways, I'm fighting migraines from hell and staying busy with work. I haven't had the spoons to do much else. Even gaming has taken a back seat. I play GW2 mostly weekends and some days not even then. I've been re-reading a lot of my favorite books. I can't take any time off until after my 90 day probation is up at DP, so no concerts or trips until this summer ... and even then, where would I go? Maybe go see my kid? You know what they say, "when Muhammad does not go to the mountain" ... source: https://www.nickifaulk.com/2024/04/04/hells-dells/
A soft spot for legacy software
So I have news
The new laptop finally came in. I went with another Alienware (an M18 this time) because at the time I was still employed at SVP and we had a nice big discount with Dell, putting it far below the ASUS ROG I had been eyeing. Basically the same specs, and to be fair, until my last lappy ate itself, both brands had proven rock solid. Dell's tech support proved slightly better than ASUS in my own personal experience. And considering that machine was well over 7 years old, I'd say that it held up really well! So now I'm still moving data over. I had online backups through Carbonite which kept most things that I'd forgotten. Sadly, I lost my OneNote notebook. The online copy was over a year out of date. Apparently it had stopped backing up, and I could not find any local copies. If I could've gone back, I would have manually exported a backup copy somewhere. Oh well, you live and you learn. Sucks because that's where I stored all of my custom Powershell scripts I'd written over the years. Bleh! Almost all of my software licenses were backed up via email or my external backup drive. Unfortunately about 25% of my Plex library is on that drive too since I'd store my manual DVD and BluRay rips there. I've now got the drive mounted on my Shield again, so those are populating back into Plex now. I lost the rips I had done of my iTunes library, so I'll have to do those over. No biggie, just gonna take time. I wish to God someone had a place where I could buy movies and TV shows with no DRM. I mean, it's easy enough to buy on DVD or BluRay and rip it myself, but the out of print stuff is harder and harder to find. :( Like, I'd love to have all of Murder She Wrote. Let me pay to download full copies to own myself and put on my Plex so I can watch offline. That's one of my few comfort shows. Netflix, Hulu, Peacock Premium, hell even just basic cable, it's all too expensive now. Let me pay for and own what I want. /le sigh At least DRM-free music is easy to find and usually pretty reasonably priced, so no worries there. :) Also: I accepted a job offer this past Friday with DataPerk. It'll be a pay and benefits cut, but the job sounds fun. The guys I met seemed nice enough. I'm not looking forward to having to go through all the medical authorizations for all of my treatments and medications again (considering we JUST did that when SVP changed providers). And DP's benefits do not cover my therapy so I'll be back to paying that out of pocket, which is going to hurt for a while. Better than going without though. Been there, did that, not gonna be that stupid again. I honestly don't have updates on much else. I know I need to get away first chance I get. Unwind, let off some steam. The last year has mostly not been good for me outside of the few trips I took. This year I need to take better care of myself, drawing firmer boundaries where needed (family included). So we'll see ... source: https://www.nickifaulk.com/2024/01/28/so-i-have-news/
Oy vey ...
Oy vey ... - https://www.nickifaulk.com/2024/01/15/oy-vey/
When it rains, it pours
When it rains, it pours - https://www.nickifaulk.com/2024/01/09/when-it-rains-it-pours/
It's that time of year again ...
It's that time of year again ... - https://www.nickifaulk.com/2023/11/11/its-that-time-of-year-again/
nitallica reblogged
The gods of Halloween have been kind to me this year, far more so than this small heart deserves or could ever dare ask for.
I prepare the sacrifice, feasts of chocolate and fruit.
For their avatars, young and costumed, super hero and villain, cartoon and movie, high concept and shelf fresh and thrifted from closet of sibling and parent.
My blessings are your blessings, young souls.
Please accept this bounty, accept two, five. Accept one more, please.
Trick or treat. May Halloween bless you, may it bless us all.
May it bless us, every one. ♥
Yes I did
I got several long posts started but haven’t finished any of them. So instead here’s something that happened today. This is yet another glimpse of what online dating is like for me:
Random Dude: *Says something contradicting something he literally had JUST SAID* Me being me: *Points it out* Rando: “Do not even go there” Me: “Oh I went there. I got tshirts. Want one?” Rando: *blocks me*
Oh well. Guess he saved me the trouble?
source https://www.nickifaulk.com/2023/08/16/yes-i-did/
Instant Pot Macaroni and Tomatoes
New post on my cooking blog: Based on what I could remember of the way Mother made these, plus my own tweaks: Servings: 6-8 Ingredients: 16 oz of uncooked pasta (I used large elbow macaroni) 28 oz diced tomatoes (petite, regular, however you like them) 4 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 Tbsp (3 cubes) chicken or beef bullion 1 tsp garlic powder […] http://dlvr.it/Sryhhd
It’s an asshole
My brain tortures me. Sometimes with nightmares chocked full of my deepest darkest fears, and sometimes by reminding me of things I can no longer have.
I dreamt of him again. I die a little more inside with every occurrence. I still love him. I can’t have him. I was stupid and lost him. That was literally decades ago. I need to get him out of my head. I need to move on. But can’t ...
My stupid brain won’t let me, because it’s an asshole.
Creepy much?
Dude started this right out of the gate ... and some men wonder why women are hesitant to talk to them on dating sites.
So I'm talking to a dude on Bumble and trying to get to know him, asking about his weekend, etc. I'm getting 2-4 word responses.
In his profile he says he's "looking for a woman who can carry a conversation" ... I didn't realize he meant BY MY FUCKING SELF. :/
Dear men on dating apps: FILL OUT YER FREAKIN PROFILES!
Only a complete psychopath would schedule recurring meetings for 8am. WTF DUDE???
WTAF?
Once upon a time I fell in love with a man who said he was divorced. Turns out he wasn’t divorced, just separated. We talked about the future. My dumb ass waited on him, and then married him. Then we divorced. It nearly destroyed me completely. I swore never again.
Then I met another man. He said he was divorced. Turns out he wasn’t divorced either, also just separated. We fell in love, talked about the future. He went back to his wife. I was broken up, sure, but mostly angry for first being deceived then cast aside.
And now it’s happened again, I’ve fallen for a man who is … separated from his wife. He’s still married. At this point it shouldn’t matter how either of us feel. It’s a pattern that I have to stop. What is it about me that attracts me to emotionally unavailable men?
What the actual fuck is wrong with me?
(this next therapy session is gonna be a doozy)
They say the heart wants what it wants. Well, mine is stupid as hell …
Merry Christmas, Happy Solstice, and Merry Yule, y’all!
The year of suck is almost over. Here’s to hoping next year is better! I accepted a job offer, now waiting for the background check and all pre-employment stuff to clear. I spent yesterday getting my drug test done. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to do any of this.
Driving back home, I took backroads from Montclair through Mountain Brook and English Village. Reggie and I used to roam those roads. I thought of him and smiled, almost imagining him in the car with me, doing his big sigh and rubbing his head when he was deep in thought.
I miss him so much.
With it being so cold, I have not felt the best and this holiday has been harder than previous years. Thanksgiving sucking did not help any either. I am definitely DEFINITELY doing my own thing next year.
Being out of work this season sucked because I wasn’t able to spoil friends and family like I normally do. I kept apologizing to my folks tonight. I felt like a heel going over there empty handed. I lost so much time with my mom when we weren’t speaking, I still feel like I’m making it up to her sometimes.
I saw my brother and his wife for a short bit. I felt guilty not giving them anything either. I didn’t get to see my nephews, but I hope to get over to see all of them soon-ish. And once I start work again, I can send thank you gifts to make up for my self-imposed shortcomings.
So just another night of me being neurotic. I know logically I’m doing OK. I am grateful for the new opportunity that (I hope!) will be starting soon. I’m grateful for the new friends I made and everything I gained at IL. I’m truly looking forward to helping who I can with what I have, and learning to gain as much more as time and spoons will allow.
It’s a balmy 25 degrees here (F) and I’m about to snuggle up with the cats. I hope wherever you are, you have warmth and laughter and love. Stay safe!