Otto Pilot

I had some of the best, coziest sleep I’ve had in a long time, and subsequently made it to work a bit early today. I took a Soylent, but ended up just snacking instead. I spent the entire day continuing to plan and read up on best practices, and I’m hoping I can finally implement some changes this week, because it’s been too long in planning.

Summer still wasn’t feeling well, so she didn’t go to Little Rock or come have lunch with me. I had Ortega’s by myself again, with another new server I hadn’t seen before. He did great though, and the food came out fast and fresh.

The morning dragged on forever, but the afternoon went by a bit faster. I accidentally stayed a little late just because I was deep in thought. We finally left, but had some sudden trouble along the way.

We were cruising down the Interstate when suddenly my car slammed on the brakes and alerted me to take over. I couldn’t re-engage FSD, so I pulled over at Blackwell to try and reset it. I took the opportunity to grab some beer, then got back into the car and had the same problem. Almost none of the smart features worked. I couldn’t auto-shift or engage full self driving. After some messing around, I finally discovered my left-side repeater had no video. It was just a black screen after I rebooted the car. I ended up driving home manually, which was especially hard because my muscle memory had me checking my display instead of my mirrors when I was making lane changes or turns.

We made it home quite uncomfortably. Summer was in bed, so I took Muad’Dib for a run. He did well, and we stopped at my parents’ house for some eggplant soup. It was long after dark by the time we headed home. I cleaned up briefly, got ready for work, and went to bed.

They steer them with their meat!

Screamin’ Good Times

I got up early with Summer to go to Dardanelle for a run. Muad’Dib and I ran a couple miles with the Onewheel, and after stopping for a moment, I turned around to see him lying in a puddle to cool down. Summer made first in her age division, so she was super happy with her progress. Afterward, we went to Waffle House for some breakfast before heading back home.

We cleaned up and had a bit of a break before Eaddie left to get her friends. Then Summer and I drove separately to drop Muad’Dib off with Mom, and headed to Hot Springs. I had been belting out songs in the shower earlier, and we continued on rocking out while we were driving, so I didn’t notice how much the car was speeding. I got pulled over, and I think it was the same guy that got me when I was working at Two Rivers. He gave me another warning, and we were on our way.

We stopped at Clampit’s Country Kitchen for a late lunch on the way. We had never been, but they had 4.7 stars and the pictures looked pretty good. It was a large building with cases of meats and some other little grocery items. The deli had plate lunches, so Summer got some brisket nachos and I got half a rack of ribs to add to that. I could not have been more disappointed. I didn’t detect any smoke on the meats at all. The hot sauce wasn’t hot at all. The nachos were just yellow corn chips with Velveeta cheese dip, cole slaw, baked beans, and a bit of brisket. The ribs weren’t sauced, smoked, or tender. It was edible, but the most stereotypical “white people” lack of flavor I could possibly describe. I think the only way the meat could have been worse is if they boiled it.

The kids caught up to us and stopped there, and then we continued to Magic Springs. The parking lot was fairly empty, so we were excited to enter with basically no lines for anything. Eaddie brought Eli, Ceci, and Jenny along, and we rode some rides and had a good time. Early on, I found an abandoned refillable cup, so we ended up cleaning it out to use for the day. We got stuck on Brain Drain the second time we went up, because the guy accidentally slipped off the button to lift the ride. They had to bring it down and run a test before it could be unlocked, but Summer really wanted to do a haunted house and it was getting dark. We wandered through a couple small ones, but by the time we made it back to the larger ones, the lines had formed. I was already burned out from yelling so much and running around, and we decided to leave the kids and head home.

I let the car drive the entire way, and it did great. We picked up Muad’Dib and made it home. Summer went straight to bed and I stayed up late just catching up. The kids ended up going to Conway for some reason, so I didn’t wait up for them. They had just taken a trip to Tulsa, so a bit of extra driving in-state must not have seemed much to them. I’m just glad I’m not paying for their gas.

Poppa’s is better somehow.

Modbus?

I felt myself get warm and cozy this morning, but I fell back to sleep and woke up just minutes later from a super deep, dream-filled sleep when my alarm went off. I remember finding a clam in a small grotto, but then being in some weird, dark alley or basement area with my buddy Brandon, talking to a vendor selling a variety of large mussels to eat. I felt like I was having to wake up from the dead, and crawled around on the floor to stretch and try to wake up.

I got out the door a little later still, but had time for a burrito. I realized it was a mistake to sub cheddar for the nacho cheese, because the hot, melty, gooey breakfast burrito was way better. We made it to work after fighting traffic that wanted to come to a complete stop on the onramp.

I was pretty excited to get into PRTG and my PLC project again, but of course the more I learned, the more I discovered that every path I had taken over the past couple days was probably wrong. Furthermore, I had asked Charles’s vendor buddy about the Modbus protocol when I first started, and he replied that the controller didn’t support it. Now that I understand a little bit more about the different components, I feel more confident in saying he was wrong.

We went to Taco Bell for lunch since we hadn’t been in a while, and then it was a long, dragging afternoon. The drive home was pretty easy, but the car wanted to take the second exit instead of the third for some reason. I couldn’t tell if there was backed up traffic or something, but I didn’t fight it.

Summer was hungry when she got home from the gym, and wanted to get some Chinese. I had a big lunch, and suggested the Spices food truck instead of a buffet. She jumped at the chance, so we loaded up and went to eat at the picnic tables there. Muad’Dib was laser-focused on the cat and kept trying to chase it under the truck, so I had to zap him several times. Sometimes something just gets into him and he goes out of control like that, and I have to assume the cat said something ugly to him.

We shared some noodles and I had a little cup of soup. Then we took Summer home and went on a run in the dark. Dad gave Muad’Dib a bunch of spaghetti noodles, and we eventually made it home to get ready for bed.

Wrong so many times I became right again.

Focus In

Today was the big day to get everyone ready for our Aptean migration. I had spent so much time fighting managed bookmarks that I completely forgot to deploy the AppController application that would be required to connect to our new server. I felt that compressing as the day carried on.

It was pretty quiet upstairs, so I probably could have done a better job of maintaining focus. Lunch time arrived before I knew it, so we ran to Sonic. They were super busy and slow, so I ended up bringing some food back to the office to eat after our Aptean call.

The afternoon became a bit more stressful, especially as everyone wrapped up on the old server and left a little early. I did not, and I’ll still have some extra prep to do over the weekend so I can get the required information out, since deployments were unreliable.

Summer got my tires replaced, so we didn’t go straight home. She was at work when we got to town, so Muad’Dib and I went to AT&T for a few minutes. By the time we made it to the lube, Summer was just finishing up, so I traded cars with her. I beat her home and had to unbox a few things before I could park in the garage.

After her shower, Summer wanted to go to Point Remove for some wings. We got in and the place was practically shoulder-to-shoulder, so we ended up leaving and going to Buffalo Wild Wings instead. We were practically alone on the hot patio, which got much nicer after the sun went down. We had some decent food at a fraction of the price, then got home after dark.

Muad’Dib was whimpering for his grandpaw, so I took him for a run. He did his whole route all the way to my parents’ house where we visited for a bit. Then we cut off a small block on the way home. Summer was passed out, so he went to bed while I dawdled for a while before going to sleep.

Definitely not locked in.

I Know Subnetting

Summer took my car to work today so she could try and find some tires for me, and so I wouldn’t be on the highway with bad tires. That meant I did more driving than usual, but we made it to work without too much trouble. I definitely missed my Model 3. I was still feeling pretty behind all day, so I did my best to catch up. I brought a Soylent and worked right through lunch.

Johnny called a couple times, and I had to juggle him with being a little busy myself. I ended up on the phone with him for about an hour, trying to explain subnetting of all things. He’s going to have some trouble in a school that large, but if he sticks around, he’ll have a tremendous opportunity to learn and leave.

My day dragged on a bit, but then it was over before I knew it. I got some of my stuff accomplished, but there will be more tomorrow. There always is. I ended up leaving late, and then put the whole back seat cover in so Muad’Dib would have more room for the drive home. We’ll be in the Model Y for at least another day or two, so I didn’t want him to feel cramped in the tiny, single seat.

We made it home and found Summer in the tub. I finished up the pork chop and most of the veggies, and put up a few Vine things before taking Muad’Dib for a run. I tried on some bone conducting headphones that I had just gotten, and they came with a little rubber strap to help hold them on a little tighter. We weren’t even half a mile down the road when I felt a snap, and the little strap had flown off far enough that I couldn’t find it, no matter how hard I tried. It had to be in the grass somewhere, far off of the road. I really tried to find it, but it was just gone.

It wasn’t miserably hot, but it felt more oppressively humid as the evening went on. We made it to my parents’ house where Mom was cleaning up while Dad was out to dinner with friends. I developed an ocular migraine, so we waited around for Dad to get home, then made it home in the sticky dark. Summer was in bed, so I did my best to wrap up quickly and hit the sack.

Well, well, well… How the turntables.

HAHANO

We got to work today, hoping to leave early to pick up my car. I was fairly busy all morning trying to catch up, but I skipped lunch and got permission to leave at three. Summer picked up the Buick from my parents’ house and I met her at the wash in Maumelle so they could do an outside wash and quick detail for us. Then we continued to Sam’s Club where we left Muad’Dib in the Model 3 loaner until we could return the Buick and finish up with my car.

It was spotty and dirty from sitting outside all week, but the concern spots from before looked to be resolved. We definitely just accepted it as-is out of exhaustion over the situation, though. While we were checking it out, Summer noticed my front wheels were showing cord on the inside, which was likely caused by the bumpiness I had been experiencing. We settled up, then went back to move Muad’Dib over to my car. I had an anxiety attack in the middle of that, which made my fourth in four days. Summer called Discount Tire to try and find replacements, but the computers were down in Russellville after the quick and powerful storm that blew through earlier, and they couldn’t see whether they had any.

When we got to Tesla, I asked them about squeezing me in. They had the tires, but not the manpower, and couldn’t do anything for me. We decided to continue home carefully, and I’d just have to get tires and an alignment back home. We continued on to KPOT at Summer’s request and had hot soup for dinner. I was sweating profusely, and probably didn’t enjoy the food as much as I could have, but it was still good.

Anneka at Gwatney forgot to charge me up some more, but we managed to make it to Conway for a Supercharge. Then I took it easy all the way home. Summer left her car at my parents’ house, so Muad’Dib and I ran over there on the Onewheel to get it. Then it was a quick cleanup to get to bed on time. Eaddie came by and ran through the house, but was hardly here for more than a minute.

I’m two tired for this.

None of Some

I discovered someone had brought donuts and kolaches this morning on one of my trips downstairs, so breakfast was solid again instead of the Soylent I brought. I didn’t feel the best all day, but I think that was mostly my clothing choice. It helped to be up and moving around. Anneka from Gwatney called to say my car was done, but Summer insisted she wouldn’t be able to take off of work, which frustrated me.

I’ve been getting a little lost in all of my projects, and it has only helped to go back to my notes for our next staff meeting. There’s just too much to do, and it feels like everything needs focus. I’d get halfway into one thing, and then get pulled away for something else of middling importance. Nothing has been urgent, but all have been necessary.

We went to Taco Bell for a pretty light lunch, then had cake for Tammy’s birthday. Muad’Dib ran around outside with Dexter for a bit after that, and then Dexter let me pet him as long as I had some beef jerky in my hands for him.

The afternoon was quiet, and I tried to focus, but again got pulled away to other concerns. At least they were tangentially related to something else already on my plate.

We left late and got stuck in heavy traffic, especially getting back into town. Summer had a small roast in the slow cooker, so we ate while watching the Made by Google event. We were about half an hour behind, and it wasn’t as exciting as I had hoped it would be, but it was probably better than last year. I just felt old for not knowing a single one of the “celebrity” guests.

I tried to wait until it cooled down to take Muad’Dib on a run, but it still felt gross. We almost did our full run, but he just wasn’t moving. He had been feeling sick all day anyway, so I think it’s time to cut back on the treats. Eaddie stopped in briefly, late in the evening, and it made me happy that she at least made a point to say hi to me before she left again. I came out and we talked for just a moment as she left, and then I went to bed.

All of none.

ANOTHER ONE

I had an anxiety attack in bed just after midnight when I got up to go to the restroom, but went right back to sleep. I got to sleep in a very little bit since we were headed to Little Rock for my car. She went to her bank to get some money for me, and I went to Arvest to close my account, since they wanted to start charging for basic checking accounts. I took Muad’Dib in and we saw Aaron first. Then I was maybe a little too surprised that there was zero effort to try and talk me into some other kind of bank account, or keep me as a customer. I told the young teller that I wanted to close my account, she took my ID, and then handed me a cashier’s check for my balance after just a few seconds. She then had to cash that for me, which felt silly, but then it was done. My first bank account, which I’d had since childhood, and which only held birthday money for years before my first job, was closed.

We hit the road after that. Summer had to get back to work, so we dropped her car off at the Love’s in Morrilton, then continued to Gwatney in the loaner to get my car. I also queued up Randy and Ben for lunch before we headed home. My car was right out front, and I guess I should have looked it over first. They didn’t really even walk me around it. I just took a moment while Anneka was gathering paperwork, and walked around it quickly. I immediately spotted a blemish just under the left taillight. Then Summer looked closer and found flaws on the edge of the hood. Anneka took it back to see if they could buff any of it out, but then came back and said we would have to schedule another visit.

They had a Buick Envista that they had just gotten in for a loaner, so rather than come back next week, we took the loaner and also kept the loaner Model 3 from Tesla. That created a predicament later. We left there and dropped the Buick off at the high school before meeting Randy, Jim, Jae, and Ben at Cotham’s. I sent Summer in to find a table, and luckily Ben was already there. I waited outside with Muad’Dib until everyone else got there, and then we had lunch. I wasn’t impressed with any of the food this time, which was rare. The hubcap burgers have always been excellent. We had a good time visiting, but Summer needed to be back at work in a hurry, so we left.

I dropped Summer off at her loaner, then went to Conway to Supercharge in order to make it home. It wouldn’t have been a problem, except I didn’t expect to have to drive it back home. She went straight to work, so I ended up going to Love’s to swap out her car just to get it out of the public parking lot. I went to work for a couple hours, and then Teisha gave me a ride to Love’s so I could leave Summer’s car at work overnight inside the gate.

I got home and had a ton of stuff from Vine, but it all processed super quickly. It was actually mostly clothes for the girls, but I did get a bike service stand that needed some assembly. Eaddie and Eli chatted in the kitchen over some food he brought while I assembled it, and then they both left. She went to spend the night with Autumn because she had created some new health drama and needed to draw more attention to herself.

Summer eventually made it home from her work meeting, and we went to swim at my parents’ house. I thought they’d check out the Buick, but they were busy watering plants. Muad’Dib ran both ways, but had to stop and poop on the way back. It looked like it was all loose, so something he ate didn’t sit well with him. I ended up walking about a third of the way back home with him while Summer drove home.

They went to bed and I prepared for work, but it was a pretty quick night to bed.

You didn’t have anyone quality check it???

All I Do Is Win

I had a pretty rough start this morning, but we made it in. I got to talking with Teisha for a little while before I made it upstairs, and then I got into a few ongoing projects. I sent off my long email to Anneka last night, hoping that I wouldn’t have to pay more than double for my hood repair. It just made no sense at all to me how the estimates were so far off, even doing my best to decipher the line items. She called me back and tried to explain the “why,” but I pushed back by explaining why I understood my agreement was for the total out-the-door cost for everything. She took that back to her manager, and called back later to say that he approved the adjustment, so I would only be paying what I was originally quoted.

I also got into some routing and firewall configuration when I went out to hook up Heaven’s new printer. The first thing I noticed when we got out there was that they brought out a filing cabinet and moved the printer over to it in the entryway, past a doorway, where there was no network connectivity. I hoped that this was not permanent, but we would see. I also noticed that they weren’t paying attention when they assembled the hutch to her desk, and left the unfinished side of the wood facing out. I hope they fix that too, or else I’ll be inclined to do it myself.

I successfully got the new printer added to a new network, then created routing rules so traffic could get to it from our internal network. It was easier than I expected. I just never had the keys to do it back at Russellville, or at least, never tried. I was really proud that it worked, but now I need to start moving everything else over.

We eventually made it to Sonic for a super late lunch. It was miserably hot outside, even in the shade. Muad’Dib had to help me finish my food, because even for how hungry I was, I just couldn’t do it in the heat. We made it back, sweaty and cooked just from riding in the car that had been sitting in the sun without shades or cabin protection.

The afternoon went by quickly and quietly. I got the Aptean import needs sent back over to David, and received a different response than I was hoping to hear, much later in the evening. We ran through some rain on the way home, and passed someone who had very recently run off the road into the median. I really think that section of road just doesn’t shed water very well, because I’ve had trouble there on the way to work.

The garage was very close to flooding, but we got into the house. Summer was in the bath, so I cleaned up a bit and took care of my packages for the day. I did a bit of cleanup, Eaddie brought Eli and Ceci over to play with Muad’Dib, and I ate some more leftovers. It seemed everyone made it to bed long before me, but fortunately I wasn’t very late.

Everybody hands go up!

Come Here, Rood Boy

As I went to bed last night, I saw a notification that the air conditioner at the old house wasn’t working correctly. It wasn’t cooling for the past day, so I alerted Dad and went to sleep. He went over this morning to check it out, and called Rood only to get the same advice that I expected. They wanted to blame the thermostat or the scheduling on freezing up the unit, and then said they couldn’t get anyone out until Thursday or Friday. He called Roy’s, and someone was out the same day to add some refrigerant.

Back in my world, I got back into my Traverse import, and finally got the data points that I needed. Of course now it’s up to David’s AI-built OCR to translate that into something I can actually import. I met Summer for lunch a little bit early, and later got a call that my car was finished and ready for pickup. Anneka tried telling me I owed more than twice what I expected for the hood job, so I had to go home and send her the old quote I had as a comparison.

Summer mentioned something about a phone interview, but had literally no information about it or where it came from. The minute she said “sales” I knew it was going to be an unreliable lead, but that upset her. She’s verbalized her dislike of sales in the past anyway, so I think she’s finally just at the point in her current career that any kind of hope at all gets her excited.

I had to get my loaner to the wash for a good vacuuming before I could return it. I asked her to help, which also seemed to annoy her. Luckily it cleaned up much easier than either of us expected. We got home and I took Muad’Dib for a run. He led most of the way, and cut the run a little bit short. Then Mom hosed him down a bit because he was hot, so I had to brush him out when we got back to the house. Eaddie and Eli were holed up for most of the night. Summer went to bed, and I got there just as quickly as I could.

GTFO