I've moved

My blog is all grown up now and has its own URL. Please change any bookmarks, feedreaders, etc. to the new domain: http://www.myfirstmillionwords.com/

All of these posts and comments have been moved over there. This site will no longer be updated.

See you over there, hopefully with actual real content on a more regular basis.

It's time for things to change

It's time for things to change. Something has to give. I can't go on like this anymore. Keep watching this space for details.

I just re-read that before hitting "publish post". Nothing life threatening or anything, so don't worry. Good change, but change none-the-less.

Life Changes - the next update

In a previous post I discussed the status of some major life changes going on in my life.

There have been many changes since then. First of all, it was the 4 week mark on my new job and I was loving it. Well, I made it 6 weeks. At that point they laid off over 50% of the company. The group of 8 developers I was part of lost 6 plus our manager. The only two that stayed were the team lead and another developer that were working on that last killer feature needed for version 1 of the product. Their emergency backup funding sources had suddenly dried up. The owners, who broke the news themselves, seemed shell-shocked. That was Nov. Since then they found just enough funding from other sources to get to their first release. They will need to get a certain number of subscribers to continue past that point. They have until October, 2009 to hit that goal. At this point they have not increased staff at all and in fact have decreased just a little more as a few people have left the company for other jobs since it has become so uncertain there.

In less than 2 weeks I was back to work at my prior employer (before the startup), doing the same kind of thing but in a different development group than before. Everyone seems happy to have me back. That is a nice feeling.

As for the house - we received an offer and are now in the closing period. We hope to be moved in the new (old) house by mid-March. We will own the new house free and clear - no mortgage at all. A very comforting feeling in this time of economic turmoil.

On the writing front - well, what's that saying about best laid plans and stuff? I really hope to start writing more. I want to. And trying to get it going again with the whole upheaval of moving is probably a bad idea. But, I'm doing it anyway. Away I go.

Really hitting home...

I've been reading Anne Jackson's blog Flowerdust for a couple of months now.  Found it via Mark Lee (of Third Day) and the Deadly Viper blog.  I've really been enjoying it.  I recommend it highly and will add it to the blogroll very soon.

Today she has a post up that really struck home with me.  It's right on the mark, and it discusses when her faith moved from her head to her heart. At least that's the way it seems to me.  I don't know her at all, nor have I ever met her, but my interpretation of the story in that post is about that event in her life. 

This is the part that inspired me to take time at my office to go to my personal blog and write this post:

there is no excuse for us not to love - and therefore act - on behalf of those without. without food, water, healthcare, or freedom. the bible does not give us an option. we are told over and over again what we need to do, but we get lost in our burden of wealth and we forget.

we compartmentalize “poverty” and “injustice” as causes and don’t integrate serving those trapped in them in our minute-by-minute living, as our continual act of worship.

She then promotes blog action day and emphasizes the action.  She suggests Compassion International, which is a fine organization.  I personally support World Vision, but toMAYto, toMAHto as they say.

Go check out the post.  And add her to your feed reader or whatever you use to track blogs.  Trust me, it's worth your time.

Life changes - an update

A little status update on my major life changes mentioned in prior posts.  Everything is moving forward in a positive manner.

First, on the job front: I got an offer from that other company.  This is my 4th week there.  I get to work with some old friends again, which is great, and I have work to do that doesn't bore me to tears.  I'm actually excited to get to work in the morning.  The environment is great.  The work is fun.  Maybe one day I can talk about it, but right now it's under NDA.  One thing is for sure, nothing will get your adrenaline going like starting a job at a startup at the same time the market is tanking.

On the house front: We are definitely moving forward.  We are now listed for sale, and should be able to get exactly what we need to close the other deal.  God is good all the time.  All the time God is good.  It is really amazing how this whole situation has worked out.  There are all kinds of behind-the-scenes details that I can't go into here that have just fallen into place and is helping this whole thing move forward.

Life looks positive in all areas right now.  Praise the Lord!

More great writing resources

This is slowly becoming a holding place for things I want to read about writing, and possibly even implement, but haven't gotten to yet. I must do something about that.

But first, the new links. In his latest post, Wil Wheaton talks about writing, how he's working through stretching and growing his writing muscles, and gives some links to some good writer blogs and a couple of good posts about writing.

So, the links:
Writing lessons I wish I'd learned the easy way and
Blog Vs. Book.

I plan to read these. I even plan to read #2 NOW.

A lot of change going on - Part II

First, an update on Part I - interview process continues. Today is the 3rd interview, and one of the interviewers will be the V.P. of Engineering. I feel like the process has gone well so far and that I'll probably get an offer later this week.

As for the other major change going on - we are working towards moving to a small town outside of the metropolitan area I live in now. It will change my commute to work from about 15 miles to about 50 miles. But the good part is that I can pay cash for the house using the equity I have in my current home. Additionally we'd be closer to some of my family. We'd also get an older home, which is something my wife has always wanted. Now we just have to go through all the work of getting our house ready to sell. This kind of has my stomach tied up in knots. I'm actually feeling kind of nauseated as I sit here and type this.

Updates coming.....

A lot of change going on - Part I

I've got a lot of change going on in my life. Or at least the potential for a lot of change coming up. What kind of change you ask? Well, sit right down there and I'll tell you.

First, I have a job interview this Friday. I'm both excited about it and dreading it at the same time.

I'm excited about it because it is a programming job at a company where 2 of my good friends work. I've worked with them both in the past - in fact, the 3 of us have even worked together - and I really enjoy working with them. Also it sounds like they are both having fun working there. And from what they could tell me about the project (they are under an NDA as the project is pre-release), it sounds like I'd enjoy it too. I'd get to learn some new stuff. Work in an area that is both familiar to me (web development), but also new to me (PHP programming). Plus its in a different industry than I'm working in now. Lots to look forward to there.

I am somewhat dreading it because I don't like the interview process. Never have, never will. That's at least one reason I've only had 3 jobs in the last 20 years. It takes a lot to make me unhappy enough to go through the interview process and look for something else. But I'm at that point at my current job. No matter how hard I try to focus and do the work, I simply struggle with it. I am completely bored by it. I haven't learned anything new in the last 3-4 years. I know our product inside and out, and even though new development is going on using newer technologies like Microsoft's dotNet, I haven't gotten moved on to that new development. I'm enhancing and maintaining the older existing code base. And I've learned the hard way that if I'm not challenged I'm bored.

The thing that has kept me there, and also has me dreading this potential job change, is the people I work with. I have some good friends there. I really enjoy being around most of the people I work with. And even though the work may bore me, at least I'm around people I enjoy. Will I even like the people I work with at the new place - besides those two friends of mine that already work there? I have no idea.

--- to be continued ---

Poor Olympic Timing

I haven't watched more than, say, 30 minutes of the Olympics since they started last Friday. Why? Because every time I turn them on it's gymnastics. I'm not big on the gymnastics. I read blog posts, twitter messages, IMs, etc. from people talking about seeing the swimming, the soccer, even the fencing and badminton. Why is it that those things aren't on when I watch? Why is it always gymnastics? Why? Seriously?

And the Chinese female gymnasts are 16? They're as much 16 as I have anyone reading this blog.

UPDATE: I finally got to see some of that fancy Phelps swimming tonight. Now gymnastics is on again. D'OH!

Writing about writing and actually writing

Good stuff I found tonight. Noted for future reference.

John Scalzi's tips on writing:
Whatever: Writing Tips for Non-Writers Who Don't Want to Work at Writing

An idea for content for my site. I like to read, after all.
Words For Words

Never Let Go

You may or may not have heard of the David Crowder Band. If not, they are a praise and worship band. Now, praise & worship music, and the bands that perform such, is not typically my preferred listening. It's typically simple, basic music. When you need several hundred people to learn a new song instantly on Sunday morning, that's actually a good thing. But the David Crowder Band is different. These guys are all excellent musicians. And they bring a level of complexity to the typical praise and worship music that both make it a joy to listen to and also a true, worshipful experience.

Recently I've had one of their songs stuck on repeat on my iPod. As in I listen to it, and before the iPod can change to the next song I make it repeat. I have at times listened to it 10-15 times before moving on to the next song, and typically after a song or two will back up to it. I just can't get enough of it. Maybe God is trying to drill a lesson into my head. But if so, that's kind of scary - what bad thing is on the horizon?

Here is a YouTube video someone posted that puts up the lyrics while the song plays. I had found another from a church that they had created for a worship service, but in the time since I found it and could post it (several days) it had been taken down by the poster. Give this a listen and see if you can only listen to it once.