It's Not That Big

"That's what she said!"

There was nothing wrong with my venerable Apple Watch Series 6, other it was getting pretty banged up and the battery life was significantly less than what it had been when it was new, but I still wanted a new one. Ben had replaced his Series 5 with a Series 7 last year, but I couldn't justify the expense, especially since the 7 wasn't that big of an improvement over the 6—and I kept holding out hope that Apple would crack the elusive non-invasive glucose monitoring conundrum on a subsequent model. (As time  passed it was abundantly clear that feature wasn't going to appear this year model either and sadly, still seems to remain several years away.)

When Apple revealed their new lineup last fall, I was immediately intrigued by their new aggressively styled, off-road 4×4 "Ultra" model. I knew it would be overkill for me, aimed as it was at a demographic of which I was most certainly not a part of, but I loved the styling. And yet, it seemed so. damn. big. And then there was the price.

If for no other reason than the waning battery life, I still wanted a new watch, so I opted for the 45mm Series 8 instead. After having a dark blue watch for years, I chose the basic aluminum finish this time, and it allowed me the freedom to use just about any color band with it. It responded to commands much more quickly than my old 6, would easily hold a charge throughout the day, and I liked the looks.

Ben had watch envy after my Series 8 arrived. He, however was also very intrigued by the Ultra. As you know, he's a big guy, and he really wanted to see how it looked on his wrist. About a week after I received my 8, we actually went to an Apple store and saw the Ultra in person.

Ben bought one, and I immediately regretted getting the 8.

As reviews and videos started rolling in on the Ultra, the more convinced I became that I'd made the wrong decision.

Luckily, since it was the holidays, Apple had extended their return window, so after vascilating back and forth for days and days on whether or not to return and exchange my 8, about three weeks ago, I took the 8 back to Apple and swapped it for the Ultra. I'd gotten a decent trade-in for my Series 6, so additional the financial sting wasn't that bad, and I have to say, I haven't regretted the purchase one bit.

The battery life is crazy! I often used to take my 6 "into the red" by the end of the day, preventing me from regularly using it for any sort of sleep monitoring, but the Ultra just keeps going and going. I can now consistently wear it overnight and only throw it on the charger when I jump in the shower the next morning to top it off.

Squirrel!

If you happen to notice a flood of posts today that seem out of place or receive notice and then see something was dated two weeks ago, it's because I was going through my Drafts folder just now and noticed several that were never published.

I have a terrible habit of working on a post, saving it, walking away from the computer for a while and then come back, having completely forgotten about it.

Well That's Disappointing

My Instagram Top Nine for 2022.

I remember when I used to actually post photos I'd taken on Instagram.

THIS IS WHAT TRUMP AND THE LAST SIX YEARS HAVE DONE TO ME.

Yes, He's Hot…

…but "Sergeant Miles" was also one of the arrested—and sentenced—January 6th Capitol Rioters. Amazing the things you learn that can immediately turn HOT to NOT.

There was another "adult entertainer" a few years back, one "Mike Dozer," who I'd long-standing hots for who was convicted and sent to prison for having sex with and passing HIV to a 14-year old. [Thankfully the 14-year old remained negative, but still.]

 

Now I see his pictures and just cringe.

 

I Had One of These

The second-generation Sony D-100 was my second portable CD player. The first was a first-generation Sony D-7. Being an early adopter, I suffered through several problems with the D-7, but it was worth it to have "CD Quality" sound with me wherever I went.

The D-100, however, was much more reliable and was my constant companion for half a dozen years or so. The only problem it had was a dodgy headphone jack that kept coming unsoldered from the main circuit board, necessitating numerous self-repairs over the lifespan of the unit.

I don't remember what ultimately happened to either player, but my need for a portable CD player was eventually usurped when I got into Minidisc in the late 90s and the early 00s; a technology vastly superior for portable music, but ultimately made obsolete by the iPod.