Done!

Done with school two days early! It hasn't quite sunk in yet that I no longer have to lug around text books, write countless papers, spend hours researching and doing homework, and interact with a new group of strangers every six weeks, but it's true--I am done!

Well...at least until I decide whether to get my Masters or not. But for now, I bask in the glow of completion!

iAmHooked!

For my graduation present, I treated myself to one of those new-fangled iPhone thingys, and ever since I powered it on iAmHooked! This thing is so cool that I might not need a computer anymore (OK, I probably will). I have been conservative about which apps I install, but for starters I installed a pretty cool camera app that makes the iPhone a simulator for the cheap, plastic cameras of the past, and an app that makes it no longer necessary to call a cab company--there's an app for that, and it works by booking a cab right on the phone. The cab comes to you based on your location. Awesome!

I can't wait to try the Taxi app when I am traveling to SF in a couple of weeks for work, and I don't know if I will ever use the plain iPhone camera software now that I have this cool camera app.

I cannot believe that I suffered for so long with a useless LG phone that required multiple layers of hideous UI just to get to the Internet.

New Beginnings and Leprechauns

I broke out my leprechaun-colored shirt this morning in honor of St. Patty's day. It also has a shamrock and "Chicago" emblazoned on the front, though I have never actually been to the windy city. And in the theme of leprechauns, today I found the gold at the end of a rainbow in the form of an offer of a new job with my current employer--it appears that I will be embarking on a new adventure with a team of people I have never worked with. Having worked with the same core group of people for the last decade, I feel a little sad, but as George Harrison said--and I've often quoted--"All things must pass." It is time for a new beginning and a brand new set of challenges, and best of all a new job that will not be going away in June!

Three Weeks!

After six years of pursuing my BSCS, I am only three weeks from completion. It has been a long road, with working full time (often more than that), being an attentive husband, and halfway through becoming a father to twin girls, but the end is near. I am pleased that I stuck it out and that Rachelle and the kids put up with me during my academic trek, and I am ready to be DONE--at least until I take a break and consider a Masters in CS or something related. My industry continues to become fiercely competitive, and a Masters can't hurt.

One thing I learned from this late-blooming experience was: don't put off going to college until full, career-having, parental adulthood! It makes everything that much more difficult. Of course, I don't regret spending my twenties pursuing a music career--I had a great time writing songs, playing live, and working in the studio. I also don't regret the choices I made to keep that "side job" at Hewlett Packard, that eventually led me to a fruitful career in software development. Nevertheless, my advice to my girls will be, "go to college, and then figure out what you want to do!"

Separate Rooms

It has been about 3 weeks now, and the new arrangement for the twins is working out OK. They came to us (actually Olivia did on her own) and requested that they have their own bedrooms, after spending their entire lives so far together. So we reluctantly gave up our coveted "extra room" for guests, though in truth this room received few guests over the course of a typical year, and so it mostly sat there looking like a page from a Pottery Barn catalog. The big bed is still there, and Vivienne has an extra bunk now, so our occasional guests can still use the room--if they don't mind sleeping in a room full of children's books, toys and stuffed animals.

Moving in the Positive Direction

I finally feel like--for now anyway--things are moving in the positive direction on the j-o-b front. Had a couple of really great phone interviews today with a couple of teams internally, and a phone interview earlier in the week with an external opportunity that went well enough that they want me to come in and meet the team next week for more--you guessed it--interviews. I'm hoping that one of the internal opportunities works out, since there are some really interesting problems I can contribute to solving, and I would finally get some professional experience with Java! The meter is pointing to positive for that particular role, but one never can tell how these things will turn out until someone calls with an offer. The other role would be an interesting challenge as well, but the team has some concerns about me being in Seattle and they being in SJ, so I feel reluctant to enter into any situation where people have any sort of reservations about hiring me. And, I still have the current gig to handle until at least June, or until another offer rolls in. So, there are still lots of options on the table and I am hopeful that it will all work out very soon.