Me Maui from Moana

Apparently, I am Maui from Moana, according to a colleague that spends her spare brain cycles equating folks with Disney characters.  She explained this to me today, and when I said I would have to watch the movie for the first time, she sent the video along.

New Faucets

This made for a fun day. Snake & Rooter did the work, as the tub faucets were above my pay grade and desperately needed repaired or replaced prior to the coming re-glazing.  The whole matter cost just under $600.  We probably got took, or not.  It is hard to say these days.  The supervisor did need to come back and fix a few things.  

Just after the installers left, I ran water in the sink and instantly confronted a leaking drain.  The diverter leaked when it was turned from the shower to the tub position; only about 3 drops, which they blamed on craftsmanship.  Their supervisor repaired both without much amusement on his face.  

Later, we discovered that the access panel was not put back correctly either.  Removing it, the subfloor appeared damp also.  It may just be leftovers.  There does not appear to be anything leaking.

It was only small fiasco that took most of the day, and I was a little disappointed that things were left as they were.  That sink drain did not just suddenly decide to leak.  Somebody forgot to check functionality.  Shame on me.

East to Glow, West to Snow

Out on the road again, the first encounter with the bizarre occurred just east of Carrollton. It is unlikely we would have even stumbled on that had I not been ignoring the map in favor of memory that turned out not so good.

The original intent had been to pass along US-24, then MO-41 through Arrow Rock.  Instead, we missed the right turn in Richmond and ended staring down the World's Largest Pecan in Brunswick.  We were nearly trapped into shopping too, but it turned out only a momentary distraction.

The opportunity to drop in and have a look at Pinnacle Youth Park, just north of Columbia.  A brief examination of the site found it dryer than had been noted on previous occasions, but no less interesting. 

After lunch, we launched straight into the St Louis area, pausing briefly to check on some family land.  Unfortunately, they had draped so many lights over the area as to make it impossible to view anything beyond the front gate.

That only left our plans for the evening, beginning with the Missouri Botancial Garden, which accessing proved to be an adventure of its very own.  It was not awful and the visit to Garden Glow, quite a fun little experience.  

The next morning ended up in St Charles for their annual Christmas Traditions.  It was kind of half surprise and half "well, of course" and an interesting little experience in the home of the first capital of the state of Missouri.

We had to get out of there fairly early, pausing in Rocheport, just as the sun began to disappear behind the snowstorm clouds that we were headed for in Kansas City.  The day had been near perfect weather, but was about to be ruined, as we finally arrived in town to much higher precipitation levels than had been predicted.

Pane Switcher is a Pain

The X in the pane switcher within Power BI is huge pain in the neck!  

I find myself constantly opening things that I have inadvertently closed. 

The user experience would feel better if the option were to simply collapse the pane only.

What exactly is the use case for closing a pane versus collapsing anyhow?  It is not memory hog.  Closing it does not appear to offer any benefit except enabling users to have to click twice more time to get to open again.

The current user experience for this is backwards.

Two clicks to collapse, click again to re-open; and, one click to close, with two Clicks to re-open.

I recommend one clicks to collapse, click again to re-open; and, two clicks to close, and two clicks to re-open.

That is, unless you can somehow make it so that there is ever only one click, like getting rid of close altogether.

I suspect that most would agree that collapse should be the primary action and not close.  If nothing else, give me a collapse button!  I should not have to click twice to collapse the pane out of the way.

. . .

Re: Share your thoughts on the new On-Object Inter... - Page 34 - Microsoft Fabric Community

Unicorns and Privacy

 

"When a candidate is curious, it suggests genuine engagement with your company and interest beyond a paycheck. Curiosity is a great way to predict if a candidate will be willing to learn and grow in their position as well."

“Unicorns” are curious — and hiring managers love curiosity - Big Think

While generally true, I think they put on blinders at the end.  Some folks display their curiosity through observation more than questioning. Additionally, a candidate may have already satisfied much of their curiosity about a firm and a role by the time they get to the hiring manager, eradicating any curiosity about either, resulting in few or no questions.

The story also suggests, 

"Tips for cultivating curiosity at work:

1) Give time and budget to team members who want to learn more about a particular subject or skill. 

2) When challenges come up, practice asking questions before throwing out solutions.

3) Take time to get to know your team members on a more personal level by offering optional team lunches and other experiences.

The first is obvious or should be to anyone with a mind to business.  The second is little strange.  My philosophy is to always ask questions before throwing out solutions.  Lastly, it is important to remember that some team members value their privacy above all else.  Don't push it.

Let the Season of Eating Begin

Got a little award today and posted to LinkedIn, one of the last surviving social media networks, for me.  There is a little more freedom to simply posting here though, which is what this blog appears to be slowly transitioning towards.

The whole affair took place at one of the ballrooms at Argosy Casino today, just beyond this wonderfully tall tree, lit warmly welcome the season of eating.  The associated cheesecake was delicious accompaniment.

Chinquapin Day Trip

Heading south to the Pineville area of Missouri, I stumbled on some long-lost family.

There was also this odd little structure that I am still puzzled over.

I also discovered that bulls are very short and hairy in these parts.

Additionally, I was to beware of Google shortcuts.  I don't usually mind, but this really was an unnecessary and unrequested diversion.  It was good kicking up a little dust though.

The purpose of the excursion is documented in the following story.

The journey back was entirely uneventful.

It is about all that the Interstate is good for.

Chinquapin Trail

Excepting the random cry from resident avian species, quiet reigns under clear blue 18 ºC November skies, at Big Sugar Creek State Park and the Elk River Hills Wild Area, in southwest Missouri.

One can be alone with their thoughts in this space, allowing them to drift, gently tethered, similar to the wild oats along the banks of now dry creeks, swaying back and forth on the whims of the breeze. Not another sound intrudes on the scene, excepting the steady crunch of leaves underfoot, and their occasional rustling from above.

Small bits of water remaining are crystal clear, reflecting the mostly naked upper story of this hardwood forest. Ferns cling to life along the creek banks too, keeping warm under a sun normally much too scorching. A few young oaks blaze red, and an occasional maple shines yellow; all else is deeply bronzed or brown. An offhand breeze rises, falling off as quickly, causing leaves to occasionally shower lightly down.

Packed earth, littered with small gravel is interrupted by layered rock beds spanning the multiple creek crossings. Outcrops of rock across the hollow suggest an ancient cover collapse incident throughout the area. Water has been at work here for a very long time, shaping and reshaping the landscape. While mostly dry on this date, it is evident that the rainy season hosts an entirely different landscape.

Rising to the highest point along the trail, the stench of nearby pig farm drifts into range. The pungent odor is as quickly lifted away by a soft breeze reaching the crest of this Ozark ridge at the same moment.

Descent in the second half is only somewhat different, hosting much larger obstacles along the path, which hide under a thick blanket of leaves. It is wiser to pause to take in a view of the deepening hollow below, than take the chance of stumbling on one of the numerous complications underfoot.

This stream bed displays evidence of water flowing and pushing through the landscape with increased determination in this section. Indeed, the tour could be quite treacherous in the Spring, potentially unpassable. Snarls of trees remain piled up in places from the last deluge, and further along, gouged banks snake through, revealing a soil profile unsuitable for much of anything.

While water is in more abundance, it still only stands in pools or trickles along, though sounding much more dramatic than on the other side of the ridge, in the persistent silence. A small rock rolling down the hillside, at first, sounds a boulder crashing through the landscape.

Soaking in the last mile at a slower pace, one creek crashes into another, mingling and running in different directions. Surrounding rock bluffs and the beds are more sculpted, and small hollows offer up winter homes to various critters of the region.

Rising up along a small bluff, then descending again, leads to yet another seasonal stream merging with another. The glade from which this journey began is not far beyond that. Voices drift lightly down from above. It is the first sign of humanity in nearly two hours, at once dreadful and enabling an odd sense of reassurance at the same time.

. . .

further reading

Big Sugar Creek State Park
Missouri State Parks

Elk River Breaks Woodland
Missouri Department of Conservation

Glowing Orange

Out on my walk today, I stumbled upon this glowing apparition standing streetside.

Future Death

I asked the new "co-pilot" to create me an image of future death and this is what it came up with.

Long Exposure Silver Tone Testing

A few tests with a longer exposure raw file on the Samsung S23, processed using Adobe Photoshop Express Basic Silver.  These are 30 second exposures at ISO 400, after dark, about 8 pm above the 39th parallel.  The above is looking northwesterly, while the shot below is staring straight up.