This will be one of those 'lots of little updates' posts. Let's see... I want to talk about taxes, computer upgrades, car dreams, vaccinations, work future, weather, music and music services, new meds, and maybe some more. Let's start with filing my 2020 taxes.
Taxes
So, I just finished filing my taxes. Phew... that's quite a difference from last year. I guess the withholding differences from last year caught up to me as last year I got about a $2600 refund. This year? $400. Some of that is my student loan interest paid as that's always a part of my refund and because the payments were paused for most of the year I only paid a little over $800 (as opposed to over $3000 last year). But my brother was also affected as he owed taxes for the first time in a decade. I actually did my taxes twice to see if my student loans made a difference, since filing with that deduction means I have to use the deluxe version of Turbo Tax (costing $75), but if I didn't include the measly $800 in student loan interest paid I would have received about $200 back. So I paid the $75 now knowing that it means a net positive $125.
I also can't complain to loudly about taxes since I got $1800 in stimulus last year. That's extra money in my pocket each week (withholding less), $1800 in stimulus, and still $400 in a refund. All in all, I don't have room to complain.
Computer Upgrades
When I got my new computer in 2018, it was the first time I used a service to build me a custom computer. As a review, my computer is:
- Mini ATX system from Origin PC
- ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-G Gaming WiFi AC
- Intel i5 9600k that will be overclocked by Origin's pros.
- 16 GB DDR 2933MHz HyperX Predator RGB memory.
- 500 GB Samsung 970 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
- 1 TB Samsung 960 EVO SATA SSD
- 8GB GeForce RTX 2080 Founder's Edition overclocked by Origin's pros.
- 650 Watt EVGA SuperNOVA G3 Power supply with blue sleeved cables.
- An LED light strip
- A 240mm All In One water cooling system for the processor.
- Windows 10 Home
- Lifetime 24/7 Support and Labor warranty.
- 3 year parts replacement warranty with free shipping.
- 3 Years parts upgrade service which allows me to have them swap out parts at cheaper prices.
This computer today is still screaming fast, but it's still over 2 years old. The 9th generation Intel processor is overclocked to 5.0 GHz which means it's FAST. BUT, it's just 6 cores with no hyperthreading. The 10th generation Intel Core i5 10600k has 6 cores and 12 threads. The 11th generation is just around the corner. And then there's the AMD series to consider since AMD has just been trashing Intel in processor to processor fights. For similar money you can get the AMD Ryzen 5 that has the same number of cores and hyperthreads and is now FASTER than the intel. Intel tries to brute strength the AMD in GHz, but even there it's a close call.
To further differentiate the processors, current AMD motherboard chipseets and processors support PCIe gen 4 which means you can get even faster hard drives. The read speed on my Samsung 970 Pro is 3500 MB/s. A gen 4 Samsung 980 Pro reads at 5000 MB/s. Yeah... I'd like 50% faster please!
The biggest kicker is the video card. It turns out that I got the clunker generation. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore my Nvidia 2080 Founders Edition, but beyond the differences in RTX and ray tracing, there just wasn't a big difference between the 1000 series Nvidia cards and the 2000 series. Nvidia made up for that with the 3000 series cards. A Nvidia 3080 is faster than the Titan card of the 2000 generation. AND it has a huge increase in ray tracing abilities. So a game that I've been playing even though it chugs along with all the ray tracing it's doing, Control, would be eminintly playable on a 3080.
My computer is still in its parts replacement warranty and nearing the end of it's 3 year parts upgrade service. The parts upgrade is what got me thinking about this. Well... the 3080 got me thinking about it, but the parts upgrade service is what kept me thinking about it. You see, I can send my computer back and pick out new parts for it. Origin will buy back my current parts at "fair market value" leaving me the difference to pay. So, lets say my video card is wroth $500 and a Nvidia 3080 founders edition goes for $700, I'd only have to pay $200. They'd cover shipping, installing, and everything.
I've been going back and forth as to whether I want to do this or not for about 3 months now. I even put into the consideration that they'd likely have my computer for about a month (they're slow... I accept that as a trade off for quality), and I have the Macbook as a replacement for my web viewing and capping and such. I'm not sure what pushed me over the edge, but I did finally contact Origin.
Let me back up and say a few things about Origin. I picked them originally because I thought they pushed the best version of quality over quantity versus other boutique computer makers. They were a little more expensive, but you could see where the money went. For example, the computer is shipped in a cardboard box with good foam packing like every other manufacturer. BUT that cardboard box is put into a wooden crate for additional safety. Yes the shipping costs more, but my warranty and parts upgrade service included shipping! So yeah, I paid a little more for each part, but they put the cash into other services that I didn't pay for. A few months after I got my computer Corsair bought Origin. So far as I can see, Corsair hasn't done much except for push their individual parts (power supplies, fans...) over other parties. They did, however, take away the parts upgrade service which tells me it was a money loser for them. In other words, a good deal for me to take advantage of.
One bad thing about the Origin website is some broken links. Even though they 'linked' to it, I couldn't find the original terms of service for the parts upgrade. So I wrote them with the hope of getting two quotes. One for just the video card and a new power supply (the 3000 series video cards all need more than my 650 watt power supply), and one for just about everything. Video card, power supply, motherboard, processor, RAM, AIO cooler, and hard drive. I'd keep my current hard drives so that would just be paying for a new one and they'd put it in for free.
Well... that didn't work out well. One of their reps contacted me back quickly and dashed my hopes away. First, the parts upgrade service does not include power supplies or AIOs. So even if I wanted to do just the video card, I'd have to eat the cost of the power supply on my own. If I went for the bigger upgrade I'd be buying the power supply and the AIO. I couldn't even skip the AIO as my current one is not compatible with the newer AMD systems. And at the end of the day while the extra threads from going to AMD would be future proofing the system, it wouldn't be all that much faster than my current monster Intel Core i5. In games, where I utilize the processor the most, I might even notice it performing worse until games come out that take advantage of extra threads.
So, the big upgrade is just not worth it. My AIO cooler works just fine keeping my overclocked processor anti-toasty. The video card upgrade... well, it would be nice to save hundreds of dollars, but that's the one part I'd actually like to keep. I can be 'the best uncle ever' and give it to my nephew who just built his first PC and is using a 4 year old video card. A bad 4 year old video card. Giving him a 2080 founders edition would take him from decent 1080 gaming to capable of playing modern titles at 4K. If I do the upgrade I save money, but don't get the card, AND I'm without my computer for weeks.
So, I decided to do the video card upgrade on my own. First thing, before getting the video card itself, is getting my computer ready. I have custom sleeved cables from my power supply that I'd like to continue using, so I was tied to EVGA for a power supply. I bought an EVGA Supernova 850 GA that I confirmed on several websites use the same cables. That should be an easy swap. Next up are the fans. My system has 6 total fans. Two on the front for intake, two on the AIO cooler's radiator, and two smaller ones on the back for exhaust. They're all getting loud. They started out loud when I first got the system, and are now getting louder. So I bit the bullet and got a bunch of 'beQuiet' fans. That's the actual brand name and the thing they care about... being quiet. These all move more air more efficiently than my current fans and will be about half as loud both at near idle and at full volume. I even finally bought a tool kit to better work on the system. Those upgrades cost me $260 and were delivered yesterday. I'll either have them installed today or tomorrow. Besides less noise though, I won't see a difference.
Now comes the video card. If you're into computers at all you know that getting an Nvidia 3000 series card is an exercise in folly. They're just not available. Even Origin admitted that I'd be put on a waitlist for when they get them in stock (and I imagine that's a long waitlist as they're heavily advertising the damned cards!). Even most places that sell them go out of stock within minutes of getting them back, so when you have them notify you of new stock they might be out before you get there. The one company doing good is EVGA. EVGA first off is one of my favorite video card companies. Has been for years. They work like this; You sign up to be notified when stock is in. You're placed in a que and when your turn comes up, they send you an email. You then have 8 hours to buy the card they're holding back for you. If you don't buy it, it moves on to the next guy in the que.
Now, one bad thing about EVGA is they tier the hell out of their video cards. They have their black editions (slower than factory new), their normal line at factory specs, and their ultra line at overclocked specs. But they add confusion to that with their ICX line (with black, normal, and ultra sub-lines) that's their base level, their FTW line (with normal and ultra sub-lines) that includes more cooling and overclocking, and their water cooled cards with custom piped and AIO water solutions in both ultra and normal sub lines.
Yeah, I'm signed up for all of those besides the water cooled ones.
Oh, and did I mention the difference in the 3080 and 3090? Yeah, the 3080 is a beast but the 3090 is an absolute monster. It's the king ding-a-ling of gaming video cards right now and where the 3080 went for $700, the 3090 goes for $1,500.
I'm signed up for those too.
Whichever comes in stock first is the one that I'll buy. I also check Amazon, Newegg, and Bestbuy every day but all three of those let third party sellers on, and third party sellers are selling at a slight mark up due to the high demand and low supply. A normal 3080 is going for around $800 with the new tariffs in place (Thanks for the fucking trade war Trump!). I've seen them in stock on Amazon going for $1,800. So, I'm thinking EVGA will be my best bet with Origin being a close second. And if Origin calls with the video card, I'll ask if I can just buy it outright.
This should give me a few more years on my computer. We'll see if I'm upgrading the processor, motherboard, and such in 2023.
Car Dreams
First and foremost, I'm perfectly happy with Nina. She's still a dream car and I'm NOT looking at getting out of her like I was with Fiona, Ginger, and Isabella. With those cars I knew I'd take a hit but was willing to pay that extra money just to get something I thought I wanted more. With Nina, I'm not going to lose money to get rid of a car that I still love and still makes me smile whenever I see (or hear!) her.
But with that said, I love car shopping and I'm curious as to what my next car will be. I'm currently about $10,000 upsidown on Nina... that's not to bad considering the 'new car' depreciation that happened as soon as I drove her off the lot, the $6,000 I paid to get out of Isabella's lease, and the extended warranty I bought and financed (0% interest baby!). At the current pace I'll have Nina paid off in 2025, but should have more value in her as opposed to what I owe in late 2023. So, what will I be looking for in 2023 and 2024?
I more or less have three current choices. Sport, Luxury, SUV.
Sport
This would be continuing what I'm currently driving. I know I get tired of even good things, so I'd want either a new Mustang (they should have a new model in 2023), or something similar. The Camaro will be canceled without a new generation and I already chose a Mustang over that, so that's out. The Dodge offerings (Challenger and Charger) are on platforms a decade old, so unless they come out with brand new versions, they're out. Corvette? I don't know about an ACTUAL sports car, especially for a daily driver. Nina is harsh enough as is. BUT... a used 'Vette would be doable. With other sports/sporty cars, I think I just backup in years too much as they're expensive. I'd love a Porsche Cayman but to get reasonably optioned out I'd have to go to a 4 year old car to make it affordable. The same goes for the sporty BMWs, Mercedes, and other sporty alternatives. So... sport is probably out except for a newer Mustang.
Luxury
I loved driving Isabella around. She was smooth, comfortable, and made me feel good. Sure, not many people could see the 'luxury' in a ford and just assumed she was a $20,000 Fusion instead of the nearly $50,000 car she truly was. But I knew it. I knew it when I saw that special paint. I knew it when I saw all those extra chrome bits. I knew it when I sat down in her ultra comfortable seats and noticed her stitched extra leather work on the doors, dash, center console, and headliner. I knew it when I got all the options I wanted at the time. So this time I might want that again, but now have a brand associated with it. If I'm going car, there's really only one choice; Cadillac. Lincoln has stepped out of the sedan market while Caddy has the CT-4, CT-5, and CT-6. The mini, normal, and big sedans. The 4 and 5 were new for 2020, and are already getting upgrades for 2021. The CT-4 is prices low enough that I could probably get a brand new one. Both the 4 and 5 are inexpensive enough that I could get a top end, ultra optioned version used with only a year on it. That includes the V-Series (not to be confused for actual V cars from Caddy).
Now, I looked at BMW and Mercedes, but the more I learn about them the more I realize that you don't want these in the price frame I'm sitting in. You're either getting a bare bones car or one that's of age and ready to start breaking. Sure, I'd get a warranty on it so it's covered while I'm paying for it... but there't aren't any BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Porsche, or even Lexus dealers in town. If an aging luxury car breaks down I'd need to get it 30 to 45 miles away. Not ideal. I'll keep the Caddy's in mind, but I recently viewed some videos on them and they just don't spark any kind of love. That might change with the 2021 changes (digital dashboard!) but I'm not going to hold my breath.
SUV
That leaves the elephant in the room. Everybody is leaving cars and going to SUVs. I'm sorry, but I've always seen SUVs as bulky station wagons or mini vans. I don't see why people want them over regular sedans and coupes. BUT... I don't dictate what car manufacturers sell and most of them are dropping 'cars'.
So, if I look at SUVs I have to look at them like cars. I don't want an off roader or a huge people carrier. The one that catches my eyes the most on the road now is the Ford Edge, but before I jump down that rabbit hole it looks like its going to be canceled without any new upgrdes. And on the inside it still looks just like my Ford Fusions (except for a bigger entertainment/HVAC screen. The dashboard remains a big speedometer with two small screens on either side. I'm sorry, once you go digital dash like Nina has, you just don't go back to a physical gauge cluster. Ford might come out with a replacement, but thats about it for the blue oval as I don't want an Explorer and the Escape just doesn't have the lux options I'd want. There's the Bronco, but that gets to far into the off-roader territory.
Jeep has the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee. The Grand Cherokee is all new this year and is looking pretty good. Luxed out its on the expensive side, but I could get a fully optioned version that's a year old. It's still pretty big though. Chevy/GMC/Buick doesn't have a damned thing I want.
That leaves combining Luxury and SUV. The Caddy XT4 looks pretty nice and is about the right size. It even comes in fun colors. Specing it out as I'd like it puts it at a monthly price less than I'm paying for Nina, so getting a used one should save me some mad cash. There's also a Genesis that isn't out yet... the GV-70. It looks like something that goes up against the XT4 but with more modern style.
Anwho... Nina still beats down any future car dreams so that's what they'll remain. Dream.
Music Services
When I last talked about Music I had just stared using Apple Music. That was in May. By the time August rolled around I was sick and tired of using two music services. Remember, Apple Music was just about ideal except it didn't work on my Google smart speakers. So in August I started using Spotify as it would work on my speakers, on my iPhone, on my speakers, and in the car via Car Play.
Just like Apple Music having a flaw of not working everywhere, Spotify had a flaw too. This one was not allowing uploaded music. I could listen to custom songs on my PC, but it wouldn't put them in the cloud and then stream on other devises. That really started bugging me especially when I found this youtube video:
I can understand why Mary Spender can't get this on something like Spotify or even released as a track on iTunes. She doesn't have the copyright. BUT, I love it and want to listen to it. In the shower, in the car, at random times on my phone. Spotify won't let me do that.
ARG!!!!
Then earlier this month I saw an update to Google's smart speakers. They could now use Apple Music. Lemme tell you, I switched later that freaking day and haven't looked back since.
Weather
I sound like an old man... 'Back in my day..."
I want the winter weather we had when I was a child. We had it back in 2014. It started snowing in late December or early January, and it just didn't stop. It didn't get warm enough to melt it all away, although it did get over freezing several times. There were blue skies, but a lot of clouds and snow. The snow didn't start melting until mid March and it took almost a month to fully go away. That was wonderful!
We've had two snow 'storms' this year. Neither gave us over 3 inches and they both melted away within a week. It's supposed to snow again tonight into Monday morning, but with 36 hours of snow we're still only going to end up with like 4 inches.
Fuck this shit... I want my snow! I want my winter!
Vaccination
So we're finally vaccinating for COVID-19. I got my first shot 3 and a half weeks ago and will get the second one in the middle of this upcoming week. Mom qualifies for it due to her age and health, but they don't have enough yet so she can't get an appointment.
Once we're both vaccinated (and a few weeks after to give it time to get our protection to full strength, I'll be ready to move back home. The big question at that point will be my brother. He might not get the vaccination until late spring where Mom will almost assuredly get her second shot in early March. Plus my cousin got a job in town and is moving back here. That means my niece will move out (she's not comfortable living with him), I'll take her room, and my cuz will move into the big master bedroom. I'm fine with it, but I'm only looking at it as short term. My brother B might be looking at months of this arrangement and I'm sure he's not happy about it. We'll just have to see how quickly they can roll out the vaccinations.
As for side effects, there was nothing serious. I had some pain at the injection site that was pretty bad but it went away after a few days. I had some headaches and fatigue, but again it was gone in a few days. I'll try to update after I get the 2nd dose as side effects are supposed to be worse after the second dose.
We're also giving out the vaccinations at work. We started with 100 doses and should start rolling with many more in the weeks to come. It's funny watching the officers get upset because the inmates are getting it 'before' them. I think it's funny because the inmates are getting it WEEKS after equivalent officers could get it. The only inmates getting the vaccintion are those with age and health reasons... those same age and health considerations would have gotten the officers the vaccination weeks ago.
New Meds
I finally saw the endocrinologist and he was surprisingly cool. I expected at least a little browbeating on my diet and I was ready to defend what I was doing, but he didn't mention it. He said that this is genetics and that beyond making sure I expend more calories than I input, I shouldn't worry about my diet at this point.
Before I saw him I was taking my blood sugar every morning. It was normally around 300 to 350. Bad. After he re-arranged my meds, he wanted me to take it alternating morning and afternoon so that he could see how it was going through the day.
First the meds. He stopped my glimepiride and byetta. The byetta was the twice daily injection and he simply replaced it with a version that is injected once a week. He said it works better but I was onboard with the thought of once a week now that I have to inject myself with insulin daily. To be fair, my regular doc recommended the same thing when he put me on the byetta, but at that time I was concerned about forgetting a dose and missing out on days worth of medication. I'm now confident that I can do this every Sunday morning. To replace the glimepiride he put me on farxiga which I had to ramp up over 2 weeks. And um... wow... did these med changes ever fucking work!
He said one of the side effects of both meds (the weekly injection is ozempic) is possible weight loss. I can immediately see how that would work. They don't make the weight melt away, they make me want to eat less. I now feel full after eating less than half of what I was before. That's breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I can't snack like I used to. One of my vices has been Hagen Daz ice cream. Mmmm... Rum Raisin, strawberry, chocolate, strawberry... I'd open one up and eat the whole damned thing. Well that' just not going to happen now as I get full after eating half of it.
And my blood sugars? I found pretty quickly that alternating morning and afternoon readings would lead to me missing many readings. So I now take them every morning and then try to get one every other afternoon. I'm at about 75% on that score, but its improving. In the morning my blood sugars are just below 200 and the afternoon ones I take just before dinner are below 100! That's fucking NORMAL blood sugar range for the afternoon!
Obviously I wasn't taking my blood sugars before I was diagnosed with diabetes, but I've NEVER had numbers that low before. I actually had a blood sugar reading a few days ago of 76. Seventy fucking six!!!!
It's working. I might finally be on my way to improving my diabetes.
Work
I was going to write more extensively about work but there's not a lot new to go over. It's still a major MAJOR stressor in my life, both with COVID-19 and without. We've lost some nurses again to another facility, we're still down a supervisor, our acting HUM is still less than ideal. We found out that our old HUM that's been away for almost a year now with health issues will not be returning, so our acting HUM is likely to become our full time replacement HUM. When that happens we might get another supervisor.
Oh, and the acting HUM has offered to speak to the director of nursing about returning my work schedule back to the afternoon/evening. But then a couple weeks later she approached me with that same news... as if she hadn't already told me. Again she's less than the perfect HUM so I guess she just forgot that she was going to do it before. I'm doubting it will happen any time soon.
I think that's all the updates I'm going to cover. Thanks for listening/reading.
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