Time wasting digital hassles

I paid the price for spending so much time writing and not having a little walk to still my brain before turning in for the night. I woke up after an hour's sleep and felt blood trickling down my throat, rather than out of my nose.. I got out of bed, keeping my head back and managed not to get blood everywhere on my way to the bathroom. The bleed didn't last very long fortunately, not as they did when my blood pressure was much higher, but it came as a shock, and left me feeling odd when I finally got up just before nine. It's frustrating, having a creative surge late in the day and being reluctant to stop, and relax. I'm tired enough to fall asleep soundly, but am not really grounded. That's what happens if I work too late. I'm really not as disciplined as I need to be.

I was slow tackling domestic tasks after breakfast, and was interrupted by a wretched computer issue that needed diagnosing. Kath has sent the family a OneDrive link to a Christmas food planning spreadsheet for our annual celebration - this year in a holiday rental barn conversion near Presteigne, away from it all. All seven of us under one roof, and the nearest shops several miles away, so we have to take everything that we need with us. Hence the spreadsheet.

Clare, however couldn't open it, although the first time the link was used it loaded fine and accepted some additions to the list. The second time, it demanded a Microsoft account sign-in. This is something which she had a long time ago, but no record of it in her comprehensive little password book, nor in her Google Chrome password wallet. She's been a Linux user for the past five years or so, and the browser has never had reason to log into her ancient account. So it has to be set up again. I thought it might be possible from her tablet where she uses Skype, a Microsoft product nowadays. That was when I found the tablet attached to the internet normally for ten seconds and then disconnected, as if the device, once identified was being disabled for some reason by the server. Very strange.

Later on I told Kath what had happened and she told me that Anto had experienced a similar problem, and that she'd had similar problems with other OneDrive shared links. She sent another link to the shared Christmas spreadsheet, which I tested on Clare's computer, and it worked just fine. Both original and revised links work fine on my computer although they are quite different to look at. Even stranger. Is there something Microsoft isn't telling us? 

To add one digital annoyance to another Clare Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 wouldn't hold an internet connection for more than a few seconds despite restarting the table and the router. No idea why. The device first came out five years ago and she's had it just three years this month. It seems on average they last about five years. But when I switched on again this evening to check when the file system was first set up after purchase, it did attach to the internet. It's odd to say the least, and time wasting.

For lunch I cooked myself some chicken with tomato and onion and Clare had fish to go with veggies she prepared. As it was a sunny afternoon, she decided to walk to UHW for this week's eye appointment and return by taxi. I went out to walk a little later, without a brolly or a top coat, as it was quite mild, but got caught in a brief shower mid way. There was no sign of this little cloudburst on the so called AccuWeather app I rely on, but at least it didn't last long. She had to wait a long time for her checkup with the eye surgery, and we arrived home within minutes of each other.

In the park, saw a tiny brown bird with a distinctive pattern on its back standing on the foot path ahead of me. I slowed down, getting my camera out, as the creature remained standing still. I took one photo and stepped past it, and as I went to take a second photo it ran into the bramble bush it was next to. Such a delight, and intriguing. After supper I went on-line in search of photos to compare with the one I took. It was a Dunnock.  Only the second time I've seen one. The last time was only a fleeting glimpse in Oxwich Bay woodland.

Another thing I noticed recently was the 'For Sale' sign on the recently refurbished house around the corner in Llanfair Road, asking price £600k, is a now marked Sold after just a month on the market. Last year the house next door to us went for £500k, and it has four bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and loft conversion, as opposed to three. Demand for housing around here has gone crazy this year and prices are reaching heights unimagined. Slowly the number of houses in this street on offer for rent is increasing and a few converted into apartments. As the older generation moves on, these houses become no longer entry level family homes, but dwellings for well off childless couples or individuals. A house with an infant or toddler is a rarity. Children don't play in the street any more.

I've not done much today, nor felt like doing much. Last night's unusual nose bleed was a shock to the system. Early bed tonight.