Well, wow. So back in April I took a new Job with American Express. It is MUCH closer to home, no more painful commute! Because it is closer I traded my sonic for a used Dodge Ram 2500 HD,
I will write more about that and about the Ram, which is a decent truck, soon.
Sorry for the short update... gotta go now! Oh! And StarStable added a new section called Epona. Level 18 here I come!
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Goings On
Been awhile since I posted so I thought I would provide a brief update...
The family has been playing an online game called Star Stable Online (SSO). It is a lot of fun, and there is always plenty to do, but it does cycle daily so that (unless you spend coin to move the day forward) you can run out of things to do in a day... preventing sleepless nights. :) Anyway, the basic story is that you come to this island where the equestrian life dominates, and you become an integral (and central) part of an ongoing good vs. evil adventure. The game is frequently updated and new regions added, as well as advancing parts of the story line.
Other news... let's see. My Chevrolet Sonic is hanging in there despite the mileage and abuse I put to her... had to have some body work done on the roof, due to flying debris on the highway.
Work has been going alright. Getting my work done reasonably well in a reasonable amount of time.
Leadership Training for Christ (LTC) is coming up, this will be the first time *I* have attended, and I am looking forward to it.
The American Tarantula Society (ATS) is NOT holding its yearly conference, instead a group of Arizonans are trying to put an alternative gathering together. I am very tempted to attend.
Both LTC and the Tarantula conference will be held in Tucson. I like Tucson... long drive but seems like a nice area/city.
Sandi has a trip in June to the North East, I was able to apply frequent flier points to it and all I had to pay for was the added insurance. That was nice.
The kids are growing, and school is going fine... Karate is agreeing with my son, who is actually enjoying it.
That is it for now! Hmmm. Did I review my KUL keyboard? I will have to check my blogs and see... if not I will have to post a review.
The family has been playing an online game called Star Stable Online (SSO). It is a lot of fun, and there is always plenty to do, but it does cycle daily so that (unless you spend coin to move the day forward) you can run out of things to do in a day... preventing sleepless nights. :) Anyway, the basic story is that you come to this island where the equestrian life dominates, and you become an integral (and central) part of an ongoing good vs. evil adventure. The game is frequently updated and new regions added, as well as advancing parts of the story line.
Other news... let's see. My Chevrolet Sonic is hanging in there despite the mileage and abuse I put to her... had to have some body work done on the roof, due to flying debris on the highway.
Work has been going alright. Getting my work done reasonably well in a reasonable amount of time.
Leadership Training for Christ (LTC) is coming up, this will be the first time *I* have attended, and I am looking forward to it.
The American Tarantula Society (ATS) is NOT holding its yearly conference, instead a group of Arizonans are trying to put an alternative gathering together. I am very tempted to attend.
Both LTC and the Tarantula conference will be held in Tucson. I like Tucson... long drive but seems like a nice area/city.
Sandi has a trip in June to the North East, I was able to apply frequent flier points to it and all I had to pay for was the added insurance. That was nice.
The kids are growing, and school is going fine... Karate is agreeing with my son, who is actually enjoying it.
That is it for now! Hmmm. Did I review my KUL keyboard? I will have to check my blogs and see... if not I will have to post a review.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Review of KUL ES-87 Cherry MX Brown Keyboard
My new keyboard arrived today. I had been using another keyboard that incorporated Cherry MX Blue keys but because of the feel and the usage of inferior components, I did not really like that keyboard. It was backlit, which was nice... but it did not satisfy. I replaced it with a Matias Quiet Pro mini keyboard which I liked, but I took it into work to use there.
This keyboard is very nice.
This keyboard is a little wider than my other two, having only lopped off the keypad section of the keyboard. In my cramped workspace this does not leave much room for my mouse, but it leaves enough. I am tempted to switch my mouse to my left hand, except it is designed for right-handed people, with thumb buttons. I still may do that.
I will start by saying about the only thing this keyboard could benefit from is backlighting. But that is a feature some people like, others do not. Adding backlighting also increases the potential for some sort of failure. So I understand the simplicity of this keyboard in that regard. The key caps themselves are nicely shaped and your fingers magically find their way into them as you type.
Pressing the keys is akin to slicing into a delicious piece of chocolate cake. Or firm butter with a warm knife...
Either way, key presses provide enough resistance and feedback (halfway through their is a soft "bump" to let you know you are activating the key) that allows a typist to feel comfortable to type without bottoming out all of the time. With this particular keyboard, being made of some heavy materials, the bottoming out sound is not harsh and rather deep. Both aural and tactile feedback is a wonderful experience. Really, I cannot explain how nice this keyboard feels. I would heartily recommend it.
My previous keyboards in order:
Matias Tactile Pro 2
Happy Hacker Keyboard Pro 2
Matias mini pro quiet
And now this, KUL ES-87 (Cherry MX Brown keys)
The HHKB was probably the nicest, and most expensive keyboard I've owned. The Topre switches are very nice. But I would say this rivals the HHKB and, according to the manufacturer, this is much more solidly constructed (which I believe as my HHKB connector broke in just over a year).
The KUL is close to 1/3 the price of the HHKB and the actuation, while perhaps a little more harsh when bottoming out, are very similar in feel to the topre switches (in regards to force and bump).
Anyway, I recommend this keyboard.
This keyboard is very nice.
This keyboard is a little wider than my other two, having only lopped off the keypad section of the keyboard. In my cramped workspace this does not leave much room for my mouse, but it leaves enough. I am tempted to switch my mouse to my left hand, except it is designed for right-handed people, with thumb buttons. I still may do that.
I will start by saying about the only thing this keyboard could benefit from is backlighting. But that is a feature some people like, others do not. Adding backlighting also increases the potential for some sort of failure. So I understand the simplicity of this keyboard in that regard. The key caps themselves are nicely shaped and your fingers magically find their way into them as you type.
Pressing the keys is akin to slicing into a delicious piece of chocolate cake. Or firm butter with a warm knife...
Either way, key presses provide enough resistance and feedback (halfway through their is a soft "bump" to let you know you are activating the key) that allows a typist to feel comfortable to type without bottoming out all of the time. With this particular keyboard, being made of some heavy materials, the bottoming out sound is not harsh and rather deep. Both aural and tactile feedback is a wonderful experience. Really, I cannot explain how nice this keyboard feels. I would heartily recommend it.
My previous keyboards in order:
Matias Tactile Pro 2
Happy Hacker Keyboard Pro 2
Matias mini pro quiet
And now this, KUL ES-87 (Cherry MX Brown keys)
The HHKB was probably the nicest, and most expensive keyboard I've owned. The Topre switches are very nice. But I would say this rivals the HHKB and, according to the manufacturer, this is much more solidly constructed (which I believe as my HHKB connector broke in just over a year).
The KUL is close to 1/3 the price of the HHKB and the actuation, while perhaps a little more harsh when bottoming out, are very similar in feel to the topre switches (in regards to force and bump).
Anyway, I recommend this keyboard.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Monsoon!
The monsoon season started out pretty slowly but over the past several weeks it has kicked it up a notch. We've been blessed with some decent rains and today there was enough to cause New River to flood, as well as many washes in the area.
I have not heard of any deaths caused by the flooding, so that is good. I took back roads home today (left work early) because I-17 was closed due to flooding!
We live in a desert, the rains are GOOD. God taking care of the plants, animals and shaping the landscape.
Work has still been a bit of a struggle for me. I've been making some headway, getting more of my work done in a reasonable amount of time (for the most part) and hopefully improving my techniques. I still have not adjusted to the drive, the environment and the personalities.
Watched "Pacific Rim" with Isaac today, it was a good movie, don't know why we waited so long to watch it. Also found out that season 4 of Haven is up on Netflix. Yay!
I have not heard of any deaths caused by the flooding, so that is good. I took back roads home today (left work early) because I-17 was closed due to flooding!
We live in a desert, the rains are GOOD. God taking care of the plants, animals and shaping the landscape.
Work has still been a bit of a struggle for me. I've been making some headway, getting more of my work done in a reasonable amount of time (for the most part) and hopefully improving my techniques. I still have not adjusted to the drive, the environment and the personalities.
Watched "Pacific Rim" with Isaac today, it was a good movie, don't know why we waited so long to watch it. Also found out that season 4 of Haven is up on Netflix. Yay!
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Testimony
Whoa! I just realized I had not shared what happened...
So, you saw that I had lost my job and a recruiter had contacted me... without solicitation on my part.
I interviewed with the recruiter, took a test, etc. Then they got me an interview with the company I am now working for. Well, as far as I am concerned the interview did not go well. In fact when I left the interview I immediately called the recruiter and told them it was a bust, but to please provide me with the feedback I need to improve. They said "we'll call you back in a bit." I got home, my phone rang and it was the recruiter who said "are you ready to start?"
I was pretty shocked. I was certain they would not even consider me based on the interview. But they did and they hired me.
So here are the events:
Wed. Lost Job.
Thu. Email from recruiter
Fri. Contact from recruiter
Mon. Supposed to meet recruiter, we missed each other
Tue. Met recruiter
Thu. Interview / Initial Job Offer
I had been praying for change for quite awhile now and God was listening. Sometimes what you pray for isn't exactly what you expect as an answer, but His answer was effective and did what I asked for. Then, after shaking me up and changing my life he provided a job for me to make sure (another, constant prayer of mine) I am able to house, feed, cloth my family.
I know most people would just consider this chance... I don't. Prayer answered, lose job, job provided without me lifting a finger and despite my own failures and misgivings. God chose this job for a reason, I don't know what it is but here I am so perhaps I can be an instrument in this place. I guess only time will tell, but I am grateful for His love and for how he works in my life, and for where I am right now.
So, you saw that I had lost my job and a recruiter had contacted me... without solicitation on my part.
I interviewed with the recruiter, took a test, etc. Then they got me an interview with the company I am now working for. Well, as far as I am concerned the interview did not go well. In fact when I left the interview I immediately called the recruiter and told them it was a bust, but to please provide me with the feedback I need to improve. They said "we'll call you back in a bit." I got home, my phone rang and it was the recruiter who said "are you ready to start?"
I was pretty shocked. I was certain they would not even consider me based on the interview. But they did and they hired me.
So here are the events:
Wed. Lost Job.
Thu. Email from recruiter
Fri. Contact from recruiter
Mon. Supposed to meet recruiter, we missed each other
Tue. Met recruiter
Thu. Interview / Initial Job Offer
I had been praying for change for quite awhile now and God was listening. Sometimes what you pray for isn't exactly what you expect as an answer, but His answer was effective and did what I asked for. Then, after shaking me up and changing my life he provided a job for me to make sure (another, constant prayer of mine) I am able to house, feed, cloth my family.
I know most people would just consider this chance... I don't. Prayer answered, lose job, job provided without me lifting a finger and despite my own failures and misgivings. God chose this job for a reason, I don't know what it is but here I am so perhaps I can be an instrument in this place. I guess only time will tell, but I am grateful for His love and for how he works in my life, and for where I am right now.
It's been awhile...
Life has changed a lot. Not necessarily for the worse, but ... changed.
My new job is an hour away, and it is all new to me. Huge learning curve, but I am trying to figure it all out, with God's help. By that I mean, different working environment, different personalities, and of course a new development platform for me. I was hired as a Senior Java Developer but the work is in Groovy/Grails. Also, an all-new product (to me) so... it is a bit overwhelming, I just hope I do not disappoint my co-workers and new boss.
Other than that things are going well.
I will write more and about something soon, just haven't had the extra energy needed to do so.
My new job is an hour away, and it is all new to me. Huge learning curve, but I am trying to figure it all out, with God's help. By that I mean, different working environment, different personalities, and of course a new development platform for me. I was hired as a Senior Java Developer but the work is in Groovy/Grails. Also, an all-new product (to me) so... it is a bit overwhelming, I just hope I do not disappoint my co-workers and new boss.
Other than that things are going well.
I will write more and about something soon, just haven't had the extra energy needed to do so.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Day 3
Still having up and down waves of emotion. I imagine this will continue for some time. My brother likened it to a death, being with people for so long then suddenly cut off.
Today wasn't a bad day tho'. My manager had some more kind words for me today and asked me to not "check out" for the remainder of my time there because he needed me. I wouldn't do that of course.
I was also contacted by and spoke with a recruiter today and they would like to meet me in person on Monday. I think it might be too soon for that and I also am not sure I am right for the job, but I really do need to get "out there" and meet with people, have interviews and get back into the world of job hunting. So we are meeting and I am actually looking forward to it. I don't think they will want me (am I being too negative, too pessimistic?) but I am grateful they want to speak with me just the same!
On not being ready... the potential position requires a leadership mindset. I have not been a "leader" for the past nine years. I forget what it feels like. There was a time when I led but when I moved here, I was literally told that my role would be more or less subservient to leadership roles, and that is where I've been. So now I need to be prepared to change gears and show that I have the "oomph" and drive to BE a leader, but at the moment I am feeling (sorry for sharing feelings) sort of vulnerable and less certain of myself than I normally would. I think this too will change with time, but again I wonder, "am I ready?"
Well, we shall find out! :)
Today wasn't a bad day tho'. My manager had some more kind words for me today and asked me to not "check out" for the remainder of my time there because he needed me. I wouldn't do that of course.
I was also contacted by and spoke with a recruiter today and they would like to meet me in person on Monday. I think it might be too soon for that and I also am not sure I am right for the job, but I really do need to get "out there" and meet with people, have interviews and get back into the world of job hunting. So we are meeting and I am actually looking forward to it. I don't think they will want me (am I being too negative, too pessimistic?) but I am grateful they want to speak with me just the same!
On not being ready... the potential position requires a leadership mindset. I have not been a "leader" for the past nine years. I forget what it feels like. There was a time when I led but when I moved here, I was literally told that my role would be more or less subservient to leadership roles, and that is where I've been. So now I need to be prepared to change gears and show that I have the "oomph" and drive to BE a leader, but at the moment I am feeling (sorry for sharing feelings) sort of vulnerable and less certain of myself than I normally would. I think this too will change with time, but again I wonder, "am I ready?"
Well, we shall find out! :)
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