The Vent Thread

[KyleEl]

I was told to check all add-ons and it was a good idea to make sure McAfee wasn't the problem. The tech support person took over my computer and showed me how to turn it off to test it, but he didn't turn it off. He turned off the ad blocker that I had mentioned as a possible problem. It was the same procedure for both. I do have to turn the ad blocker back on whenever I look at eEditions of my Charlotte Observer on weekends. But turning the ad blocker off worked. Stopping it from blocking ads doesn't do anything.


However, I've been waiting all day for someone to upgrade my phone and Internet. Not a choice. I was told no more copper wires. We will all be using fiber. I don't know what this means. I was told someone would come between 1 and 3. Well, it's past 3. But someone called me this morning and asked if I could be here in the morning. No phone calls or anything since then.

And then I had to call the power company which was a nightmare. I may have to get the phone person to tell me if there's anything I can do to be heard better but it's probably that the phone is old and I can't get a new one. In the middle of the night it was really dark, but it could have been worse. I saw the light in the kitchen so I knew the power wasn't out. But amazingly, that light wasn't on this morning. I replaced the bulb and that bulb was having trouble lighting so I got another bulb. My grandparents always had a street light and the people (or person) who live (lives) there now kept it. I don't know if it was reported but the man I talked to who had trouble hearing me didn't say there had been any other report of an outage in my area. He kept telling me there was no outage and I kept telling him there was. I haven't seen a truck but if the light's not back tonight I guess I'll have to call again, and hopefully someone will understand.

Mattress pad almost made it through the week.

Both Roys did fine.

No mouse noises that I can recall. But there may have been something that could have been a mouse. I put out a new trap and nothing has happened. I had a false alarm when I saw a trap had been moved and it had stuff stuck to it, but that was on old trap. But how did it move?

I got a new pencil sharpener but the pencils are still hard to sharpen correctly, so it's the pencils. Plus one of them broke and I had to start over.

One person who posts classic comic strips does it on Twitter. Today the only reason I could get in was that I was signed into Google so I can save photos from newspapers to print. I guess I have a Twitter account now but I'm not using it.

On the subject of photos I couldn't print them this week at the library. Last week I hadn't been able to print in two weeks but the new printer wasn't ready. This week it wasn't either. I just went ahead and went to that library and I printed text at a college library (my first time there since March 2020 and they were so happy to see me), but at that library I can't print photos. Someone tried to help me but for just one photo, he was taking a lot of time to figure out how to adjust how dark the photos were. Because that has to be done when the photos are sent to be printed. Oh, and to keep from printing text on both sides of the page I've been sending one page at a time, but at that library they don't warn me what I'm doing. I sent all 102 pages to be printed several times. Oh, that's all right. Students do it all the time. I did, however, only have to pay a penny a page instead of a dime, and just for the pages I wanted. That meant the photos that were too dark didn't have to be paid for. I didn't want to take the time to print at another college library later in the week. But I know in the past photos have looked good there.

I have a dental appointment next week which means I don't have time to print, but unless they already got training at the library, I have my doubts. Monday they might be closed. Tuesday they surely will be. Training won't happen. I need to call before the appointment to make sure I can even go to that library. I might have time to do some printing. What's really time consuming is copying two photos onto one page, which would be even more time consuming if I didn't Xerox them.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

No one has come to look at my tree despite a promise someone would come this afternoon. No one came to upgrade my phone and Internet. The street light was working Friday night, though.

Blocking ads worked fine over the weekend with my eEditions. At least one site demanded I turn it off. But I was on private browsing and there was no way to do that. Now I could have changed and gone to that web site where there wasn't private browsing.

Mattress pad needed to be tucked in, once on both sides. The good news is that in a few days I will remove everything from the bed and wash both mattress pads and put them back on so that they will stay in place. At least for a few days. The nicer one should stay in place longer.

Not sure what happened with the mouse. I don't recall any sounds or evidence.

I didn't check to see what was happening at the library but I have my dental appointment and that'll just have to be all right, regardless.

[KyleEl]

I got a call and the man who said he looked at my tree said the cost would be less than anyone else who has actually looked at the tree, so that's it. Higher than the first man but he has never shown up. Still waiting for it to actually happen.

Mattress pad almost made it through the week. I am almost at the point where I will wash it, and when it gets put on again, it should be fine.

I saw the mouse in the kitchen and in the room where I watch TV. At least I hope it's the same mouse.

Roy did fine (mostly) on Monday and I saw him online Wednesday.

I went to the dentist and printed and, just as I expected, I was quite late leaving. Copying the smaller photos turned out to be considerably more complicated and they're a little darker than the old copier would have made them, but at least satisfactory. But making sure I wouldn't get a message that what I was copying was rotated, that took some effort. If I made sure everything was where I would copy an 8 1/2 x 11 document, that worked. The photos themselves would have been, but it's hard to fold the paper just right.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

I saw the mouse running out of the room where I watch TV, and the glue trap has disappeared. Given the fact Tuxedo Kitty isn't coming in my basement, I should consider poison, except I don't know where the mouse will die and start smelling.

Mattress pad needed to be tucked in after I sat on the bed, but I'm washing it this week and it will go on correctly and stay tucked in for a good long time.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

The computer restarted and it took a few minutes for it to finish updating when I turned it on.

There was no scan and it wouldn't scan when I told it to. It said weekly scans had been turned off and I tried to turn them on but never got any message saying they had been.

I paid my phone bill and was told my neighborhood has a problem with upgrading to fiber but there's no requirement to do so.

The nice mattress pad is tucked in well enough in all four corners. The one on bad shape can't be and I just gave up.

Both Roys did fine. Has anyone ever seen a nativity scene with crosses and an empty tomb?

I saw the mouse run out of the room where I watch TV and heard it run under my computer. Next step is to buy poison. But I'm worried where it will end up.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

No one has taken down my tree. I should have talked to the man who was ahead of me at the barber when I saw his shirt.

No mouse or evidence. I did find the missing trap and put out a new one, and I got something from the company that sells them. As I recall, I contacted them to tell me a trap was bad after it got stuck to the package it came in. The traps have a border and they touch there, but if one puts out only one trap, what's to stop the trap from sticking?

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

I finally got McAfee to do a scan. I had to wait for that to turn my computer off.

Twice I saw a cute little mouse. I want it gone! It doesn't really do anything but I just want to get rid of it. I forgot to get poison. Then I remembered but didn't see anything the one place I looked.

The old mattress pad can't be made to cover the bed. So the nice one doesn't really have anything covering it until I wash a sheet and hope it stays in place.

Both Roys did fine.

Typos in the last two posts.

I also forgot to mention I bought paper towels which are Bounty quality. Of course they are the choose a size, smaller, and I only use one at a time. They'll last longer. Which is necessary because they are more expensive. But for situations where I really need the large size, I use the lesser quality square towels.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

That mouse has been so cute, darting out into the middle of the room and then getting scared and darting back into hiding. But I want it gone!

One Roy down, one to go.

Tree still there.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

Both Roys did fine.

I saw the mouse in the kitchen but no damage to any food. I've been hearing something in my bedroom at night.

Power went out in the middle of the night. I heard an explosion. I was able to find my flashlight, which I put where I would remember. Then it went out before the sun came up. Don't know why the power took so long to restore. A neighbor told me a part fell off a pole. Which is ironic because they're replacing poles around here and nothing would have happened if they had replaced this one.

And I got flashlight batteries the next day. and then opened the flashlight and found out it took AA. However, there was another flashlight which was put where I could not get to it in the dark. It is now where the other one was, and it will take D or AA.

I got my oil changed but I got a discount. The man was trying to direct me and I got very frustrated. I know I would had to wait longer if I drove straight in instead of going to an empty location, but trying to figure out what to do was just very confusing.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

I saw the mouse leave the room where I was watching TV and I heard noises at other times. I also heard something in my bedroom briefly.

I want to buy a car I saw but I'm not sure just yet whether I can.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

No mouse all week, unless I heard it in my bedroom, though I may have seen evidence.

Actually, I have this memory of seeing something rush into the kitchen.

The car has no extra key but I haven't gotten the one I already have inspected. That's necessary for me to go to the license plate office, and I want to go just once.

Both Roys recorded. However, I had a recording interrupted when the newest TiVo decided to shut down for some mysterious reason (always happens when I am pushing buttons on the remote, but don't know what specific action) and I had to record the show on another one where 30 minutes had been saved. And I could see glitches as I made sure that recorded.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

I got one of those fake virus messages and I should probably figure out to tell McAfee about it, since it told me to click to get McAfee to take care of it. Also, it took over the entire screen so I couldn't just click on the red X in the upper right corner because there wasn't one. Actually, there is a way to do the same thing because I've accidentally done it. Right clicking gave me the option of exiting full screen and that took care of the first problem.

I didn't lose anything. It was one of those TV series where you see what will happen after the commercial and then that gets repeated.

I saw one mouse run out of the room where I watch TV after it gave up trying to climb over some stuff. Something else was very noisy and gave up. It couldn't have been the same mouse because it would have to be very fast if I couldn't see it cross.

Also, the glue trap is missing.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

Amazing how I thought about Roy at the precise time I needed to in order to see him online. I forgot to mention that with all the bad weather coming, I did see him on Monday too.

I went ahead and contacted McAfee after posting here and the problem is resolved. It looked like it was already dealt with by the software.

I saw a mouse once but less evidence earlier in the week. I heard a lot of noise one night in the room where I watch TV, and occasionally hear noises after I went to bed.

Never found the glue trap and I didn't buy any other types because they're too hard to figure out.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

I saw the mouse go up into the hole in the wall. A couple of problems with this. I have to seal it up in there when it is in there. And the container has more of what I would use than I need. And there's no window in the bathroom.

I got another one of those virus warnings and the URL looked the same. This time I'm not contacting McAfee because I was able to exit.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

Mouse jumped and didn't make it, so it had to try again. So funny! Another time, it went too high and had to climb back down.

Virus scan did fine.

I have a new car. 20 years old, but it's new to me.

Roy did fine both times. The second time I was online.

And speaking of Roy, the TiVo that I use to record him ran out of information and I had to connect it to the Internet. And that means losing the ability to record shows on the other one. This has never been explained. But if I would pay more attention, as I did when it was full, I would realize the recordings aren't happening and do what is needed to fix the problem.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

The new car is in the way if I'm coming home from church. I have to back out.

Also see the Food Thread.

I can't recall whether the mouse has been seen or heard. Also, no new evidence.

One more virus warning and a fake message telling me McAfee must be renewed.

[KyleEl]

I missed a few seconds of the second Roy but that seemed to be enough. I saw the first Roy.

No mouse or evidence, but a cricket got in the bathroom and there was nothing I could do. The cricket made enough noise the first night I had to put a pillow over my ear. That worked. The second night the noise stopped once I went to bed. The third night the cricket was in the kitchen. I stomped where the noise had been before it stopped. The cricket jumped out and got stomped on.

My computer got unplugged three times this week.

I did get to scan manually and there was a scan going later. I got two more fake virus messages.

Water has been coming up in my sink, and while this is not a problem as long as it drains quickly, I keep putting drain cleaner in the sink hoping that will stop the water from coming up in the sink. It does not.

I just saw a show online that did not record because my newest TiVo just stopped recording. The explanation of what happened is two posts above.

I got my second roll of Bounty quality towels.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

First Roy did fine.

I saw the mouse once when it saw me and ran. I found a glue trap and evidence, but I don't know how old either was.

My computer got unplugged once.

No more "Big Band Sunday Brunch". There's no reason the station couldn't keep doing it. But I got used to the same songs every week. Although during the week I got tired of the same songs over and over. At least not wanting to listen to those songs means I didn't lose anything during the week. The British station plays different songs and its big band show on Sundays doesn't last that long. Furthermore, until I finish Parade magazine, I'm blocked from the other radio station with that kind of music while the British station has a show I can't stand.

I had to replace an overhead light. That was several weeks ago. But I keep forgetting to mention it. Doesn't do much good to document this stuff if I don't remember to. Also, my flashlight keeps falling off. If the power goes out it won't be there.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

The other Roy did fine. I had to find something to do while my wash finished. See the Weather thread.

I was going to watch some "Jeopardy" episodes I missed while there were no new ones airing, once I finished watching one of the tournaments that I decided to wait on. None of the ones I missed were on Pluto TV, despite the claim all previous episodes were there. I didn't even see all seasons. One season when I missed an episode was there, but it quit letting me scroll down. So I didn't even find that one episode. Furthermore, I rely on this thread to find bad things that happened. I think it was early in the year that my power went out, but I looked and looked through this thread and didn't find it. I did see I've had a lot of things happen that are worse than what has happened lately, so I guess that makes me feel better. I think the season is there, whichever one it is, but I don't know how many episodes from each season are included. And as far as I know, that episode was never shown on a Saturday.

I'm concerned that some "On the Road" stories with Steve Hartman got deleted. There were exactly 25 CBS newscasts which might have had the story. When I tell the TiVo to manually record at the same time each week, in this case the last 10 minutes each Friday, it says it will save 25 unless I tell it to save more. I don't know if I did that, although I see more episodes for other shows. If I lost any I can probably find them online, but that's so much trouble.

My computer got unplugged once and the virus scan had already happened when I tried to start it manually.

I had a mouse in my bedroom one night and it kept making noise for the longest time. I know it wasn't an insect because there's a sound a mouse makes that insects do not. Other than that, only new evidence in the room where I watch TV.

[KyleEl]

Mouse came out and saw me and dashed away. I haven't seen or heard it otherwise.

[KyleEl]

Mouse was bold and dashed right past me. Another night the mouse saw me and ran. Also evidence.

My computer got unplugged again.

Both Roys did fine but the first was a rerun. Also, that one did have a glitch.

My TV section did not come for two weeks. The first week I thought maybe I was remembering incorrectly. It came today so that's the one I have to take to the beach, regardless of whether I go next week or the week after that. I was going to call but the web site had a place to download the Eastern Time Zone version. That's all I need to read the articles.

[KyleEl]

Mouse dashed past me and went under the desk beside where I watch TV.

Also see the Food Thread.

[AntiArbitrator]

My home insurance company kept badgering me to send information and photos regarding everything including interior rooms, furnace, roof, etc. The insurance renews in November so I wanted to know why they were rushing me by sending multiple emails. They were looking for an excuse to cancel even though I have never made a claim.

[KyleEl]

No mouse or evidence or even noise. Maybe it's gone.

I was leaving the one bedroom I never slept in when I had not turned on the light, and I had turned off the light in the room where I watch TV. I banged into a box and knocked over a bunch of newspapers I hadn't read. Now they're out of order.

Both Roys did fine and one was about an event honoring Roy. The original one, not Chad.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

I haven't done a scan in three weeks. The computer was unplugged at the scheduled time for the scan this week. I don't know what happened last week but when I tried to do a manual scan I was told the next one would be September 20. That's essentially what happened when I tried last night.

I haven't checked on Roy. I have to hope it recorded fine because there was no online option. My room HAD WiFi but I didn't have a device.

No mouse or evidence.

I have plenty to say about my stay at the beach. What motel has two sets of rooms with the same numbers? How do they figure out which room is which? One reason I didn't find the room was it was in the building next to the ocean. I knew anything in that building would be more expensive and I asked for one of the cheap rooms. Well, ten rooms face the ocean, and then there's one on the other side of the hall. On that side there are closets, stairs, elevators and the entrance from the parking deck. And one room. But after seeing room 310 in another building and no 311, and room 312 in yet another building and no 311, I had to go back to where I checked in and ask. Also, the ramp in the parking deck is quite steep. I parked there only to unload and load, but went back to ground level the rest of my time there. That's the most convenient parking I've had in my four years.

No soap in my room but I brought soap I took home from various motels just in case they throw out leftover soap. One broke into pieces and got all over the floor. I spilled apple juice on a bedspread because the plastic bottle is more flexible than I expected. Towels were, however, where I could see them. I asked for more and thought I didn't get them but they found a whole new place to hide them. Had I selected my clothes for Wednesday on Tuesday I would have seen them. But I did it on Monday.

I watched the final Harry Potter movie with explanations because I couldn't figure out how to turn it off. Not being a nerd I needed the help. But other movies were in Spanish. I gave up on those and at least got to see part of something good. When the Spanish movie was "Knives Out" which I really wanted to see, I had to try again. I had seen an onscreen reminder that Spanish was available on SAP. I tried again, having gotten used to similar situations with my TiVo. I found what I was looking for, and this time I remembered that to turn off the video window on the TiVo, I had to turn it on and then turn it off. "Knives Out" wasn't as good as I had heard. And then it was so much better.

[KyleEl]

Mouse came back. Kept sticking its head out, seeing me, and rushing back in. I blocked its way with a trap and it found another way out.

First Roy did fine. Both Roys worked last week but there was a half-hour special which I guess I must watch online.

Forgot to say I unplugged my computer, plugged it back in and found out it still was unplugged.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

Both times I recorded Roy on Wednesday there were some glitches but I think between the two recordings I got everything.

Scan worked.

Mouse came in the room with me and went around eating crumbs from the floor. I later saw it or another one in the kitchen and found most of the store brand Oreos in one package gone. I moved everything where no mouse would have an easy time. Also, a lot of noise in my room at night and they were probably not bugs because I heard the one sound only mice make. I had trouble sleeping.

[KyleEl]

I confirmed there were multiple mice. Sounds were coming from two different places. And they were two different sizes. The one was so little and so cute, but it had to go. I put out a glue trap and it worked. I'm out of glue traps and the larger ones manage to escape.

At least I didn't hear anything in my room, or at least not for long.

No Parade magazine yesterday. This used to be a normal thing on holidays or at least on a few Sundays. But when it's an eEdition and it's supposed to be every week? I sent an email but customer service by email is poor. I don't even know if calling the 800 number will work.

[KyleEl]

Both Roys did fine.

I finally called the 800 number about Parade when I didn't get a response (did I expect to?) and the person said she would report it. I haven't heard anything.

I hear noises in my room, and I have seen the large mouse once this week. I can't find glue traps in the store (either location) where I get points, or anywhere else, though I haven't seen a small mouse since Monday night. I don't think it's the same one. However, the glue trap got stuck and didn't get dumped along with the other trash. I have to put it in one of the bags. The mouse would have had to get unstuck, crawl through a crack and come back in the house.

Scan may have been done. I saw a number of files with the message there had been a scan.

I went to visit someone in a nursing home which had a sign saying there was an outbreak, but I put on a mask and went inside anyway. Her sister was there and said no, there were no current cases. Some employees weren't even wearing masks and some weren't wearing them right. I had cold symptoms afterward, but the woman I visited may have had a cold. I hope it was a cold.

Also see the Food Thread.

[KyleEl]

I tried putting a fan in the older TiVo but so far it isn't working.

Parade was in Saturday's paper. I found it when looking for comics and games, which have been moved out of the "main" paper. Those appear in the Sunday comics too.

I watched one little mouse moving around and eating crumbs but it dashed away anytime I tried to get anywhere near it. I put out a glue trap but considering another mouse already got away I'm not optimistic this one will catch it. I also saw the large mouse in the bathroom I don't use and heard a really loud noise.

And I got the glue trap out of the trash container and put it in a trash bag. I didn't see the mouse but I didn't turn it over, though I also didn't smell anything.

I also stomped on a spider, which may explain other noises.

On the subject of the bathroom I don't use, when I clean it I dispose of paper towels in one of the bags I have collected over the past three years because all restaurants had to sell food to go, and then that still seemed like a good idea. I used one to put salt in because some places would give me salt without my knowing it and I had to do something with the little packets. Now that I am ready to use the salt to make a natural cleaning product, I can't find it. What must have happened is that I put towels in the bag without looking to see what was there. Or maybe I just haven't tried all the bags. I use one bag every two weeks in each bathroom (it's just easier even in the one that's closer to where I dump trash), though most of the time I don't get bags. It seems to be mostly fast food chains that give me bags.

Also see the Food Thread.