Update
Well, it's 2009 - long overdue for an update.
This is kinda long - and may be boring - read at your own risk.
2007 ended and 2008 started with job turmoil. An early victim of the current economic situation, I found refuge as a contract developer with an AZ State agency. It's a far cry from management, project management and being in the position to influence IT and development direction, but hey, especially now, you take what you can. Fortunately this position does include some responsibility and they do listen to my input, to a point (I am just a contractor after all) - BUT - unfortunately the current CIO is stuck in Visual Basic 6, an almost obsolete programming language and what I'm doing will not translate to anyone, anywhere. Any other shop is in .NET. Even when we had to go back to the drawing board on several projects, it would have been the perfect time to upgrade the development software planned but she would not hear of it. That is why former developers who become managers should learn lesson number one, you are no longer a developer and it is NOT your code. A lesson I did have to learn myself, maybe this is payback for my doing the same thing in my early management years.
So - looking forward I am working to get my Project Management Certification, which should put some formal credentials to my 13 years of development and project management experience. I have all but finished the first class, the second class is next then the certification exam. I know this current position would love to hire me perm (or so they say) but given the current budget mess and hiring freeze for the last two years, that isn't happening anytime soon.
2008 ended with a glimmer of hope, I had two interviews for a decent fulltime position with one of the community colleges managing their IT development. I never got past the second interview, but at least it got me thinking and on the course towards the certification.
I started 2008 on path to go to the gym regularly and lose weight. I was successful for the most part. I didn't lose as much as I wanted to, working 4x10s doesn't help, and the last few months I have slacked. I need to get back and stop going out for lunch with my co-workers. We don't have a cafeteria anymore, but that doesn't mean I have to spend the money or eat more than I need to while at work.
My relationship hit 14 years. No detail on that here except that we are still together, I still love him and cannot imagine my life without him in it.
My gaming obsession was stuck in Unreal Tournament 2004, I played on a server that had been modified to play faster with guns in two hands. I tried Unreal Tournament III, it was pretty cool, but you got tired of the same limited maps. I tried my first MMO, Eve Online, but like when I first tried World of Warcraft when it first came out, I got disconnected from the quest chain and got bored. Then, everyone around me got hooked on World of Warcraft, I resisted for a while until my partner started playing all the time. It got to a point where I had to play if I wanted to see him, so I did. I was quickly immersed in it, It fed my OCD and with friends and co-workers playing it I became mildly obsessed and surpassed most of my friends in my quest to level 80. HELP!! LOL
One great thing about this year - Bush and Dick are gone, and we have real hope in a new leader.
Things I want to accomplish in 2009 (not to be confused with resolutions)
1. Get back into a regular gym/excercise schedule and back to my better eating habits.
2. Post more - let my creative side peak out.
3. Open up that "book" I started writing and make progress on it.
4. Get a regular fulltime job with benefits again.(yeah, I know)
5. Find some other creative outlets.
6. Be more open to meeting and making friends
Well, that's enough for now - bored you enough - now go read another more exciting blog.
This is kinda long - and may be boring - read at your own risk.
2007 ended and 2008 started with job turmoil. An early victim of the current economic situation, I found refuge as a contract developer with an AZ State agency. It's a far cry from management, project management and being in the position to influence IT and development direction, but hey, especially now, you take what you can. Fortunately this position does include some responsibility and they do listen to my input, to a point (I am just a contractor after all) - BUT - unfortunately the current CIO is stuck in Visual Basic 6, an almost obsolete programming language and what I'm doing will not translate to anyone, anywhere. Any other shop is in .NET. Even when we had to go back to the drawing board on several projects, it would have been the perfect time to upgrade the development software planned but she would not hear of it. That is why former developers who become managers should learn lesson number one, you are no longer a developer and it is NOT your code. A lesson I did have to learn myself, maybe this is payback for my doing the same thing in my early management years.
So - looking forward I am working to get my Project Management Certification, which should put some formal credentials to my 13 years of development and project management experience. I have all but finished the first class, the second class is next then the certification exam. I know this current position would love to hire me perm (or so they say) but given the current budget mess and hiring freeze for the last two years, that isn't happening anytime soon.
2008 ended with a glimmer of hope, I had two interviews for a decent fulltime position with one of the community colleges managing their IT development. I never got past the second interview, but at least it got me thinking and on the course towards the certification.
I started 2008 on path to go to the gym regularly and lose weight. I was successful for the most part. I didn't lose as much as I wanted to, working 4x10s doesn't help, and the last few months I have slacked. I need to get back and stop going out for lunch with my co-workers. We don't have a cafeteria anymore, but that doesn't mean I have to spend the money or eat more than I need to while at work.
My relationship hit 14 years. No detail on that here except that we are still together, I still love him and cannot imagine my life without him in it.
My gaming obsession was stuck in Unreal Tournament 2004, I played on a server that had been modified to play faster with guns in two hands. I tried Unreal Tournament III, it was pretty cool, but you got tired of the same limited maps. I tried my first MMO, Eve Online, but like when I first tried World of Warcraft when it first came out, I got disconnected from the quest chain and got bored. Then, everyone around me got hooked on World of Warcraft, I resisted for a while until my partner started playing all the time. It got to a point where I had to play if I wanted to see him, so I did. I was quickly immersed in it, It fed my OCD and with friends and co-workers playing it I became mildly obsessed and surpassed most of my friends in my quest to level 80. HELP!! LOL
One great thing about this year - Bush and Dick are gone, and we have real hope in a new leader.
Things I want to accomplish in 2009 (not to be confused with resolutions)
1. Get back into a regular gym/excercise schedule and back to my better eating habits.
2. Post more - let my creative side peak out.
3. Open up that "book" I started writing and make progress on it.
4. Get a regular fulltime job with benefits again.(yeah, I know)
5. Find some other creative outlets.
6. Be more open to meeting and making friends
Well, that's enough for now - bored you enough - now go read another more exciting blog.