Hi There

For some reason I got the motivation to clean off the dust from this site.  Lots happened in 2017, the year I've named "The Year of the Gadget".

In one of my few posts last year I mentioned being hesitant to play the new Zelda game Breath of the Wild.  I had good intentions - I didn't own the right system, I didn't like the previous game Skyward Sword, and the game was changing up its well known system that originated with Ocarina of Time that I grew up with.  In September I was finally able to see the Switch and Breath of the Wild in person.  I played it for about 40 minutes and I was intrigued enough to buy the system primarily for that game alone.  I was not disappointed.  So far I've spent over 70 hours completing the main story and some of the side missions.  The game is absolutely fantastic and is the best in the series.  I have not regretted the decision at all.  In fact, the Switch could be a game changing system for me because of its portability.  I won't spend anymore time applauding this game or system because they've both been well publicized as being great.

I acquired an Apple gift card through work and was able to pick up an iPad and Apple Watch.  I had never had much use for an iPad in the past but now that I have one I'd estimate I use my computer at least 50% less, maybe more.  I essentially don't need a laptop anymore because of it.  More surprising is my liking of the Apple Watch.  I didn't even want one, but now that I've used one for several months I can't imagine not having one, and I don't even exercise.  It's especially good for enhancing productivity while at work.

Back to the video games, over the past several months I've made an effort to get back into gaming.  Not hard core - just have a game on hand to play.  It gives me an alternative hobby other than watching sports.  It's working.

I've got things to discuss this year.  Hopefully I can find the motivation to keep the posts up. Cheers!

Sunday Anxiety

I used to get Sunday anxiety when I was in college.  I never considered living on campus to be home and I always felt like returning to school or Sarah leaving for the weekend was the inevitable beginning of the academic week as I often studied as soon as I got back to school.  I don't recall having these feelings in high school or really even in medical school.  I had them to some extent during rotations, especially at the start of a new rotation.  Oddly, after I graduated residency and started my first "real" job the feelings disappeared.  That is until recently.

For the past several months I have been experiencing Sunday anxiety regarding return to work on Mondays.  I believe it started after became more strict regarding the number of narcotic pain medicines and stimulant prescriptions I was writing, though I cannot say for sure.  The two events started around the same time, at least.  It usually presents as Sunday worry about what the work week will bring, followed by one to two days of crankiness until Wednesday or Thursday when my mind calms for the upcoming weekend until the cycle resets on Sunday.

I'm becoming increasingly weary of working with the public.  This is a real shame as it was one of the aspects of medicine that attracted me to the profession.  I could write an entirely separate article about why I'm becoming tired, and maybe I'll do that some day, but for now I'll just leave it at that.

3 Months Summary

We're already one-third of the way finished with 2017 and I'm just now getting around to my first post of the year.  Obviously the future of this site is in jeopardy.  Regardless, below is my summary of 2017 thus far, in no particular order.

• Breath of the Wild, the first Zelda game in years, was released to critical acclaim.  Although I was disappointed with the last game which also got great reviews, this game looks revolutionary for the series and I would love to play it.  Trouble is, the new Switch system looks like a bit of a mess and otherwise I don't have much use for it.  My plan is to keep an eye out for a good used Wii U discounted or wait long enough for the price to come down.  This also allows me to replay Twilight Princess in HD and Wind Waker HD, a game I've never played before.  In the meantime, I'm enjoying Uncharted 4 on the PS4.
• Spring is quickly approaching.  As previously discussed, as a home owner I have a love-hate relationship with spring.  Warmer weather, the approach of May, and baseball are all positives.  New home projects are a negative.  However, this year we have some exciting projects (translation: $$$) lined up, including a landscape transformation and a new patio.  Should be good stuff.
•  Kate Upton was on the cover of the SI Issue again, which I thought was a bit lazy.  On a positive note, Playboy re-introduced the nude playmate, which ends a situation that was confusing to begin with.  Additionally, we saw Ariana Grande in concert which was cool.
• I bought a humidifier for my home.  It does shoot out mist but otherwise I can't tell that it really does much else.  Alas my hands and floors continue to suffer.
• 2017 has been the warmest Indiana winter I can remember.
• Work continues to be a mixture of good days and bad days, though mostly good.  Same is true with the peanuts.  Nothing too new to add on this front.

There you have it - the first quarter of 2017, summed up in 6 quick bullet points.  I'm sure there have been other news stories to discuss.  These were just the first few to pop into my head.

Hard Drive Failures

I've always been a big advocate of backing up computer files, even more so after my hard drive crashed in my computer in October 2014 resulting in the need for a new computer.  Additionally, I expect my technology to work and get quite frustrated when it doesn't.  Below is a quick re-cap of my relationship with technology over the past two weeks.

My satellite box started acting goofy.  It went from requiring periodic box resets to frequent box resets to items in my DVR list disappearing and re-appearing.  I called Dish and they first told me that my Hopper was too hot and the door to my entertainment center should be opened.  They then told me that I should unplug it from the surge protector and plug it into the wall directly.  A baloney answer.  The DVR box worked better for the next 48 hours but quickly reverted to its goofy behavior.  I plugged an external drive to it to move files (there's no copy, just move!?!) but at this point it was too late.  It went from taking on water to fully sinking and all was lost.  Music videos and concerts, some of which I will not be able to get again, kids shows, movies, etc. All gone.  Dish sent us a new DVR but unfortunately at this point we're having viewing issues where the image briefly but frequently gets choppy.

Secondly, I've sat down to my computer on multiple occasions over the past month with a message stating my external hard drive was ejected improperly.  It has done this periodically in the past but the frequency has picked up a lot.  I've ran hard drive diagnostics which have turned out fine.  I've altered the power settings which thus far hasn't seemed to make a difference.  I've read where sometimes USB failures cause this to happen.  Who knows?  It is frustrating none the less because it requires a system reboot to get the OS to recognize the drive again.  The only thing I can think of is that it is plugged into a USB hub (damn Apple and their lack of ports) but it has been plugged into the same port since September and only just recently has the ejection error become frequent.

I Don't Wanna Grow Up

Ever since Sony announced their customary move of making their Playstation smaller and cheaper I have been interested in upgrading my PS3 to the 4.  Dwindling playing times on my PS3 had made me reluctant to do so prior to the price drop.  With the PS4 slim bundled with Uncharted 4, one of my favorite games from the PS3-era, for only $300, I felt like the price was getting low enough to justify against possible low play times.  When someone was actually interested in my PS3, I decided to pull the trigger.  Timing was perfect because Sarah was able to find the bundle in a black Friday deal not only for $250, but with two additional highly rated games included.  At this point I couldn't afford not to take the PS4 plunge.

I've only had the system up and running for a few days and have only played F1 2016, but I'd say the PS4 is a noticeable upgrade.  It is hard to believe that the PS3 was a 10 year old system.  It remains highly functional and versatile.  The PS4 runs a noticeably quicker OS.  Downloads and screen transitions are quicker.  Load screens seem to be quicker.  The new controller for the system feels nicer and I enjoy the built-in audio.  I also enjoy the easy to use remote play options for play on my computer for when my kids are wrangling my TV.  I didn't realize how old the PS3 felt until I upgraded to the more modern system.

I do feel just a whee-bit guilty for being a grown man with a family and career spending money on a gaming system.  Part of this plays to my childhood nostalgia (the part the NES Classic hasn't been able to touch yet because I can't find any in stores or online).  The system is more than just for games, however (just like the PS3).  My kids use the DVD/Blu ray functionality.  You can stream videos and music from the internet. The functionality goes on and on.  For $250 I think it is well worth the price at this point.  So game on.  I'm not ashamed.  Just wish me luck at my next grand prix weekend.

Voting In America

The following is a summary of my voting experience in this year's elections.

During the first week of early voting, my wife and I showed up to our voting station with our two toddler girls on a Thursday afternoon to be greeted by a 2+ hour line.  We decided to pass since we had our two young children with us.

Last week I went to our county seat to try to early vote again.  I had business in the area to begin with and I had heard that the lines were 2+ hours but decided to check out the situation for myself anyway.   Voting was downtown and our county seat features what I would call a very traditional American downtown with a courthouse centered in a block with surrounding businesses and only on-street blocking - no parking lots.  I circled the block twice, encountered lots of traffic, and couldn't find a single place to park.  I decided against continuing to circle the block like a shark waiting for a surfer to fall of his/her board and went home.

At this point I was left with voting on election day.  Polls opened at 6 AM on a random Tuesday.  I say random knowing that there is tradition and reason for this date but simultaneously am questioning the validity in modern society.  I arrived at 6:15 AM to what seemed like a large but reasonable crowd.  I waited an hour in line.  I was approaching the voting booths, to be surprised to find the line curved to my left down a hallway which nearly doubled the line.  Based on the number of people in front of me and the pace of the line up to that point, I estimated I had at least an additional 45 minutes to wait in inline.  I had to be at work by 8 because I had a full day of patients scheduled and couldn't be late and it takes me 30 minutes to get to work so there was no way I could stay.  I ended up bailing to get to work on time and keep the appointments I said I could make.

I've heard numerous excuses for this situation, including that the voting machines are so old no company supports them anymore and repair parts have to be purchased off Ebay.  I don't care about the excuses, this situation is absolute bullshit.  There has to be a way to make this experience easier and more feasible.  Get more (or updated) machines, hold the election over multiple days versus one, hold the elections in venues with parking lots.  Whatever it takes.

R.I.P. Creatures

A couple of weeks ago I noticed I wasn't getting any sound out of my right computer speaker.  I had been using these computer speakers for over 10 years and loved them.  They sounded good and had a cool and unique design.

Apparently JBL no longer makes the creature speakers but I was able to find a seller on Amazon selling a brand new pair for $99.  For some reason, though, I didn't buy them right away and I am glad I didn't because I kind of made out like a bandit in this situation.  I met BoilerPip for dinner a few days later.  I had sent him a message about the speaker dying and he happened to have a set of silver creatures that he hadn't used in years and gave them to me.  Prior to this meeting, however, I had initiated a conversation with my office manager regarding a set up Klipsch ProMedia computer speakers.  Her husband is a sound engineer at Klipsch and I asked if maybe he could get me a discount on the speakers.  Turns out, he had an open box version of the speakers that he couldn't sell and so he just gave them to me.  They retail between $150-$200, and while they aren't as cool looking as the creatures, they sound fantastic.

I'm now taking my "new" creatures to work to use on my computer there.  Additionally, and this is totally unrelated to speakers, I got a new pair of Saucony shoes for free as well from my neighbor.  He works at a running shoe store and apparently this pair had a "defect."  They seem fine to me.

The older I get, the more I enjoy these three day weekends like Labor day.  It's an extended weekend and a day off work without the stress of holidays like Christmas.  Plus the extra day off on Monday should make the next work week short as well.  While not the official end of summer, Labor day certainly means autumn is around the corner, which is one of my favorite times of the year.  Football and fleece jackets - I love it.