#pointless personal stuff

*hisses like a cat and backs up under a piece of furniture*

Change! Booooo!

I generally forget to get the names of singers, meaning that I’ve just realised that a disturbing proportion of songs I love were sung by Girls Aloud.

My new computer occasionally (like every 20 minutes, maybe) does a thing where:

Both my monitors go black for a second.

Secondary monitor stays black while main monitor shows the screen image, but shrunk so there's about a one-inch black border around it.

Both go back to normal.

The whole process takes like four seconds, but it's very disconcerting. I've checked to make sure everything is plugged in, but as far as software fixes go I don't know where to even start.

It's a brand-new PC running Windows 11.

Any ideas?

Apparently AO3 is now blocked by the library where I work with the reasons listed as “adult, adult themes, tasteless.”

Now, there are plenty of stories on there (including my own) that are not explicit, but many are, so I can kind of understand that reasoning, even if I don’t like it.

But “tasteless”? EXCUSE ME?!?!?!?

I’m offended.

That’s a value judgment.

And it has no place in this context.

FedEx can live, I guess. They rang the doorbell this time, and I answered within five seconds.

Guy, a bit sheepishly: "Yeah, uh, sorry about yesterday. I could have sworn I rang the doorbell."

Me, flatly: "Well, it's here now. Thanks." ("it"=the package)

Unfortunately I worked yesterday and I'm headed to work again now, so I haven't had time to unpack it and set it up. I have tomorrow off, though, so I'll tackle it then.

I'm not looking forward to reinstalling, redownloading, relogging in, reorganizing, exorcising as much AI as I can, etc. I'm sure it will be lovely when it's all set up and working, but I'm honestly dreading the part before then.

It's one thing if I decide it's time for a new computer on my own, but being forced into it suddenly takes a lot of the fun out of it. Plus it's just another big loss/change, and I've had so, so many of those in the last year or so.

Anyway, at least I'll be able to play WoW again soon.

It takes a lot to make me actually angry, but today FedEx earned my ire.

I got the text this morning saying my computer was out for delivery. Fast forward a few hours, and as I was leaving for work I saw not one but two "attempted delivery" stickers on the door.

I was home the entire time. I was keeping an ear out for them. FFS, I even accepted a delivery from a different source that coincidentally happened during the same time frame!

They must have tip-toed to the door, barely knocked with the strength of an anemic mouse, and then run back to their truck. They did NOT ring the doorbell. They did not knock loudly enough for me to hear them--and I was listening! I suspect they didn't knock more than once, either.

I cannot fathom trying to make a delivery and only doing one quiet knock. I would knock much harder a second time, and I sure as hell would use the freaking doorbell. I imagine their drivers are kept to a strict schedule and get scolded if they're too slow with deliveries, but driving all the way back to my house multiple times has to be way, way less efficient in time and gas mileage than taking an extra thirty seconds to knock louder and/or USE THE MOTHEREFFING DOORBELL!

So now I have to wait until Tuesday/tomorrow to get my new computer. I put a big, bold sign in the narrow window along the side of the door with a red arrow pointing to the doorbell. It reads: "FedEx -- YES, we are home! We were home yesterday, too, but couldn't hear your knocks. Please please please just USE THE DOORBELL! Thanks."

I consider it a great victory of self control that I didn't put profanity between "THE" and "DOORBELL."

I also wanted to add... You know, the doorbell? It's a cutting-edge technology that's only been in use since, let's see... Oh. 1831. Well, that's a mere 195 years. Not long at all! So it's not an invention I would expect a global delivery company to be familiar with. I mean, if your job is to deliver a package to someone, why would you want to do something that might actually get their attention? That's crazy talk!

I know that YouTube video on honing your psychic powers was fascinating, but I'm afraid you're not quite skilled enough yet to telepathically let me know you're at the door.

See that nice, round button there, in the middle of a shiny rectangle? Don't get distracted by the shiny object and use your index finger to press on that button. It's not hard. You don't even have to use your index finger. I don't frankly care if you use your toe, nose, elbow, or chin, as long as you press the fucking button, you absolute wad of wet cardboard.

...

Obviously I didn't write all that on the note. But I wanted to.