Factory Reset

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My seven-year-old Mac Mini has been running slower and slower of late. It had got to the point of making me wait just too long. Hanging and freezing is not a way I like to work. I didn’t think there was anything seriously wrong with the hardware (save that it’s rather old and somewhat slower than the new generation of these little boxes).

Anyway, On Saturday morning, I took the plunge. I already have most of my data on an external drive, so I can keep the 1TB fusion drive relatively free for the swapping that this only having 8GB of RAM demands these days. Oh, I remember when 8GB of RAM was the stuff of dreams, and not that long ago either!

I also have another 4GB external drive for Time Machine. On top of that, I use Backblaze for my remote backup solution. All in all, if something did go wrong with this exercise, I would still have the documents, diary entries, photographs and videos that I’ve amassed over the past couple of decades.

I did a final check for anything I might need in the future that was lurking in a corner. I had a few things on the desktop, so I moved them off and rebooted in recovery mode.

So far, so good, as I had not yet deleted anything. Then I started the process, erased the internal drive, and everything was gone. Then I re-installed the OS, in this case, Monterey.

That was relatively quick, but now came the primary choice. Do I individually download and install each program, or do I restore from Time Machine? I wimped out, and I did the latter. I was surprised that it took several hours. That gave me time to get off my butt and do a few overdue tasks around the house!

Eventually, Time Machine did its job, and the system was ready to use. I’ve had to wait several times as I fire up software for the system to verify it, but that’s a one-off. It’s certainly made a difference, and it’s given the old box a new lease of life. Everything is running smoothly again, and I’m not freezing unless I open the windows!

I intend to get one of the new M1 powered Mac Minis later in the year, but this has been a cheap, quick fix for now. It was much less painless than I thought it might be, and I’d certainly recommend it if your old machine is moving like a snail.

Easy Sunday

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This morning I started as I often do, on days off, with a fresh pot of coffee. Getting out of bed and going to a relatively chilly kitchen serves to wake me up. I bring a mug full back to the bed room and then, whilst it’s cooling down, indulge in some meditation. Just fifteen to twenty minutes, starting with some deep breaths and then onto some mindfulness; scanning down , counting breaths and generally vacating the mind except for the present moments. It’s a good way to recharge a little.

Cafetière
Morning Coffee

I always wake up too early. What is too early though? Walking up early is, in itself, not a bad thing. I can’t think of a more wasteful way to spend a day off then lying in bed for half of it. Sure, it’s good to relax and unwind but, for me, part of that is looking back and feeling that I accomplished something too. It might be a book I finished or an album or podcast I’ve been meaning to listen to or a movie I’ve been promising myself that I’d watch. One of the problems is that there’s never enough hours in the day to do all these things so I’m always playing catch up. Lying in bed dozing wouldn’t help with those goals at all!

Another Three Years

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Yesterday was certainly a long day. I was up at 4.30am to get to work for the triennial elections for Workplace and Health & Safety representative. I was keen to make sure that the whole process was as transparent as possible so that none of us could raise any allegations of unfair practices afterwards.

It all went well in. the end, and I won a further three year term, until the end of March 2025.

By the time we had all the counting done and verified and posted onto the noticeboard, and I got everything cleared up and put away, it was after 7pm. Kathy had come to meet me, and was waiting patiently for me to get finished so that we could go and get something to eat.

We waited for a 111 bus to take us to the local pub so we could have a late dinner, as it was rather too late to go home and cook at this time.

 


Cheers!I had been muttering at the Queen’s Head because the Fuller’s ESB had been taken off due to it not being in enough demand to keep it. There’s only two of us going in there and drinking it, and I only go in once or sometimes twice a week as does the other drinker. Between us there is no way we can get through 72 pints before it’s out of condition.

Anyway, On arrival I found that they’d got another of my favourite beers on, and actually one that’s much better as a session ale. That’s Darkstar’s Hophead. It’s only 3.8% ABV against ESB’s 5.5% so it’s a better quaffing ale.

I’ll certainly be going back for some more of those, in fact, I might wander up there this very afternoon if I get all my computer-based work completed by then.

My days are fuelled by coffee, and the beer comes later after work is done!

 

Still, at the Queen’s Head, my appetite was satisfied by their excellent fish, chips and mushy peas and some of the aforementioned Hophead before heading home and an early night after that 4am awakening!

I remember getting into bed and that’s about it.