Category Archives: Personal

Eleven hours in the tin can, there’s got to be a better way

And that was just from SFO to Tokyo.  Add another four from Tokyo to Guam, and one more from Guam to Saipan.  Plus about eight hours waiting in airports, an hour and a half of ground transportation, etc., and it … Continue reading

Posted in Travel | 1 Comment

Another 940 million km of travel completed

That brings my total travel to date to over 42 billion km.

Posted in Travel | 4 Comments

Air conditioning

Steve helped me install a window air conditioner yesterday. Actually Steve installed the air conditioner and I only helped a little bit. Just in time, as it turns out, since it’s in the nineties this week, after a week of … Continue reading

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Urgent care that isn’t

I needed some relatively minor medical care, and wanted to get it done today rather than wait for an appointment to see a doctor.  It wasn’t serious enough to require a trip to the emergency room, so I drove to … Continue reading

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Placebos finally available over the counter

Years ago, Steve Martin described the great new drug he was taking, “placebos”. Starting June 1, you’ll be able to buy them too, under the Obecalp brand name, though medical experts don’t think it will work.  [h/t Monday Evening]

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Dealing with suboptimal urban wildlife

The birds nesting in the trees near my bedroom window wake me up earlier than I’d like in the morning, and at night they keep me awake, singing past 2 AM. I’ve taken to sleeping with earplugs, but then my … Continue reading

Posted in Gadgets, Health, The Suboptimal Way | Leave a comment

The suboptimal way to fly from Denver to San Jose

I was on Frontier Airlines flight 169 from Denver to San Jose this morning.  It was scheduled to be a nonstop departing Denver at 8:25 AM MDT and arriving in San Jose at 10:06 AM PDT.  We departed a few … Continue reading

Posted in The Suboptimal Way, Travel | 1 Comment

Ralphie isn’t a real dog!

I’ve suspected it for a while, but today I finally saw proof that my roommates’ dog Ralphie is a space alien or robot or something.  The first indication was that when he plays with his stuffed animal squeaky toys, he … Continue reading

Posted in Humor, Pets | 1 Comment

Suboptimal Christmas: how to not get a Lectron electronic kit

In the 1970s I got to visit my grandparents every summer. They had a big house, and sometimes I liked to play in the large basement. My grandfather’s wood shop was down there, though I didn’t spend much time in … Continue reading

Posted in Electrical Engineering, Family, The Suboptimal Way | 4 Comments

The suboptimal way to pay for lunch

I work at a fairly large company, and the cafeterias will let employee put money on their badges to be used for later purchases. I don’t usually do that, but I suppose it’s convenient for people that don’t want to … Continue reading

Posted in Customer satisfaction, Employment, The Suboptimal Way | Leave a comment