Wow! Just a few days ago I was writing about how we were due to close on our new house and nothing was doing on our own and now, 6 days later, our house has been in escrow one whole day. Friday brought two offers to the table and a bidding war :-) Full price, 28 day escrow and a backup if we need one! Yay!
Work is good - I'm busy at various clients and keeping out of trouble ;-) Helen has a few deals going on so we're both making money. Always a good way to end a year!
Anyway, Happy Holidays to all who read this - here's to you and yours for a great new year . . . . .
Tuesday, December 21
Wednesday, December 15
iPod . . . .
Back from Hawaii after a much needed rest. Spent the last three days at the View Admin Bootcamp for Notes/Domino admins. Very interesting, but my head hurts. A lot of info crammed into the time so I'm sure some of it spilled out along the way ;-)
I won an iPod Mini at the conference. Cool little toy - it's full of music already (I have around 4Gb of tunes on my laptop so I transferred them over). I doubt I would have ever bought one myself, but now I have it I'm sure I will use it a lot.
Friday sees the completion of the purchase of our new house. Still no offers on our one yet but it will happen soon. Positive thoughts bring positive results . . . . . .
I won an iPod Mini at the conference. Cool little toy - it's full of music already (I have around 4Gb of tunes on my laptop so I transferred them over). I doubt I would have ever bought one myself, but now I have it I'm sure I will use it a lot.
Friday sees the completion of the purchase of our new house. Still no offers on our one yet but it will happen soon. Positive thoughts bring positive results . . . . . .
Monday, November 29
It's coooold!
Okay. It's not that cold. But it's colder than normal out here. We've got the heating on and I'm still in a big sweater and wearing sheepskin lined slippers.
We're going ahead with the purchase of the new house even though we haven't sold ours yet. Bit of a gamble, but we don't want to pass up the opportunity. So we might have a couple of mortgages running for a while . . .
We're off to Hawaii on Saturday for our annual break, but the timing couldn't be much worse. When we get back, I'll have about 5 hours in the house before I leave for a week long trip to New York and the day I get back is the day we're supposed to close escrow on the new house.
I'm going to be coaching for Team in Training next year - I finally get to "give back" to the program after a two year break. I will be head coach for the "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride" program culminating in a fabulous ride around Lake Tahoe in early June. I'd better get out and ride more - I have some weight to lose, and I need to get fit!
We're going ahead with the purchase of the new house even though we haven't sold ours yet. Bit of a gamble, but we don't want to pass up the opportunity. So we might have a couple of mortgages running for a while . . .
We're off to Hawaii on Saturday for our annual break, but the timing couldn't be much worse. When we get back, I'll have about 5 hours in the house before I leave for a week long trip to New York and the day I get back is the day we're supposed to close escrow on the new house.
I'm going to be coaching for Team in Training next year - I finally get to "give back" to the program after a two year break. I will be head coach for the "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride" program culminating in a fabulous ride around Lake Tahoe in early June. I'd better get out and ride more - I have some weight to lose, and I need to get fit!
Friday, November 12
Back to Life . . . .
So things are back to normal. We've not sold our house yet, but no matter. If we stay, we're going to get a hot tub in the yard, and a bar/games area in our gallery upstairs. If we go, we have a lot to do in a short space of time - I'll be out of town for two and a half weeks between now and Christmas so if we do sell it'll be a busy time when I'm here.
Got another phone last week - a great deal on ebay - so I have a usable combined phone/pda. I got it to use for work, so my V525 is for personal use. As a result of the Cingular/AT&T merger (or takeover) I will be able to combine my accounts (I have one phone on each network) and drop my expenses a little. At least that's the plan. I've seen the latest Blackberry 7000 series that T-Mobile are selling and I may have to switch . . . . .
Got another phone last week - a great deal on ebay - so I have a usable combined phone/pda. I got it to use for work, so my V525 is for personal use. As a result of the Cingular/AT&T merger (or takeover) I will be able to combine my accounts (I have one phone on each network) and drop my expenses a little. At least that's the plan. I've seen the latest Blackberry 7000 series that T-Mobile are selling and I may have to switch . . . . .
Thursday, November 4
The election is over!
Great! Now we can get back to regular ads on the TV. I'm amazed GWB got re-elected but then again I was amazed when he won in 2000 . . . . .
Enough of that.
Which File Extension are You?
Thanks Franko
Enough of that.
Which File Extension are You?
Thanks Franko
Tuesday, October 26
John Peel R.I.P
I just found out that John Peel died. One of the most innovative radio DJs the world has seen, Peely brought so mutch great music to the world through is shows on Radio One in the UK. I grew up listening to him late at night and heard many bands that would go on to be major stars. I just started to listen to his show again a few weeks ago after I listening to streaming audio of his show over the web. Bummer. Just when I was getting to hear cutting edge music again after 6 years of bouncing around FM and AM radio here to find the same old cr@p on them all. Hopefully there will be someone else that will step into his shoes and keep up the tradition of bringing unsigned bands to the airwaves to get some recognition. A&R guys are not always the best judges of music talent and if it were not for John Peel, we may never have heard the Clash, Souxsie & the Banshees, the Smiths and the other bands he launched through his show.
R.I.P. John - we'll miss you!
R.I.P. John - we'll miss you!
Friday, October 15
Where have I been?
Far too long since I last posted. Got back from NY and just buried in work and trying to sell our house.
I've been too busy to ride my bike, too busy to play golf, but not too busy to hang out with friends and have a beer. End result - not losing weight any more. So as of later today, I am back on my bike, golfing and spending less time drinking cold ones.
Caught up with an old friend today - Terri - who I worked with in my days at Candle. She downloaded some software from RPR's website so I called her up to see how things were. It's cool to re-visit with someone you haven't see in ages (last time I saw her was Lotusphere '01) and find out that life is good for other people too.
Ah well . . . time to go dig out some lycra and head for the coast for an hour on my bike.
I promise my next posting will be a lot more interesting :-)
I've been too busy to ride my bike, too busy to play golf, but not too busy to hang out with friends and have a beer. End result - not losing weight any more. So as of later today, I am back on my bike, golfing and spending less time drinking cold ones.
Caught up with an old friend today - Terri - who I worked with in my days at Candle. She downloaded some software from RPR's website so I called her up to see how things were. It's cool to re-visit with someone you haven't see in ages (last time I saw her was Lotusphere '01) and find out that life is good for other people too.
Ah well . . . time to go dig out some lycra and head for the coast for an hour on my bike.
I promise my next posting will be a lot more interesting :-)
Sunday, September 26
Back Home. . . .
Sitting on the plane flying back to San Diego after a somewhat succesful trip to NJ/NY. The most significant event of the week was during our visit to a client which meant we travelled to the WTC site via PATH train for Jersey City. The station is in the center of Ground Zero. It is a really disarming feeling sitting in a train coming out of a tunnel and circling around the perimeter of what is left of the WTC. We rolled up to the platform and then I realized I was right there. As I climbed the stairs up to street level my thoughts could not deviate from the television pictures I witnessed a little over three years ago.
What really amazed me was how the area had managed to deal with the situation - most of the surrounding area had returned to normal business even though there was still considerable damage to some of the buildings in the area. Some of the poeple I spoke to this week were either in adjacent buildings or on trains as little as one stop away from the location. Wow. Having been there, I can't even begin to imagine how it must have been for those in the area at the time. The fact that buildings on the perimeter suffered minimal if not no damage at all is just unbelievable. I thought that it would have a similar effect on me that visitng Belsen did in 80s but because of the activity all around the WTC site, it felt less surreal and I felt more connected to it.
I will remember.
What really amazed me was how the area had managed to deal with the situation - most of the surrounding area had returned to normal business even though there was still considerable damage to some of the buildings in the area. Some of the poeple I spoke to this week were either in adjacent buildings or on trains as little as one stop away from the location. Wow. Having been there, I can't even begin to imagine how it must have been for those in the area at the time. The fact that buildings on the perimeter suffered minimal if not no damage at all is just unbelievable. I thought that it would have a similar effect on me that visitng Belsen did in 80s but because of the activity all around the WTC site, it felt less surreal and I felt more connected to it.
I will remember.
Tuesday, September 21
Joyzee!
I'm in New Jersey. Jersey City, NJ. Over on a trip to visit a couple of companies in the Financial District in Manhattan, so I'll probably see Ground Zero. I'm apprehensive about it, and I'm not sure why . . . .
So in the past two weeks since my last post, Helen and I have put our house up for sale and had an offer accepted on another that's less than 1/2 mile from the ocean. We're not getting our hopes up just now - the real estate market has slowed considerably lately so we may not be able to get things done. But it may happen!
In the mean time, if you know anyone who's looking for a 5 bed, 3 bath, 3-car garage house in Carlsbad . . :-)
So in the past two weeks since my last post, Helen and I have put our house up for sale and had an offer accepted on another that's less than 1/2 mile from the ocean. We're not getting our hopes up just now - the real estate market has slowed considerably lately so we may not be able to get things done. But it may happen!
In the mean time, if you know anyone who's looking for a 5 bed, 3 bath, 3-car garage house in Carlsbad . . :-)
Thursday, September 9
Scots Wha Hae
Pleasanton was a blast. It was great to see over 800 pipers and drummers play in (almost) unison and also to hear over 30 fiddlers playing together. We saw Walfstone, probably the most successful Scottish folk rock group and other bands like Mollys Revenge and Tempest. We wandered around the Gathering of the Clans, and found that Helen is a member of Clan Lindsay (even though they didn't know how to pronounce her maiden name or where it originated). I, on the other hand, am clanless as far as I can see. I'm not going to lose sleep over it :-) No pictures to post however - I took about 35 minutes of video footage though so we do have some memories recorded.
Back to the grindstone this week as I continue to ramp up my knowledge of the toolset I work with/sell and I'm also in the midst of moving my office from one room to another in tha house (back to my old haunt above the garage).
Started reading a book by the Dalai Lama about self enlightenment. We'll see how that goes and I'll update if my mindset changes.
Back to the grindstone this week as I continue to ramp up my knowledge of the toolset I work with/sell and I'm also in the midst of moving my office from one room to another in tha house (back to my old haunt above the garage).
Started reading a book by the Dalai Lama about self enlightenment. We'll see how that goes and I'll update if my mindset changes.
Thursday, September 2
Hoots, man!
I'm off to Pleasanton tomorrow with Helen to attend the Highland Games up there. IT'll be grrreat!
What's really interesting for me is that the group that organizes the games has a membership of which 50% were born in Scotland. Compared to the North County Scots, of which Helen and I are approximately 50% of the Scottish born, the numbers are high. I'm looking forward to being surrounded by real Scottish accents again - one of the things I miss from 'back home'. It will be fun to watch the piping competitions and the pipe band championships, which will include a couple of bands from Scotland.
I'll hopefully be able to post pictures here or somewhere I can link to so you can see what fun we'll be having :-)
Och aye the noo!
What's really interesting for me is that the group that organizes the games has a membership of which 50% were born in Scotland. Compared to the North County Scots, of which Helen and I are approximately 50% of the Scottish born, the numbers are high. I'm looking forward to being surrounded by real Scottish accents again - one of the things I miss from 'back home'. It will be fun to watch the piping competitions and the pipe band championships, which will include a couple of bands from Scotland.
I'll hopefully be able to post pictures here or somewhere I can link to so you can see what fun we'll be having :-)
Och aye the noo!
Tuesday, August 31
DNSBL and other geekish things
So I decided to send an email to Notes/Domino Spam guru Chris Linfoot because of some stuff I've been seeing whereby DNSBL sites are being denied to users because of ISP policy to reduced overhead on DNS servers. Sounds like BS to me.
I have customers who use a tool that sends DNS requests to some blacklisting sites like spamhaus and spamcop. And for whatever reason, the connections are at best inconsistent and at worst non-existent. I have read that AT&T have a policy for their business network/hosting users that they will be denied access to the DNSBL sites unless the clients specifically request an exception, with the excuse being that their DNS servers are being overloaded. Well maybe they are, but wouldn't it be nice if they would step up to the plate and, I don't know, host a local version of the zone file published by the likes of spamhaus or spamcop so that they would be helping their clients control SPAM instead of causing them more hassle?
I'm not surprised that spamhaus set up shop in the UK, with the legal protection that it provides in terms of defence costs. If they were in the US, the spammers may well have shut them down by file suits against them constantly. Interestingly enough, they have failed in most cases in the US anyway.
I'll post an update/link to Chris' site if and when he responds :-)
I have customers who use a tool that sends DNS requests to some blacklisting sites like spamhaus and spamcop. And for whatever reason, the connections are at best inconsistent and at worst non-existent. I have read that AT&T have a policy for their business network/hosting users that they will be denied access to the DNSBL sites unless the clients specifically request an exception, with the excuse being that their DNS servers are being overloaded. Well maybe they are, but wouldn't it be nice if they would step up to the plate and, I don't know, host a local version of the zone file published by the likes of spamhaus or spamcop so that they would be helping their clients control SPAM instead of causing them more hassle?
I'm not surprised that spamhaus set up shop in the UK, with the legal protection that it provides in terms of defence costs. If they were in the US, the spammers may well have shut them down by file suits against them constantly. Interestingly enough, they have failed in most cases in the US anyway.
I'll post an update/link to Chris' site if and when he responds :-)
Ooops!
Got kind of busy with work and all - forgot to keep up the entries. I found a cool article about the history of Lotus Notes and thought it might be of interest to anyone in the field - link.
Got to get back to work just now, but I will be updating over the weekend as Helen and I travle to Pleasanton to go to the biggest Highland Games this side of the Mississippi!
Got to get back to work just now, but I will be updating over the weekend as Helen and I travle to Pleasanton to go to the biggest Highland Games this side of the Mississippi!
Monday, August 16
I feel like a new man . . . .
Figured I'd go out for a ride on Saturday and see how I felt. Plan was to Carlsbad Starbucks and back. Only I went to a different Starbucks. Del Mar! So after rides of 12 and 16 miles I stepped up to 35. The new bike feels great and I'm sooooo happy I'm riding again. All I need to do now is find the time to ride more often. I hope to be able to do over 100 miles per week by the end of the month, with at least 50 milers each month. Maybe I'll be ready to ride Tucson this year - I have an invite to ride with some friends if I feel up to it.
Spoke to a guy at the bike store about tandems and Helen and I may be venturing into the market for one very soon. I reckon it's the best way for us to go riding because when we ride our own bikes, I end up doing way more miles than her and it's not really much fun. We rode a friend's tandem last year and really enjoyed it so you never know . . . .
Spoke to a guy at the bike store about tandems and Helen and I may be venturing into the market for one very soon. I reckon it's the best way for us to go riding because when we ride our own bikes, I end up doing way more miles than her and it's not really much fun. We rode a friend's tandem last year and really enjoyed it so you never know . . . .
Thursday, August 12
It's been a while . . . . .
So I had a trip to AZ last week. Got food poisoning. Not good. Still recovering a week later. . . . .
I've been messing around with my V525 and managed to lock it :-( I've been reloading firmware and software on it to get a build I like, and I managed to pick one that had a proprietary lock code on it. $20 and I'll be all set.
Bought a new bicycle this week - a Specialized Roubaix Pro. Awesome bike. After the surgery in January, I resolved that I'd get a new bike when I started riding again, and I started last week. The local bike store Supergo were running a sale on Specialized bikes to move the '04 models, and the one I'd been reading up on was available. After a short consultation with Helen, I test rode and bought it. I took it out yesterday for a short ride (I'm still not very fit) and was amazed at how comfortable it was, without being "dead" like older carbon frames. And my neighor Sean came over asking me for some advice about buying a bike for triathlon use . . . .so I'm going to rebuild my old one for him to test/buy. Win, Win!
I've been messing around with my V525 and managed to lock it :-( I've been reloading firmware and software on it to get a build I like, and I managed to pick one that had a proprietary lock code on it. $20 and I'll be all set.
Bought a new bicycle this week - a Specialized Roubaix Pro. Awesome bike. After the surgery in January, I resolved that I'd get a new bike when I started riding again, and I started last week. The local bike store Supergo were running a sale on Specialized bikes to move the '04 models, and the one I'd been reading up on was available. After a short consultation with Helen, I test rode and bought it. I took it out yesterday for a short ride (I'm still not very fit) and was amazed at how comfortable it was, without being "dead" like older carbon frames. And my neighor Sean came over asking me for some advice about buying a bike for triathlon use . . . .so I'm going to rebuild my old one for him to test/buy. Win, Win!
Monday, August 2
Did you see me?
Had a blast doing the volunteering for the golf event today. I even got on TV, albeit very briefly . . . . walked behind Andy North as he interviewed the CEO of Lincoln Financial on the 16th green. But that wasn't the aim of the exercise. I'm getting to play the course sometime over the next couple of months. Mind you, I'm not really in good enough shape to play it. It's loooong and tight and the greens are like glass. But there's no other way I could have played there and it is very exclusive!
Off to Phoenix tomorrow - more heat and humidity :-(
Off to Phoenix tomorrow - more heat and humidity :-(
Back in the saddle again . . .
Caught up with some old friends at the Coffee House yesterday . . . . my buddies from my TNT days. Got me fired up, and I went out for a ride in the afternoon. I only rode for about an hour, but it felt good . . . . apart from the neck pain. My neck is obviously still weak from the rehab after surgery, so I'm going to have to spend a lot of time in the saddle strengthening it. At least I got some miles in on my Polar. I have yet to hook it up to my PC to get the ride info downloaded, and I've lost the heart strap :-( It'll trun up though I'm sure.
Getting ready to go to the Bridges in Rancho Santa Fe this afterooon, to volunteer for The Battle at The Bridges. A great made for TV event that means I get to play one of the most exclusive courses in America as part of my compensation for volunteering.
And I get to see these guys up close. I wonder if anyone will see me on TV?
Getting ready to go to the Bridges in Rancho Santa Fe this afterooon, to volunteer for The Battle at The Bridges. A great made for TV event that means I get to play one of the most exclusive courses in America as part of my compensation for volunteering.
And I get to see these guys up close. I wonder if anyone will see me on TV?
Thursday, July 29
Geek stuff
I didn't really know what kind of stuff would end up in this blog. I was reckoning it would be a good way for my relatives and friends around the world to stop by and find out what was going on in my life. And then I started reading some of my friends' blogs. I'm going to start posting geek stuff and other non-personal things in here. Just so I can claim to be a genuine blogger. We'll see how long that lasts :-)
Anyhoo, I've been working as a Notes/Domino Admin consultant for over ten years now and on two continents. It got me a job in the states, and I can't complain about that. But every now and again, some bunch of M$ ass-kissers publish "independent" studies comparing Exchange and Notes/Domino. Just goes to show how much they know about the products when they compare an email platform with a full-blown messaging and collaboration platform. A company called Radicati published such an analysis claiming various things that have enraged the Notes/Domino community. I've not read it yet, but from the responses from such luminaries as Ed Brill and Libby seem to suggest that it is, at best, biased towards Microsoft products. The excerpts I have seen show that the "analysts" who wrote this are stretching things in various directions to make it look like M$ will dominate the email market in 4 years time. The M$ supporters have been saying that for at least the past 6 years, and still IBM continues to strengthen its world market share so we can take their claims with a pinch of salt.
I'll go read the report and see if I can add my 2¢ to the forums out there.
Anyhoo, I've been working as a Notes/Domino Admin consultant for over ten years now and on two continents. It got me a job in the states, and I can't complain about that. But every now and again, some bunch of M$ ass-kissers publish "independent" studies comparing Exchange and Notes/Domino. Just goes to show how much they know about the products when they compare an email platform with a full-blown messaging and collaboration platform. A company called Radicati published such an analysis claiming various things that have enraged the Notes/Domino community. I've not read it yet, but from the responses from such luminaries as Ed Brill and Libby seem to suggest that it is, at best, biased towards Microsoft products. The excerpts I have seen show that the "analysts" who wrote this are stretching things in various directions to make it look like M$ will dominate the email market in 4 years time. The M$ supporters have been saying that for at least the past 6 years, and still IBM continues to strengthen its world market share so we can take their claims with a pinch of salt.
I'll go read the report and see if I can add my 2¢ to the forums out there.
Monday, July 26
New Job/ Neck Surgery
Settling down to my new job - getting used to working from home again has been a bit of a challenge but I'm avoiding the TV and the dogs by closing my office door and making calls and emailing people.
Enough about work. I used to be a real keen cyclist as a mentor for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. I have done 4 programs with them, and completed four 100+ mile rides with them (3 El Tour de Tucson and 1 America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride ). I had some nerve issues in my hands as time went on, and I eventually stopped riding for a while because of it. To cut a long story short, I ended up have neurosurgery in January of this year. A procedure called a Cervical Laminectomy. I have been recovering for some months now, and after watching the Tour de France every day for the past three weeks I figured it was time to get back out on my bike. So as of tomorrow morning, I will be riding again. My bike had been hung up in the garage for so long that a spoke nipple broke, so I have to swap wheelsets over so I can get out again.
It'll be a while before I can face a regular 65 mile ride on a Saturday, but I've been idle (and getting heavier) for too long . . . . .
Enough about work. I used to be a real keen cyclist as a mentor for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. I have done 4 programs with them, and completed four 100+ mile rides with them (3 El Tour de Tucson and 1 America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride ). I had some nerve issues in my hands as time went on, and I eventually stopped riding for a while because of it. To cut a long story short, I ended up have neurosurgery in January of this year. A procedure called a Cervical Laminectomy. I have been recovering for some months now, and after watching the Tour de France every day for the past three weeks I figured it was time to get back out on my bike. So as of tomorrow morning, I will be riding again. My bike had been hung up in the garage for so long that a spoke nipple broke, so I have to swap wheelsets over so I can get out again.
It'll be a while before I can face a regular 65 mile ride on a Saturday, but I've been idle (and getting heavier) for too long . . . . .
Thursday, July 15
Monthly review . . . .
So much has changed in the past month - I've changed jobs, got a new phone last week, and we now have 3 cases of wine at home after a trip to napa Valley. The job is going great, even though I should have been on vacation this week, as I have at least two contracts as good as in the bag in the first month.
My new phone - Motorola V525 - I got on eBay. It's a Vodafone branded one, unlocked to work with any provider. I reckon it's a cheaper way of getting bluetooth than going for a V600, and I can upgrade the phone software to get the video capabilities. It's a great phone, with the only drawback being that it doesn;t have an IR port but since I have a data cable and bluetooth connectivity it's not such a big deal.
Our trip to Napa turned out to be fab. Found this cool new resort up there - the Carneros Inn. Funky looking place from the outside - I drove past it and thought it looked like a prison or something :-) Turns out it's a real classy way to spend the weekend complete with its own vanishin edge pool and Spa facilities on site. Hot rosk massages have never been so good. . . .
Too busy to type more right now - work calls - so I gotta go.
My new phone - Motorola V525 - I got on eBay. It's a Vodafone branded one, unlocked to work with any provider. I reckon it's a cheaper way of getting bluetooth than going for a V600, and I can upgrade the phone software to get the video capabilities. It's a great phone, with the only drawback being that it doesn;t have an IR port but since I have a data cable and bluetooth connectivity it's not such a big deal.
Our trip to Napa turned out to be fab. Found this cool new resort up there - the Carneros Inn. Funky looking place from the outside - I drove past it and thought it looked like a prison or something :-) Turns out it's a real classy way to spend the weekend complete with its own vanishin edge pool and Spa facilities on site. Hot rosk massages have never been so good. . . .
Too busy to type more right now - work calls - so I gotta go.
Friday, July 2
Adios amigos
Today's the day. Time to start a new adventure after leaving my current job. The time here has been fun, but it wasn't stretching me so I need to move on. We went out for beers last night and had a great time and I'm sure I'll be keeping in touch with a lot of the folks here but I really need a change of scene.
One of my first gigsat RPR might involve some long distance travel . . . . to Europe. We'll see what happens there!
Time to go box my things up and head home to set up my office again. At least we're going to have a break before I start up at RPR - off to Napa for a couple of days and visiting friends.
One of my first gigsat RPR might involve some long distance travel . . . . to Europe. We'll see what happens there!
Time to go box my things up and head home to set up my office again. At least we're going to have a break before I start up at RPR - off to Napa for a couple of days and visiting friends.
Wednesday, June 30
The fun starts
Two days and counting. And I've already got my first gig for my new employer lined up. Going to help out a company that is stuck with a problem most of us Notes Admins have seen before. Admin ID with an expired cert. I'm pretty sure I can get around the problem but it may take a little time. And then I get to run a healthcheck on their systems. If this is idicative of their attention to the Notes environment, I should be busy for a while :-)
Friday, June 25
I quit!
One more week to go. I gave my notice last Friday and I'm preparing for a life on the road again. I thought I would have enjoyed working in an office environment again after a 3 break working as an SE for Candle, but it turns out I can't stand office politics and all the other BS you have to put up with working in a cube. So I'll be working from home again (interesting proposition this time around - Helen works from home now) and travelling to customer sites.
The company I'm going to work for, RPRWyatt, is based in Phoenix AZ so I'll be spending time there for a while and also flying "all over the place". As far as I can ascertain, my territory will be North America and Europe (basically everywhere they have clients) so maybe I'll be able to see the family back in old blighty - something I haven't done in close to 3 years.
Anyhoo it's back to the old grind for another day - at least there's the neighborhood Friday night social coming up tonight . . . . . . .
The company I'm going to work for, RPRWyatt, is based in Phoenix AZ so I'll be spending time there for a while and also flying "all over the place". As far as I can ascertain, my territory will be North America and Europe (basically everywhere they have clients) so maybe I'll be able to see the family back in old blighty - something I haven't done in close to 3 years.
Anyhoo it's back to the old grind for another day - at least there's the neighborhood Friday night social coming up tonight . . . . . . .
Thursday, June 17
I'm famous!
I'm famous! My old buddy Franko has posted a blog entry about me. I've known him for 10 years or so and even tried to get him to move out here to the good old US of A. Every time I go back to the homeland, Frank and I het the west end of Glasgow for a curry. How I miss a good curry. Actually found out that there's a good Indian restaurant close to my office so I'll have to go check it out. But I digress.
It's cool to be part fo the bloggin community. I did this as a stream of consciousness thing and found that it can connect people from all over the place. One of these days I'll actually send an email to friends and family to let them know this exists :-) Back to work for now.
Oh, and I'm going to change jobs soon . . . . watch this space
It's cool to be part fo the bloggin community. I did this as a stream of consciousness thing and found that it can connect people from all over the place. One of these days I'll actually send an email to friends and family to let them know this exists :-) Back to work for now.
Oh, and I'm going to change jobs soon . . . . watch this space
Monday, June 7
Go Pistons!
Monday morning. After a weekend of "socializing". We had a full house on Friday night, with half the neighbourhood there hanging out at drinking. Saturday morning was slow, more to do with apathy than hangovers :-)
Saturday was Wallace's first day out in the real world, having been confined to the house and yard until he had his second set of shots. We took him to Vinaka downtown and he was fine. Somehow I think puppies bring out more in people than new babies - as Helen keeps saying that a puppy is the best chat up line you could get. People will come talk to you if you have one. .. . .
Last night the Pistons beat the Lakers in game 1 of the NBA finals - so the series will be interesting after all. All the pundits predicted a sweep for the Lakers. I for one am happy that the Pistons won. Maybe they'll win it all!
Got an interesting phone call on Friday that may mean a change of scene for me. My buddies in Phoenix want to hire me - I'll wait and see what happens this week.
Saturday was Wallace's first day out in the real world, having been confined to the house and yard until he had his second set of shots. We took him to Vinaka downtown and he was fine. Somehow I think puppies bring out more in people than new babies - as Helen keeps saying that a puppy is the best chat up line you could get. People will come talk to you if you have one. .. . .
Last night the Pistons beat the Lakers in game 1 of the NBA finals - so the series will be interesting after all. All the pundits predicted a sweep for the Lakers. I for one am happy that the Pistons won. Maybe they'll win it all!
Got an interesting phone call on Friday that may mean a change of scene for me. My buddies in Phoenix want to hire me - I'll wait and see what happens this week.
Wednesday, June 2
New puppy
Remembered I had a blog and thought I'd better update.
Got a new puppy on Monday of last week - Wallace - a Lhasa Apso, and half brother to our other dog Corrie. Crate training and house training results in serious sleep deprivation. Thankfully my wonderful wife took care of that, as I have a 9 to 5 and she works from home. But Wallace is as cute as anything. Just like his brother was at his age.
What's amazing about dogs is their innate desire to assert dominance over each other. Our puppy runs up to Corrie (who's 2 1/2 now) and if Corrie isn't in the mood to run around, he'll bare teeth and bark right in Wallace's face. And Wallace won't give in. Just sits there. I know there's a lot of distrust in adult dogs when it comes to puppies, and Corrie's behaviour is typical of that, but it's amazing how Wallace will not back off. What's funny is if Corrie is barking at something else, like the landscape guys in our yard, then Wallace runs into his crate and hides in the back.
Enough of Dog Karma 101. Need Coffee.
Got a new puppy on Monday of last week - Wallace - a Lhasa Apso, and half brother to our other dog Corrie. Crate training and house training results in serious sleep deprivation. Thankfully my wonderful wife took care of that, as I have a 9 to 5 and she works from home. But Wallace is as cute as anything. Just like his brother was at his age.
What's amazing about dogs is their innate desire to assert dominance over each other. Our puppy runs up to Corrie (who's 2 1/2 now) and if Corrie isn't in the mood to run around, he'll bare teeth and bark right in Wallace's face. And Wallace won't give in. Just sits there. I know there's a lot of distrust in adult dogs when it comes to puppies, and Corrie's behaviour is typical of that, but it's amazing how Wallace will not back off. What's funny is if Corrie is barking at something else, like the landscape guys in our yard, then Wallace runs into his crate and hides in the back.
Enough of Dog Karma 101. Need Coffee.
Wednesday, May 5
Fire! Fire!
So the heat has subsided, but fire season has started again in San Diego. 1,500 acres within 40 miles of here. Just when we thought the fires last year would be last for a while. One of my colleagues lost pretty much everything when his home got caught up in the fires last year. Hopefully he'll be the only person I know who has to go through that. I'm glad we're closer to the ocean and outside the fire zone.
Monday, May 3
It's getting hot in here. . . .
Finally got back to writing an entry in here. After scorching heat today, I'm glad I'm indoors and the sun has headed west for a few hours. 90 degrees doesn't happen around here very often - San Diego is reknowned for its temperate climate so this is an uncommon occurence. The irony isn't lost on me that I moved here to get away from the crappy weather in Scotland, and here I am moaning about how hot it is . .. . .
I've decided that its time I got back on the golf course, even if my physiotherapist advises against it. My sanity will suffer if I don't get out these and smack some little while balls around. And if it hurts, I'll just have to find something else to stop the stir craziness.
Looking at buying a laptop has become something of an obsession. I can't decide if I should go with and Sony, IBM or Dell. I might even entertain the thought of a Panasonic Toughbook. Like I need it! All I want to do is have a lightweight,powerful PC that can last me at least three years. I've only had 2 PCs in 8 years, and they're slower than molasses these days. I guess my job is to blame. Fast PCs and Gigabit networks are not what I need, but then again I also don't need HDTV - it's just what I want :-)
I met a guy in a kilt yesterday - a utilikilt - just what I need out here. A kilt with pockets so I don't need a sporran. I'm not likely to wear one out to the coffee shop when I'm walking the dog on Saturday - mind you, I didn't think I'd ever be seen in shorts, skate shoes and a Hawaiian shirt in the office. That wouldn't go down well at the Bank of Scotland. Just as well I've relocated to sunnier climes. Which brings me back to my first point - it's frickin hot here . . . . . .
I've decided that its time I got back on the golf course, even if my physiotherapist advises against it. My sanity will suffer if I don't get out these and smack some little while balls around. And if it hurts, I'll just have to find something else to stop the stir craziness.
Looking at buying a laptop has become something of an obsession. I can't decide if I should go with and Sony, IBM or Dell. I might even entertain the thought of a Panasonic Toughbook. Like I need it! All I want to do is have a lightweight,powerful PC that can last me at least three years. I've only had 2 PCs in 8 years, and they're slower than molasses these days. I guess my job is to blame. Fast PCs and Gigabit networks are not what I need, but then again I also don't need HDTV - it's just what I want :-)
I met a guy in a kilt yesterday - a utilikilt - just what I need out here. A kilt with pockets so I don't need a sporran. I'm not likely to wear one out to the coffee shop when I'm walking the dog on Saturday - mind you, I didn't think I'd ever be seen in shorts, skate shoes and a Hawaiian shirt in the office. That wouldn't go down well at the Bank of Scotland. Just as well I've relocated to sunnier climes. Which brings me back to my first point - it's frickin hot here . . . . . .
Wednesday, March 10
Rant #1
I love the way that people use completely the wrong words at times - the favourite of the American people is using the word "literally" when they should be using "metaphorically".
There's some idiot talk show host out here who favours this approach every day. He's always using the wrong word. And he gets paid more than me to talk crap on the radio. I guess I should have studied less in school :-)
And then of course there's our wonderful 'leader'. The best thing about getting to the office in the morning is reading my Presidential (Mis)Speak calendar. Dubya is great for the way he mangles the English language and the way he unashamedly shows his lack of intellect. Cases in point:
"They want the federal government controlling Social Security like it's some kind of federal program" Last time anyone checked, Social Security is a federal program. . . .
"I would have said yes to abortion if only it was right. I mean, yeah it's right. Well, no it's not right - that's why I said no to it" Make up your mind George!
Anyhoo - time to go join the throngs on the wonderful I-5 north to Carlsbad . . . ..
There's some idiot talk show host out here who favours this approach every day. He's always using the wrong word. And he gets paid more than me to talk crap on the radio. I guess I should have studied less in school :-)
And then of course there's our wonderful 'leader'. The best thing about getting to the office in the morning is reading my Presidential (Mis)Speak calendar. Dubya is great for the way he mangles the English language and the way he unashamedly shows his lack of intellect. Cases in point:
"They want the federal government controlling Social Security like it's some kind of federal program" Last time anyone checked, Social Security is a federal program. . . .
"I would have said yes to abortion if only it was right. I mean, yeah it's right. Well, no it's not right - that's why I said no to it" Make up your mind George!
Anyhoo - time to go join the throngs on the wonderful I-5 north to Carlsbad . . . ..
Tuesday, March 9
And so it begins
Got to start somewhere I guess. It's about 85 degrees outside right now, and I'm so glad I work in an air-conditioned office. I can't believe I'm complaining about the heat in San Diego, but it is March and it shouldn't be much above 65 at this time of year.
I just got back to work after a 6 week layoff to recover from neck surgery - a Cervical Laminectomy - and have found that much has changed here. New staff members and several fires to put out. That's what they pay me for so I shouldn't complain.
I'm a Network Admin at a web development company in Carmel Valley - I deal with the servers, phones, desktops, laptops and cabling/power etc. Keeps me busy but it can drive me crazy.
Life here is great. Recommended. I still stop and pinch myself every now and again to make sure I do actually live here - 31 years in Scotland and then I moved here for a change in lifestyle. Couldn't be more different than back in the homeland.
I just got back to work after a 6 week layoff to recover from neck surgery - a Cervical Laminectomy - and have found that much has changed here. New staff members and several fires to put out. That's what they pay me for so I shouldn't complain.
I'm a Network Admin at a web development company in Carmel Valley - I deal with the servers, phones, desktops, laptops and cabling/power etc. Keeps me busy but it can drive me crazy.
Life here is great. Recommended. I still stop and pinch myself every now and again to make sure I do actually live here - 31 years in Scotland and then I moved here for a change in lifestyle. Couldn't be more different than back in the homeland.
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