Hey There!
I had to get up early this morning to take DW to physical therapy, as she works to gain a more steady gait and keep her hips aligned. She's also getting a massage later today in her ongoing efforts to be more in shape and experience less pain. So here I am this morning getting in today's post before having to pick her up.
Yesterday I had a couple of interviews for my podcast. One was very articulate, although I felt my end of the bargain was not so great. The other was with an excited amateur who couldn't stop talking about his project and how great everyone was. I have been doing this podcast for four years now, and am looking to make this my last year. I find that I am not as fluent or readily articulate as I used to be, and sometimes I have too many pauses or small lapses in my questions or follow-ups, and they annoy me. And of course producing the podcast takes up time, time I am not sure I want to invest in anymore. Five years is a good run, and I am content to leave it at that in the end.
I also took the plunge and signed up for a service called TISI (Text It Search It). It's a service using the Perplexity AI where you can text your question to a dedicated number, and you will get a text response back. The service bills itself as very private and secure. I am going month-by-month for now, and I figured $3 is not a great expense to test it for a month. So far, I like the service. One of its great advantages is that I no longer have to ask Alexa any questions, so it reduces her spying on me. I really would like to get rid of her altogether, but she is really the only way I can get good radio in the house, so she stays. And she performs a few simple automated tasks. But anything I can do to avoid talking to her is welcome.
I also received an email from Proton informing me about the existence of Lumo, their AI service. Proton is a Swedish company focused on privacy, and I am transitioning over to being completely in the Proton ecosphere for email, docs, and calendar by the end of 2025. I will probably be using the free version of Lumo, as I don't see myself having any great need for AI in my life. But having a privacy-focused means of using AI may end up being a good thing and save some time, as I will no longer have to use a web browser to get many of my questions answered.
DW and I watched a Netflix movie titled Unfrosted last night, and it was very entertaining. The brainchild of Jerry Seinfeld, it told the story of the creation of the Pop Tart. If you were not around in the 1960s, you may not appreciate the humor or the callbacks and references; but for us, it was quite amusing and fun. And sometimes even funny. I would definitely buy Jelle Jolies.
With the return of Son2 I am already getting dragged into supporting his latest artistic projects. I like helping him out, but of course it's a time commitment, and more time commitments are not what I am looking for. But he's eager to get me involved. That's the thing about kids - they never actually leave you. I also have to go see an event that Son1 and his family are involved with in a few weeks. That's an overnight trip. Ah well.
I fear that I am turning into a homebody, someone who prefers to stay at home and mind their own business. I don't know that I see it as vegetating, but maybe it is. I just find that putting effort into things makes me feel psychologically weary just thinking about it. Am I just plain lazy? Or just a procrastinator? Or just indifferent? I think all these things are possible. And I wonder if it's all natural, a part of the aging process. Is this just the natural result of growing older? Not sure.
Later today it's off to work with my technology pupil, keeping her up to date on technology. I still don't think I have cracked the problems she's having, and I wonder if I ever will. Is technology just not for the old? Every session I work with her makes me more aware of how technology is designed strictly for the young and able.
'Til We Meet Again!