Monday, May 4, 2009
And On The Fifth Day...
I got to day five with my A Complaint Free World.org bracelet on the same wrist. Then I got sucked into an argument. Sigh.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Connections
I love taking the MBTA (i.e. Boston's transit system)! I know, one of my employment recruiters said the same thing, "huh?" Well it's true. Especially when my jaunts involve going downtown. It's also one of the easiest way to get fresh air and exercise in the city.
What I enjoy most is the connections people make or the ones we are privy to, when we do take public transit. The other day, I made a trip down to Copley Square. The first leg of my trip was a bus ride which would lead to a connection to the subway.
On the bus, a woman looking to be in her mid-fifties, got on and immediately began blaring to the driver about what sounded like a retelling of another driver who wouldn't stop when a passenger was between stops.
Then from my initial subway ride on the Orange Line, I had to switch to the Green Line. When I boarded, two women about mid-to-late-twenties were dissecting the occupational virtues of (what sounded like) a subordinate of the woman doing most of the talking. She sounded fair in saying that while her subordinate was the nicest person in the world, she could improve her organizational skill and reduce her interoffice banter, to become a more effective worker.
On the ride home, I took the Green Line to the Red Line this time. Since it was the beginning of rush hour in Boston, my initial bus wouldn't serve so well on the return trip. In my Green Line car were a group of high school boys, all fifteen and sixteen. I know because that's what they discussed for my part of the ride. Everyone thought the tallest boy was sixteen and a junior. It turned out he was fifteen and a sophomore. The chucked it up to his maturity and who he hung out with at school.
Finally my Red Line ride led me to the bus connection home. On the bus ride home, a young woman looking early-to-mid-twenties, was almost knocked out cold by a guy with a large messenger bag. Luckily, only her glasses were rendered askew. The guy apologized as he disembarked. Once the bus resumed moving, the construction worker across from her joked that it happened to him all the time at work. They then transitioned into a friendly conversation about prospective home ownership in spite of the economic recession.
What I enjoy most is the connections people make or the ones we are privy to, when we do take public transit. The other day, I made a trip down to Copley Square. The first leg of my trip was a bus ride which would lead to a connection to the subway.
On the bus, a woman looking to be in her mid-fifties, got on and immediately began blaring to the driver about what sounded like a retelling of another driver who wouldn't stop when a passenger was between stops.
Then from my initial subway ride on the Orange Line, I had to switch to the Green Line. When I boarded, two women about mid-to-late-twenties were dissecting the occupational virtues of (what sounded like) a subordinate of the woman doing most of the talking. She sounded fair in saying that while her subordinate was the nicest person in the world, she could improve her organizational skill and reduce her interoffice banter, to become a more effective worker.
On the ride home, I took the Green Line to the Red Line this time. Since it was the beginning of rush hour in Boston, my initial bus wouldn't serve so well on the return trip. In my Green Line car were a group of high school boys, all fifteen and sixteen. I know because that's what they discussed for my part of the ride. Everyone thought the tallest boy was sixteen and a junior. It turned out he was fifteen and a sophomore. The chucked it up to his maturity and who he hung out with at school.
Finally my Red Line ride led me to the bus connection home. On the bus ride home, a young woman looking early-to-mid-twenties, was almost knocked out cold by a guy with a large messenger bag. Luckily, only her glasses were rendered askew. The guy apologized as he disembarked. Once the bus resumed moving, the construction worker across from her joked that it happened to him all the time at work. They then transitioned into a friendly conversation about prospective home ownership in spite of the economic recession.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Rediscovering Yogurt
Ah yes! I made the plunge. I have returned to regularly eating yogurt after about almost a couple of decades. My wife started the hype by ordering (what I'd like to call) the Breast Cancer Awareness Edition of the Yo-plait 15-pack. She offered me a couple to ween me of my addition to ice cream, or at least to gain market share. After the second month of helping her with returning the clean covers via mail, I decided she ought to be paying be commission or something at this point.
Finally during the third month, she literally popped a spoon of peach-flavored yogurt into my unsuspecting mouth. Not only was it good, it was yummy and not bad (to paraphrase the old '80s nutrition commercials). Being the guy that I am, I of course didn't admit that much to my wife. Soon enough I found myself sneaking one or two out of the 24-packs. When I finally got caught, I declared I was simple deducting my commission for services rendered.
Finally during the third month, she literally popped a spoon of peach-flavored yogurt into my unsuspecting mouth. Not only was it good, it was yummy and not bad (to paraphrase the old '80s nutrition commercials). Being the guy that I am, I of course didn't admit that much to my wife. Soon enough I found myself sneaking one or two out of the 24-packs. When I finally got caught, I declared I was simple deducting my commission for services rendered.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Can't Break The Day-Two Threshold
For the last week, every time I'm just about to make the second day with my A Complaint Free World.org bracelet on the same wrist, something gives. Yesterday it was an exchange with my daughter. Today, with an hour to make the two-day mark, it was an exchange with my wife. Tomorrow we try again.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Not For Nothing
I completed a nine-month, Microsoft .NET, masters-level program last year. The intent was transitioning back into IT (esp. application development) after a longer-than-I'd-like hiatus. Half-way through the program, I got the perfect job as a Product Support Engineer that gave me exposure to T-SQL, C#, Java, and the business world of online search.
I was actually enroute to be transitioned into a Junior Software Engineer role, when the bottom fell out of the economy and I became one of the departed (see the movie for the full gist).
I've been through two recessions before, so this one didn't really phase me emotionally, as much as people expected. Don't get me wrong, I had a plan and I'm certainly working it. Plus, my wife, next to God, deserves the lion's share of the credit. For you Red Sox fans, she nailed the Green Monster when it was needed.
What really irked me was not only that I was unemployed, but that for the first time in my life I had student loans in the five-digits. Just after I had spent the better part of four years cleaning up my credit, too. Now, I was going to have to go through a tougher gauntlet than before to get an opportunity to return to application development.
I'd been getting miffed by the loans and then asking God to forgive my fretting. After all, I wasn't complaining when the same course helped me land my previous job.
Then last night, I got a call from a friend. When I returned his call, he asked if I knew C#. I told him, I spent the better part of 2008 doing nothing but C#. And since no one was paying me currently to code C#, I might as well help where I could with what I knew.
So via WebEx, I helped him with some randomization issues, hiding and revealing form objects, and passing parameters by value. It was almost three hours of work, and he thanked me when we were done. He's the type of friend that didn't have to thank me, but he did. I told him, that I should be the one thanking him. Instantly, I saw my student loans in a different light. It was the price I was willing to pay for a friend in need.
I was actually enroute to be transitioned into a Junior Software Engineer role, when the bottom fell out of the economy and I became one of the departed (see the movie for the full gist).
I've been through two recessions before, so this one didn't really phase me emotionally, as much as people expected. Don't get me wrong, I had a plan and I'm certainly working it. Plus, my wife, next to God, deserves the lion's share of the credit. For you Red Sox fans, she nailed the Green Monster when it was needed.
What really irked me was not only that I was unemployed, but that for the first time in my life I had student loans in the five-digits. Just after I had spent the better part of four years cleaning up my credit, too. Now, I was going to have to go through a tougher gauntlet than before to get an opportunity to return to application development.
I'd been getting miffed by the loans and then asking God to forgive my fretting. After all, I wasn't complaining when the same course helped me land my previous job.
Then last night, I got a call from a friend. When I returned his call, he asked if I knew C#. I told him, I spent the better part of 2008 doing nothing but C#. And since no one was paying me currently to code C#, I might as well help where I could with what I knew.
So via WebEx, I helped him with some randomization issues, hiding and revealing form objects, and passing parameters by value. It was almost three hours of work, and he thanked me when we were done. He's the type of friend that didn't have to thank me, but he did. I told him, that I should be the one thanking him. Instantly, I saw my student loans in a different light. It was the price I was willing to pay for a friend in need.
Monday, April 20, 2009
I Can Go At Least One Day Without Complaining
I couldn't manage much past that. I made it up to two days without complaining, criticizing, or gossiping, but kerplunk! I had to switch the my A Complaint Free World.org bracelet to the opposite wrist. This is tough, but I'm sticking with it.
Friday, April 17, 2009
The Art of Non-conformity
So I'm getting my weekly fix of Seth Godin's Blog, when one of his posts pointed me to Chris Guillebeau's site The Art of Non-conformity and his first manifesto. It made my day, and worth checking out. Especially before you are tempted by circumstance to make a decision that errs on the side of mediocrity.
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