Right, well, it was time.

I upgraded my mid-2017 Mac with a new one.

• Taxes are done.

• While I’m not in Teh Biz, I still like to dabble in writing some code now and again and do have a minor interest in exploring some more advanced development concepts.

So, new, green, M4 iMac ordered, received, unboxed, and running. It’s a bit larger display and a far thinner package.

There are some minor drawbacks that I’ll have to work with or around.

For example, my mass data-storage arrays (8TB & 12TB) are USB-3. This machine is so new, USB-3 is no longer a thing. It’s four-port USB-C these days. So, I added a simple Port Replicator and have a few USB-3-C gender-benders. (can we still use that term? eh… whatever.)

Oh, and, of course, there’s no optical-anything drive these days. I still need it to watch my assorted DVD collections. I can’t even source a new-old-stock Apple Superdrive. But, for now, the old USB-3 Superdrive functions with it (aforementioned gender-benders).

Until it eventually fails.

But it is nice to have ready access to regular OS updates and patches.

Just coming to terms with the reality that my daily-driver desktop was built in mid-2017… and that it’s nine years old. It’s been upgraded as much as is technologically feasible.

I’ve known the future is always coming, but when it gets there, we sometimes try to deny or bargain or justify or make excuses.

The denial is: it’s a to end machine…for 2017. :/

The justification is: it mostly works. Mostly.

Excuses?

– it’s tax season and I don’t want to spend the money until my taxes are done, and

– I’m no longer in “Teh Biz” and haven’t needed to be near a bleeding edge of tech for about seven years

So, yeah, I’m having a hard time justifying the cost of a given class of computer and necessary upgrades.

Time to upgrade?

Maybe.

Eh… I’ll file it under: ignore until later

It’s a wonderful Spring we’re having this Winter.

—

We often see about zero to maybe ten degrees around this time of year—had -15 about three years ago.

Now, 13th of January, 2026, 48 degrees. Was 52 on Sunday.

Bugs are starting to hatch.

Birds are confused.

Cats and dogs, living together…

Had a little chat with, uh… ChatGPT. It tells me that this is representative of the year I’ve had:

Which is strange primarily because I haven’t worked on any Cessnas in about three years. Sure, I’ve done a few 150s, pair of 337s, a 310, and a Cessna 410. I don’t think I’ve mentioned to it at all that I’ve touched those Cessnas in the past.

But loads of 737s.

And what with the peppermint lollypop?!