Tripping....

Just took a trip to Prattville, AL yesterday. We have a major data center and operations facility relocation project scheduled for June 1st, 2009. Essentially we are retrofitting a 150 year old building into something that will work as a top tier
facility. Not an easy task. Lots of work remain left to be completed...lots of projects on my board, lots of irons in the fire...I need to keep them all hot.

That will be challenging.

It was a cool, refreshing morning as the sun rose quietly over the 2nd hole fairway behind my hotel. Situated perfectly, nestled on the Capitol Hill Golf Course, the hotel was a sight to behold even for a non-traditional country club type. I admire the beauty, the raw creativity & even the elitist showmanship that a "golf course community" exhibits so calmly, a form of understated entitlement. I know it would never be a lifestyle that I chose, but to each their own. Let it be. :)

I am tripping out a tad bit on the workload and number of projects right now, but I know that I must keep it all calm & under control. There are a lot of people depending on my ability to stay focused, remain diligent & manage everything without failure.
It is significantly more taxing than I ever let show and maybe that is not a good thing, but at the end of the day...I must get the job done. No worries, no whining and certainly without failure.

Better Days...Better Days are coming. I am learning to appreciate life, appreciate the joys of feeling each emotion, and knowing that as I highly as I might personally regard myself when it comes to work, they could replace me within a week and the show would most certainly go on. You cannot dwell on that cold, hard fact of life, but we must all strive to deliver while we are on the field, because each play, each day we are being judged, we are being critiqued, no matter who we are. At the end of it all,
to know that you gave all you had, that is all you could ever ask for...all you could ever want. Off to the grind, make a difference while you are still out there, Andy.

Achievement is not always defined by victory. Sometimes achievement lies in the honest endeavor to do your best under all circumstances, knowing that on any given day, intense personal effort may be the only thing keeps you moving forward.

Cheers,
Andy

Weather changes, so does my mood....

The weather changed for the better today. (No, this blog isn't going down the path of talking about the weather, at least on a routine basis!) The warmth felt nice and refreshing. Even as the layer of icy frost covered the cold black trash container at the end of the driveway this morning, I knew that it wouldn't last for long. The walk this morning with Sonoma was brisk and very cold, but change was still in the air.
The temperature at 6:35AM was 34F and by noon, it was already 62F. Amazing.

This afternoon is was 68F, exactly double the temperature of this morning.
Amazingly beautiful day. Went for a jaunt with the collie at Fontainebleau State Park
and walked among the wooden giants, the mighty 300+ year old live oaks in the soothing warm, sunny afternoon. We walked down a few trails and up to the coastline of the lake. Simply a day worth its true value only if spent outside. I took half of the day off from the grind at work and reconnected myself to one last indivisible purity that life still beholds --- nature.

Over the years, I have discovered that nearly every emotion, every event and every outcome can be mirrored in nature. Growth, decay, rebirth, disease, sudden death, new life, blooming, fading, old, new, struggle, folly, strength, fortitude --- everything can be seen in nature --- the one truth, nothing is constant but change.

Always changing, always allowing change to occur. No agendas, no caution, no plans.
Life simply happens and the beauty of it all --- the good and the bad unfold without
incident, without influence...right before our eyes, everyday.

Are we ready for the changes that life has in-store for us? Are we afraid to grow, to change??? Why do we hold fast to our image of today, our own leaves? Why are we afraid to see the simple magic of life?

Not sure ---

Tonight my mood has turned somber...joyless.

I don't feel connected to anything presently --- just getting the work done, getting
everything in order, keeping the projects moving forward...being the good soldier.
Sometimes that is all I have to give this life, sometimes I fear that will be the extent of my existence. Sometimes I just feel proud to be a good father, sometimes I wonder where I am headed and how much time I really have left.

I push onward --- knowing....believing that tomorrow as my daughter turns 13, I will
feel accomplished & proud. I will rejoice in the amazingly powerful influence that she has had upon my life and how much she means to me. She is truly an amazing child, an amazing gift.

Smile...the sun will be rising soon, Mr. Oak.
Andy

Embrace --- Dream becomes a blog.

Woke up with the phrase "EMBRACE" in my mind. I casually pieced together some thoughts when I was waking up, but nothing made a lot of sense, and I went back to sleep. As I slipped back into my dream, the phrase came back to me again. I was told by a mysterious person in my dream, to embrace. Embrace everything around you. Embrace who you are and who are not just as equally. Don't live another life, live your own. Embrace the differences, the joys, the sorrows, the pain and the true beauty of life. Embrace everything.

 

   EMBRACE THE MOMENT. :)

Rubber hits the road....

Actions or words?
I had an issue today at work that got me upset and even defensive, but I needed time to think about it. I then looked at it again as an opportunity ---- to finally put into action all of those nifty sayings, quotes & statements about excellence, achievement and endurance.....instead of just using them to fill up wall space like I believe most people do.

It is easy to do, say or even think the right thing when you are not under the gun, downtrodden, criticized, or even challenged. It is when you have to deal with adversity that you truly see what lies beneath your own skin. I think I am growing stronger with each event and by acknowledging your own faults through accountability and moving forward with new commitments, you can continue to grow and mature. (at least that is my goal) :)

Somedays, it is perfect true......it takes all you have just to stay in the game.

New Laptop & Blog Writer --- Dell M1530 & Windows Live Writer?

Amazingly, I got a new laptop to use for work and it an incredible Dell XPS M1530 running Windows Vista Home Premium. I absolutely love this laptop and Vista. (at least it is stable at this point --- hehe) --- I really like the fingerprint scanner to protect and auto-logon to sites such as banking, blogspot etc....can never be too careful, right?

So, what about Windows Live Writer? It makes blogspot.com so much easier to use --- it is like a live editor with so much better functionality than the generic "blogger.com" interface. It basically does everything behind the scenes and just lets you focus on writing, posting & then it sends everything locally up the blogspot site.

Pretty nifty.....huh?

Here is a picture of my new laptop & Live Writer! Cheers!

Merry Christmas!!!

Wishing everyone out there a wonderful Christmas.
We are all so truly, truly blessed.

Cheers & Best wishes,
Andy

Hobby #7 - Flying

Now back to my hobbies. I started flying back in 2003 and logged about 25 hours that year. However, I had a setback that cost me some time which was a kidney stone that forced me to not get my FAA Airman's Medical certificate. (no solo flying training) I ended up having to wait to get doctor's sign-off over a year later to continue my flight training. I logged only a few hours in 2004 due my hectic work schedule, but I was determined to continue towards my goal. After my divorce, I pressed myself strongly towards finding things that we not negative, but based on things that would clear my mind and allow me a chance to really enjoy life. In 2005, I logged the remainder of my hours and quietly got my Checkride completed. It was a quiet time in my life when I had little other going on but work and just living...getting to know myself again, so it was a good time to practice on something fun.

I went through 6 instructors during that time, 3 flight schools & 6 different airplanes. I started in a 1960 Cessna 150 which was about like flying in a cockpit the size of a 20 gallon fish tank. At 6'3", 210 it made for some rather interesting days in the saddle --- When calculating the basic weight & balance loads, it was extremely tricky with such a small plane! I only flew 2 flights in this plane and while the 150 was economic for rentals, it was just too small. I then moved up to the Cessna 172 which has the dubious honor of being quite simply the most produced aircraft ever invented in the history of the world. I enjoyed the extra power, payload and roominess of this aircraft. Even with the multitudes of units out there and still running strong, Cessna planes are a unique breed of aircraft, an iconic tribute to preliminary aviation training.


Piper Warrior - Flight Training Aircraft

After getting used to the Cessna aircraft, I moved on to a few different Piper models, including my old standby --- 1978 PA-28-161 (Piper Warrior III) --- which I relied on for the majority of my later training and experience. Going through instructors was an interesting experience. The variety and range of experiences are truly overwhelming. Each instructors has his or her own style, method of teaching, method of instruction, method of correction and method of living. Ranging from obsessive, psychotic, argumentative, or arrogant to approachable, humble and even introverted...the entire gambit of flight training can be found...if you look hard far enough and go through enough instructors!

The cost of flying makes it a rich man's sport, no doubt. To this day, I cannot even fathom nor justify the expense of even the cheapest and oldest Cessna plane out there. They are expensive to own, insure, maintain & fly....simple as that. I love flying, so I keep my skills alive and well by practicing on Flight Simulator X with a full gambit of accurate flight instruments, controls and gear. The flight models are extremely accurate, responsive & much cheaper than doing it the real world. :)
* (I do have to take a BFR - biannual flight review in 2009 to stay current)


Nearly all of my FT was done at KHDC - Hammond

Perhaps one day, I will get back to flying & even get my own small plane. For now, I am content to know that I have known that I reached a very important and fun goal in my life. A goal that I haven't share with too many people in or outside of my family simply because it was just a personal goal...

But heck it is one of my hobbies...and so it is here on my personal blog! :)