Weekly Update 01/.17/2026 - 01/23/2026
01/17/2026 – 01/23/2026
This has been a good week. Things at work are going well, and I am learning a lot while making solid progress. I am relearning and remembering a great deal about FACTS software. It has been a very long time since I last worked on that platform, but it is all coming back to me. I have even found myself hitting “P” after loading a program. That is a habit I picked up in the 1990s when working with FACTS. The “P” command was used to enter the program’s password so I could access it. I stopped using “P” when I moved from FACTS to MAS 90, where it was not needed, but the habit has resurfaced now that I am back in FACTS. Even though the “P” command is no longer required and locking is handled differently, I still find myself doing it.
The biggest event of the week was PAYDAY. This was my first payday since October 2022, so it was a big deal. It felt good to have money coming in again. Between October 2022 and January 2026, I spent some time on unemployment until that ran out, and I lived off my 401(k) and IRAs. Now I need to rebuild my savings, and I am actively working on that. Fortunately, my company offers a good 401(k) match, which I will become eligible for in a few months.
On payday, I took Dawn out to dinner at Fiesta Bonita Mexican Grill & Cantina, one of our favorite Mexican food restaurants.
Apart from work, there has not been much else going on. I did buy myself a new jacket, as my old one was worn out and dog-eaten. I am very happy with the new one. It is a red and black Redruko men’s winter coat, waterproof and insulated, designed as a ski and snowboard jacket with a hood.
I also came across something new online: a MyID watch band. It is a wearable watch strap that incorporates a customizable digital identification system accessed via a QR code built into the band. I now have a medical alert on my watch band that clearly says, “MyID flip for information.” Hopefully, EMS will know to flip it. The QR code can be scanned to display my medical information, including conditions, personal details, emergency contacts, medications, physicians, insurance information, pharmacies, and medical documents. It also offers the ability to send alerts to my emergency contacts if I need help. I am using the paid version at $2.99 per month, which allows me to store additional data, such as medications and physician information.
At this point, I have two medical alert systems in place. It is a bit of a hassle to maintain both, but it is worth it. I have Apple’s medical alert system through the Health app, which allows EMS to access information on my iPhone and works with my Apple Watch to send alerts to my emergency contacts in the event of a fall, with the option to cancel the alert. In addition to that, I now have MyID.
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