Random 5 for February 20, 2022 – Learning, Microsoft, cats, appliances, Olympics

Gallery

Posted on by

An example of Alexa humor

It was a week of learning here – This week I realized I don’t have to be nice to Alexa. She filters out all the “nice” stuff like “what is” or “where is” so why bother. She (it?) focuses on the action word. Now I can bark at her. Alexa, temperature! By the end of this pandemic, I may lose all my social skills. I wonder if I can change her voice to have an accent. Hmmmm….

Speaking of learning – I have a strange relationship with Microsoft. It forces me to use their browser. My old computer did not do that. It opens in their browser despite setting another browser as default. I turned to my good friend google for advice. I found a secret spot with file defaults and all had Microsoft as the default. I had a good time turning that around!

Always a worry – Gracie’s visit to the vet and subsequent medication hasn’t solved anything. She still barfs a lot and today had some blood in it. Sometimes it’s a hair ball or food but sometimes it’s just spittle. Another dilemma. She doesn’t act sick at all. In fact, she has been more playful this past month.

Things to love – I love my new range. Sometimes appliances live up to the hype and sometimes they don’t. This one does and it wasn’t top of line either. I should make biscuits. In our family the biscuits are always burned. It’s a tradition. Make the gravy and forget the biscuits are in the oven.

And then it’s gone – As much as I looked forward to the winter Olympics, I’m glad to see them end. The locale was interesting at first as it wasn’t typical snow-covered mountains but everything looked so sterile. At what point does an Olympian retire? Do they wait until they don’t score a medal or go out on top in a year they do? Congrats to all who won and those who worked so hard and didn’t win.

So how was your week?

79 thoughts on “Random 5 for February 20, 2022 – Learning, Microsoft, cats, appliances, Olympics”

  1. I laugh at your barking orders to Alexa. I am always very sweet to her. I think sometimes I really do think there’s a little person in there! LOL! I do hope you get to the bottom of what’s ailing Gracie. That’s got to be a concern! 😦

    Like

    Reply ↓

  2. Over from Ally’s. I didn’t watch the Olympics this year which makes me sad. I used to love them! My range is 26 years old so what new one did you get? I’ll probably be in the market soon. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • 26 years? Good lord, today’s models don’t last that long! I got a Frigidaire induction. It’s one of the less expensive induction ranges available. I love cooking so I regretted not upscaling to a better brand but I’m loving this thing. Does every thing I need and it does it well. Thanks for stopping by!

      Like

      Reply ↓

        • The average life for a refrigerator is 8 years. Our first one in our last house was a high end one and it lasted 6 years. I had quite a hissy fit in the appliance place. The second one was 10 years old when we left and still in good shape. 26 years is the longevity of one make in the 50s.

          Like

          Reply ↓

  3. Ally Bean sent me to check out your blog and I’m glad she did. I, too, hate it when Microsoft (or any other) goes in and changes things around in my computer to default to their services.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • Today I found my favorite toolbar in Outlook. I was over the moon. When I first open it, it still defaults to Edge even though I deleted it and made another browser my default. I’m sure there is another block I have to uncheck but I can’t find it.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  4. I used to love the Winter Olympics back in the 80s/90s with the Battle of the Brians and Debi Thomas, Katarina Witt and Nancy Kerrigan. I don’t watch any sports, but did watch those skaters, plus the qualifying events leading up to the Olympics Saturdays on Wide World of Sports. When I update the Windows 10 laptop, (as yet unchristened with any real work), I discovered Cortana – I said “yay, I’ll ask a question.” Nope, Cortana needed to be updated – she always needs updates, so I have yet to ask a question. What a slacker Cortana is! I figure she’s too much maintenance for now. Maybe after Winter, the pandemic and I’m retired, I’ll give it a whirl. Hope that sweet Gracie feels better and will be up to hijacking your blog soon.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  5. That meme at the top (is that called a meme? I’m always confused about that) is funny. Never heard lobsters and the Titanic together in a joke before. Or together at all. I don’t particularly like lobsters. To eat. I’m sure they’re a perfectly nice sea creature.
    i watched about an hour of Olympics every other night. The athletes – no matter the sport – inspire me as well as make me feel like a slug. I’m so pleased with myself is I dance or yoga or walk for an hour – but to these Olympians, that would be the beginning of their warmups. China, though, is a scary place and a bad locale for a setting that celebrates innovation and strength and character….
    Hope Gracie will be okay. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  6. Is that Microsoft Edge? I hate it. My IT guy who helps me sometimes fixed it so it doesn’t bother me too much, but they have really embedded that buzzard into the computer, haven’t they? Nasty thing. I wonder what’s up with Gracie!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  8. Like you I don’t mind challenges …supposed to keep the brain young, but darn, with computers ( and WP) I just want to use it like a tool and get something done without effort. Sigh.
    Worried about Gracie – such a concern, but it could be stress – hope it’s stress and once the noise and weird people are gone, there’s an improvement.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  13. If only you could have Alexa set up the computer the way you want it. If it did revert, you would just tell Alexa to fix it.
    Sorry about Gracie. Jack used to throw up all the time (not with any blood). The vet could never find a reason for it. Then one day when I was at the grocery store, I saw Purina One Plus for cats with sensitive stomachs and skin. I bought it, and he hasn’t thrown up but once or twice in months. Might be worth a try for Gracie. The blood issue is a worry though.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

    • I use Rachel Ray dry and Fancy Feast wet. I was thinking of switching the dry (which she loves best) to the Purina One sensitive stomachs. Used it for Hazel and it was somewhat successful. I’m keeping an eye on her. The blood was bright red so could have been from the stress of trying to heave.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

  14. For some reason, we skipped the Olympics this year and I’m not sure why. I kept hearing about some of the amazing athletics on display but couldn’t get motivated to actually turn it on.

    I’m sorry about Gracie but happy that she doesn’t appear to be in any pain. I’m sure you’ll get an answer at some point but I know you’ll be worried until then.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  15. I always though Alexa was polite. When I say thank you, she responds with you’re welcome. Glad you like your stove. Poor Gracie, sounds like she needs an ultrasound to figure out the problem. I will be praying for her. XO

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  17. I laughed about Alexa. It’s true, we’re going to lose our social skills. I fear it’s not just Alexa. No more: “Would you please …” Although it’s a reminder to writers that it’s the action words that count.

    I had trouble finding the Olympics at the right time. I’m really only interested in the skating and the occasional snow board high jinks. I did see Kamila Valiseva the first time when she was so fantastic. And I saw Nathan Chen, who is so very skilled, although I would have liked a little more artistry. Probably no time for that when he was doing all those quads.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  20. I wasn’t much interested in the Olympics. Don’t know why. I think my brain and emotions can only handle so much at one time and the Olympics fell by the wayside, I hope you find out what is going on with Gracie. I know how it worries you and we all want her to feel her best.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • Olympics was a place where I didn’t have to think. Mindless. Now I have to go back to watching CSI type programs and figuring out “who done it!” I worry about Gracie. Just can’t get answers.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  21. Hubby and I were talking about how much fun it used to be to watch the Olympics (remember “The Wide World of Sports” ?). I saw bits and pieces but all the problems, drama, athletes going home early, covid issues, kind of took the old magic away. I’m so sorry about dear Gracie – something is up that’s for sure but what? Got our fingers crossed for her – and hugs for you!

    Pam and Teddy

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  23. Hi…. my name is Kim please look into pancreatitis with Gracie if you haven’t already. In my experience the veterinarians don’t look into it unless they have lost weight. Please don’t take this wrong I’m not a vet but I went thru several years (9 to be exact) with a cat puking & always came home with famotidine. He ended up with uncontrolled diabetes & ended up at a specialist who did a GI panel of bloodwork & said there is evidence if pancreatitis. That would make him vomit & not want to eat. We let him go last month. We are heartbroken.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • I am so sorry for your loss. I had similar issues with another disease with my cat Mollie. I’m convinced she had Cushings but kept getting laughed at. She too ended up with uncontrollable diabetes. We lost her through inadequate care. For Gracie, they did a full blood panel and specifically said there was no sign of pancreatitis which is what the vet originally thought it was. We will need to revisit. Thanks for commenting. I need any information I can get.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  24. Hope Gracie gets better! Glad its not seeming to slow her down though.
    Why is it always the Figure Skating that has such drama! Its my best sport to watch but UGH, felt so bad for the 15 year old! And I feel bad for the other skaters who can’t get their medals yet. Just a mess!
    Watching the skiers do jumps in the air. twisting every which way was cool but sure don’t know how they do it!
    You are right, everyone deserves applause for even making it to the Olympics! No disputing that they have talent!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  26. I skipped the Olympics for the same reasons as Autumn ~> China and the IOC.

    I’m sorry to hear that Gracie still has issues, but I’m glad she seems perky and not “under the weather.” Maybe the situation will still resolve. Paws crossed.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • For me it was about the sport itself and not the drama. That area isn’t as pretty as most places that host the winter Olympics. As for Gracie, I hope it’s not a big vet bill to find out there isn’t anything they can find.

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • I’m having an issue right now with our Instagram account and for the record I have yet to find a company less easy to deal with than its parent company, the dreaded Meta, formerly known as Facebook. Their greedy arrogance is unbelievable as is their significant lack of any customer support (talk about getting stranded in Internet hell). If it weren’t for the blog I’d tell them both to go pound sand and am still mulling a disconnection still. I wish there was some recourse, but alas it’s a take it or leave it attitude and no love for the user.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply ↓

        • I’m not on Instagram. Facebook is a mystery to me. I can guarantee you if I see something that is not interesting to me, I will see it a dozen times. If I want to see something I saw this morning, I can’t find it. Are their algorithms set up to annoy us?

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply ↓

  28. This was the first year I didn’t watch the Olympics. Too angry about everything from China committing genocide again the Uyghurs to the corrupt IOC tolerating Russian doping. I broke up with football years ago, now I’m breaking up with the Olympics. I should have known better than to date the jocks!

    I set the voice for Siri on my phone to “Male, British.” Closest I’ll get to a butler. (Sometimes I ask Siri to say “aluminum” just for kicks.”

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

Don't be shy, I'd love to hear what you're thinking!

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s