One would think after such a momentous victory by the Vikings today over the Carolina Panthers on the road that I would extol the victors and spend some time composing what they must do to become a contender for the Lombardi Trophy. I'm not a sportswriter and, in the end, other than for about 5 hours on a Sunday afternoon, I really don't care all that much. The NFL really is a great diversion.
My son, Tom, turns 20 years old tomorrow. Yes, his birthday is on Halloween. And, yes, he was born the same day the Twin Cities welcomed it's greatest snowfall in a 24 and then a 48 hour period in its recorded history. I can (and do) tell lots of stories about that day. It ranks as one of the top 3 days in my life (there's a 3-way tie at the top for #1). But that's not what I want to write about today, either.
My son and I spoke for the first time in months a couple of days ago. That conversation reinforced that I love him very much, so much that I don't think he can understand how much I do. And, yes, I love his sisters that much, too. But, in all fairness, I started this blog after their birthdays (don't worry, girls, you'll get yours soon enough) and his is tomorrow.
I don't know what people expect their sons to be. I see lots of kids participating in sports when they are young. I see their fathers just as involved in those sports as their sons. I see the fathers pushing their sons beyond their God-given ability in sports in an attempt to become the next [fill in the blank] and living vicariously through their sons. I see those same sons get burnt out of sports before they even get to high school, learning how to resent the sport, and their father. I see them "sticking it out" so they don't let their father down. Instead, they let themselves down. They stay involved in these activities and eschew others where they may be better suited. It's hard to let your father down. But sometimes, that needs to happen.
And it's hard to let your kids down. As a father, I did that. I got all my kids involved in things I thought they would enjoy. But because I am a father, and Tom is my son, we did a bunch of things together. We were very involved in Scouts (where I learned the above lesson), I coached a soccer team, I did what I could. Then I got this new job and started to not be as involved. And not be as smothering. That's when Tom shone like a beacon and I learned the greatest lesson of fatherhood.
As a father, you need to STEP BACK. Let your kids be themselves. Don't lay unrealistic expectations on them. Don't expect more from them than what they want. Don't dream their dreams for them. Do be there once in a while to let them know that they're doing well. And that you're proud of them. Do let them know that you love them. But step back and them handle it.
Those lessons, though, are hard. Stepping back is hard. Letting kids make mistakes and letting them grow up is hard. Keeping your expectations to yourself is hard. Not living vicariously through them is hard. Telling them that they are doing well, that you are proud of them, and that you love them is hard.
My son is now a sophomore at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He is studying to be a high school English teacher. He is in an improv troupe, has a job, and on the radio every Sunday. Before he went to college, Tom was the president of the Student Council at Park High School. He acted in plays. He was a Life Scout. He played an important role in his school transitioning to a 4-year school. He was part of his Homecoming royalty when he was a senior. And I wasn't there for a lot of that, and I deeply regret not being there to share some of those moments with him. And when I moved out here to ride the #8 train, I made a choice to not be there for other things as well. And that makes me sad.
I am proud of my son and I love him very much. He has done more than he knows in helping me try to become the person I hope he can someday be proud to call his father.
Happy Birthday, Tom! I love you!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
First Snow!
Today we are having our first snow of the season. I find it interesting that there hasn't been measureable snow in New York City this 'early' since 1952. Yes, you're reading that right. That was the year my MOTHER graduated from high school. So I guess this snow event here is kind of a big deal. People back in Minnesota are all surprised that it hasn't snowed there yet. It is beautiful and the city is still working, but I fear as the winds pick up later today that there will be some early shutdowns. Oh well....
Still trying to figure things to do out. My daughters provided wonderful suggestions about auditing classes at either Columbia or NYU (or maybe another university here in the city) and I'm looking into that. It's interesting trying to find things to do here in the city. Because there is so much going on, it's hard to find a place online where it all comes together so that there's a single place to go for the information one needs. It just doesn't exist. So finding things here is more about finding the right resources to find the right thing. Or anything for that matter. It can be time-consuming to actually find things to do with free time! Especially when one is alone and relatively new here. Where do you look?
There are some resources that people here use. Time Out New York is a weekly publication (it comes out on Wednesdays) that provides a pretty good idea of what's going on in the city. The movie and humorist I saw last week I found in that magazine. It's a very good resources. I found another resource as well, called "Club Free Time" that is an online resource that displays events (all kinds of them) that are free or low cost. It really looks like an interesting club, with annual membership dues of about $20. I'm thinking of joining, because one of my 'goals' in finding things to do is to find inexpensive or free things to do in New York. Kind of rules out Broadway plays and some of the higher end events, but there are all kinds of things to do that won't cost me an arm and a leg. And that's exciting.
Back to the snow... I hate snow. I hate cold. I left Minnesota to start escaping from it. I'm a little more south now, and who knows what the future will hold. But I'm guessing that it will involve me heading further and further south until 'snow' is something I see on television. But the snow now is going to keep me in tonight, that's for sure. The bonus is that it will allow me to get some cleaning done in preparation for the New Prague visit next weekend for the NYC Marathon
This doesn't mean that I was a hermit this week at all, though! I didn't really do anything special. I was in Washington DC early in the week (Monday and Tuesday), I was working on Wednesday and Thursday. Last night, I went to one of the locals taverns (Tap a Keg) to watch Game 7 of the World Series. I ended up sitting at the bar next to a saxophonist and we talked baseball through the entire game. Tomorrow I'm planning to head down to Bar None to watch the Vikings. I'm thinking about going to the Halloween parade in the Village on Monday.
Time for a snowy day nap! It's a good thing the white stuff is coming down on a Saturday!
Still trying to figure things to do out. My daughters provided wonderful suggestions about auditing classes at either Columbia or NYU (or maybe another university here in the city) and I'm looking into that. It's interesting trying to find things to do here in the city. Because there is so much going on, it's hard to find a place online where it all comes together so that there's a single place to go for the information one needs. It just doesn't exist. So finding things here is more about finding the right resources to find the right thing. Or anything for that matter. It can be time-consuming to actually find things to do with free time! Especially when one is alone and relatively new here. Where do you look?
There are some resources that people here use. Time Out New York is a weekly publication (it comes out on Wednesdays) that provides a pretty good idea of what's going on in the city. The movie and humorist I saw last week I found in that magazine. It's a very good resources. I found another resource as well, called "Club Free Time" that is an online resource that displays events (all kinds of them) that are free or low cost. It really looks like an interesting club, with annual membership dues of about $20. I'm thinking of joining, because one of my 'goals' in finding things to do is to find inexpensive or free things to do in New York. Kind of rules out Broadway plays and some of the higher end events, but there are all kinds of things to do that won't cost me an arm and a leg. And that's exciting.
Back to the snow... I hate snow. I hate cold. I left Minnesota to start escaping from it. I'm a little more south now, and who knows what the future will hold. But I'm guessing that it will involve me heading further and further south until 'snow' is something I see on television. But the snow now is going to keep me in tonight, that's for sure. The bonus is that it will allow me to get some cleaning done in preparation for the New Prague visit next weekend for the NYC Marathon
This doesn't mean that I was a hermit this week at all, though! I didn't really do anything special. I was in Washington DC early in the week (Monday and Tuesday), I was working on Wednesday and Thursday. Last night, I went to one of the locals taverns (Tap a Keg) to watch Game 7 of the World Series. I ended up sitting at the bar next to a saxophonist and we talked baseball through the entire game. Tomorrow I'm planning to head down to Bar None to watch the Vikings. I'm thinking about going to the Halloween parade in the Village on Monday.
Time for a snowy day nap! It's a good thing the white stuff is coming down on a Saturday!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Work, Baby, Work!
Perhaps the hardest thing about working in sales is when you're not selling anything. I had a rant last week about it. I could keep going with another rant on the same stuff, but all that does is divert the train.
One of the things I think I'm struggling is this whole 'alone' thing. I came here to New York and had a very good friend. We spent a lot of time together. Too much together, as a matter of fact. It got to the point where I was hiding behind that friend and not allowing myself to experience anything this city has to offer. Naturally, she realized it before I did and made a decision that we (i.e., I) need to develop some interests and learn some things about this city. That's easier said than done, of course.
Because I realize that I've never, in my entire life, lived alone. I grew up in a house of 9 people, I moved to a dorm, back to my folks', then got married. I have never lived alone. At 49+ years of age, I find myself in my great apartment in the greatest city in the world alone. And that realization hasn't been a real easy one for me. Sure, I can pick up the phone and call people. But the "people" are a thousand miles away. They can't come over to watch the game on a whim. So it's pretty much up to me. Everything. How often I clean, when and what I eat, what is on the television, etc. And that's just inside the apartment.
For about a month, I stayed alone. Kind of like a turtle when someone comes by. I went into work early and stayed late. I came home and worked. I started a blog. The apartment became not only my home, but my shell. And I really didn't want to come out. Because it's safe in here. I don't have to risk meeting anyone new who I may like (or not like) or who may like (or not like) me. I don't have to spend a lot of money doing things that way, either. But you know what I did in addition to being a turtle in a shell? I beat myself up. Everything 'bad' that I have done over the course of my life, every 'bad' decision I made, every 'bad' aspect of what makes Dan who he is, came to the fore. And I realized, almost painfully, that this aloneness that I was feeling was something 'bad' and not something that I could really take advantage of to make myself better.
So I hit bottom. Felt as much emotional pain as I've ever felt. The realization of alone, at least for me, was a painful realization. But I had some people remind me that I'm not alone. And words will never be able to express how grateful I am for those reminders. There are people that care, and I'm really not as alone as I thought I was. Sure, I'm living by myself. Sure, I get to manage my own time and what I do. Sure, I still get to figure out what and when I eat, sleep, watch, clean, etc. And I have to get used to all of that. But the whole turtle thing, that's not me.
I'm a social animal. Which brought me to another realization. I really haven't ever had leisure time that I had to manage for myself. My leisure time, because I never lived alone, was usually managed with the people I was with or the activities I was involved with. Now, there aren't any people I'm living with and I'm not involved in any activities. So I have to find them...
On Wednesday this week, I went to a movie called "The Way". It was OK. I think it could have been much better and more profound than it was. There were a lot of things that were left unspoken in the movie and there were deep feelings in some of the characters that remained hidden or barely on the surface. Tonight, I went down to the Village and saw Polly West at the Cornelia Street Cafe. She did a humorous presentation of "How to Survive Your Adult Relationships with Your Family". Some of the things she said resounded, some of them didn't. But it was good to get out nonetheless.
There are all kinds of things to do here in the city. It's going to be my goal to find a lot of them, especially the ones that are free or cheap. It's exciting, but terrifying. I'm going to be doing a bunch of stuff alone. I'm going to be experiencing things and learning things that I want to experience and learn. And that's exciting. But I won't be able to share that anywhere but here or on the phone with anyone that wants to listen. And that's terrifying. And somewhat lonely. But that's OK.
The train is leaving the tracks!
One of the things I think I'm struggling is this whole 'alone' thing. I came here to New York and had a very good friend. We spent a lot of time together. Too much together, as a matter of fact. It got to the point where I was hiding behind that friend and not allowing myself to experience anything this city has to offer. Naturally, she realized it before I did and made a decision that we (i.e., I) need to develop some interests and learn some things about this city. That's easier said than done, of course.
Because I realize that I've never, in my entire life, lived alone. I grew up in a house of 9 people, I moved to a dorm, back to my folks', then got married. I have never lived alone. At 49+ years of age, I find myself in my great apartment in the greatest city in the world alone. And that realization hasn't been a real easy one for me. Sure, I can pick up the phone and call people. But the "people" are a thousand miles away. They can't come over to watch the game on a whim. So it's pretty much up to me. Everything. How often I clean, when and what I eat, what is on the television, etc. And that's just inside the apartment.
For about a month, I stayed alone. Kind of like a turtle when someone comes by. I went into work early and stayed late. I came home and worked. I started a blog. The apartment became not only my home, but my shell. And I really didn't want to come out. Because it's safe in here. I don't have to risk meeting anyone new who I may like (or not like) or who may like (or not like) me. I don't have to spend a lot of money doing things that way, either. But you know what I did in addition to being a turtle in a shell? I beat myself up. Everything 'bad' that I have done over the course of my life, every 'bad' decision I made, every 'bad' aspect of what makes Dan who he is, came to the fore. And I realized, almost painfully, that this aloneness that I was feeling was something 'bad' and not something that I could really take advantage of to make myself better.
So I hit bottom. Felt as much emotional pain as I've ever felt. The realization of alone, at least for me, was a painful realization. But I had some people remind me that I'm not alone. And words will never be able to express how grateful I am for those reminders. There are people that care, and I'm really not as alone as I thought I was. Sure, I'm living by myself. Sure, I get to manage my own time and what I do. Sure, I still get to figure out what and when I eat, sleep, watch, clean, etc. And I have to get used to all of that. But the whole turtle thing, that's not me.
I'm a social animal. Which brought me to another realization. I really haven't ever had leisure time that I had to manage for myself. My leisure time, because I never lived alone, was usually managed with the people I was with or the activities I was involved with. Now, there aren't any people I'm living with and I'm not involved in any activities. So I have to find them...
On Wednesday this week, I went to a movie called "The Way". It was OK. I think it could have been much better and more profound than it was. There were a lot of things that were left unspoken in the movie and there were deep feelings in some of the characters that remained hidden or barely on the surface. Tonight, I went down to the Village and saw Polly West at the Cornelia Street Cafe. She did a humorous presentation of "How to Survive Your Adult Relationships with Your Family". Some of the things she said resounded, some of them didn't. But it was good to get out nonetheless.
There are all kinds of things to do here in the city. It's going to be my goal to find a lot of them, especially the ones that are free or cheap. It's exciting, but terrifying. I'm going to be doing a bunch of stuff alone. I'm going to be experiencing things and learning things that I want to experience and learn. And that's exciting. But I won't be able to share that anywhere but here or on the phone with anyone that wants to listen. And that's terrifying. And somewhat lonely. But that's OK.
The train is leaving the tracks!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Another Week in the Books
and what a week it was! It began with an amazing head cold and is now resident in my chest, but on its way out. That is awesome. Because I really hate colds.
Spent some time actually out of the city this week, going to St. Louis on Tuesday morning and coming back late Wednesday night. It was a good diversion and has helped me appreciate what I have here a little more. It was a good and productive trip and I'm glad I got to spend some time with Elliott there. He's our rep that covers the St. Louis region and a very balanced man. It's good for me to be around peaceful spirits.
I don't think the office and the job could be more busy than they are right now. Being in our fourth quarter and behind on our number for the year adds a sense of urgency for everyone. It would be nice if that sense of urgency caused us to step back and actually learn that doing the same things the same way may not be the best way to get our numbers up. It would be nice if we'd step back and ask ourselves if we can do anything differently so that we can be more successful. And it would be really nice if the stepping back involved everyone stepping back for a couple of days and asking those questions rather than pressing forward in panic mode.
Sales is a funny thing. Sometimes we think that our product is so good that it should sell itself and that people who decide not to buy it are making a grave mistake. We absolutely don't think that our product is inferior to other products that do pretty much the same thing. And we truly believe that sales is a matter of execution. I think, to some degree, that's all true. Given that, if one has a great product, superior to other products in the space, then sales should result if the sales cycle is executed properly. Why, then, do we get behind and need a huge quarter to come remotely close to our number?
I think that we don't step back enough and look at our execution and we don't look at our product. Because sometimes our product doesn't meet the needs of the prospective customer because they are looking for something that our product doesn't do, or someone else does better. We have a hard time admitting that. And we never step back to look at our execution in sales cycles because the way we do it has always worked in the past. Oops. It's not working now. So we panic because those tried, trusted, and true techniques aren't working right now.
Could it be the sales people? Sure, but honestly that's pretty easy to blame people. If it were people, the solution is easy. But when sales are down across the board, maybe it's not the people. Maybe it's the customers? Maybe they just don't want to buy right now? In an uncertain economy, that's pretty likely. But we still panic. And we still do things the way we always did expecting a different result. The very definition of insanity.
So I'm insanely busy. But I'm insanely busy trying to step back to figure out new and different ways for people to be successful. And that's fun. But it's also very draining of my time and energy. Oh well...
Had a visitor this week. My cousin Renee from Hammond, WI was in town to meet with a vendor she works with, so we met last night for drinks and had dinner tonight. It was wonderful to get caught up with Renee and let her see the #8 train under construction.
Spent some time actually out of the city this week, going to St. Louis on Tuesday morning and coming back late Wednesday night. It was a good diversion and has helped me appreciate what I have here a little more. It was a good and productive trip and I'm glad I got to spend some time with Elliott there. He's our rep that covers the St. Louis region and a very balanced man. It's good for me to be around peaceful spirits.
I don't think the office and the job could be more busy than they are right now. Being in our fourth quarter and behind on our number for the year adds a sense of urgency for everyone. It would be nice if that sense of urgency caused us to step back and actually learn that doing the same things the same way may not be the best way to get our numbers up. It would be nice if we'd step back and ask ourselves if we can do anything differently so that we can be more successful. And it would be really nice if the stepping back involved everyone stepping back for a couple of days and asking those questions rather than pressing forward in panic mode.
Sales is a funny thing. Sometimes we think that our product is so good that it should sell itself and that people who decide not to buy it are making a grave mistake. We absolutely don't think that our product is inferior to other products that do pretty much the same thing. And we truly believe that sales is a matter of execution. I think, to some degree, that's all true. Given that, if one has a great product, superior to other products in the space, then sales should result if the sales cycle is executed properly. Why, then, do we get behind and need a huge quarter to come remotely close to our number?
I think that we don't step back enough and look at our execution and we don't look at our product. Because sometimes our product doesn't meet the needs of the prospective customer because they are looking for something that our product doesn't do, or someone else does better. We have a hard time admitting that. And we never step back to look at our execution in sales cycles because the way we do it has always worked in the past. Oops. It's not working now. So we panic because those tried, trusted, and true techniques aren't working right now.
Could it be the sales people? Sure, but honestly that's pretty easy to blame people. If it were people, the solution is easy. But when sales are down across the board, maybe it's not the people. Maybe it's the customers? Maybe they just don't want to buy right now? In an uncertain economy, that's pretty likely. But we still panic. And we still do things the way we always did expecting a different result. The very definition of insanity.
So I'm insanely busy. But I'm insanely busy trying to step back to figure out new and different ways for people to be successful. And that's fun. But it's also very draining of my time and energy. Oh well...
Had a visitor this week. My cousin Renee from Hammond, WI was in town to meet with a vendor she works with, so we met last night for drinks and had dinner tonight. It was wonderful to get caught up with Renee and let her see the #8 train under construction.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Colds Just Suck
OK, I'll admit it. I'm a wimp. When I get a cold, I really don't like to do anything. I want to sit with my tissues and mind numb myself into meaninglessness until it's over. So I've been trying to do just that. The cold started full bore on Saturday, continued through yesterday, and is still around today. Naturally when the weather here is about as perfect as it can be at this time of year. But even nice weather can't overcome my wimpiness.
I did go watch the Vikings yesterday, though. Had a blast at Bar None, just like the week before. It was good to get out, even better the Purple won for the first time this year! Today, though, has provided me a chance to sit around the apartment most of the day and get some cleaning done. No parade (does watching it on TV count?) for me today, I just didn't have the energy to stand around and watch the Italians occupy 5th Avenue.
Oh well. Tomorrow I am flying to St. Louis and will let the #8 train hang out in station for a couple days. I'm looking forward to Thursday and Friday when my cousin Renee will be visiting. It will be good to get caught up!
Time to get my laundry and finish cleaning... Have a good day!
I did go watch the Vikings yesterday, though. Had a blast at Bar None, just like the week before. It was good to get out, even better the Purple won for the first time this year! Today, though, has provided me a chance to sit around the apartment most of the day and get some cleaning done. No parade (does watching it on TV count?) for me today, I just didn't have the energy to stand around and watch the Italians occupy 5th Avenue.
Oh well. Tomorrow I am flying to St. Louis and will let the #8 train hang out in station for a couple days. I'm looking forward to Thursday and Friday when my cousin Renee will be visiting. It will be good to get caught up!
Time to get my laundry and finish cleaning... Have a good day!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Back on Schedule
After a couple of derailments, it took my wonderful daughter to step in and remind me of the things that matter in life. I have to admit that the past couple of days haven't been real easy and that the #8 train doesn't have a whole lot of passengers on it. But the passengers that are on it with me are on it for the long haul. And that's something to be very excited about. Thank you, Katie. I love you very much and I am so proud of the woman you've become. And I am more proud of the friend you are becoming. Every father on the planet should have a daughter like you to keep us all on track...
The #8 train has some plans over the next couple of days. While a head and chest cold has firmly established its presence in both my nasal and chest cavities, it will not stop me from going to Bar None today to watch the Vikings play the Cardinals and make Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald (who plays for the Cardinals) look like the Hall of Fame wide receiver he truly is. Then tomorrow (if this cold of mine can abate a little), I am planning to go to the Columbus Day Parade here in the city.
I sent a note of interest last night to the Scoutmaster of Troop 735 to see if his troop could use an additional hand. I wouldn't mind getting back involved in Boy Scouts on a semi-regular basis. There's nothing like the experience of working with boys as they go through puberty and adolescence and grow into young men. We'll see what happens, stay tuned.
I may update the blog later today with results from the Vikings game (although the cheap beers and shots at Bar None, coupled with this cold may result in a much needed nap) and/or tomorrow sometime after the parade and apartment cleaning.
The train is back on schedule and is going to start doing some exploring. Knowing that the fuel for it hasn't run out is a pretty important realization!
The #8 train has some plans over the next couple of days. While a head and chest cold has firmly established its presence in both my nasal and chest cavities, it will not stop me from going to Bar None today to watch the Vikings play the Cardinals and make Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald (who plays for the Cardinals) look like the Hall of Fame wide receiver he truly is. Then tomorrow (if this cold of mine can abate a little), I am planning to go to the Columbus Day Parade here in the city.
I sent a note of interest last night to the Scoutmaster of Troop 735 to see if his troop could use an additional hand. I wouldn't mind getting back involved in Boy Scouts on a semi-regular basis. There's nothing like the experience of working with boys as they go through puberty and adolescence and grow into young men. We'll see what happens, stay tuned.
I may update the blog later today with results from the Vikings game (although the cheap beers and shots at Bar None, coupled with this cold may result in a much needed nap) and/or tomorrow sometime after the parade and apartment cleaning.
The train is back on schedule and is going to start doing some exploring. Knowing that the fuel for it hasn't run out is a pretty important realization!
Friday, October 7, 2011
The Quest for Meaning
And I think that’s really what I’m on right now. The #8 train is going to have to wait just a little while longer before it leaves the tracks, because construction has stopped. I'll provide more details later.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Need to Take a Break...
I'm building the #8 train and trying to let people know a lot of the details and particulars of what brought me to the train that I am now riding. But I need to take a break from those details and reflect a little...
Steve Jobs died today. He was one of the founders of Apple. My first home computer was an Apple IIe back in mid-1980s. I "grew" out of Apple computers soon thereafter. I began using computers from IBM and HP and Dell, working with Microsoft Windows rather the Apple. That decision a long, long time ago has turned out pretty well for me. I built a pretty decent career out of the "business computing" environment. I started in this business as a COBOL programmer, as many of us did in the 1980s. We saw the rise of the PC in business, got caught up in it, learned it, and it became a part of us. I now work for a software company that does most of its development in Windows. I'm even typing this blog on a Dell machine running Windows 7 and (much to the chagrine of my children) still use IE.
But Mr. Jobs' death is causing me to reflect a little bit. He was 56 and died of cancer. My friends, that's way too young to die. I hate cancer. I've had it, my mother died from it, and there are people I know, have known, and will know that will die from it. That's not fair. Because lots of people will die from cancer before the really smart people figure out how to "fix it". But this isn't an anti-cancer blog, either.
It is rare that technology and technology companies change the world. Apple did. Take a peek at how you live and how you interact with technology today. How many of you have an iPod? Yeah, nearly everyone. How about an iPhone? How about an iPad? How about a Mac? You really want to talk or think about companies and people that have made a difference in your daily lives? Apple has. So has Steve Jobs. Today he is no more. And that makes it a sad day. Because Steve Jobs proved one thing to our world. Technology matters.
So from a PC user with an android phone (but an iPod), I want to say thank you. And rest in peace.
Steve Jobs died today. He was one of the founders of Apple. My first home computer was an Apple IIe back in mid-1980s. I "grew" out of Apple computers soon thereafter. I began using computers from IBM and HP and Dell, working with Microsoft Windows rather the Apple. That decision a long, long time ago has turned out pretty well for me. I built a pretty decent career out of the "business computing" environment. I started in this business as a COBOL programmer, as many of us did in the 1980s. We saw the rise of the PC in business, got caught up in it, learned it, and it became a part of us. I now work for a software company that does most of its development in Windows. I'm even typing this blog on a Dell machine running Windows 7 and (much to the chagrine of my children) still use IE.
But Mr. Jobs' death is causing me to reflect a little bit. He was 56 and died of cancer. My friends, that's way too young to die. I hate cancer. I've had it, my mother died from it, and there are people I know, have known, and will know that will die from it. That's not fair. Because lots of people will die from cancer before the really smart people figure out how to "fix it". But this isn't an anti-cancer blog, either.
It is rare that technology and technology companies change the world. Apple did. Take a peek at how you live and how you interact with technology today. How many of you have an iPod? Yeah, nearly everyone. How about an iPhone? How about an iPad? How about a Mac? You really want to talk or think about companies and people that have made a difference in your daily lives? Apple has. So has Steve Jobs. Today he is no more. And that makes it a sad day. Because Steve Jobs proved one thing to our world. Technology matters.
So from a PC user with an android phone (but an iPod), I want to say thank you. And rest in peace.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
The Neighborhood
so now you have an idea about my apartment (not that anyone is actually reading these except for my daughter Katie, but maybe someday someone will show some interest after I've become famous), it's time you got an idea about the neighborhood in which I have chosen to live.
Manhattan is a pretty interesting place. There are places where tourists go (like Midtown so they can see EVERYTHING) and there are places where tourists avoid (mainly because there's nothing to see). I live in the latter. If you look at a map of Manhattan, look at Central Park (if you can't find Central Park on a map of Manhattan, you need to learn how to read a map). Look in the upper left corner of the park, draw a line toward the Hudson, and that's my neighborhood. You'll see that it's just south of "Harlem" and north of the "Upper West Side". It's south of Columbia University, but north of the "cool" stuff on the UWS. It really is in "no man's land". And I love it.
Because within walking distance (more on this in a minute) of my house, I have several bodegas (most of which I don't go into), a grocery store, three or four liquor stores, a couple of Subways, a Malaysian restaurant, an Italian restaurant, a Mexican restaurant, a Thai restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, a diner, a couple of Indian restaurants, and probably lots of other restaurants I haven't ventured into (yet). There's a Subway, a McDonald's, and a KFC. Pretty much anything one's palette would want is in my neighborhood and it's not too expensive to eat at any of them. So, yes, I am not hurting for places to eat.
There are a couple of hardware stores, an appliance store, don't forget Sal&Carmine's pizza place, a couple of drug stores, a mattress store, a couple of dive bars (and Smoke, a really decent jazz club) some interior decorating stores (not needed). I'm sure there are some doctors, shrinks, and dentists, but I haven't seen any of them in my neighborhood. There's a Catholic parish here, too, that's known as one of the most progressive in the city. And my subway stop is at 103 and Broadway, which is about 30 yards from my door.
Yep, everything I could ever need (except maybe a couple of decent mens' clothing stores) is right here. All within a few blocks. I don't have to walk more than 10 blocks in either direction to find anything I may need to live here. And 10 blocks isn't that big of a deal, folks. Manhattan has "short blocks" when you're walking up or down an avenue (like Broadway) and it has "long blocks" when you're walking between avenues. 20 'short blocks' equates to one mile. One long block is the same as three or four short blocks. So it's not odd to walk a lot, especially when you don't have a car.
It's been an adjustment, not having a car. Living in the suburbs (and it's the same here for people that live in the suburbs) means driving a car EVERYWHERE. Living in the city means driving a car NOWHERE. People do have cars here, but they use them to get out of town. If I want to get out of town, I have a couple of options. Ride a train or go with someone and I've done both (including taking a cab to the airport). But I must admit, I don't miss not driving everywhere and I love relying on my own initiative to get to where I need. No GPS, no asking for directions at a gas station, no relying on a car to do what needs to be done.
It's a great neighborhood, it really is. It's very diverse as well (because of the location). I would even venture to guess that we European Americans are the minority in my neighborhood. There are lots of Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Other Americans that make it an exciting place to live. I would even venture to imagine that lots of the 200 languages spoken in this city are spoken here. And that's very exciting. And intimidating, too.
One of these days, I'll not be intimidated by where I live and begin to make a difference in my neighborhood. I'm learning that it does take a little time, though. And I've got all the time in the world.
Manhattan is a pretty interesting place. There are places where tourists go (like Midtown so they can see EVERYTHING) and there are places where tourists avoid (mainly because there's nothing to see). I live in the latter. If you look at a map of Manhattan, look at Central Park (if you can't find Central Park on a map of Manhattan, you need to learn how to read a map). Look in the upper left corner of the park, draw a line toward the Hudson, and that's my neighborhood. You'll see that it's just south of "Harlem" and north of the "Upper West Side". It's south of Columbia University, but north of the "cool" stuff on the UWS. It really is in "no man's land". And I love it.
Because within walking distance (more on this in a minute) of my house, I have several bodegas (most of which I don't go into), a grocery store, three or four liquor stores, a couple of Subways, a Malaysian restaurant, an Italian restaurant, a Mexican restaurant, a Thai restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, a diner, a couple of Indian restaurants, and probably lots of other restaurants I haven't ventured into (yet). There's a Subway, a McDonald's, and a KFC. Pretty much anything one's palette would want is in my neighborhood and it's not too expensive to eat at any of them. So, yes, I am not hurting for places to eat.
There are a couple of hardware stores, an appliance store, don't forget Sal&Carmine's pizza place, a couple of drug stores, a mattress store, a couple of dive bars (and Smoke, a really decent jazz club) some interior decorating stores (not needed). I'm sure there are some doctors, shrinks, and dentists, but I haven't seen any of them in my neighborhood. There's a Catholic parish here, too, that's known as one of the most progressive in the city. And my subway stop is at 103 and Broadway, which is about 30 yards from my door.
Yep, everything I could ever need (except maybe a couple of decent mens' clothing stores) is right here. All within a few blocks. I don't have to walk more than 10 blocks in either direction to find anything I may need to live here. And 10 blocks isn't that big of a deal, folks. Manhattan has "short blocks" when you're walking up or down an avenue (like Broadway) and it has "long blocks" when you're walking between avenues. 20 'short blocks' equates to one mile. One long block is the same as three or four short blocks. So it's not odd to walk a lot, especially when you don't have a car.
It's been an adjustment, not having a car. Living in the suburbs (and it's the same here for people that live in the suburbs) means driving a car EVERYWHERE. Living in the city means driving a car NOWHERE. People do have cars here, but they use them to get out of town. If I want to get out of town, I have a couple of options. Ride a train or go with someone and I've done both (including taking a cab to the airport). But I must admit, I don't miss not driving everywhere and I love relying on my own initiative to get to where I need. No GPS, no asking for directions at a gas station, no relying on a car to do what needs to be done.
It's a great neighborhood, it really is. It's very diverse as well (because of the location). I would even venture to guess that we European Americans are the minority in my neighborhood. There are lots of Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Other Americans that make it an exciting place to live. I would even venture to imagine that lots of the 200 languages spoken in this city are spoken here. And that's very exciting. And intimidating, too.
One of these days, I'll not be intimidated by where I live and begin to make a difference in my neighborhood. I'm learning that it does take a little time, though. And I've got all the time in the world.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
The Apartment
When I began this journey five months ago, I had lots of motivation. And it sure was fun at first. Because for the first time in my life, the decisions I made about everyday stuff (like furniture and color schemes, although my daughters had a lot to do with helping me out on selecting all of them) and how I was going to spend my spare time were all mine. I didn't have a mother who made sure it was taken care of, I wasn't living in a dormitory, and I didn't have a wife who was really good at that kind of stuff. It was me. And (thanks again, girls) I think I did a pretty decent job.
I have what I need in my apartment. The basics are all here, and maybe some of the not so basics. So the place looks decent, I try to clean it every week (and still enjoy doing that), and I try very hard to keep it presentable and liveable. People that knew me in college would be shocked. Sure, I have my little messes and places for stuff, but they are contained. The kittens do a pretty decent job of making me keep the place decent as well, they can make a mess pretty quickly and easily.
The apartment really is nice. It's on the first floor. You walk in the door and the bathroom is right there (which is good when I come in and have to go badly, not so good at night). I'm a guy. The bathroom needs to have a sink, a toilet, and a shower. I've got some storage below the sink and above the toilet and the shower also has a tub. Hey, it's a bathroom.
Next to the bathroom is the kitchen. Now anyone who knows me knows that I don't mind cooking and I really enjoy baking. The kitchen isn't really conducive to either. There's not much counter space, the oven is a little small, and there isn't a lot of storage. That said, I'm not cooking huge meals for lots of people. I'm still getting used to it and now that winter is on it's way, I've committed to trying to make it work for myself. It has everything it needs, and I shouldn't use it as an excuse for being lazy.
Across from the kitchen is a little eating area. I have a table, there are benches along the wall and I have a couple of chairs. It's kind of nice, but I don't eat there by myself. I've got to figure out some kind of tablecloth for the table the kittens won't destroy and I'd like to do some things with the space, but for now it's just fine.
The living room is next. It's really divided in half. I have the "TV" half and then the "other" half. You probably guessed that I spend most of my time in the "TV" half. I have a queen sleeper against the wall, the TV (with DVR player) is in the corner, and my recliner. The other half has a small bookcase, an art table, and a couple chairs. I need some stuff on the walls at some point, they are awfully white, and I need to hang the shelf I bought that has no brackets, but the space is very serviceable and where I spend the majority of my time.
Walk through a door into the office, where I have a desk, hutch and chair. The desk and hutch are one of those "mess" areas. This room is really nice, and I spend very little time in there. During the summer, it also plays host to my windowless air conditioner. Because it's in the middle of the apartment, I can move it to the door in the living room to cool that area or to the door in the bedroom at night. It works pretty well.
Then there's the bedroom. I have a queen sized bed with a headboard and footboard, a dresser with a mirror, and a nightstand. Pretty simple, pretty basic. And it all fits quite nicely. It's in the back of the apartment, so it's pretty quiet. And that's where the door to the patio is, too.
Yes, I have some outdoor space. I have yet to do anything major with it. It has a table, some chairs, some planters, and is kind of cool. Getting it to something else (like putting plants in the planters) will be a next spring and summer job.
I have some nice rugs that I bought when Katie (my younger daughter) and Tony (her husband) were here over Memorial Day. They also came with me to get my microwave, too. Tony carried it about four blocks, and it's now on top of the refrigerator. I also have some cool curtains (more appropriately, I guess, they're called 'window treatments') that Maggie made for me and brought when she came in June. Thankfully the cats have not ruined any of the rugs or the curtains!
The building is fairly secure. I have a 'fob' entry (yes, this is new). It's about halfway between Broadway (yes, that Broadway, as in "give my regards to...") and West End Avenues on 103rd Street. You'll hear more about the neighborhood in a future blog.
So I'm all ready, right? You know what? I'm going to be 50 in May 2012. I've never lived alone before. And now that all of the 'stuff' is set, that scares the hell out of me.
I have what I need in my apartment. The basics are all here, and maybe some of the not so basics. So the place looks decent, I try to clean it every week (and still enjoy doing that), and I try very hard to keep it presentable and liveable. People that knew me in college would be shocked. Sure, I have my little messes and places for stuff, but they are contained. The kittens do a pretty decent job of making me keep the place decent as well, they can make a mess pretty quickly and easily.
The apartment really is nice. It's on the first floor. You walk in the door and the bathroom is right there (which is good when I come in and have to go badly, not so good at night). I'm a guy. The bathroom needs to have a sink, a toilet, and a shower. I've got some storage below the sink and above the toilet and the shower also has a tub. Hey, it's a bathroom.
Next to the bathroom is the kitchen. Now anyone who knows me knows that I don't mind cooking and I really enjoy baking. The kitchen isn't really conducive to either. There's not much counter space, the oven is a little small, and there isn't a lot of storage. That said, I'm not cooking huge meals for lots of people. I'm still getting used to it and now that winter is on it's way, I've committed to trying to make it work for myself. It has everything it needs, and I shouldn't use it as an excuse for being lazy.
Across from the kitchen is a little eating area. I have a table, there are benches along the wall and I have a couple of chairs. It's kind of nice, but I don't eat there by myself. I've got to figure out some kind of tablecloth for the table the kittens won't destroy and I'd like to do some things with the space, but for now it's just fine.
The living room is next. It's really divided in half. I have the "TV" half and then the "other" half. You probably guessed that I spend most of my time in the "TV" half. I have a queen sleeper against the wall, the TV (with DVR player) is in the corner, and my recliner. The other half has a small bookcase, an art table, and a couple chairs. I need some stuff on the walls at some point, they are awfully white, and I need to hang the shelf I bought that has no brackets, but the space is very serviceable and where I spend the majority of my time.
Walk through a door into the office, where I have a desk, hutch and chair. The desk and hutch are one of those "mess" areas. This room is really nice, and I spend very little time in there. During the summer, it also plays host to my windowless air conditioner. Because it's in the middle of the apartment, I can move it to the door in the living room to cool that area or to the door in the bedroom at night. It works pretty well.
Then there's the bedroom. I have a queen sized bed with a headboard and footboard, a dresser with a mirror, and a nightstand. Pretty simple, pretty basic. And it all fits quite nicely. It's in the back of the apartment, so it's pretty quiet. And that's where the door to the patio is, too.
Yes, I have some outdoor space. I have yet to do anything major with it. It has a table, some chairs, some planters, and is kind of cool. Getting it to something else (like putting plants in the planters) will be a next spring and summer job.
I have some nice rugs that I bought when Katie (my younger daughter) and Tony (her husband) were here over Memorial Day. They also came with me to get my microwave, too. Tony carried it about four blocks, and it's now on top of the refrigerator. I also have some cool curtains (more appropriately, I guess, they're called 'window treatments') that Maggie made for me and brought when she came in June. Thankfully the cats have not ruined any of the rugs or the curtains!
The building is fairly secure. I have a 'fob' entry (yes, this is new). It's about halfway between Broadway (yes, that Broadway, as in "give my regards to...") and West End Avenues on 103rd Street. You'll hear more about the neighborhood in a future blog.
So I'm all ready, right? You know what? I'm going to be 50 in May 2012. I've never lived alone before. And now that all of the 'stuff' is set, that scares the hell out of me.
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