Daddy tech support

[MurphCID]

Squirrels are rats with good PR.

That is so true. Well Murph-vania has declared a serious cold war against Squirrel-donia, and I am getting ready to deploy some serious anti-squirrel weaponry! This is the first year that this has ever happened. A buddy gave me a great idea to hang cattle ear tags inside the hood, the kid with the pesticide for cattle pests. Apparently they are squirrel repelling due to the smell. I am also going to try moth balls. The next level up are squirrel traps, and I will drive miles out to BFE and drop the little critters off. I am going to take them to the hood, the squirrel hood.

[MurphCID]

I will say this, tech support in the Murph home never gets boring, because they always find new ways to do something....odd. See the Lemur Pro thread for the latest. They all claim to hate Linux, can't use it, etc., etc., but always seem to want to borrow the little System 76 machine. The daughter has found that I have all my iTunes music copied to the drive, and Rhythembox can play the music. But it makes her mad that she cannot use her Apple ear pods, or her iPhone with Linux. They never shut things down correctly, so I had to change settings to have the laptop turn off when they close the lid. Plus the youngest "borrowed" my mouse when hers broke. Did she tell me she "borrowed" my mouse, no, not at all until I asked if anyone had seen my mouse, then she confessed to purloining the rodent. I made her go to Best Buy and purchase her own new mouse. I am, at times, unpopular. And I do not care. I am old enough to be a curmudgeon.

I made a deal with both kids, when they entered High School they got a laptop (basic one- HP Pavillion, or similar), when they graduated and were going to college I told them I would buy them a really good laptop that would last. Both picked HP Spectre X360 laptops, the oldest got a 13.3 with an odd 2560x1440 screen, and the other got the 15.6" with the 4k which is, IMHO, one of the prettiest screens I have ever seen. But they only get ONE laptop, if they break it, they have to buy their next one.

[deepakdeshp]

IMHO, one of the prettiest screens I have ever seen. But they only get ONE laptop, if they break it, they have to buy their next one.

Bit you are being unfair daddy. Things including laptops after all have a definite life. This life can shorten very much when it gets dropped. Then hinges , screen may break. Or the total thing may break. Mind you, and you also know that I don't drop them intentionally. So it is but fair that you get me a newer and a BETTER laptop when it breaks. I am sure dear daddy will not mind.
When said like this in a charming way, I can't resist my daughter's persuasion though I am sure that it isn't fair to me at all.

[MurphCID]

IMHO, one of the prettiest screens I have ever seen. But they only get ONE laptop, if they break it, they have to buy their next one.

Bit you are being unfair daddy. Things including laptops after all have a definite life. This life can shorten very much when it gets dropped. Then hinges , screen may break. Or the total thing may break. Mind you, and you also know that I don't drop them intentionally. So it is but fair that you get me a newer and a BETTER laptop when it breaks. I am sure dear daddy will not mind.
When said like this in a charming way, I can't resist my daughter's persuasion though I am sure that it isn't fair to me at all.

Lol I agree.

[RollyShed]

You kids (I must be older) with kids still at home, you might be lucky. My daughter used to live not far away, actually in the industrial zone of this town. Then she and her partner left and went about 1000 miles north.

So?

She took her welder and her lathe with her. So? It means if I want something welded and to a high quality, she isn't around to do it. As for the lathe, I was allow to use it on small jobs but that's now gone too.

Count yourselves lucky.... maybe.

[antikythera]

I'm lucky enough to have my long deceased Grandfather's lathe in my shed. He got it for free when he worked for ICL and they were modernising the factory. They were going to scrap it but somehow he ended up with it. It weighs an absolute ton and was a pig to transport but well worth the hassle. I used to spend hours with him in his shed turning wood and building model engines with it.

I'm no expert Welder but the Farmer next down the lane from ours is, so if I need something welded to a high standard I'll pay him to do it.

[RollyShed]

For welding, a welder who is female and an artist is very hard to beat.

On the Clyde (ship building) during the war they would get the women to do the tricky bits in corners so I was told by one who did such work.

[antikythera]

For welding, a welder who is female and an artist is very hard to beat.

No doubt over that, the two skills require excellent dexterity and hand eye coordination. Gender has no real bearing, it's down to the individual concerned. Regarding your ship building lady friend, sadly the sexist attitudes towards women returned when the war ended.

The Farmer had been welding vehicles and heavy machinery professionally for well over 40 years and still does it part-time to supplement the ever decreasing farm income. Lots of farmers are struggling to make ends meet these days.

[MurphCID]

This weekend was update weekend on all the Windows machines. Did firmware updates to two of the computers, and added the usual Windows bloatware. Since I was on call I could not go anywhere, so we did computer updates.

[MurphCID]

I let the youngest mow the backyard and it looks like a drunken caterpillar went over the grass. I told her to just stop, I would finish it. Oy Vey! Ay Caramba! I am glad I let her work on the backyard, the HOA would give me a citation if I had let her use the front. I have the HOA Snoop living across the street from me. I have had to throw him off my property twice, once he was measuring the height of my grass with a ruler, and telling me I was not mowing it short enough. I told him *&^%*&^!&^!!!

[AZgl1800]

I let the youngest mow the backyard and it looks like a drunken caterpillar went over the grass. I told her to just stop, I would finish it. Oy Vey! Ay Caramba! I am glad I let her work on the backyard, the HOA would give me a citation if I had let her use the front. I have the HOA Snoop living across the street from me. I have had to throw him off my property twice, once he was measuring the height of my grass with a ruler, and telling me I was not mowing it short enough. I told him *&^%*&^!&^!!!

that kind, really gets my goat, and if they wish to live, they best stay out of my hair.

[MurphCID]

I let the youngest mow the backyard and it looks like a drunken caterpillar went over the grass. I told her to just stop, I would finish it. Oy Vey! Ay Caramba! I am glad I let her work on the backyard, the HOA would give me a citation if I had let her use the front. I have the HOA Snoop living across the street from me. I have had to throw him off my property twice, once he was measuring the height of my grass with a ruler, and telling me I was not mowing it short enough. I told him *&^%*&^!&^!!!

that kind, really gets my goat, and if they wish to live, they best stay out of my hair.

The HOA guy has been run out of several yards around me. I finally had to tell him that if I caught him in my yard one more time, I would arrest him for trespassing. He came in and was telling me that I had not edged my grass properly. Also that I needed to mow my grass shorter. It is south Texas for Pete's sake! If I mow it too low it will die. Plus HE has a yard service to keep his yard nice. I am a working dude, I can't spend 40 hours a week manicuring my yard.

[AZgl1800]

Depending on the time of year, I mow the grass at 3 inches or 4 inches.
the hotter it is, the taller I let it be.

[MurphCID]

Depending on the time of year, I mow the grass at 3 inches or 4 inches.
the hotter it is, the taller I let it be.

I do much the same, since we are often in a drought situation, like last year where most of my grass died.

[MurphCID]

I am off this week (mental health week, I am SICK of work). So yesterday I get the Lemur Pro and head to Black Rifle Coffee for some "me" time. I am in a hurry so I don't pay too much attention to things, but I noticed that the laptop was in a different place on my desk that I normally keep it. I did not think too much of it because my wife might have moved it to get to something, or maybe I did, and just did not recall. As I get older I have more CRS (Can't remember...Stuff). So off I go. I get to Black Rifle Coffee, get my overpriced Yuppie Coffee (with a shot of half and half of course). I open the laptop and notice some...white flaky stuff on the keyboard. It looks suspiciously like donut glaze. I clean it off, and start thinking.....

I get home and I ask my oldest if she had used my laptop, and she looks at me like I had just grown a second head: "Dad, its LINUX, Eewwww, there is no way I would use Linux! Besides I ask to use your laptops (but not my desktop)." Edit: I forgot to add she told me that Linux is for geeks and old people....

So I ask the youngest: Did you use my laptop again?

Her: No, why would I use your laptop?

Me: I am asking.

Her: Whhhhyyyy?

Because there was icing sugar on the keyboard...

Her: IDIDN'TMEANTODROPMYDONUTONYOURKEYBOARD and IONLYBORROWEDITFORALITTLEBIT!

Me: I am changing the password so you cannot use it since you don't even respect me enough to clean the darn sugar off the keyboard!

Her: Daddy, NO!

Me; Then keep your laptop charged! (I changed the password to something really hard).

Her: Fine! Flounces off.

I would have been more upset if she had really damaged it, and if her grades were poor, but she is kicking butt this semester, so I am cutting her a great deal of slack. She has overcome her dyslexia via computer, so I don't get too mad at her.

[AZgl1800]

sometimes, it is hard to judge when to slap them silly, or praise them for trying.

Back 40 years ago, or some where around there.

My wife, and our kids were in a restaurant waiting for the food to be delivered.

our son was probably about 5ish, and started throwing a tantrum about something......

He was on the opposite side of the table, and I just slung out my arm and back handed him across his face...

He was totally shocked, and I told him in no uncertain words, "you keep acting like that, and the Belt comes out next"

there was silence for a bit, and then some hands started clapping lightly behind me somewhere....

times have changed, now the kids own us, we don't dare sas them.

I'm very proud of my son, he has far exceeded what I have been able to accomplish in my avocation, he makes twice what I ever was able to.

[DAMIEN1307]

and then some hands started clapping lightly behind me somewhere....

I Too, would have applauded if i saw that...These days, the hands clapping behind you wouldnt be the sound of just hands at all, but handcuffs...This whole society has become ridiculously PC...DAMIEN

[MurphCID]

I completely agree, my wife and I have spanked our kids in public when we were out and they were being brats. Had to tell one lady to mind her %^%$&$@#@!!! business once, but only once. My daughter did tell me she was sorry, and she tried to brush off the majority of the donut icing. Since she is pulling a 3.75 gpa in her college classes, I am cutting her a LOT of slack.

[fstjohn]

Squirrels:
Before I retired we lived in Phoenixville, PA. Our house was surrounded with tall white and yellow pines, and the cones were a squirrel attractant, to say the least. I've counted 15-20 at one time running up and down the trees and munching on the pinecones. Ate a hole in the lid of the bird feeder seed bucket, dug up every single bulb we planted, gnawed on the lawn furniture, etc. Neighbors were bleeding hearts so couldn't ostensibly kill them, so I got a Hav-a-heart trap and baited with peanut butter. Got two or three per day and kept a running tally on the inside garage wall where the 35 gallon trash can full of water was located. Squirrel in trap, submerge trap in trash can, wait a couple minutes until bubbles no longer rise. Dead squirrel goes with his mates in a large ziploc bag in the freezer until trash day. Deposit bag containing squirrelsicles in the garbage. Most I got in a summer was around 50 but didn't make a noticeable dent in the population. Oh, and the Bleeding Hearts thought I was transporting them to a wooded area outside town

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Squirrels are just rats with good P.R.