Other What currently makes your life awesome?

Just received and replaced our Nest thermostat which had decided to throw up the infamous W5 error as the notoriously iffy wifi chip that was in that model had s$%" the bed. Thankfully got a warranty replacement as this seems to be a bit of a common issue. As soon as Google received my serial number and error code it was a case of "ok, no worries, sending you a new one".

Just need to get the old one returned to them and it's all good.

We now have full functionality back, especially good as it now allows my somewhat disabled wife to control the heating with her phone again.

 

Having a chuckle with one of the Managers this morning who had the main meeting Calendar on his phone visible instead of his Calendar. Cue him busting into the Board meeting thinking he was late and getting very confused looks.

 

We had the quarterly "Town Hall" at work this morning.
Most important (to me) was the news of a pay rise this month and a smol bonus in February.

 

Ooo, a bonus. I have heard talk of those fabled occurrences over the years, was beginning to think of them as a myth

 

IKR?
One year, at a previous employer, my "annual bonus" turned out to be just a small Xmas pudding! (I can't stand the things! <vomit emoji>)

 

Had my first full payslip for $newJob.

Still have massive bouts of imposter syndrome, and I still feel like an absolute fraud... but it sure as hell feels good to be validated.

 

Got called for jury duty, as I'm disabled I asked to be excluded as I have poor mobilty due to back problems, sent some details off to them to prove my condition and got a email yesterday saying I'm excused, the last few days have been stressful to say the least.

 

I'm glad you got the right result!

 

That made me think of the NHS keyring my OH got as a 'thanks' for working all through COVID. Like she'd won a colouring competition or something.

At the time she would have preferred a bout of furlough

 

That’s taking the bloody piss, shows how little the present government values the NHS and, those who work in it.

 

I got sod all, asked for and was denied furlough at every lock down, wasn't particularly great when everyone who did get it came back and said they were bored, so many dark visions of punching their faces in.

 

Yeah, there was little sympathy in this house for people getting bored on furlough.

It was pretty much "how the effin eff can you be bored, there's loads of stuff we could be doing for effin effs sake!!!!"

 

I was furloughed throughout, while my wife never missed a day working at a care home. I kept myself reasonably busy and, for the first month or two, I had conference calls and some administrative work to focus on; but it was only upon my return to work that I realised how depressed I had become. If nothing else, it gave me an insight into how depression creeps up on you. How in retrospect, you can see, even catalogue your loss of drive and impetus to get through even mundane tasks.

My point being, it wasn't the joyous holiday some think it was.

 

I don't think I was expecting a joyous holiday, but with so many opportunities to volunteer, get a part time job, get a temp job and take some time off, all whilst taking 80% pay from the government, I'd have made it work.
Especially as my daughter was doing her uni work from home and my wife was on furlough, but nope I worked everyday, struggled to be allowed to take my holiday allowance, and all I got was a 'thank you'.

 

Let's be honest, Covid & lockdown was shite for everyone, for a whole load of different reasons. No need to play shiteness olympics as to who had it worst.

 

For the first time in probably more than a decade, I'm re-watching Samurai Champloo. It's just so good. The art, the music, the story. It's also so amusing to recognise the voice actors from other Animes. What a wave of nostalgia.

 

Got back into watching "Spy x Family" last night, and I was surprised at how little I now need to read Crunchyroll's subtitles!

 

Yeah, I can see that.

It's all individual cases, I dare say your if your wife was also furloughed it may have been very different for you? Being stuck home alone is a very different scenario.

And fair play to your wife, working in care homes and hospitals during that period, well, I wouldn't wish that on anybody.

Seeing multiple deaths a day, protected by a bin bag and being worked to the bone while being thanked with a pan percussion - I didn't envy any of them.

E: Anyway, sorry bit of a thread derailment on my part

 

Hooked my desktop up to our new TV last night to take in the 4K, mini LED, HDR10+ 144hz goodness...

Played a bit of Cyberpunk with all the settings cranked and learnt a couple of things...

The TV is waaaaaay nicer than my main monitor and my 4070 can only output around 50FPS in CP2077 with everything cranked (including PT). Now as this was with DLSS Frame Gen enabled the actual frame rate (with DLSS on performance) was ~30 so a bit sluggish. Helped somewhat by playing on a controller on the sofa.

Also the game looks lovely (at times, other times its looks flat as a pancake...) but I just don't gel with it at all.

All that said I am tempted to move my desktop into the H1 case I have in the loft so it can actually sit full time in the lounge. The Zephyrus can act as my "desktop" upstairs as needed.

Hmmm ideas...