Comcast and I have long had a strained relationship. I recognize that the service they’ve offered in the houses and apartments that I’ve lived in has been reliable. However, I’ve never been a big fan of their business and billing practices.

For example, I purchased my own DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem some years ago when I first got their internet service. Some months in, I noticed that they were charging me for a cable modem rental. When I contacted them about this, they were insistent that I prove to them that I bought my own cable modem before they would refund the fees. I might recall this incorrectly, but I believe they had requested that I fax my proof of purchase to a number as they did not have an email address setup for such things.

After a recent power outage at our house, I purchased a UPS to help keep the internet online the next time. In addition, we noticed that when there was an outage the power tended to come on and off multiple times before stabilizing.

I’ve been trying to buy products from brick and mortar stores rather than Amazon due to the prevalence of counterfeit products mixed in with legitimate goods. In our area, Microcenter tends to be a decent option for computer and maker related items. They offer a price match which removes the downside of purchasing in-person.

Prior to moving in our house, we replaced the old coil burner stove with a nice fancy GE Profile Induction range - their PHS930SL2SS model. I grew up with a coil burner and don’t really want to relive the experience! Overall, we’ve been happy with the stove, but we’ve had several issues addressed under warranty - mostly minor.

Minor issues:

• The convection fan’s nut came loose and it flew off while cooking - easy repair.
• The temperature probe and jack required replacement after some usage - easy repair.

However, we have had one major issue with the stove – while using the oven, the induction burners on the left side will turn themselves on. When this happens, the burner controls for the misbehaving burners won’t work reliably. In order to turn the burners off you have to engage the “lock mode” on the stove, which has the unfortunate but understandable side effect of turning off the oven. This has happened many times over the past year - and has persisted even after a new control panel.

After our old Ford Fusion went for a swim in a rainstorm, we brought home a 2016 Chevy Volt. We’ve enjoyed driving the car over the past year. It’s a lot of fun to drive - and we really appreciate almost never needing to stop at a gas station. My wife likes the car as well.

We’re coming up on the 45,000mi service checkpoint. In general, electic vehicles don’t have much to maintain. At this checkpoint, GM suggests changing the engine air filter and the passenger cabin air filter.

Happy New Year to All!

We have a lot to be thankful for this year - loving family, good job, etc. There’s an awful lot wrong with the world, but there’s an awful lot that’s improving also. [1]

I’m looking forward to doing my part to keep the ship afloat for another year!

[1] https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Progress-Watch **