For some reason

Google Chrome has not been loading on my laptop when I try to get on the Internet, which is one reason I haven't blogged much lately. Instead I've had to blog on my phone, which has certain limits on using the Blogger mobile application, and the browser doesn't work at all for Blogger in terms of filling in the boxes, at least on Google Chrome. So...

In the time it took Chrome to come up and hang up, I used Microsoft Edge (which I don't like) to download and install Firefox. Now I'm online with no trouble. So it may have been a Chrome issue. Pity, I do like Chrome, but only if it works.

I was in scheduling yesterday and today, and both days were busy yet alright. Yesterday there was an appointment, too, and I went and got something for a friend at the pharmacy while he was at the doctor's office. Of course, there was something else to get today due to that visit. So I've been to the pharmacy, which is clear across town, but which we prefer to the big mega-pharmacies, twice in two days. After I delivered the item, I read through and proofread a document he wrote up, and then headed home. I'm behind on my cleaning venture, and tomorrow we have the pest control people coming in, so I need to have the kitchen and bathroom in good shape. Mainly I need to wash the handwashable dishes, take out the trash, and the recyclables, something I haven't done yet. Of course, after starting out warm this morning it's very cold outside and also very windy. We're supposed to get snow sometime overnight, maybe a dusting up to three inches. I'm not in scheduling tomorrow, but I expect there will be quite a few cancellations--they've been cancelling for two days already out of concern for the weather, even though it should be a mild snow, the ground is quite warm, and it will warm up in a day or two (60 degrees on Sunday). Spring seems to be around the corner (my allergies prove it), and that's great. We had a statewide tornado drill Tuesday to kick off the storm season, as well.

So it's been a busy week, so busy that yesterday I was in bed by 10 and still had trouble getting up this morning. The alarm went off at 6 am and I think I hit snooze several times till 8:10. Mind you, I need to be at work by 8:30. Fortunately I live very close to work. :)

There was something I saw today which was pretty cool, and has librarians across the country celebrating. President Obama has appointed (subject to Congressional approval, of course) a new Librarian of Congress. It's history-making because she would be the first woman, and she is black. But we're just happy that she's an actual librarian by training (it usually isn't, and the last Librarian was not, actually, a librarian by training). Her name is Carla Hayden:

Obama nominates African American woman to be Librarian of Congress

Hayden is the chief executive of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, a job she has had for 22 years. She drew praise and criticism for her decision to keep the library open during last year’s protests over the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody. As the head of the American Library Association in 2003-2004, Hayden took on U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft over measures in the Patriot Act that she considered an invasion of privacy. And she is credited with updating Pratt’s technology and launching programs to meet the community’s needs.

Anyway, yay. Let's hope she'll be confirmed, and that the Congress (and the Republicans who would like to obstruct just about anything the President tries to do in his last eleven months in office) aren't poopheads about it.

Chrome is still acting up, and I'm losing my connexion

I was going to try to update the firmware in my router, but I can't easily determine which version of the model it is--according to a description, it should be version 1, but it's running a higher version of firmware than that. There are two 'version 2s', with different downloads depending on which it is. :(

Saturday was all about cleaning out closets with friends, doing notes, doing the grocery run, etc. Sunday was game prep, game (we finished an adventure, and one of my characters got engaged to her necromancer boyfriend, the father of her unborn child), and then 'Witches of East End'. I was up late, getting home a little after 11 pm and going straight to bed. I got a little off on my insulin yesterday and it affected my mood. Towards the end of the evening I was worn to a frazzle and about ready to blow. So I went on to bed.

Today has been good, but I've been terribly sleepy all day, despite getting a little over seven hours' sleep. I have a lot to do at home tonight, but I have to lie down for just a bit, even if it means setting the same five alarms I do in the morning to get up within an hour or so. I'll try to write later.

I did get some good news today. My orthotics for my feet will be covered due to my diabetes, so I'm hoping that will help with some foot pain I've been having since I went back to wearing my normal non-sandal shoes. My doctor said the orthotics I had were well-built, but not really ideal for the diabetic foot. He suggested a softer one that is designed with that in mind. Considering the normal expense (my current pair, the ones that are now wearing out, were $380 out of pocket), this is very good news.

I may have fixed the issue

I went into AVG's firewall section and chose to restore defaults. Chrome seems to be loading faster, and hopefully will continue to load. I'll let you know if that was the fix. Another issue, which wasn't a factor with mine, is that sometimes the LAN settings ask for a proxy server rather than automatically detect, and unchecking the proxy and checking the automatic detection can help. But like I said, that wasn't my issue. I'm thinking it was the firewall. We'll see.

Is anyone else having issues with Google Chrome flaking out on them?

Several times a day mine will suddenly not be able to connect although the Internet connexion is up and I can connect through Firefox (usually). I'm talking about a desktop that is connected via wires. Resetting the router works, but should be unnecessary, as it is obviously connected already. Any ideas? I'm using AVG Internet Security as well. Could that be an issue? Thanks for any suggestions...I really do prefer Chrome as my default browser, although Firefox has definite good points. (I really don't care for Internet Explorer, however, and mainly use it to download other browsers.)

I've been a loyal Firefox user for a long time

But after 45 minutes of it locking up on me, I decided to try Google Chrome (not the for the first time; I think I tried it when it first started, but one of the IT guys at work and I were talking the other day and it's what he uses at home, mainly because the Google Toolbar, with Google's bookmarks, no longer work with Firefox, and he likes to be able to access them. So, I was considering trying it again--the problem with the freeze-up just really galvanised me to do so). One thing I notice is that this page no longer loads in the middle. Not sure what was up with that, but whenever I viewed it in Firefox, it did so, and I'd have to scroll up.

It imported a lot of my settings; I'm not sure about the passwords though. We'll see. In the meantime, my space bar just got horribly stuck. I'm not having good computer karma tonight and am considering just going on to bed rather than try to get anything else done this weekend.

Oh, speaking of computers, I am really excited that we are finally moving from Windows XP to Windows 7 at work and I'm getting my upgrade on Friday. Woo-hoo.

Gods, I am such a geek.

Anyway, hope you had a good weekend, and that the week ahead is a good one.

Oh, those wily folks at Google

Google hides mathematical puzzle in Cr-48 video, rewards its solver with a laptop

I love toasting marshmallows over a flaming laptop (except for the poisonous gases). They were very creative in destroying them, but personally I'd start whacking the men in haz mat suits after awhile. Congratulations to Sylvain Zimmer and his buddies, who figured it all out. Now that's true geekiness in motion.

The formula is found at 2:26 in the following video:

Frustration

I have spent the last two hours trying to get the settings right in Internet Explorer to watch videos on YouTube. Everything is correct according to the YouTube help files. I have the latest Flash player, javascripts are enabled, yada yada. Just one day they stopped working. I can watch embedded videos on other sites, including this one, just not on the YouTube page itself. Plus I can watch them with no trouble in both Firefox and Chrome. I even changed firewall programs since this had been an issue for a friend at one point.

Grrr.

Chrome freezes a lot, although I like it otherwise, but I've decided to just stick with Firefox. It seems to be the faster, less buggy, browser that lets me actually do what I want to.

Okay, frustration mollified somewhat.