The Art Of Not Asking Why

Now that my personal projects and worries from January are fading into new (and good!) reality, my concerns revolve around the tomato in chief and the musky circus. Since I work for a large medical center and a university, these uncertain times affect my colleagues and me.

Yesterday, I was euphoric, the opposite of the stressful feeling I’ve been experiencing since January.

I went on a “run” (at this point, it’s a fast-paced walk as I’m picking up the habit again, hopefully) yesterday, going up our new street during the sunset. It’s an average slope, one that makes you breathe hard if you go as fast as I did. I continued to make a loop in the park at the end of the street and came back the same way. There’s a curve free of buildings right before our street merges with the main road, and the evening colored the sky in purple-blue. I looked down the slope.

Each apartment building is different, and each one is lit with slightly different lights. Some extend their lobby like an arm into the sidewalks, while others have a pathway and lit stairs leading into an internal U inside a courtyard. There was no traffic, and coming from Broadway, with all of its ambulances and loud music blasting from passing cars, it felt like I was in a different place, on a vacation in a different town somewhere.

Even though I know the area quite well, I didn’t shop here before. My partner and I are surprised by the neighborhood-ish feeling of the local supermarket, the pharmacy, and the pizza place. It’s part of Manhattan, yet somehow it’s not. I can’t stop smiling. When I got back from my walk-run, I had enough energy to finish unpacking most of what was left in our common area. We are waiting for a few more new furniture to arrive in boxes so we can put away the other stuff we have.

The move is complete. New apartment. New neighborhood.

I have so many things to set up and many more to learn how to do here; I get stuck in mental loops of “I can’t do A before B, but that’s up to C, which comes with requirement D.” Oh well, getting there. Hey at least the internet is up!

Yesterday, I mentioned that I will probably set up a Windows virtual machine on my Thelio, My Linux Pop OS desktop. Later, I decided to play around with it, and I was surprised to find out how easy it was to get Windows 11 up and running. I’m surprised. Here are my notes:

Checking requirements

Before we start, we need to make sure our Host—the Linux computer we’re going to install the Windows environment on—has a CPU that supports virtualization. Most modern computers today probably do, but in case you have Linux running on an aging computer, you want to make sure.

To do that, run the command lscpu in the terminal and look under virtualization. It should say VT-X. If it is, you’re ready to go.

Of course, you will also need to get the Windows operating system. Download it from Microsoft and use their official Windows ISO (for this, I used the Windows11 ISO)

Install needed libraries and software

We’re going to install several components needed for virtualization. queue-kvm, the hardware component and the kernel level environment; virt-manager, which is the software and GUI we will be interacting with for configurations; and bridge-utils and libvirt-daemon, which are several components that allow the host to run virtualization as a service and connect your host to your guest virtual machine. We can install them all in one go:

sudo apt install qemu-kvm libvirt-daemon bridge-utils virt-manager

Restart the machine (the host) before continuing, or it will tell you the libvirt service is not available in the next steps.

After restart, verify the service is running with sudo systemctl status libvirtd. It should show as active in green. If not, enable it with sudo systemctl enable libvirtd and start it with sudo systemctl start libvirtd. Then check again.

Next, we also need to add our user to the appropriate groups for access. This is useful:

sudo usermod -aG libvirt $(whoami) and then: sudo usermod -aG kvm $(whoami).

Inside virt-manager

1. Launch virt-manager from the terminal or find it in your apps.
2. Select Local install media (ISO image or CDROM) and then Forward.
3. From the Choose ISO or CDROM install media select Browse and navigate to your downloaded Windows11. Notice that if the ISO is not in the libvirt library (the default location), virt-manager will prompt you for permission to access the location.
4. To install Windows 11, I used 8 GB of RAM, 8 CPU Cores, and 50 GB of storage (the minimum is 64GB, I’m not sure how I passed this, but you’d probably want more than that anyway). Finish and launch the virtual machine.
5. When launched, the virt-manager boot will prompt to “press any key to boot from CD-ROM,” so don’t forget to press something before looking into why it doesn’t work like I did…
6. The Windows 11 installer will locate the disk. Go ahead and install there, it’s the only virtual location you have if you followed the above example. Then it will ask you the usual nonsense (agree to terms, Language, keyboard layout,etc). Note: I always choose Windows 11 Pro, because home version doesn’t come with needed utilities.

Sharing common clipboard

Next, we want to install Spice-VDA, which enables us to copy-paste from the Guest to the Host and vice versa.

1. Install what’s needed on your Host with sudo apt install spice-vdagent.
2. On your Guest (in Windows), go to https://spice-space.org/download.html to get the Windows guest tools binary
3. We also need to install the Windows VirtIO Drivers ISO from https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Windows_VirtIO_Drivers ISO on the Host. Download the latest release from under Installtion and then “download the latest stable” link.
4. On your host, switch to the virtual machine’s configuration (choose the little “i” from the top bar) and select your VM’s CDROM configuration. Browse to the ISO you downloaded above to mount it.
5. Switch back to your Guest (select the display icon to the right of the “i”). Windows will detect the CD and ask you what to do. Select to browse the files, locate the 64-bit installer, and install.
6. Leave all options as is.
7. Restart the guest, and you’re done. Copy-paste should now work

Next, I want to set up a share between the Guest and the Host, but this is not urgent. It seems the easiest way to do it is to create a shared SMB folder from the Guest.

I know that in the past, I had to work harder to get Windows to work, and I still ran into some issues. The setup here took me maybe one hour and no more than two head scratches. It was easy, too easy, and I’m not sure how much of it was because of my hardware and how much because of what’s now included in the virtualization libraries… but it works. I already installed Photoshop, and it works perfectly in Linux, just as it should.

Whoa, configuring a virtual machine on Linux was much easier than anticipated. Windows 11 is running smoother than it ever did. Nice! 🤓🖥️💪

A year ago, I started using Tiny Theme. I haven’t looked back since. I am wondering about Sumo though… maybe when I have time to tweak things again.

I watched the first two episodes of Silo, and I can’t wait to watch the others. I vaguely remember the books. It feels like what I was hoping out of Fallout so far. Good stuff. 📺

Sick today. It’s been on the verge of happening and I think last night I lost the fight by being out late in an event in the cold weather. Stress didn’t help much, but at least things are shaping up!

Gave up on the Expense series for now, and picked up the second C. J. Box. I enjoyed the first and wanted me some more Picket: Savage Run by C. J. Box 📚

I’m peeping from under my rock for a second, so please be gentle with me:

Can someone explain to me like I’m a 5 year old what is Trump doing that is freaking out higher education institutions so much? I hear grant money. What’s the status on that?

Please keep it as matter-of-fact as possible 🫣

It’s a very subtle thing. Today, when I was texting a friend: “Meet me at the apartment,” instead of “Meet me at home.”

This place, which I am still writing from, is not home anymore. I want to say it’s sad, maybe it is, but I don’t feel sad about it - it just is.

Two things I absolutely hate about automated phone bots: the recorded keyboard sound in the background while they “search for your information,” as if it’s a human, and that they mention you can access them online to save time. You 🤬🤬🤬, I’m obviously calling because I cant access you online.

My partner works at a small independent audiophile store, and sales are not doing good.

🎧 🎧 🎧

Anyone is looking for a good professional grade headphones or headset by any chance? They will match prices with Amazon and other sellers.

I woke up after a solid 6.5 hours of sleep, the first time since last Wednesday, and felt energized. It was a crisp day outside, cold but not bitterly so, with fresh snow on the ground.

Running was a bit too much, as I haven’t run in months. I also didn’t want to fall on ice and hurt myself, especially now when we’re packing and moving. So I went for a “snow march” instead - the idea was to push harder than my usual walking speed.

It was around 35 degrees this morning (almost 0 degrees celsius), so I dressed up as if it was 45, to account for warming up: a light coat, hoodie, cozy home pants (it’s not like anyone was up at that time on a snowy Saturday morning), and my Timberlands boots that I usually wear at this time of the year.

The goal was just to get out there. To move, walk, and stay out for a while, with the idea of completing four laps around the local park (the size of one block).

The snow was shallow and melted a bit, making that “crunch crunch” sound when I walked. I stomped my fit a bit, forcing more of my boot into the snow with each step, partly to increase my heart rate a bit but also for stability and to avoid ice.

It worked out nicely. I started warming up toward the end of the first lap and needed to take my beanie off. When I was hot enough to walk with my hands out of my pockets (I forgot my gloves…), the additional momentum from my arms' movement added to the exercise and warmth. It felt good. On my march, I spotted three miniature snowmen:

With Trainwell, the workout app I stopped using, I would have probably skipped this fun morning exercise. If I already pay a hefty sum for a workout app and a coach that comes with it, I should improvise and come up with my own ideas. Meanwhile, the app doesn’t count as an exercise, and I would need to send screenshots from my Apple Fitness to my coach to review. Because the app wouldn’t count the walk, it would still push me to do the routine for the day, making me do the usual leg exercises even though those’s the muscles I already worked on in the morning.

This flexibility is important. If I want to work out later, I’d probably concentrate on my upper body, doing isolated exercises of pushups, crunches or pull-ups without starting a whole new workout.

What’s more important now is that I did /something/. I got out there. What I did and how I did it doesn’t even come second - that sport is reserved for consistency. Picking up the habit. What I do and how I do it comes next down the line; I know that if I keep this up, I will push myself further and harder by instinct and the motivation I’ve developed, and things will fall into place. I know this because that’s been my experience since I started exercising.

I just can’t enjoy a regular cup of drip coffee, it seems. too water and bland. I need my espresso in the morning, or a good pour over from freshly ground beans. I think this qualifies me as an official coffee snob, yes?

One of the things that started to fit into my weird sleep schedule is watching stand-ups on Netflix. It takes me some time to find someone who fits my criteria, which is based on two things. First, I usually get bored with comedians who talk too much about marriage and/or kids, since these don’t relate to me and I only find them mildly funny; the second, they need to walk a thin line where they are provocative, but not downright assholes.

One of the folks whose shows I enjoyed recently is Gabriel Iglesias, who goes by Fluffy. I watched his most recent show, Legend of Fluffy, and found that while I didn’t laugh as much as I usually do, I did nod in agreement when he was talking about skittering around politically correct phrases and the importance of owning a gun. He explained it from a Republican angle; his show took place in Florida.

Something about the stand-up made it more down-to-earth, a level I can relate to and understand, not something that I usually read with a politically aware eye through a left-leaning newspaper website. It made me think, not just smile. Iglesias is, among other things, a Mexican immigrant, so listening to him describing serious issues like immigration to a crowd that mainly supports Trump (or so I assume anyway) at this time had a sense of authenticity. At one point, for example, he reflected on a show in Mexico where he performed in front of Americans who were there on behalf of their company, boasting that he caused a bunch of Americans to cross over the border to watch a Mexican. Hearing this from him made me smile about this topic for the first time.

I can’t help but think that someone like Iglesias is the kind of person we need right now. Someone who’s on both camps at the same time, who can tell a story with a sense of humor. Fluffy is a celebrity now, but he hasn’t forgotten his roots and the people that helped him reach fame, and his show is, eventually, about gratitude. This gratitude to his mentors and fans who made him what he is today touched me in a way I didn’t expect.

Yesterday, I finally managed to get through to our management company here at the apartment to let them know we’re moving out. I’ve been trying to reach them for the last two weeks unsuccessfully.

I’m worried because, on the other hand, we still don’t have the key to the new place that we found. It’s a co-op building in Manhattan, which I think is fair to say is one of the hardest places to move into. We’re throwing a lot of money into it that goes beyond just the security deposit and the first month’s rent. We are required to have insurance, we must pay for credit checks (plural, yes), we need to pay to move in, we need to pay for an inspection, we need to buy carpets because apparently, that’s one of the rules…

Financials aside, we’re also required to fill out tons of paperwork. After the lease that came first (this part is behind us; everyone signed), the documents from the board are a package of roughly 50 pages. This includes standard NYC stuff (bed bugs, guard rails, lead paint…) but also “house rules,” real estate documents, financial status statements, bank account information, and letters of recommendation - yes, we need to be recommended to live there - both personal and from the previous landlord, and on it goes. Our real estate agent is working with us on those, but it’s a nerve-racking race full of phone calls, emails, and visits to the bank.

Meanwhile, work projects do not let go. The amount of events chained together in a symphony of urgency has been almost comical. Just yesterday, for example, a new Dean joined the ranks after the previous one stepped down rather suddenly. “Why doesn’t this work?” is not a good way to start your relationship with the top VIP, but if you work in IT, you know that 80% of the time, you’re notified about a change only after something breaks. We managed to turn it around and demonstrate our skills and support. I am grateful for my unphased team, which followed through without ifs and buts.

Another major work project I’m engaged in involves overhauling network authentication throughout the entire medical center I work for. This requires new written instructions and a video clip demonstrating the changes. In the meantime, the old instructions need to be scrapped or updated from various places on the public web and the private intranet. This is where I step in, as the person who took over my role when I left for my current one was let go.

Other projects on my to-do list block my calendar and prevent me from attending my regular meetings, not to mention the aforementioned bank visits/phone calls/emails about the new place, which must happen during business hours.

So far, I’ve managed to keep my head up. I’m adjusting to sleeping in part and exercising in small intervals when I get the chance. I’m exhausted, but my mood, while serious, is not melancholic. I’m doing OK.

But I wouldn’t be without the tremendous support I get from everyone. Partners, friends, family, the people I work with. They all understand and support me. I’ve never seen so many people who know me step up in turn and say, “Yes, I can help.” I’m writing this with tears of gratefulness rolling down my cheeks, thinking of my support net. Whenever I feel too tired or overwhelmed, there’s a smile, a pat on the back, or an encouraging nod.

I hope that in a month, I will write a post from my new room in the new apartment. It would be a big upgrade for my two partners, not just me, and I’m happy for that.