Friday, January 12, 2024

Refresh Your Living Space with These Effortless and Impactful Tips

 by Colleen Stewart

Feeling like your home could use a little revamping? You're in luck because giving your living space a fresh new look doesn't have to mean a complete overhaul. In this article from Mysteries of Life, we delve into practical and creative ways to rejuvenate your home environment. Discover how simple changes, from reviving old furniture to making strategic decor updates, can significantly enhance the atmosphere of your home, making it a space you'll absolutely adore.

Refreshing Old Furniture

You have the power to breathe new life into your existing furniture. Imagine that old chair or table you love, reborn with a vibrant coat of paint or reupholstered with a fabric that pops. This approach isn't just friendly to your wallet; it's a nod to sustainable living. By choosing to refurbish, you're embracing a form of creativity that adds a personal touch to your space while respecting the environment.

Streamlining Home Maintenance

It's easy to let those little maintenance tasks slip by. But remember, a well-maintained home feels refreshed and cared for. Consider hiring professionals to tackle those overdue repairs. In today's digital age, scheduling these tasks is easier than ever. A home maintenance app can help you find the right help, track the status of your repairs, and learn more about keeping your home in top shape. When everything works as it should, your home naturally feels more welcoming and put-together.

Diversifying Decor with Textures

Say goodbye to bland and hello to a world of tactile and visual intrigue! Introducing a variety of textures and fabrics into your home decor can dramatically alter the feel of a room. Imagine the warmth of a woolen throw against a leather sofa, or the sleek touch of metal accents alongside rustic wood. This mix not only adds depth to your decor but also creates an inviting space that appeals to the senses.

Upgrading Window Treatments

Underestimating the power of window treatments is a common oversight. Simply swapping out old curtains or blinds for new ones can transform the light and mood of any room. It's a straightforward change that yields significant aesthetic benefits. Whether you opt for light or airy fabrics to brighten up a space or choose rich, darker tones for a cozy feel, updating your window treatments is a quick and effective way to revitalize your living space.

Strategic Mirror Placement

Incorporating mirrors into your home decor is a clever way to create a sense of space and openness. By placing mirrors strategically, they reflect light and views, making any room feel larger and more vibrant. This optical illusion not only enhances the aesthetics of your space but also brings in a dynamic element that changes with the light of the day.

Introducing a New Rug

Never underestimate the power of a beautifully chosen rug. A rug can anchor a room, define a space, and add layers of warmth, texture, and color. The right rug transforms the feel underfoot and the overall vibe of the room. It's an effortless way to inject new life into your living area, bedroom, or even a hallway, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere.

Updating Cabinet Hardware

You'll be amazed at how new knobs and pulls can transform your kitchen or bathroom cabinets. Simply swapping out outdated hardware for modern, stylish options instantly elevates the space. This minor adjustment brings a sophisticated and contemporary feel to your cabinets. It's a small change, but it significantly alters the aesthetic and vibe of your room.

 

Reviving and refreshing your home doesn't necessitate a grand renovation. By embracing these simple yet effective tips, you can transform your living environment into a space that's not only more aesthetically pleasing but also more comfortable and inviting. From the joy of refurbishing beloved furniture pieces to the clever use of mirrors and textures, these strategies ensure your home gets the rejuvenating touch it deserves.


Monday, January 8, 2024

Bears 2024 Opponents

 Here are the Bears' regular season opponents for the 2024 season. (There is no meaning to the order.)


Two games each NFC North opponent: Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings

NFC West: vs. Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks / at Arizona Cardinals, at SF 49ers

AFC South: vs. Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars / at Houston Texans, at Indianapolis Colts

NFC South: vs Carolina Panthers

AFC East: vs New England Patriots

NFC East: at Washington Commanders


The last three opponents depended on how the Bears finished on Sunday. Since they finished last in the NFC North, the Bears will play the last-place teams in the NFC South, AFC East and NFC East. That means the Bears will play the Panthers, Patriots and Commanders.

Source:  https://www.yahoo.com/sports/official-bears-regular-season-opponents-000958924.html




2023 Bears: It's Over, thank God

 The Chicago Bears have now finished their 2013 season with a record of 7 - 10.  So this is a final check-in with my with my 2023 predictions.

Thus my record is 11-6.  Much better than the Bears 7 -10.  I guess it says something that they were technically in the playoff hunt until Week 17 but it was over when they blew the double-digit lead against the Browns in Week 16.


* games I didn't make an exact prediction but did lean a certain way. 



They beat 5 bad teams (Commanders, Raiders, Panthers, Cardinals and Falcons) and 2 teams that had bad days (Vikings and Lions) and should have beat those two twice.  They blew 3 games with double digit leads and lost two more that were close.

While I enjoy football and love my Bears, as I get older I cannot afford to wait for next season.  Each week that goes by is a week I'm closer to eventually checking out of this mortal coil.  Are they gonna move on from Justin Fields and reset the rebuild clock?  Probably.

Remember, Justin Fields -- who has done nothing but display more grace and class than anyone inside Halas Hall -- was a last-ditch effort for Coach Nagy and GM Pace to save their jobs.  I think he is among the better quarterbacks we have seldom seen at Halas Hall.  Is he elite?  I don't know.  I'd say he's better than Kyle Orton and we won a lot of games with neckbeard.

But every coach wants their QB.  Every GM wants their coach.  We are flirting with bringing Jim Harbaugh in as head coach and if that happens, he is gonna want to rebuild with his people.

The Bears have the #1 draft pick again (along with #9) so they can trade Fields to a QB hungry team, trade the First Pick for a haul and still nabe a quality QB and possibly even Marvin Harrison Jr.  That kind of opportunity only comes along once in a blue moon.  

I just don't know how long I'll be around to see it.




Monday, January 1, 2024

Welcome 2024

 Happy New Year all.


Whereas 2023 started off on a bad foot and only improved recently, 2024 is looking cautiously optimistic.  I have a job that seems like it has the potential to open doors that have been shut and I can pivot to a new skillset.




It is only a matter of time before I run into No-Name Software industry colleagues who don't think highly of me or have had bad experiences.

At the start of last year, I strived to do 10 posts per month.  Obviously, that fell out of fashion because when you don't have anything to write about, there's not much to post.  

Two life hacks that I've recently come up with.

I found a place that will wash, dry, and fold our laundry for $1.75 per pound.  And for a little bit more per pound, they will even pick up and deliver.

Earlier in the year, the kids switched from wanting baths to taking showers.  This is a game changer because bathing the kids was not something I liked doing or was good at.  NG had the job but she would do it only at the end of the night before bedtime.  


Monday, December 18, 2023

Nice Try Though

last week my in-laws gave us their tickets to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  It was a date night but because it was last minute, so many things went wrong.


The good:  loved the pyro-techno part.


|The Bad: some of the slow songs (something about a train) were boring.


The Ugly: after the "Christmas story" was over, the lead came out and said "I know it's a school night but we are gonna play a couple of songs from our newest album.


I was under the impression that there would be two more songs and it would be over.  but they just kept playing.  and playing ..and playing.  


IF I had known the encore was gonna go on for an hour, that would have been one thing.  but I felt like they were just gonna play one more song and then we could go.  so I was trapped.


when the concert finally ended, it took a ridiculous amount of time to exit the FedEx Arena because 1) a lot of Slow Moving People and 2) The Powers that be decided that everyone should exit the way they came in....one exit location for 7200 people.  

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

2023 Bears Predication Update: Need Some Help

 The Chicago Bears have now played 13 games and before going to a 17-game season, this would be the last quarter of the season, so I'm gonna check in with my 2023 predictions.



The Asterik games are games I didn't make a prediction but did lean a certain way. 
 so I'm going to count them at face value



Thus my record is 8-5, the opposite of the Bears' Win-Loss record (5-8).  Do the Bears still have a chance?  Mathematically, sure.  Realistically, they need a lot of help.  They should have won the Tampa Bay, Broncos, and Saints games, and first meetings with the Vikings and Lions, but didn't.   

To make the playoffs, first, the Bears have to Win out the rest of the season.  A single loss now essentially eliminates them.  So let's assume they win their next 4 games and finish the season 9-8.  The next four games are winnable but given how they blew other winnable games, I'm not holding my breath.

Second, they need a bunch of teams to lose at least 2, if not 3 more games.   






It's a little too early to come up with scenarios where they make the playoffs.  San Francisco is the only team that has clinched a playoff berth, but Dallas and Philadelphia aren't going away.  The Rams, Seahawks, and Giants are trying to sneak in and playing very well right now.

There might be a scenario where Detroit implodes and finishes 9 and 8, and I think the Bears would win that tiebreaker?  Unfortunately, that would mean the Vikings win the division.  

It gets even trickier with the NFC South because the Bears lost to the Saints and Buccaneers, but beat Carolina.  They have to win the game against Atlanta (since becoming a fan, the Bears have missed the playoffs twice to Atlanta because of tie-breaker rules). 

But here's the thing.  Even if they do and have a 9-8 record, they would still miss the playoffs because of tiebreakers because that is who the Bears are.  They fail to control their destiny.

Let's assume over the next four games everyone goes 2-2 while the Bears go 4-0.  Lions would win the division, Minnesota would get the last wild Card and the Bears would be watching the playoffs from home.  
 

Friday, December 1, 2023

first full week at the New Contract Gig

This is my first full week at the New Contract Gig.  I started the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and worked was online the three days before Thanksgiving.  And my official start date might have been even earlier because onboarding as a contractor is messy.

On the positive side, this is probably the best time to come aboard because things are winding down on most people's calendars and our clients tend to have restrictions on upgrades and installations at the end of the year.  The only downside is my colleagues likely look forward to this downtime and don't really want to teach the newbie things when they could be mailing it in for the next month.

Finally, even though this is a contract role, and I'm dealing with the 3rd party BS that comes with that, it feels different.  The team is treating me like I'm part of the company.  NG didn't really want me to get a job because she would prefer I be the SAHD.  However, we can use the income and I feel this is my best shot at staying in the job market in case things go South in the South.





Since moving to Olive Branch, we now do the reverse commute of what we previously did to visit the in-laws when we lived in Chicago.  So we left here on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and drove to Mt Vernon.  While we are getting better and better at this, we still manage to forget something.  Luckily it wasn't anything important this time.



However, Natasha was not feeling well when we got there.  It turns out she had a UTI/Kidney infection and we had to get her on antibiotics.  Which is really easy to do when you are 4 hours from home.