I haven't posted to my blog since May 1st! There's a lot I could say in my defense. Work and personal life have been extremely stressful. And, considering the nature of my work and the nature of the personal life stress, I couldn't just openly blog about those situations.
However, NaBloPoMo has inspired me. I get an email from them at the end of each month, challenging me to get back into blogging in the upcoming month. They even give you daily prompts to help get you going.
In June, I'm spending a week on Star Island again. This time I'm going to Star Arts Week, and I plan on participating in the writing workshop. I'm also going to take my camera, but I decided that I'd benefit more by focusing on my writing.
So, I'm really going to try to write in my blog in June. Probably not every day like NaBloPoMo wants me to, but definitely a few times every week. Crossing my fingers that I can do this.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Apple shutting down Lala
I really like Lala. Not only has it allowed me to post links to songs on my blog, but it's been the best service to listen to particular songs online for free.
If Apple is looking at a way to replace Lala's functionality on the Internet, I wish they would have figured that out before announcing that it will be shutting down Lala as of May 31st
To bid Lala a proper goodbye, maybe I'll post a song of the day until they close. It looks like Apple has done away with the embed feature (more bummer). But here's...
Lady Gaga's Poker Face
If Apple is looking at a way to replace Lala's functionality on the Internet, I wish they would have figured that out before announcing that it will be shutting down Lala as of May 31st
To bid Lala a proper goodbye, maybe I'll post a song of the day until they close. It looks like Apple has done away with the embed feature (more bummer). But here's...
Lady Gaga's Poker Face
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Refreshing the mind
While it's been quite exhausting, I have been really enjoying myself this week trudging into Boston and Cambridge for some professional conferences this week. On Tuesday and Wednesday I attended Secure World. Today and tomorrow I'm at a conference on spam on MIT's Cambridge campus.
Not much at either conference has been earth shattering. I've picked up a few tidbits hear and there. Some of the presentations sparked some ideas on how I could do things different back at the office. And today, I got to walk in the sunshine during a lunch break.
I've been heavily involved in email conversations on my Blackberry the entire time that I've been out of the office. And, I've felt bad about missing some major events that went on acceptably without me.
On the whole though, I think it's been really good for me to get out of the office to explore how others are doing my job at other organizations. I have also learned that we're doing more of the right things than almost anyone else out there. Though, there's still a lot more I think we could be doing.
I highly recommend that all professionals get out of their offices and meet up with others in their field a few times a year. Both you and your organizations will be the better for it.
Not much at either conference has been earth shattering. I've picked up a few tidbits hear and there. Some of the presentations sparked some ideas on how I could do things different back at the office. And today, I got to walk in the sunshine during a lunch break.
I've been heavily involved in email conversations on my Blackberry the entire time that I've been out of the office. And, I've felt bad about missing some major events that went on acceptably without me.
On the whole though, I think it's been really good for me to get out of the office to explore how others are doing my job at other organizations. I have also learned that we're doing more of the right things than almost anyone else out there. Though, there's still a lot more I think we could be doing.
I highly recommend that all professionals get out of their offices and meet up with others in their field a few times a year. Both you and your organizations will be the better for it.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
We all need friends
Nearly ten years ago, our family moved from Maryland to New Hampshire. The greater Baltimore-Washington corridor was crowed and expense, particularly when it came to real estate. Crime was also a consideration. Then, there were the summers. While neither of us is a huge fan of cold snowy winters, my husband and I both despised hot humid summers. While the job market was pretty good (at the time), the most affordable places to live were at least a highly stressful hour's commute from most of the jobs.
So, off we moved to New Hampshire. Within a month we both had good jobs within 30 minutes of our rented townhouse. And the commutes were relatively low stress. In less than a year we'd found a great house with a huge yard that we could afford, without taking on significantly worse commutes. (We actually shifted. Goblin lessened his commute by 20 minutes, and I increased mine by 20 minutes. Though I was still within 30 minutes of work.)
A few years later we sold that house and moved to a somewhat smaller one for financial reasons. I then changed jobs and sucked up a longer commute. While more stressful, the current commute is still better than the average commute I had while living outside of Washington.
I regret very little about that migration. However, I do miss my friends from the mid Atlantic. We have made a few friends in New England, but we really don't socialize very often. Our friends from church are closer to the first house we had, twenty minutes to the north of our current house. Plus, Goblin's schedule has gotten pretty erratic with school and per diem work this year.
Since I'm really the gregarious one in our family, I decided to do something to improve my social life. I recently started browsing the various local Meetup groups in my area that might be of interest to me. I have already attended a meetup with some women who are interested in meditation and another with some folks interested in pottery. The later one inspired me to sign up for a one-day pottery class (that may lead to more classes). I'm considering attending a few other meetups as well.
I don't know if I'll make any 'good' friends as a result of my meetup activities, but it will be fun and help get me out of the house. I've been sitting around sulking about a few unfortunate events in our lives, of late. And, it's just not productive to dwell on things that you can't do anything about.
I may also just have to plan a trip down to Baltimore in the next few months. I really do miss a few people. We connect on Facebook, but it would be much better if I could spend the weekend with some of them, drinking, eating and laughing.
Finances are pretty tight, and I already have some other trips planned, so time is also a bit tight. But, maybe I can figure out a way. I do miss my friends.
So, off we moved to New Hampshire. Within a month we both had good jobs within 30 minutes of our rented townhouse. And the commutes were relatively low stress. In less than a year we'd found a great house with a huge yard that we could afford, without taking on significantly worse commutes. (We actually shifted. Goblin lessened his commute by 20 minutes, and I increased mine by 20 minutes. Though I was still within 30 minutes of work.)
A few years later we sold that house and moved to a somewhat smaller one for financial reasons. I then changed jobs and sucked up a longer commute. While more stressful, the current commute is still better than the average commute I had while living outside of Washington.
I regret very little about that migration. However, I do miss my friends from the mid Atlantic. We have made a few friends in New England, but we really don't socialize very often. Our friends from church are closer to the first house we had, twenty minutes to the north of our current house. Plus, Goblin's schedule has gotten pretty erratic with school and per diem work this year.
Since I'm really the gregarious one in our family, I decided to do something to improve my social life. I recently started browsing the various local Meetup groups in my area that might be of interest to me. I have already attended a meetup with some women who are interested in meditation and another with some folks interested in pottery. The later one inspired me to sign up for a one-day pottery class (that may lead to more classes). I'm considering attending a few other meetups as well.
I don't know if I'll make any 'good' friends as a result of my meetup activities, but it will be fun and help get me out of the house. I've been sitting around sulking about a few unfortunate events in our lives, of late. And, it's just not productive to dwell on things that you can't do anything about.
I may also just have to plan a trip down to Baltimore in the next few months. I really do miss a few people. We connect on Facebook, but it would be much better if I could spend the weekend with some of them, drinking, eating and laughing.
Finances are pretty tight, and I already have some other trips planned, so time is also a bit tight. But, maybe I can figure out a way. I do miss my friends.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
My blog has been busy without me
Over the last month I have received more comments on my blog than over any other THREE month period. That would be fabulous except that I've barely posted to my blog since the first of the year. Virtually every 'comment' has been that dreaded blog spam!
Sadly, to help cut down on the amount of such detritus I will no longer be accepting anonymous comments. So, those of you who do not have blogger accounts are welcome to read but you won't be able to comment. Feel free to email me or carry out your public poke of me over on Facebook. Both options mean that you have to know who I am.
A certain amount of anonymity is a wondrous thing for creativity and discourse. And, I really don't need to know exactly who you are for you to comment here. Only blogger has to know who you are, more or less. Similarly, blogger knows who I am in a more-or-less fashion.
This doesn't mean that I'll approve your comments. If your comment has nothing to do with the topic of my blog entry (and I don't personally know who you are), your comment will be rejected. If I do not know you personally, I will not accept a comment with any web links in it. Neither will I check out any such links myself even if your comment promises that I will:
I must however thank all you reprehensible spammers for getting me off my butt to post this entry. So, THANK YOU!
Sadly, to help cut down on the amount of such detritus I will no longer be accepting anonymous comments. So, those of you who do not have blogger accounts are welcome to read but you won't be able to comment. Feel free to email me or carry out your public poke of me over on Facebook. Both options mean that you have to know who I am.
A certain amount of anonymity is a wondrous thing for creativity and discourse. And, I really don't need to know exactly who you are for you to comment here. Only blogger has to know who you are, more or less. Similarly, blogger knows who I am in a more-or-less fashion.
This doesn't mean that I'll approve your comments. If your comment has nothing to do with the topic of my blog entry (and I don't personally know who you are), your comment will be rejected. If I do not know you personally, I will not accept a comment with any web links in it. Neither will I check out any such links myself even if your comment promises that I will:
- Lose 30 pounds in 30 days
- Earn $10,000/week (or more) doing ...
- Endlessly please my woman in bed (I cannot perfect an anatomical part that I do not have)
- Learn the secrets of the universe by listening to some profound new audio course
- Live a longer and healthier life by taking a supplement derived from Yak manure
- Be able to purchase foreclosed property for pennies on the dollar
I must however thank all you reprehensible spammers for getting me off my butt to post this entry. So, THANK YOU!
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