Thursday

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-Br&uuml;ttisellen 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-Br&uuml;ttisellen." >}}
+{{< /gallery-category >}}
+
+{{< gallery-modal >}}
+{{< gallery-script >}}