Renegade Vagabond

One of the tasks that Lisa and I had yesterday (and a contributing factor to why we got home relatively late) was that I decided that I'd better buy a new computer. While the one I have here is working okay, the vendor won't renew the hardware service plan. Some of you may recall that I used that plan last year. Also, it still is on Windows 10, which is also nearing end of service, and while I could and will update the machine, it did seem like it was time to do something. So we went to Best Buy to look at computers. We also were hoping to get a machine before The Regime's tariffs double the cost of the computers for the benefit of His Orange Highness enriching himself at the expense of everyone else.

There's no obvious direct replacement for my current machine. I want what is often placed as a "gaming laptop," not for gaming, but for video editing. That ups the cost because I want a powerful graphics card and a fair bit of memory. However, when I bought the current machine, the difference was like night and day when doing video work.

The machine we settled on buying wasn't in stock, but they said that they could have it by Friday. They offered free delivery, but given that package-delivery services have done things like just toss packages over the fence, that didn't seem like a good idea. Lisa reminded me that Kayla was coming into Reno on Friday. The sales person confirmed that as long as she brings the documentation for the sale, Kayla can pick it up for me, so she'll come over after her doctor's appointment on Friday afternoon.

After buying the computer, I bought several computer accessories. Among these was a USB-to-USB-C cable, which I need for my new iPhone and the external auxiliary battery, both of which only have double-ended USB-C cables. Also, I got an external hub with an Ethernet port in it, because the new machine doesn't have a built-in Ethernet jack. The older computer does, and we connect our computers to the wired network that Lisa installed.

I'm not looking forward the the hassle of setting up a new computer. That is one of the reasons I tend to stick with my computers as long as I possibly can. But with luck, this one will work for several years. I'd have to go back and look, but I thought this one lasted four years.

I called Jiffy Lube this morning, and lo and behold, they have my book! I would have checked yesterday, but they were closed on Easter Sunday. I must have taken it out of my bag, set it down, and forgotten about it. Lisa and I expect to go into Reno tomorrow afternoon after work, so I will stop by and collect it from them.

This will almost certainly come as a surprise to those of you who have been following the significant changes in my life over the past six months or so, but I needed a new business suit for a commitment I have in July. (I will explain that when it happens sometime after Westercon.) I woke up stupidly early — earlier than I usually do for Day Jobbe, even — and was the first customer in the door at the Wigwam after they opened. Later in the morning, I drove to Sparks and into the Jiffy Lube where I get the Astro serviced. I was so early that they had no other customers, so by the time I got back from the Starbucks on the far side of the shopping center's parking lot, they already had both the oil change done and the rear differential fluid serviced.

With the vehicle maintenance done, it was time to head to Men's Wearhouse, where I've never shopped before, as I've owned only a handful (as in less than six) of suits in my life including the one I bought today. I didn't make an advance appointment (I didn't even know that was a thing) so when I checked in, I found that I was number 10 in the queue, with two service people helping them.

Obviously, things were busy, and coming in on a Saturday did not help. Also, I had not considered that a bunch of guys were shopping for suits for the spring proms. Oh, well, it gave me time to browse around.

The last time I bought a suit, I weighed around 330 pounds. I now weigh around 220 pounds. That's why I need to buy a new suit. The only one I have (many of you have seen me wearing it to host Match Game SF) now hangs on me more like a tent than a suit. I didn't even know what size I needed to get.

Wandering around the store, I found myself in the clearance section, and decided to toss on a few suit jackets of a color that I thought suited me (ahem) to check sizes. To my surprise, the very first one I picked up seemed to fit well enough. Finding a pair of slacks of similar size/pattern that fit would prove to be more of a challenge.

Eventually, after perhaps an hour, they called my name and I spoke with a sales specialist. She measured me, and while my nominal jacket size is considerably smaller than the jacket I got from the clearance rack, I think it fits me well enough to go with it. That is in part because I may still end up hosting MGSF and I generally need to be able to lift my arms over my head, which this new jacket still allows.

The specialist measured my waist. I'm in between sizes, and there were not a lot of slacks that were a close match for the jacket. She found slacks in waist sizes 36, 38, and 40 inches. I tried them all. The 36 does not fit at all, and the 38 was tighter than I liked, although it's possible that I will eventually shrink into it as I continue to lose weight. However, I decided that the 40 will work, although I'll have to wear a belt again.

I paid for the new suit and set off for home. I think I got somewhat lucky. The suit was originally priced at $440, but was on clearance for $200 off that. The slacks were not on sale, but $60 was not out of line.

Having forgotten to take pictures of when I was trying on the suit, I put everything back on when I got home. I realized that I've forgotten how to tie a tie, it having been at least two years since I last had to do so. Eventually I managed it.

( Cleaning Up as Nicely as Possible )

The suit seems to work, and it did not cost a fortune, so I think it was a pretty good day's work.

I let my face rest (i.e. did not shave) for a week. The results are less bad than I imagined it would be.

( Still Not Pretty )

We'll see how things improve over the remaining treatments. I hope for the best, but expect to need electrolysis as well, as that doesn't have anything to do with the color of the hairs.

I slept in an hour this morning, i.e. getting up at 0530 to start at 0630 instead on an hour earlier as usual. Nobody seemed to mind. As I feared, the mess last night was indeed a mess, with conflicting changes causing more problems. This is what happens when the pressure is on to produce things. We'll get it cleaned up.

Speaking of cleaning up, I felt like I did accomplish something meaningful this afternoon when I managed to clear up a multi-million-dollar inventory inaccuracy. It was much more satisfying than sorting out a few missing screws or untangling a mismatch of cardboard boxes.

However, for now, all I want is more sleep. Let's hope I can get some tonight and not dream of trying to fix inventory issues.

Yesterday, Lisa and I had cause to go over to Big R in Fallon (which is bigger and has a better selection of things than the one in Fernley). On our way out, I stopped at the post office to officially add Kayla's name to the list of names that receives mail at the PO Box. As I expected, there was no problem, although I had a brief moment of panic when they asked for my ID to prove I was the person who owned the box. I thought I might have left in the van, or worse, forgot to bring it with me at all; however, after a bit of fumbling in my tote bag, the wallet resurfaced. (I think I need to get a different color of wallet; a black walled disappears inside a black bag.)

Kayla can now order stuff shipped here without having to put "c/o Kevin Standlee" in the address, which doesn't always work anyway because some vendors, even if they have a 2-line address field, don't include both lines on the shipping label.

After refueling the Astro, we made the trip to Fallon. We did not find the primary thing for which we were looking, but did end up buying a whole bunch of other things, such as some new long work gloves (welding gauntlets, actually) to use for moving firewood. They've stopped carrying the long-wearing socks that I wear, though.

I need to call my chiropractor and reschedule and appointment, but the only times I remembered it today was before their office opened and after it closed. They're not open on Friday or weekends, so now I have to wait until Monday to get that straightened out.