Since a couple of people have asked for it, this post is a more detailed explanation of my current job - what the company does, what I do there, and what it's like working there.
In November 2008 I resigned as a software engineer at Micron Technology to take a position as a software engineer at Telemetric Corporation. Telemetric's business model is based around selling equipment and services to help utility companies wirelessly monitor equipment in power distribution networks. Because the company's products use the celluar network, they allow remote monitoring of substation equipment without the need for on-site personnel or physical communication lines. These products align the with the current smart grid initiatives, which are intended to make the power grid more fault tolerant, adaptable, and more easily managed.
Once a distribution system is equipped with Telemetric devices, a utility can manage intelligent electronic devices in their distribution network remotely. This means configuration changes can be initiated from the utility's control center rather than requiring a truck be sent out to a remote substation. A monitoring system called a SCADA System can be used to continuously monitor and control devices in the field over the wireless network. Alternately, Telemetric maintains a website for those customers who do not have a SCADA system so they too can monitor and control their devices in the field.
The engineering team has two main groups, a hardware group (which designs and builds the devices) and a smaller software team which maintains the software side (SCADA integration code and the web applications which allow remote monitoring and control). I'm in the software group; my main project to date have been writing software to automatically test the devices. I suspect that my future projects will include website enhancements and possibly also enhancements to the code used for SCADA integration.
So far, it has been a positive change for my career. The work has been interesting and Telemetric is a well-run profitable company with good people. With the economy being what it is, it's hard to feel too comfortable with any job but right now things seem to be as stable as they can be.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Snowshoeing in Wyoming
Since the break in the winter weather continued, Dan and I made another snowshoe trip, this time to the big mountains of the Jackson area. Dan had planned this trip for a long time and it finally came together with the good weather, good road conditions, and schedules.
We left Boise Friday afternoon and made the 6 hour drive to Jackson, stopping for dinner at an Arctic Circle in Idaho Falls. We spent the night at the Jackson Hole Lodge, a decent and reasonably priced motel in town. Saturday morning we got up early and caught the morning light hitting the Tetons. Continuing up the road, we saw moose and buffalo on our way up to Togwotee Pass, the start of the snowshoeing trip.
Brooks Mountain was the first peak on the docket. From the highway, we were able to follow a skier's trail for the first mile or more; when it stopped we had to venture across some questionable terrain before making it into the basin below the peak. From there it was easy going up to the summit ridge and eventually the summit. The summit itself looked steep and forbidding from far away but was actually pretty easy snowshoeing once we got up there. Temperatures were pretty mild (for January at least), probably in the 20s with a little bit of wind. Of course the summit views were astounding and easily some of the best I've seen anywhere. The mountains of Wyoming are a special place!
After making our way down we checked out the National Elk Refuge north of Jackson. Dinner was at the Snake River Brewing Company's brewpub. The place was packed with skiers quaffing beers after a day on the slopes. Their Hawaiian pizza was pretty good, but the Zonker Stout was even better.
On Sunday we ascended Mt. Glory in the morning. This peak is very popular with backcountry skiers; so popular there is hard packed boot path all the way from the highway to the peak. It was a little weird being the only snowshoers; everyone probably thought we were weirdos but of course I'm used to that! The views from up top were impressive but not as spectacular as Brooks Mountain. We made a quick snowshoe descent and were on the road around 11am to begin the long drive back to Boise.
Trip stats:
Dan's Trip Report
We left Boise Friday afternoon and made the 6 hour drive to Jackson, stopping for dinner at an Arctic Circle in Idaho Falls. We spent the night at the Jackson Hole Lodge, a decent and reasonably priced motel in town. Saturday morning we got up early and caught the morning light hitting the Tetons. Continuing up the road, we saw moose and buffalo on our way up to Togwotee Pass, the start of the snowshoeing trip.
Brooks Mountain was the first peak on the docket. From the highway, we were able to follow a skier's trail for the first mile or more; when it stopped we had to venture across some questionable terrain before making it into the basin below the peak. From there it was easy going up to the summit ridge and eventually the summit. The summit itself looked steep and forbidding from far away but was actually pretty easy snowshoeing once we got up there. Temperatures were pretty mild (for January at least), probably in the 20s with a little bit of wind. Of course the summit views were astounding and easily some of the best I've seen anywhere. The mountains of Wyoming are a special place!
After making our way down we checked out the National Elk Refuge north of Jackson. Dinner was at the Snake River Brewing Company's brewpub. The place was packed with skiers quaffing beers after a day on the slopes. Their Hawaiian pizza was pretty good, but the Zonker Stout was even better.
On Sunday we ascended Mt. Glory in the morning. This peak is very popular with backcountry skiers; so popular there is hard packed boot path all the way from the highway to the peak. It was a little weird being the only snowshoers; everyone probably thought we were weirdos but of course I'm used to that! The views from up top were impressive but not as spectacular as Brooks Mountain. We made a quick snowshoe descent and were on the road around 11am to begin the long drive back to Boise.
Trip stats:
- Brooks Mountain (5 miles, 6 hours, 2000' gain)
- Mt. Glory (2 miles, 2.5 hours, 1750' gain)
Dan's Trip Report
Monday, January 12, 2009
Nevada Snowshoe Trip
The stormy weather pattern finally abated and was replaced with sunny skies and mild temperatures. Despite an ongoing cold, I agreed to join Dan on a snowshoe trip to Ellen D Mountain in northern Nevada. It was close enough to Tabletop Mountain that we could visit both on our trip. We left early Saturday morning (about 6:30am) from Boise and headed over.
The peak is accessed from the mining town of Contact, Nevada. This is basically a ghost town but still has some activity from the operating Enexco Copper Mine. We ran into some bulldozers on the way in and they were doing a drill move which would be tying up the road. Fortunately we didn't need to follow the stretch of road they were utilizing for said operation.
At about 9:45am we got going heading up an unplowed road. Eventually we cut over to the main summit road and followed it all the way up. The temperatures were pretty mild but the wind was pretty chilling, especially near the top where it was strong and continuous. Of course my congested sinuses didn't like this a whole lot! My constant sniffling and sinus pain was the only blight on the day.
Due to the conditions, we didn't spend too long on top. We made a leisurely descent and also made a side trip to nearby Tabletop Mountain. We made it back to the truck shortly thereafter and made our way to Jackpot where we spent the night.
Trip statistics: 6 hours, 7.1 miles, 2700' gain.
Nevada Snowshoe Pictures!
Dan's Trip Report
The peak is accessed from the mining town of Contact, Nevada. This is basically a ghost town but still has some activity from the operating Enexco Copper Mine. We ran into some bulldozers on the way in and they were doing a drill move which would be tying up the road. Fortunately we didn't need to follow the stretch of road they were utilizing for said operation.
At about 9:45am we got going heading up an unplowed road. Eventually we cut over to the main summit road and followed it all the way up. The temperatures were pretty mild but the wind was pretty chilling, especially near the top where it was strong and continuous. Of course my congested sinuses didn't like this a whole lot! My constant sniffling and sinus pain was the only blight on the day.
Due to the conditions, we didn't spend too long on top. We made a leisurely descent and also made a side trip to nearby Tabletop Mountain. We made it back to the truck shortly thereafter and made our way to Jackpot where we spent the night.
Trip statistics: 6 hours, 7.1 miles, 2700' gain.
Nevada Snowshoe Pictures!
Dan's Trip Report
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Weekend Update
Both Katie and I have been suffering from some kind of cold; Katie seems to have gotten it first and then passed it on to me. It's the kind that involves a sore throat and lots of congestion. Katie has gotten over hers but I'm still fighting mine. Hopefully it will clear out within the next couple of days. It's mostly an annoyance but has forced us to stimulate the economy with Kleenex and Tylenol Sinus purchases!
We watched a few movies over the past few weeks: Slumdog Millionaire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Valkyrie. I would say that "Benjamin Button" was my favorite; it is themed on the idea that time is the destroyer of everything and I find that to always be a powerful motif. That movie mixes things up a little by having someone age backwards, which of course inverts the typical life experience.
Friday night we had a nice dinner at the Cottonwood Grille as part of Telemetric's annual holiday dinner. Katie got to meet some of my coworkers and we both got to meet their various family members. Of course we both got treated to a good meal as well! It was a well done corporate event; no cheesy party games or requirements to pay your own way.
Despite my ongoing cold, I went snowshoeing on Saturday with Dan (pictures and trip report forthcoming). We had a great trip, although the cold and wind didn't play that well with my runny nose and sinus pain. We spent the night in Jackpot, Nevada, one of those Nevada border towns in the middle of nowhere that cater to people in other states wanting to gamble. Some of Dan's coworkers were partying down there so we met up with them, hit the buffet for copious amounts of food, then went to their suite to watch the NFL playoffs over a few drinks. Dan went on to play a little poker but I was too tired and went to bed early.
We returned to Boise around mid-day Sunday and Katie and I had a quiet afternoon and evening together. I'll probably have to go to bed early again since this cold isn't moving out as fast as I'd hoped.
This upcoming weekend Dan and I may make another snowshoeing trip to Jackson, Wyoming, if the weather holds. While this frequency of trips may seem excessive, this time of year is Dan's only reprieve from coaching his daughter's softball. Thus we tend to put these trips together when the weather turns nice.
The weather in Boise (and really all of southern Idaho) has turned rather pleasant, almost spring-like. Most of the valley snow has melted and the nice weather is expected to last through the week. Can't complain about that!
One final update. Katie got a rude announcement Friday; NYK Line is laying off all temporary workers within the next month or so. Like everyone else, the shipping industry is seeing the effects of the global recession. Their office uses a lot of them so they will be way short on manpower pretty soon. If the official word is to be believed, Katie's job is not in any immediate danger. However their office has been training some people from Manila, Phillippines, which sounds an awfully lot like a "globalization" (aka outsourcing) initiative to me.
We watched a few movies over the past few weeks: Slumdog Millionaire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Valkyrie. I would say that "Benjamin Button" was my favorite; it is themed on the idea that time is the destroyer of everything and I find that to always be a powerful motif. That movie mixes things up a little by having someone age backwards, which of course inverts the typical life experience.
Friday night we had a nice dinner at the Cottonwood Grille as part of Telemetric's annual holiday dinner. Katie got to meet some of my coworkers and we both got to meet their various family members. Of course we both got treated to a good meal as well! It was a well done corporate event; no cheesy party games or requirements to pay your own way.
Despite my ongoing cold, I went snowshoeing on Saturday with Dan (pictures and trip report forthcoming). We had a great trip, although the cold and wind didn't play that well with my runny nose and sinus pain. We spent the night in Jackpot, Nevada, one of those Nevada border towns in the middle of nowhere that cater to people in other states wanting to gamble. Some of Dan's coworkers were partying down there so we met up with them, hit the buffet for copious amounts of food, then went to their suite to watch the NFL playoffs over a few drinks. Dan went on to play a little poker but I was too tired and went to bed early.
We returned to Boise around mid-day Sunday and Katie and I had a quiet afternoon and evening together. I'll probably have to go to bed early again since this cold isn't moving out as fast as I'd hoped.
This upcoming weekend Dan and I may make another snowshoeing trip to Jackson, Wyoming, if the weather holds. While this frequency of trips may seem excessive, this time of year is Dan's only reprieve from coaching his daughter's softball. Thus we tend to put these trips together when the weather turns nice.
The weather in Boise (and really all of southern Idaho) has turned rather pleasant, almost spring-like. Most of the valley snow has melted and the nice weather is expected to last through the week. Can't complain about that!
One final update. Katie got a rude announcement Friday; NYK Line is laying off all temporary workers within the next month or so. Like everyone else, the shipping industry is seeing the effects of the global recession. Their office uses a lot of them so they will be way short on manpower pretty soon. If the official word is to be believed, Katie's job is not in any immediate danger. However their office has been training some people from Manila, Phillippines, which sounds an awfully lot like a "globalization" (aka outsourcing) initiative to me.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Christmas and New Years
For Christmas, we visited the Shepherd family in Vancouver. For financial reasons, we opted for a driving trip. We left around 1pm on December 23rd, which happened to be perfect timing between northwest snowstorms which have been very common this winter. We had a uneventful trip on dry roads the whole way. We stopped for dinner in Yakima, which was kind of amusing as they were out of pretty much everything. I think it took us four tries to find something on the menu they actually had in stock. Nonetheless, we made it to Vancouver around 11:30pm. As we were arriving in town, the snow started falling.
When we woke up on Christmas Eve, there was over a foot of fresh snow on the ground (see pictures below). Needless to say, this complicated Christmas Eve plans since the roads around town were treacherous and pretty much required a high-clearance, preferably 4wd vehicle. We managed to get the Escape stuck in snow at one point! Despite the conditions, we had a nice lunch with Dave and managed to do a little last-minute shopping.
For Christmas Eve we went to the Shepherd family church, the Kerrisdale Presbyterian Church, for their Christmas Eve service. It is a very nice church and the service was very well done. Afterwards, we finished wrapping Christmas presents and quaffed a few tasty beverages.
On Christmas Day, the snow continued to fall. Despite this, we had a morning family brunch followed by present opening. Later in the evening we had a family Christmas Day dinner. On Boxing Day (aka December 26th), the snow resumed, dropping another foot or so. We had a pretty quiet day followed by another family dinner. Our ability to do much was pretty limited though due to the huge amount of snow around.
Due to questionable road conditions, we determined we needed to leave Saturday the 27th to ensure plenty of time to make it home for work on Monday. So we left Saturday afternoon after a nice lunch at Wing Nuts. Just parking at the restaurant was an ordeal due to the huge amount of snow around.. up to 3 feet in places. It was unreal!
Our drive home was fortunately uneventful as we again managed to sneak between storms. We spent the night at a Holiday Inn Express in Richland, roughly halfway between Vancouver and Boise.
We both had a fairly quiet New Year's Eve. We had a few drinks and watched a movie. Does that make us boring??
Christmas in Vancouver Pictures!
When we woke up on Christmas Eve, there was over a foot of fresh snow on the ground (see pictures below). Needless to say, this complicated Christmas Eve plans since the roads around town were treacherous and pretty much required a high-clearance, preferably 4wd vehicle. We managed to get the Escape stuck in snow at one point! Despite the conditions, we had a nice lunch with Dave and managed to do a little last-minute shopping.
For Christmas Eve we went to the Shepherd family church, the Kerrisdale Presbyterian Church, for their Christmas Eve service. It is a very nice church and the service was very well done. Afterwards, we finished wrapping Christmas presents and quaffed a few tasty beverages.
On Christmas Day, the snow continued to fall. Despite this, we had a morning family brunch followed by present opening. Later in the evening we had a family Christmas Day dinner. On Boxing Day (aka December 26th), the snow resumed, dropping another foot or so. We had a pretty quiet day followed by another family dinner. Our ability to do much was pretty limited though due to the huge amount of snow around.
Due to questionable road conditions, we determined we needed to leave Saturday the 27th to ensure plenty of time to make it home for work on Monday. So we left Saturday afternoon after a nice lunch at Wing Nuts. Just parking at the restaurant was an ordeal due to the huge amount of snow around.. up to 3 feet in places. It was unreal!
Our drive home was fortunately uneventful as we again managed to sneak between storms. We spent the night at a Holiday Inn Express in Richland, roughly halfway between Vancouver and Boise.
We both had a fairly quiet New Year's Eve. We had a few drinks and watched a movie. Does that make us boring??
Christmas in Vancouver Pictures!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Guffey Butte Hike
On Saturday, Dan and I went on a short hike to a little known butte near the Snake River, just outside of Boise. It was a little bit cold and snowy but still made for an enjoyable 2+ hour hike. Since I haven't been getting out much lately due to the snow, it was very nice to spend some time outdoors!
Guffey Butte Pictures!
Dan's Trip Report
Guffey Butte Pictures!
Dan's Trip Report
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Goings on...
Nothing too eventful has been going on at the Vickery abode. Last weekend, I went hiking on Saturday and on Sunday we watched the movie Australia. We both liked the movie, which is a very watchable (if a little overly dramatic) historical epic. The Hollywood elements are a little overdone... but that's the movies I suppose!
This weekend we have mostly been doing Christmas shopping and getting cards and packages ready to mail. Yes, we do wait until the last minute! Hopefully once we get things mailed in the next day or two we'll have most of our work completed.
For those that haven't heard, we will be spending Christmas in Vancouver with the Shepherd clan. We will likely drive all night (cue the Celine Dion song) from Boise after I get off from work on the 23rd. Since I have a new job, I have little time off to use and thus we are forced into a compressed trip. Of course, if I had stayed at Micron, I'd be forced to take 2 or 3 weeks off for Christmas. Choices choices!
Boise did finally get some real winter weather this weekend. So far the winter has been mild but it looks like it will be snowy and icy for the next several days at least. Hopefully things warm up before our upcoming trip!
Our house on Sunday:
View down the street:
This weekend we have mostly been doing Christmas shopping and getting cards and packages ready to mail. Yes, we do wait until the last minute! Hopefully once we get things mailed in the next day or two we'll have most of our work completed.
For those that haven't heard, we will be spending Christmas in Vancouver with the Shepherd clan. We will likely drive all night (cue the Celine Dion song) from Boise after I get off from work on the 23rd. Since I have a new job, I have little time off to use and thus we are forced into a compressed trip. Of course, if I had stayed at Micron, I'd be forced to take 2 or 3 weeks off for Christmas. Choices choices!
Boise did finally get some real winter weather this weekend. So far the winter has been mild but it looks like it will be snowy and icy for the next several days at least. Hopefully things warm up before our upcoming trip!
Our house on Sunday:
View down the street:
South Mountain Hike
Last weekend, Dan and I decided to take a hike up to South Mountain in the Owyhee Mountains south of Boise. Despite it being December, little snow had fallen in the mountains and this remote area was still accessible. Dan and I had an easy hike in surprisingly warm weather with very little snow. After visiting the lookout atop South Mountain, we made a quick ascent of nearby Peak 7757.
After our trip, we returned home and had a late lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant while watching the SEC Championship Game. Go Gators!
South Mountain Pictures!
Dan's Trip Report
After our trip, we returned home and had a late lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant while watching the SEC Championship Game. Go Gators!
South Mountain Pictures!
Dan's Trip Report
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
American Thanksgiving Weekend
Katie and I both enjoyed our four-day weekend! Of course we wish they were more common!
On Thursday we went to Gary and Bonnie's for a most excellent turkey dinner. Bonnie's mother Frona was in town from Colorado, and we all enjoyed the fine meal prepared by the two of them. I think the biscuits were my favorite dish, but that's just the "carb addict" in me!
On Friday we did some "Black Friday" shopping. We were hoping to get pedestals for our front-loading washer and dryer, however we were informed that Sears discontinued the color used for our set. No dice! Disappointed, we either wisely or foolishly we went to the Verizon Wireless store to look at phones; we ended up walking out with each of us owning a fancy new phone: the LG Voyager. So far they've proven to be very nice despite some initial usability difficulties with the touchscreens. These phones allow web surfing which I'm still trying to figure out.
The rest of the weekend was generally uneventful. I watched some football and Tivo recordings. We talked about putting up Christmas decorations but decided to wait until next weekend. Katie has been doing some Christmas baking (an amazing variety of treats) so its definitely starting to feel like Christmas!
On Thursday we went to Gary and Bonnie's for a most excellent turkey dinner. Bonnie's mother Frona was in town from Colorado, and we all enjoyed the fine meal prepared by the two of them. I think the biscuits were my favorite dish, but that's just the "carb addict" in me!
On Friday we did some "Black Friday" shopping. We were hoping to get pedestals for our front-loading washer and dryer, however we were informed that Sears discontinued the color used for our set. No dice! Disappointed, we either wisely or foolishly we went to the Verizon Wireless store to look at phones; we ended up walking out with each of us owning a fancy new phone: the LG Voyager. So far they've proven to be very nice despite some initial usability difficulties with the touchscreens. These phones allow web surfing which I'm still trying to figure out.
The rest of the weekend was generally uneventful. I watched some football and Tivo recordings. We talked about putting up Christmas decorations but decided to wait until next weekend. Katie has been doing some Christmas baking (an amazing variety of treats) so its definitely starting to feel like Christmas!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Weekend Happenings
Last week, I started my new job. Things are going very well and I'm very happy with the new environment. I'm still getting settled and I will likely author a more comprehensive post about the new gig some time in the next couple of weeks.
After my first day of work on the 18th, we went to see Quantum of Solace (since Katie hadn't seen it yet). Of course I was more than willing to see the flick a second time since I will never turn down the opportunity to watch a Bond flick (well, maybe A View to a Kill). We both enjoyed the flick but it made for a busy evening since we both had to be at work early the next day..
On Thursday, Katie went to the airport in the morning to fly up to Vancouver and receive her belated birthday present from her sister Megan. You might ask, what gift requires receipt in person? A ticket to the New Kids on the Block reunion concert at GM Place! For those that don't know, Megan and Katie were both rabid fans of this "boy band" in the late 80s and early 90s. My understanding is that each planned to marry members of the band and are thus fans for life. At any rate, Katie had a great time at the concert and also seeing everyone in Vancouver. Maybe I'll convince her to write a blog post about her mini-vacation??
Since I was home alone until Sunday evening, I watched some guy movies and (of course) football. I finally fired up the Netflix "watch instantly" feature and found it to be an excellent way to watch movies due to having recently acquired a wide-screen LCD monitor. Since it's hard for more than one person to watch something on the computer monitor, it's perfect for fare which I know Katie would hate :-) Movies watched:
After my first day of work on the 18th, we went to see Quantum of Solace (since Katie hadn't seen it yet). Of course I was more than willing to see the flick a second time since I will never turn down the opportunity to watch a Bond flick (well, maybe A View to a Kill). We both enjoyed the flick but it made for a busy evening since we both had to be at work early the next day..
On Thursday, Katie went to the airport in the morning to fly up to Vancouver and receive her belated birthday present from her sister Megan. You might ask, what gift requires receipt in person? A ticket to the New Kids on the Block reunion concert at GM Place! For those that don't know, Megan and Katie were both rabid fans of this "boy band" in the late 80s and early 90s. My understanding is that each planned to marry members of the band and are thus fans for life. At any rate, Katie had a great time at the concert and also seeing everyone in Vancouver. Maybe I'll convince her to write a blog post about her mini-vacation??
Since I was home alone until Sunday evening, I watched some guy movies and (of course) football. I finally fired up the Netflix "watch instantly" feature and found it to be an excellent way to watch movies due to having recently acquired a wide-screen LCD monitor. Since it's hard for more than one person to watch something on the computer monitor, it's perfect for fare which I know Katie would hate :-) Movies watched:
- Revolution OS (a documentary about the Linux operating system which definitely appealed to the computer nerd in me)
- Helvetica (a suprisingly interesting documentary about the litle-known world of typesetting and its crowing achievement, the Helvetica font)
- Snakes on a Plane (a very average action/horror movie punctuated by four absolutely hilarious scenes)
- Solaris (a cerebral sci-fi movie which I found to be very interesting despite dragging at times)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Florida Pictures!
The pictures from our Florida trip are below. If you want to know more about where they were taken, the prior two blog posts hopefully cover all the details. Enjoy!
Florida Vacation Pictures!
Florida Vacation Pictures!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
More From the 904
On Thursday, my parents and I visited the town of Fernandina Beach and the historic Fort Clinch. We drove up A1A through Ponte Vedra Beach, Jacksonville Beach, and Mayport. Once arriving in Fernandina, we ate a nice lunch at the Marina Seafood Restaurant before doing a little sightseeing. Afterwards, we took a leisurely tour of the fort. We took the scenic road home along the river and stopped at The Loop for dinner. An action-packed day!
On Friday the three of us and Susan watched a matinee showing of Quantum of Solace. We all liked the flick; I personally found it great in its use of action, locations, and supporting cast. I find Daniel Craig's hard-edged Bond to be more realistic but a big departure from most of the previous actors' version of the character. It seems like the sense of humor from past Bond films is missing, but it almost seems like that is intentional on the part of the directors.
After watching the movie, we went to the Mandarin Ale House where I ate way too much food and required several hours of recovery. After this gorging, we had a relaxing afternoon and evening at the house. In the evening, we all went outside to watch Space Shuttle Endeavor launch. Due to clouds, we could only really see a blurry orange plume from the exhaust. But it is always fun to watch the night launches which are clearly visible even though they take place 125 miles away.
Today was a pretty slow day; we had a lunch at Larry's and stopped by the Penzey's Spices store where I filled orders for various interested parties. Hopefully it will all fit in my suitcase! After shopping, we made a quick drive-by of the Paxon Lounge, a venue where my Uncle Gary once entertained crowds with his virtuosic guitar stylings. The rest of the day was consumed by football watching, including the Gators beating down the Gamecocks. Go Gators!
Tomorrow I catch a flight at 6:10am to begin my cross-country trek to Boise. The five-hour flight from Cincinnatti to Seattle should be pretty miserable. Hopefully I make it home with my sanity intact, since I'll need it when I begin my new job on Monday!
Mom and Dad at Fernandina
Fort Clinch seen from its parapet
Amelia Island Lighthouse seen from Fort Clinch State Park
On Friday the three of us and Susan watched a matinee showing of Quantum of Solace. We all liked the flick; I personally found it great in its use of action, locations, and supporting cast. I find Daniel Craig's hard-edged Bond to be more realistic but a big departure from most of the previous actors' version of the character. It seems like the sense of humor from past Bond films is missing, but it almost seems like that is intentional on the part of the directors.
After watching the movie, we went to the Mandarin Ale House where I ate way too much food and required several hours of recovery. After this gorging, we had a relaxing afternoon and evening at the house. In the evening, we all went outside to watch Space Shuttle Endeavor launch. Due to clouds, we could only really see a blurry orange plume from the exhaust. But it is always fun to watch the night launches which are clearly visible even though they take place 125 miles away.
Today was a pretty slow day; we had a lunch at Larry's and stopped by the Penzey's Spices store where I filled orders for various interested parties. Hopefully it will all fit in my suitcase! After shopping, we made a quick drive-by of the Paxon Lounge, a venue where my Uncle Gary once entertained crowds with his virtuosic guitar stylings. The rest of the day was consumed by football watching, including the Gators beating down the Gamecocks. Go Gators!
Tomorrow I catch a flight at 6:10am to begin my cross-country trek to Boise. The five-hour flight from Cincinnatti to Seattle should be pretty miserable. Hopefully I make it home with my sanity intact, since I'll need it when I begin my new job on Monday!
Mom and Dad at Fernandina
Fort Clinch seen from its parapet
Amelia Island Lighthouse seen from Fort Clinch State Park
Launch of Space Shuttle Endeavor, seen just outside the Vickery abode
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Update from the 904
So far the trip to Florida has been awesome. Here's a brief recap of the goings-on...
We arrived late Saturday and had a nice pizza dinner at Al's Pizza, a hometown favorite. On Sunday, Dad and I helped my Mom's friend Susan set up her new computer. After the task was a completed, a nice dinner at the local Italian restaurant Enza's was enjoyed by all. My dish of choice, the grouper parmigiana, was most excellent. The restaurant was packed, an unusual circumstance in this era of economic retrenchment.
On Monday we all embarked on our trip to the Gainesville/Ocala area. We had a lunch at David's BBQ in Gainesville, a locally popular purveyor of pulled pork sandwiches and other great fare. After that, we went to the UF bookstore where I got some Gator gear and my Dad purchased some cut-rate student priced software. We did some more sightseeing and shopping in Gainesville before heading to Ocala.
In Ocala, we had dinner at the Roadhouse Grill and stayed the night at the Comfort Suites. While perusing the tourist pamphlets we made a grim discovery: our tourist destination of choice, Silver Springs, is no longer open on weekdays! We thus had to change plans; on Tuesday we stopped for pictures of painted horses in Ocala before proceeding to the Appleton Museum of Art. This actually was a very interesting museum with a variety of art. My Mom was excited to find netsukes on display as she is a collector of that particular art form. While no collector myself, I personally found the African collection the most fascinating. After departing the museum and eating lunch at Steak n Shake, we began the return trip home. A sightseeing stop at Flagler Beach made a nice conclusion to the trip. Dinner was at Larry's Giant Subs, another local business steeped in the legend of successful franchising.
This morning Katie and I woke up at 4:15am to make a trip to the airport. Katie had to leave today because she could not get enough leave to take the entire week off. She was able to catch her flight at 6:40am and begin the long, cramped, and tortuous journey back to Idaho. I proceeded to drive home and snooze! After waking from my slumber, I went on a brief run and performed consulting services as part of the Vickery family computer upgrade. We had lunch at Barnacle Bill's a St. Augustine haunt famed for it's datil pepper sauce, among other things. I got the gator tail with Minorcan chowder, both of which were awesome. I also got some of the "Dat'l Do It" hot sauce at the request of Katie's brother Dave... so if you're reading this Dave, be on the lookout for it!
The consulting is going well; the Vickery computing environment mostly modernized. Tomorrow we will head up to Fernandina Beach and Ft. Clinch for some sightseeing.
A few pictures:
Mom, Katie, and Dad at the Appleton Museum
We arrived late Saturday and had a nice pizza dinner at Al's Pizza, a hometown favorite. On Sunday, Dad and I helped my Mom's friend Susan set up her new computer. After the task was a completed, a nice dinner at the local Italian restaurant Enza's was enjoyed by all. My dish of choice, the grouper parmigiana, was most excellent. The restaurant was packed, an unusual circumstance in this era of economic retrenchment.
On Monday we all embarked on our trip to the Gainesville/Ocala area. We had a lunch at David's BBQ in Gainesville, a locally popular purveyor of pulled pork sandwiches and other great fare. After that, we went to the UF bookstore where I got some Gator gear and my Dad purchased some cut-rate student priced software. We did some more sightseeing and shopping in Gainesville before heading to Ocala.
In Ocala, we had dinner at the Roadhouse Grill and stayed the night at the Comfort Suites. While perusing the tourist pamphlets we made a grim discovery: our tourist destination of choice, Silver Springs, is no longer open on weekdays! We thus had to change plans; on Tuesday we stopped for pictures of painted horses in Ocala before proceeding to the Appleton Museum of Art. This actually was a very interesting museum with a variety of art. My Mom was excited to find netsukes on display as she is a collector of that particular art form. While no collector myself, I personally found the African collection the most fascinating. After departing the museum and eating lunch at Steak n Shake, we began the return trip home. A sightseeing stop at Flagler Beach made a nice conclusion to the trip. Dinner was at Larry's Giant Subs, another local business steeped in the legend of successful franchising.
This morning Katie and I woke up at 4:15am to make a trip to the airport. Katie had to leave today because she could not get enough leave to take the entire week off. She was able to catch her flight at 6:40am and begin the long, cramped, and tortuous journey back to Idaho. I proceeded to drive home and snooze! After waking from my slumber, I went on a brief run and performed consulting services as part of the Vickery family computer upgrade. We had lunch at Barnacle Bill's a St. Augustine haunt famed for it's datil pepper sauce, among other things. I got the gator tail with Minorcan chowder, both of which were awesome. I also got some of the "Dat'l Do It" hot sauce at the request of Katie's brother Dave... so if you're reading this Dave, be on the lookout for it!
The consulting is going well; the Vickery computing environment mostly modernized. Tomorrow we will head up to Fernandina Beach and Ft. Clinch for some sightseeing.
A few pictures:
Katie, Zach, Ron, and Jan at the Ocala town square; the painted horse is behind us
Mom, Katie, and Dad at the Appleton Museum
Katie at Flagler Beach
[*] For those curious, "The 904" is gangster-speak for the Jacksonville area. Since I'm wont to watch Gangland on the History Channel, this makes it appropriate for me to write and speak in such a manner. Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_code_904
Friday, November 7, 2008
New Job!
Two years ago, I decided to accept a position as a software engineer with Micron in Boise. The company was doing well, hiring, paying generously, and offering relocation to Boise. It seemed like a good financial move and it has proved to be one. However, roughly 8 months after my start date, the company decided its IS (information systems) costs were too high and decided to outsource as much of its IS department as possible. This was slightly problematic because my relocation assistance included a two year commitment for which the penalty was full reimbursement. In other words, I was stuck if they chose to keep me!
It turned out they went with a 50% headcount reduction, with all of that being workers and none of it being management. Even though management created the cost problem, they certainly weren't the ones to be held accountable! For some unknown reason, my position was retained. In February and March, I had to record training sessions to teach the replacement workers how to do my job. By early May, my team had went from 14 employees to 4 (of which I was the only remaining software developer). Once my team was gone and my job duties outsourced, nobody seemed to know what I should be doing. It was at this time that I realized that November 6, 2008, would be an important date - it was the date my relocation commitment expired!
Once I had no team and sat adrift in a sea of vacant cubes, I ended up working on low priority projects by myself for roughly 4 months, until the work ran out. After that, I was left with a bunch of idle time waiting for management to reconfigure themselves so they could tell me what to do. Lots of great web surfing was accomplished during these days. There's nothing like having a meaningless job in a stink-pit post-apocalyptic cube farm downwind from the sugar beet processing plant!
In October, after approximately six months of me performing useless work, the management team decided I should work on their business intelligence systems, an area in which I have had no training or experience. But they had gotten rid of all of the previous developers and I was twiddling my thumbs, so I guess it made a good fit (in the Micron sort of way). Fortunately by this time I had starting interviewing elsewhere!
I had two leads but only one made an offer: Telemetric. I was very impressed by this company during my interview and they seemed very interested in bringing me on board. The company is doing well and the position seems well suited to my skills and desired career path. I start as a senior software engineer on November 17th.
Today, one day after my relocation commitment expired, I had the pleasure of informing management that my time of needlessly consuming company money was over. They have tight budget reduction goals to hit, you know! Anyway, I put in my notice at about 9:30am and was out the door just after 12pm! Woohoo! Freedom!
But before my career path continues on its meandering journey, one thing remains.... Vacation! To Florida!!
It turned out they went with a 50% headcount reduction, with all of that being workers and none of it being management. Even though management created the cost problem, they certainly weren't the ones to be held accountable! For some unknown reason, my position was retained. In February and March, I had to record training sessions to teach the replacement workers how to do my job. By early May, my team had went from 14 employees to 4 (of which I was the only remaining software developer). Once my team was gone and my job duties outsourced, nobody seemed to know what I should be doing. It was at this time that I realized that November 6, 2008, would be an important date - it was the date my relocation commitment expired!
Once I had no team and sat adrift in a sea of vacant cubes, I ended up working on low priority projects by myself for roughly 4 months, until the work ran out. After that, I was left with a bunch of idle time waiting for management to reconfigure themselves so they could tell me what to do. Lots of great web surfing was accomplished during these days. There's nothing like having a meaningless job in a stink-pit post-apocalyptic cube farm downwind from the sugar beet processing plant!
In October, after approximately six months of me performing useless work, the management team decided I should work on their business intelligence systems, an area in which I have had no training or experience. But they had gotten rid of all of the previous developers and I was twiddling my thumbs, so I guess it made a good fit (in the Micron sort of way). Fortunately by this time I had starting interviewing elsewhere!
I had two leads but only one made an offer: Telemetric. I was very impressed by this company during my interview and they seemed very interested in bringing me on board. The company is doing well and the position seems well suited to my skills and desired career path. I start as a senior software engineer on November 17th.
Today, one day after my relocation commitment expired, I had the pleasure of informing management that my time of needlessly consuming company money was over. They have tight budget reduction goals to hit, you know! Anyway, I put in my notice at about 9:30am and was out the door just after 12pm! Woohoo! Freedom!
But before my career path continues on its meandering journey, one thing remains.... Vacation! To Florida!!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Weekend Summary
Katie and I have had a pretty quiet weekend. On Friday, Katie got home early and finished carving pumpkins. We set them out in the evening and had roughly 20 trick-or-treaters show up, the last arriving at about 8:45pm.
The weekend promised to be rainy and we made no real plans. On Saturday, I put out Fall fertilizer to take advantage of the coming rains, which did indeed arrive later in the day. After that was done, we went to Applebee's to use the $10 gift certificate we got due to Katie complaining about the vacuum being used during our last visit. We then went to the local movie-plex to watch the comedy Zack and Miri which was pretty funny in the low-brow kind of way. After that, we went home so I could watch the Gators beat up on Bulldogs on TV.
On Sunday, we met Gary and Bonnie for breakfast/lunch at Addie's in downtown Boise. After that we went grocery shopping at the local Fred Meyer. Katie spent the rest of the evening reading and baking while I proceeded to watch football and Tivo recordings.
In summary, it was a nice, quiet weekend. One more week of work before our trip to Florida!
The weekend promised to be rainy and we made no real plans. On Saturday, I put out Fall fertilizer to take advantage of the coming rains, which did indeed arrive later in the day. After that was done, we went to Applebee's to use the $10 gift certificate we got due to Katie complaining about the vacuum being used during our last visit. We then went to the local movie-plex to watch the comedy Zack and Miri which was pretty funny in the low-brow kind of way. After that, we went home so I could watch the Gators beat up on Bulldogs on TV.
On Sunday, we met Gary and Bonnie for breakfast/lunch at Addie's in downtown Boise. After that we went grocery shopping at the local Fred Meyer. Katie spent the rest of the evening reading and baking while I proceeded to watch football and Tivo recordings.
In summary, it was a nice, quiet weekend. One more week of work before our trip to Florida!
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