Hotel Life: Once more on the power front...
Jul. 20th, 2025 03:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
settiaiThe power went off again for a bit but, once it turned back on, everything was working correctly again.
Well, mostly. My AC was still making the odd grinding sound, but I did some googling and opened it up, and I was able to get it fixed. The sudden power outage while it was turned on basically knocked a couple of things loose, but I was able to get them all screwed back in properly so that it's working properly again.
We'll see if it lasts?
ETA: The power went out for another half hour around 7pm, with the fire alarm going off when it went out and again when it came back on. Our guess is that the fire alarm is being triggered for some reason when it transfers to the emergency back-up battery and back. No updates from Pepco about what's actually causing the outages (which is par for the course for Pepco), so everyone is assuming it's because the network is so overloaded from everyone using the AC 24/7.
Well, mostly. My AC was still making the odd grinding sound, but I did some googling and opened it up, and I was able to get it fixed. The sudden power outage while it was turned on basically knocked a couple of things loose, but I was able to get them all screwed back in properly so that it's working properly again.
We'll see if it lasts?
ETA: The power went out for another half hour around 7pm, with the fire alarm going off when it went out and again when it came back on. Our guess is that the fire alarm is being triggered for some reason when it transfers to the emergency back-up battery and back. No updates from Pepco about what's actually causing the outages (which is par for the course for Pepco), so everyone is assuming it's because the network is so overloaded from everyone using the AC 24/7.
Hotel Life: Power Update
Jul. 20th, 2025 02:15 pmsettiaiOkay, so apparently the sister hotel and the 7-Eleven next door are having the same issue where about half the lights/plugs in the building are working and the other half aren't. So it looks like it might actually be an issue with the power company rather than some of the wires specifically in this hotel getting fried like we were initially suspecting might be the case.
My AC still won't cool, but I have managed to get it to at least have a weak fan blowing which is better than nothing. And the AC in the hallway just outside my room is working, which is helping a little with keeping the temperature from going up too quickly in here.
Both the power company and the fire department are wandering around trying to figure out what the fuck is going on, especially since two extended stay hotels full of people without working AC (in some rooms, not all - the AC is working fine for some people, although most of the rooms with working AC don't have working lights) in 90+ degree weather is... not great.
The temperature in my room is slowly edging upwards, but it's not too bad yet at least. When the power went out at 11am, it was about 68°F in my room as I turn the AC down low at night to sleep so it hadn't had a chance to start warming back up yet at that point. A little over three hours later, with no AC that entire time, it's gone up to 74°F, so it's averaging about 2° an hour. Which, you know, could be worse.
Now, if they don't get it fixed within the next few hours, it's going to start being a problem. My fingers are desperately crossed that they'll figure it out before then, though.
ETA: It only went up to 75°F by 3pm, so it looks like the temperature might not be rising quite as quickly as it gets warmer. We'll see what happens.
My AC still won't cool, but I have managed to get it to at least have a weak fan blowing which is better than nothing. And the AC in the hallway just outside my room is working, which is helping a little with keeping the temperature from going up too quickly in here.
Both the power company and the fire department are wandering around trying to figure out what the fuck is going on, especially since two extended stay hotels full of people without working AC (in some rooms, not all - the AC is working fine for some people, although most of the rooms with working AC don't have working lights) in 90+ degree weather is... not great.
The temperature in my room is slowly edging upwards, but it's not too bad yet at least. When the power went out at 11am, it was about 68°F in my room as I turn the AC down low at night to sleep so it hadn't had a chance to start warming back up yet at that point. A little over three hours later, with no AC that entire time, it's gone up to 74°F, so it's averaging about 2° an hour. Which, you know, could be worse.
Now, if they don't get it fixed within the next few hours, it's going to start being a problem. My fingers are desperately crossed that they'll figure it out before then, though.
ETA: It only went up to 75°F by 3pm, so it looks like the temperature might not be rising quite as quickly as it gets warmer. We'll see what happens.
(no subject)
Jul. 20th, 2025 06:25 pmbeccaelizabethRelistened some 7th Doctor Big Finish today.
7 & Ace in Assassination Game I realised I had put on my relist because it mentions The Light, who also turn up in a Torchwood audio and arguably are referenced in a Torchwood book. Except in Torchwood they are not much like this. So probably it's more like when you get two secret societies called Watchers, because no one is trademarking their secret society. Someone wants to claim to be a major concept like Light, that's up to them. ( Read more... )
Other than that it was a lot of politics and mind control and running around. Didn't hate it. Didn't like its ideas though.
In Torchwood it's simpler, the Light introduces itself as Hell. Extradimensional conspiracy to get in. Still creepy infiltration and mind control stuff but without the mind controlled babies.
Actually all three of today's listens involved mind control stuff, which always seems to me a lazy shortcut. Persuade us someone could be persuaded or go home. But they did okay on that in the Dalek one.
7 and Mel in
We Are the Daleks
and
The Warehouse.
We Are The Daleks was released in 2015 and set in the 80s. ( Read more... )
So there were good bits and not so good bits. Reacting to the Daleks as if they're just another trading block and deciding to oppose them on the same grounds they decided to oppose the EU is funny and an interesting angle. But mind control takes the pressure off the problem from the story title. It makes it a dumb sci fi problem solved by moving the transmitter, instead of a lot of moral choices.
But that does make it solvable in the space of one adventure, so, can see what they were going for there.
The Warehouse was one of those that takes ordinary words like Delivery and respins the story around them not meaning quite the same thing there as here. Deliverance and religion get attached to a big warehouse for fulfilling online orders. ( Read more... )
After relistening this one I went back to my existing listing in my catalog and gave it an extra star. It's still not maximum stars but I think I must have been in a bad mood listening the first time. Liked it.
Liked today pretty well.
Sunday tasks achieved. Lots of nice foods to choose between. Plenty of quiet time to listen.
Pretty good day.
7 & Ace in Assassination Game I realised I had put on my relist because it mentions The Light, who also turn up in a Torchwood audio and arguably are referenced in a Torchwood book. Except in Torchwood they are not much like this. So probably it's more like when you get two secret societies called Watchers, because no one is trademarking their secret society. Someone wants to claim to be a major concept like Light, that's up to them. ( Read more... )
Other than that it was a lot of politics and mind control and running around. Didn't hate it. Didn't like its ideas though.
In Torchwood it's simpler, the Light introduces itself as Hell. Extradimensional conspiracy to get in. Still creepy infiltration and mind control stuff but without the mind controlled babies.
Actually all three of today's listens involved mind control stuff, which always seems to me a lazy shortcut. Persuade us someone could be persuaded or go home. But they did okay on that in the Dalek one.
7 and Mel in
We Are the Daleks
and
The Warehouse.
We Are The Daleks was released in 2015 and set in the 80s. ( Read more... )
So there were good bits and not so good bits. Reacting to the Daleks as if they're just another trading block and deciding to oppose them on the same grounds they decided to oppose the EU is funny and an interesting angle. But mind control takes the pressure off the problem from the story title. It makes it a dumb sci fi problem solved by moving the transmitter, instead of a lot of moral choices.
But that does make it solvable in the space of one adventure, so, can see what they were going for there.
The Warehouse was one of those that takes ordinary words like Delivery and respins the story around them not meaning quite the same thing there as here. Deliverance and religion get attached to a big warehouse for fulfilling online orders. ( Read more... )
After relistening this one I went back to my existing listing in my catalog and gave it an extra star. It's still not maximum stars but I think I must have been in a bad mood listening the first time. Liked it.
Liked today pretty well.
Sunday tasks achieved. Lots of nice foods to choose between. Plenty of quiet time to listen.
Pretty good day.
Hotel Life: Happy Sunday?
Jul. 20th, 2025 12:16 pmsettiaiThe power in the hotel went out a little while ago and, while it came back on after about twenty minutes, the plugs for my fridge and microwave are dead and my AC won't blow cold air. And it's definitely not the circuit breaker, because I already checked it and tried flipping everything on/off to be certain. 🙃
While the plugs for the microwave and fridge aren't working, there are three more in the kitchen that are working fine (two on the wall over the counter and one for the oven). I was able to move the fridge to another nearby plug that was working, and I'm pretty sure that there's one close enough that I can do the same for the microwave if I need to use it. Or I can move the microwave to on top of the stove top long enough to use it if the cord won't reach.
It's not a great option, but it's at least an alternative until they can figure out what the fuck went wrong.
The temperature in the room is quickly ticking upwards a little at a time without a working AC, though, which is definitely not a plug issue since it's turning on but is just not cooling anything off. I turned the AC completely off, flipped the breaker off/on, and am letting it sit for half an hour to see if that helps. I know sometimes that can be enough to reset it, so my fingers are crossed it will work this time. Luckily, I had the room cool enough that it will take a while before it gets too hot in here, but still. It's supposed to hit 90°F today, so a working AC is kinda vital.
The lovely part is that the person at the front desk has no idea what to do, because a ton of people are having similar issues where some things came back on but not others. Half the lights in the hallway are still dead and a lot of us are having issues with some things working but not others (although it seems to vary from person to person per the person at the front desk who I spoke with), so it's gotta be some type of wiring issue where plugs that are piggybacked off the same failed wiring are the ones not coming back on for anyone. The maintenance guy doesn't even work on weekends, though, so.... yeah.
ETA: And now the fire alarm is going off, presumably due to the same wiring issue as there's definitely no fire. Today's great, y'all.
While the plugs for the microwave and fridge aren't working, there are three more in the kitchen that are working fine (two on the wall over the counter and one for the oven). I was able to move the fridge to another nearby plug that was working, and I'm pretty sure that there's one close enough that I can do the same for the microwave if I need to use it. Or I can move the microwave to on top of the stove top long enough to use it if the cord won't reach.
It's not a great option, but it's at least an alternative until they can figure out what the fuck went wrong.
The temperature in the room is quickly ticking upwards a little at a time without a working AC, though, which is definitely not a plug issue since it's turning on but is just not cooling anything off. I turned the AC completely off, flipped the breaker off/on, and am letting it sit for half an hour to see if that helps. I know sometimes that can be enough to reset it, so my fingers are crossed it will work this time. Luckily, I had the room cool enough that it will take a while before it gets too hot in here, but still. It's supposed to hit 90°F today, so a working AC is kinda vital.
The lovely part is that the person at the front desk has no idea what to do, because a ton of people are having similar issues where some things came back on but not others. Half the lights in the hallway are still dead and a lot of us are having issues with some things working but not others (although it seems to vary from person to person per the person at the front desk who I spoke with), so it's gotta be some type of wiring issue where plugs that are piggybacked off the same failed wiring are the ones not coming back on for anyone. The maintenance guy doesn't even work on weekends, though, so.... yeah.
ETA: And now the fire alarm is going off, presumably due to the same wiring issue as there's definitely no fire. Today's great, y'all.
(no subject)
Jul. 19th, 2025 08:42 pmbeccaelizabethToday I played WotR Lord of Nothing and did the cave, tower, and jungle.
I stopped before the Shadow because I remember going through that as fast as possible because Creepy, and it is sleepy time now.
I got the two fiddly achievements I was trying for, including one that *should* have worked already but I found a guide that said it was bugged so you had to do the thing a particular way that would usually be losing. So I did a proper save, played it the right way, did another proper save, and went back and did it the wrong way. Then I exited the game and loaded the right way version. And then it went Ping and I got an achievement something like 0.6% of players do.
This is not because I'm impressive, its because hardly any percent of people seem to actually play their game, the can't miss it achievements aren't impressive percents on the xbox either.
I also spent some of today playing using the actual xbox controller rather than the wired powera version I usually use, because the controls were being quirky and I wondered if it was game or controller. Either way it stopped. But, I relearned why I don't use the xbox one. It is just different enough everything Bothers Me and the buttons click Wrong and I can't put my fingers in the exactly places. Blah.
This is not exciting gaming news.
But it passes the time.
I'm never going to get 100% of achievements because already Core difficulty is annoyingly hard instead of just quite challenging. There's more difficulties above that and all you get for it is a finished the whole thing on that difficulty trophy. ... the highest difficulty one I believe is called Test of the Starstone, which, would be nice to be able to say I passed.
The weather is nicer outside but my flat does not feel like changing, except to intermittently feel like if you put a wet sponge in a microwave. Dryer is better.
But basically had an okay day.
I stopped before the Shadow because I remember going through that as fast as possible because Creepy, and it is sleepy time now.
I got the two fiddly achievements I was trying for, including one that *should* have worked already but I found a guide that said it was bugged so you had to do the thing a particular way that would usually be losing. So I did a proper save, played it the right way, did another proper save, and went back and did it the wrong way. Then I exited the game and loaded the right way version. And then it went Ping and I got an achievement something like 0.6% of players do.
This is not because I'm impressive, its because hardly any percent of people seem to actually play their game, the can't miss it achievements aren't impressive percents on the xbox either.
I also spent some of today playing using the actual xbox controller rather than the wired powera version I usually use, because the controls were being quirky and I wondered if it was game or controller. Either way it stopped. But, I relearned why I don't use the xbox one. It is just different enough everything Bothers Me and the buttons click Wrong and I can't put my fingers in the exactly places. Blah.
This is not exciting gaming news.
But it passes the time.
I'm never going to get 100% of achievements because already Core difficulty is annoyingly hard instead of just quite challenging. There's more difficulties above that and all you get for it is a finished the whole thing on that difficulty trophy. ... the highest difficulty one I believe is called Test of the Starstone, which, would be nice to be able to say I passed.
The weather is nicer outside but my flat does not feel like changing, except to intermittently feel like if you put a wet sponge in a microwave. Dryer is better.
But basically had an okay day.
Disaster Squadron
Jul. 18th, 2025 09:20 pmsettiaiLook at these amazing emotes that the DM commissioned for the group to use on Discord!
The artist is WillowPotato on Bluesky.
The artist is WillowPotato on Bluesky.
Wrath of the Righteous all day
Jul. 17th, 2025 04:08 pmbeccaelizabethToday I played WotR on Core difficulty from waking up at Defenders Heart through to actually defending it, because then I could do Prelate's Nemesis, which I missed on my other Core plays.
It only pinged after I quit and loaded it again, but I figured it would.
Defender's Heart takes like 42 rounds. And most of them are boring, because once you have web grease pit cast on the gate nothing gets in, and Camellia can Entangle the streets all around so nothing much climbs in and when it does it stands there waiting for your arrows. ... this leads to a certain amount of entangle web greasing your own team. Today it went extra wrong because Nenio who cast half the spells got caught in them so she couldn't cancel them. Lots of running around to fix that. Still, everyone on my team and at least the vast majority of the defenders survived the fight.
The Nabasu fight goes great if Ulbrig Grabs them and goes very very poorly if he does not. So it took a couple of tries. Worked though.
Core remains more frustrating than fun. A sensible me would stop chasing achievements and go back to playing the difficulty I actually like.
... a sensible me would play far fewer hours in one day.
... unlikely...
It only pinged after I quit and loaded it again, but I figured it would.
Defender's Heart takes like 42 rounds. And most of them are boring, because once you have web grease pit cast on the gate nothing gets in, and Camellia can Entangle the streets all around so nothing much climbs in and when it does it stands there waiting for your arrows. ... this leads to a certain amount of entangle web greasing your own team. Today it went extra wrong because Nenio who cast half the spells got caught in them so she couldn't cancel them. Lots of running around to fix that. Still, everyone on my team and at least the vast majority of the defenders survived the fight.
The Nabasu fight goes great if Ulbrig Grabs them and goes very very poorly if he does not. So it took a couple of tries. Worked though.
Core remains more frustrating than fun. A sensible me would stop chasing achievements and go back to playing the difficulty I actually like.
... a sensible me would play far fewer hours in one day.
... unlikely...
. . .
Jul. 17th, 2025 12:02 amsettiaiToday was certainly a day. Well, technically yesterday at this point since it's a few minutes after midnight, but still. I haven't gone to bed yet, so we'll just call it "today" and be done with it.
( More under the cut. )
And once I get out of the shower, I have something like five or six more things that I have to get done online before I go to bed despite it already being after midnight. I'm going to have so much fun in a few hours when I need to get up early to take care of some things before work. 🙃
( More under the cut. )
And once I get out of the shower, I have something like five or six more things that I have to get done online before I go to bed despite it already being after midnight. I'm going to have so much fun in a few hours when I need to get up early to take care of some things before work. 🙃
poetry sale!
Jul. 16th, 2025 02:07 pmgwynnegaI'm delighted to announce that my poem "the jacarandas are unimpressed by your show of force" will be published by Strange Horizons. I wrote it last month, which was a very challenging time for me (and a very challenging time for Los Angeles and this country). Thank god for poetry, and for jacarandas. It always makes me so happy when my work appears in Strange Horizons.
(no subject)
Jul. 16th, 2025 03:01 pmbeccaelizabethToday was Cleaner Day, so I am cleaner, my house is cleaner, and I ran the dishwasher and the washing machine and am waiting on the drying cycle for the laundry. Maximum clean.
Quite a lot tired.
I watched a couple more Doctor Who, 12 and Clara. ( Read more... )
I can see how this is interesting story, but they're becoming versions of themselves I remember finding least fun.
Ah well, will see.
Oh good, laundry beeps, tasks complete 🤞
Quite a lot tired.
I watched a couple more Doctor Who, 12 and Clara. ( Read more... )
I can see how this is interesting story, but they're becoming versions of themselves I remember finding least fun.
Ah well, will see.
Oh good, laundry beeps, tasks complete 🤞
(no subject)
Jul. 15th, 2025 08:19 pmbeccaelizabethhttps://seanharry.com/home/flux/
if I was a person who left the house any more I would so want to go to this one
13, 9, Yaz, Toshiko, Ianto, and Rhys
and more spaces left TBA on the Guests pictures.
if I was a person who left the house any more I would so want to go to this one
13, 9, Yaz, Toshiko, Ianto, and Rhys
and more spaces left TBA on the Guests pictures.
blog post up at Planetside
Jul. 15th, 2025 10:38 amgwynnegaThis week on Planetside, I write about a subject close to my writerly heart, "Using Pop Culture as Poetic Inspiration," in which I discuss work by Brandon O'Brien, Sonya Taaffe, Dorothea Lasky, and more!
Murderbot, written form
Jul. 15th, 2025 02:55 pmbeccaelizabethI have finished rereading all the Murderbot books.
I had a few little thoughts as I went along. ( Read more... )
The most recent book, the one where story saves the day, that made me feel kind of tired. Because I felt like the truest line was saying if the corporates made story at them first they would win. I have not of late been optimistic about the power of story, since I have been seeing people reading many things with the special lenses on, the ones that have decided the meaning first and only see the ways that fit. It's an excellent theory and a great development for the character and kind of a writer power fantasy. It should work.
The world could be nicer.
But the reread was good.
I had a few little thoughts as I went along. ( Read more... )
The most recent book, the one where story saves the day, that made me feel kind of tired. Because I felt like the truest line was saying if the corporates made story at them first they would win. I have not of late been optimistic about the power of story, since I have been seeing people reading many things with the special lenses on, the ones that have decided the meaning first and only see the ways that fit. It's an excellent theory and a great development for the character and kind of a writer power fantasy. It should work.
The world could be nicer.
But the reread was good.