Last Week Of 2017

We decided to visit the Mall of Africa in Midrand. After all, it was Maggie's wish to go there a year ago. I wanted to pop in at the iStore and look at the latest iMac.

After drooling over the computers in the iStore we went to the bank and spent a lot of time there which turned out to be a total waste of time. That was actually the previous week.

This week we returned to the Mall of Africa and decided to try Incredible Connection. I was still intent on getting that iMac. Looking at the Mac I tried out the new features and it looked really cool, but it was as if I had to convince myself to choose it. Most of my software is Windows driven. Changing to a Mac would be a huge adjustment.

Since I was in the store with all sorts of computers I decided to walk around and look at other makes to clear my head. That's when I discovered the gaming machines. I'm not a gamer but was intrigued by the hardware. That's when I saw the ASUS ROG G752VS I7 GAMING NOTEBOOK.

The ROG G752VS series is a 17-inch, is a premium gaming notebook with ultra-high performance in all-round.

Designed for high-end desktop gaming and VR-capable PC, workstation, and entertainment center into a portable notebook that looks like a spaceship.

Featuring the most-premium Intel 7th Generation unlocked mobile processor: Core i7-7820HK, Nvidia GTX 1070 graphics, up to 64GB DDR4 memory up to 2800MHz, and two NVMe PCI-E x4 (Samsung SM961 in the OC Edition) M.2 drives in RAID 0. It’s absolutely packed with leading-edge technologies. Read a review on Techspot.

Okay, so that's the technical side. This laptop looks like a gamer's computer with its futuristic design. Then I tried out the mouse. Wow! It felt so comfortable in my grip and the response was lightning fast.  The keys are backlit which is useful for working in the dark. I often watch TV and work on my computer at the same time.

Well, besides checking out computers we did a lot of window shopping and did a lot of walking around in the mall. When we felt hungry we enjoyed a meal at the food court that had a large variety of stalls.

When it was time to go home I noticed a warning light go on on the dashboard. It looked like there was a cooling problem with my Mercedes. Fortunately, the filling station wasn't too far away. I pulled in to check the radiator and eventually isolated the problem. Water was streaming out of a tiny crack in a housing. The petrol attendant and I made a temporary repair and I drove on with a filled radiator plus 2 bottles of water in case I needed to top up on the way home.

Well, we reached home without the warning light going on again. Maggie was impressed with our car which is almost 20 years old. She said that it was nice to know that our Merc could still warn us about a coolant problem after all these years. But I still needed to come up with a solution because I can't drive a car that is pissing water. The hole was in a very awkward place and seemed like an impossible fix.

The following morning I decided to try my old friend Google. I searched for options and advice on the Internet. The most promising solution was JB Weld on Youtube. I watched the video and saw what needed to be done. Clean the housing properly with acetone. Prepare the surface with sandpaper so that the epoxy can get a proper grip. Wipe it very clean again and apply the mixed epoxy. Let it cure for about 24 hours to obtain maximum strength.

Okay, now I had my plan but I still had to cycle to the nearest hardware shop to see if they had JB Weld. After quite an exhausting ride in the heat of the day, I found that the hardware store only stocked Pratley Steel quickset epoxy - bummer! After much thought, I decided to give it a try. The secret to the whole operation would be how well I prepared the aluminium housing before I applied the Pratley epoxy. It was all in the preparation and application together with patience to wait for 24 hours so that the epoxy could cure properly.

Well, I did my very best and then decided to wait until the next morning. That was yesterday - Friday. At about 7 o'clock I couldn't wait any longer. It was crunch time. I started the car and had a look under the bonnet. Oh yes, I first filled the water reservoir with water. Da! The repair seemed to work.

We drove to the Mall of Africa again - about 20 km away. All along the way, I kept a hawk's eye on the dashboard in case the warning light lit up again but it didn't. In the parking area, I peeped under the car and it looked dry. I lifted up the bonnet and inspected the repair and that was dry too. So far so good. We visited Incredible Connection again to make a final decision on the computer.

Afterwards, we drove home again and all is well with the car too. I just checked again now and the repair is bone dry and there is still enough coolant in the radiator. In fact, it's full. The repair had to be done using a mirror and my left hand because of the small space, but even though it doesn't look so good it was good enough to fix the hole without problems.

This was the first time I attempted a repair on my Merc.  It's not one of those newer high-tech models with a computer brain - too sophisticated for a home repair job. I feel really good because had I taken it to a service center it would have cost me thousands to repair and I'm not in the mood for that.

When you get to the final week of the year you get quite a shock when there's a problem like this with your only means of transport. Why choose a Merc? It's an expensive car people told me. Well, I believe in quality. Buying cheap becomes expensive in the long run.

Why do I look at a high-end computer for my work? I'm the one who needs to sit in front of it for hours designing websites and graphics and editing my photos or writing blog posts. I spend a lot of time with my computer. It earns me money. So I should be able to enjoy it. I want to get pleasure from what I'm doing. My old computers are full and they usually slow down - mine has.

I used to choose Samsung or Nokia cell phones until I decided on iPhones which are more pricey. What I discovered was that the iPhones are better quality and trouble-free. The batteries last longer.The battery life on my first iPhone is still great after about 4 years of service. Usually, the batteries on the other brands go after about one year - sometimes much sooner than that.

More than 30 years ago I invested in a set of AMC Classic pots. When I purchased them I thought they cost a fortune. I was told that they would last forever and save on electricity. I listened and bought them. The sales lady spoke the truth. I've never had to invest in pots ever again and they really did save on electricity and the food also tastes much better when cooked in them. The point is that when you buy quality it saves you money in the long run.

Companies and brands with a good solid reputation are priceless.

During the week we discovered Heartland on Netflix.

My Canadian readers will be glad to know that we are completely hooked on this excellent TV series. And we just found it by chance. We simply adore Amy, Jack, and all the actors. They keep us glued to the tele until we develop squared eyes and have to go and sleep.

Not one moment is boring and the countryside is breathtaking. The interaction between the characters are riveting and Amy is so good with the horses. Just when you think relationships are working then something causes friction or action. Tim is a real menace with his hot temper but so necessary to keep the story alive. Lou is a hot, bossy drama queen and Mallory a real busybody who can't stop talking. A beautiful cast. Every actor plays his/her part so well that you climb into the TV as though you were there. Congratulations to all of you. You are like family to us.

Speaking of Canada, I was very fortunate to become friends with Charlotte Roth who is just across the border from Edmonton. She hails from Seattle. Charlotte is a gifted author of books like The One That Got Away, Holding On To Hurt, Lost In Seattle, and Dancing Queen. You can find her delightful books on Amazon. I've got a feeling that quite a number of visitors to this blog are due to her. Thanks, Charlotte.

Sometimes you can spot trouble before it happens and you know that a fight is coming. Other times your emotions flare up and you have to fight the tears. I've NEVER enjoyed TV so much.

I've been learning to code with CSS in my CoffeeCup Html Editor. I bought a Bootstrap 4 development course through Udemy by Brad Traversy. It has lots of exercises but they are well presented and enjoyable.

On the weather front it has been hot most of the time but today it is cloudy and it rained last night.

Well, that's my last week of 2017. This has been a most surprising year. Many ups and downs. Fortunately, I can say that we are still here, full of energy and in great spirits. Thank you so much for reading my blog. Here's wishing you the very best New Year for 2018.