diff --git a/content/blog/wk12day4.md b/content/blog/wk12day4.md index 88aee8b..e8861be 100644 --- a/content/blog/wk12day4.md +++ b/content/blog/wk12day4.md @@ -1,7 +1,88 @@ --- -title: "Week 12, Thursday:" +title: "Week 12, Thursday: Gardening with a Roomba" date: 2024-10-17T21:55:00+02:00 -draft: true --- -{{< image frame="true" width="17em" float="right" src="/img/headline/todo.png" alt="Credit: " >}} +{{< image frame="true" width="17em" float="right" src="/img/headline/noraenpure-08.png" alt="Credit: Nora en Pure, YouTube" >}} + +This morning I decided to give [[EasyVFR4](https://easyvfr4.aero/)] a go. This is a so called _Visual Flight +Rules_ application that helps work within a set of regulations that govern the conditions under +which a pilot can operate an aircraft visually without relying on instruments. The application +normally runs on iPad or Android tablet, and it has a specific plugin +[[ref](https://easyvfr4.aero/sim)] for flight simulators like MSFS. Although there is a _Live_ +version (free of charge), this one does not support using a simulator. + +Seeing as I want to run this as an application on the Windows computer hosting MSFS, I choose that +route. The application is quickly installed, and as expected, when it starts it detects the +simulator sending traffic out but says I must purchase a license. Off I go, for a EUR 48,- per year +license. I install it, but it still doesn't work?! Aha, I notice what's the matter- the license +seems to be installed on the application (temporarily) running on my iPhone. I mail the support team +at EasyVFR and pretty quickly get a response: unfortunately the license I have won't work with a PC, +only with a tablet. But, the folks at EasyVFR are good sports about it, and offer to swap out the +license for the one needed to run the application on the PC. They agree with me that it's a bit +weird to allow me to continue with an iPad but require a different license for the on-PC app. +Thanks! + +The application works a treat, although it's a bit chatty because it blends in real-life +aircraft information from ADS-B, even though those planes are not actually in the simulated world. +After one too many 'traffic, traffic, traffic' alerts, I simply turn that one off. But, I'm already +grateful for the extra dimension I receive, notably for +[[NOTAM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOTAM)] alerts and restricted airspace. It's a bit more +realistic like this. + +In the afternoon, Marina asks me if I'd like to do some gardening. She reminds me that we ented a +bunch of Hydrangea a while ago, and they are still in their pots, we should plant them before the +weather gets too cold. In the garden, I am treated to a bunch of late blooming flowers, which is +nice. Then, we dig a few holes for the Hortensia, and chuckle as we find that there are absolutely +zero roots growing from this stuff. I'm pretty sure they will not survive the winter like this, but +on the other hand: they're still looking perfectly reasonable so, {{< rawhtml >}} +¯\_(ツ)_/¯{{< /rawhtml >}}, I guess. + +After the yard work, there's still the matter of my promise to myself to keep the basement clean. I +think I'll go for a [[DJ Roomba](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62KJUWAT5-8)] and there's one in +stock at the electronics store at the airport. It's been a while since I've exercised, so I bike my +way from our place to the airport. This is about 12km (or 7.5mi) and the weather is nice out. At the +aport, I park the bike somewhat willy nilly; I hadn't realized it but it's pretty hard to find a +bike parking here! I make my way through the shopping area looking for that _Inter Discount_ store, +which I find and in it, I find my desired item, at 33% off. I'm a sucker for (inter)discounts like +this! I show Quinn and Marina my new friend, and they comment that he looks like the cleaner +version of my old friend (because we already have exactly the same i7 model running around the house +for a few years now). + +Considering next week is [[Hallowe'en](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween)], and our house is +kind of a popular destination around those dates, we have one more errand to run: buy massive +amounts of chocolate, candy and junkfood for the kids. In previous years, we've gotten north of one +hundred kids at the door, and since we're both here this year and in the mood, we're going to make +an effort to decorate the house and have the kids of Wangen-Brüttisellen trick or treat. By the +way, I tend to compare our "sister" town of Wangen to Eagleton in Parks and Recreation. It's always +a really bad idea to take me shopping to _Aligro_ (some form of _Costco_) when I'm hungry. We come +home with a few metric tonnes of candy, and since our freezer has been thinned out lately, also a +'little' bit of meat :) + +For dinner, Marina is making _Sudderlapjes_ which is braised beef shortribs. For some reason, +although I'm pretty hungry, the meal does not really hit the spot for me. It doesn't have a lot of +taste, despite having smelled gorgeous all day as it was being prepared. Oh well, you win some you +lose some, I guess? + +Quinn needs to get some stuff done before the end of the week and tails it after dinner. Marina and +I watch a few episodes of _Lillyhammer_, and finish the first season. I don't think she's really +enjoying it as much as I am :) but then I have a soft spot for the nordics. + +After the TV watching, it's only 22:00 so I go downstairs. Recently, SpeedIX has turned up for +Free-iX Remote and now things are getting real. I still need to complete the propagation logic for +this project. Currently, members and peers get the same prefixes, and it's the intent of Free-IX +Remote, that members from Greece get propagated into the SpeedIX and SpeedIX prefixes are propagated +to the members. I need to write this logic, but I'm fumbling. I mess around, and eventually abort +the mission because I'm not feeling to great... + +## Pictures of the Day + +{{< gallery-category >}} + {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-10-17/IMG_2135.JPG" caption="The flightsim, now with EasyVFR4 on-screen!" >}} + {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-10-17/IMG_2136.JPG" caption="This beautiful flower surprised me in the back yard as we were gardening." >}} + {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-10-17/IMG_2138.JPG" caption="This empty spot is where the DJ Roomba lived, before I bought him." >}} + {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-10-17/IMG_2139.JPG" caption="I think there may be enough candy here to feed Wangen-Brüttisellen." >}} +{{< /gallery-category >}} + +{{< gallery-modal >}} +{{< gallery-script >}} diff --git a/static/img/headline/cosmicgate.png b/static/img/headline/cosmicgate.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e9cfd6b --- /dev/null +++ b/static/img/headline/cosmicgate.png @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +version https://git-lfs.github.com/spec/v1 +oid sha256:cdeca6963ea2f7abcaed9cea405bc838bc1045ffb4fb8e6426ec61fe96f4bed9 +size 106125 diff --git a/static/img/headline/relakzone.png b/static/img/headline/relakzone.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6678512 --- /dev/null +++ b/static/img/headline/relakzone.png @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +version https://git-lfs.github.com/spec/v1 +oid sha256:f80c5039172c7540a3cb63e6615fe1bce4b0ff5342733c860278eb17fbff3699 +size 179367