Wasted and entire evening

Computer/Web pages

[26-Jan-2025] Decide to install a new template on the wiki. Errors produced, needed a newer version and extension for the wiki. Couldn't update the extension because needed a newer version of the wiki. Tried to upgrade wiki, couldn't because latest mediawiki needed php8. There is no php 8 for the current version of linux im running. Tried to upgrade linux. Not enough disk space. Cleaned the disk, deleted some database backups going back to 2016. (need to figure out why they hadn't been cleaned up). Still not enough. Upgraded disk from 8G to 12G. Got the version of Ubuntu installed but had a scare that I couldnt even get into the server for a good 15 min. Started testing everything. Had to reinstall all the databases from backups because mysql didnt upgrade right. Some of them I skipped because i never use them, others are broken (forts looks like it has bad data in the tables). Several wikis not working notably the Amber game. Once all that was done tested the new mediwiki install. Still doesnt work. The upgrade didnt come with php8 either. Tried to upgrade to php8. First attempt just broke the web server. Got it removed and tried it again, got it installed. Still doesnt work. Complaining its missing some mods. Also broke all my normal pages. Tried to fix that but it looks like i have to edit everything to go to php8, not going to happen anytime soon. Downgraded back to php 7. So I have now spent about 6 hours and did not accomplish what I set out to do, broke a log of things on the server that may never get fixed, found out that even more will be borken to upgrade more. Oh and lost all the wiki changes from before 5pm today. The only thing I managed to do was upgrade the liunx version which needed done anyway.

Snow

Main Page, Photos, House

[22-Jan-2025] Started snowing last night abt 5pm. Came down in waves and mixed with rain and sleet. Rain gauge says 0.17 in but that will be a mix of stuff. On the grass it seems about an inch but on any surface its not reasonably measurable. There are multiple animal tracks in the back yard. Icicles from the car, gutters and trees. Ice on the pond. It was 24 when I went out to take the pictures. Photos Its still freezing at noon.

Switching to Starlink

Computer/Web pages

[07-Jan-2025] Century link went down again on a Saturday, cant even call for service except M-F 8-5 and the price is ridiculous for the 1Mbs I'm getting (Promised 5). Switching to starlink. Did get the Century link fixed, surprisingly they came out New Years eve and ran new cable which is still string across the yard a week later. Starlink arrived last night, cable will reach through the attic and will mount it on the roof when I can do it in the day light. For now set it up in the front yard. Getting 180Mbs with no streaming and 130Mbs with the TV streaming. Upload is at 11Mbs. Getting constant pings of 42ms while the dsl was regular doping in the hundreds. Still need to drill the hole and mount the dish but its already staying, and its costing me about $60 less.

Christmas	Plants
[26-Dec-2024] Got all of the grapes trimmed with the battery powered hand clippers dad gave me. Over 2000 cuts and my hands arent even sore. Trellises need some work they are starting to bend and twist again. One isnt even supporting one side of the wires. Bees were liking the dumped dried sugar water off the patio. Feeding them and need to keep checking on that.

The Mayas The Splendor of a Great Culture	Books
[25-Dec-2024] by Mario Perez Campa History: 221 pages Better than the last Maya history. Covered the major events like the rise and fall of the major cities as well as better and longer sections on culture. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Swords of the Legions	Books
[23-Dec-2024] Swords of the Legions by Harry Turtledove. Alternate Fantasy: 394 pages. Volume 4 in the series Videssos Cycle. The main characters get back together. Kind of disappointed in the ending, fee like Marcus was on his way to being Emperor and the story just stopped early. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Silmarillion	Books
[22-Dec-2024] by J.R.R. Tolkien Fantasy: 458 pages From the creation of the world to the end of the second age. I need to write a creation story like this for the Dnd world Rating: 7 (out of 8)

Blood of Tyrants	Books
[15-Dec-2024] Blood of Tyrants by Naomi Novik. Alternate Fantasy: 431 pages. Volume 8 in the series Temeraire. Not enthused with the loss of memory and Japan. Then the ridiculousness of crossing Russia with an army of Chinese dragons to beat Napoleon. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Legions of Videssos	Books
[08-Dec-2024] The Legions of Videssos by Harry Turtledove. Alternate Fantasy: 413 pages. Volume 3 in the series Videssos Cycle. With the main characters split up a lot of the story seems like fluff and filler. The Dragon on the cover is a lie. Its also disappointing that the Legion itself isnt in most the story. Rating: 4 (out of 8)