It's Been a While, Where Have I Been?

So I really have been quite absent.  In point of fact I've been virtually non existant.  This has been a good thing, as I've not had the drive or ambition to write anything.  There've been many life events that've come and gone, and by the time I've thought to myself maybe I should write something about this the moment has passed and really not even sure what to say.

Nothing tragic has happened.  In case you're wondering.  Everything is fine.  Everything is super.

To date I've received another promotion at work and am now a technical support lead at my company.  This comes with more opportunities and the responsibility of being on call every few weeks as I work to keep that internet thing everyone likes working.  I recently heard the news that one of my best friends is engaged and I'm completely stoked for that.  I've got a couple of kids and the life my wife and I are building for ourselves in our home is beginning to take shape.

Within that last year I was also blessed to have been a part of the happy marriage of another one of my best friends.  Hearing the recent news of my best friend's engagement has given me reason to reminisce some.  What seems like just a few short years ago was our college days.  Our ambitions and thoughts about our futures (then) are different from what they are currently.  And that's okay.  In fact having caught up with my friends over the previous summer and winter months I can say with confidence that we're all doing okay and succeeding.  But I knew this anyway.  I've always made attempts to surround myself with ambitious people, people who are driven to build their skills and knowledge, and many more times people who are more knowledgeable.  To that end I'm thankful that despite the setbacks and delays in our personal goals, things are moving along

Within the last year I actually gave serious thought to beginning a YouTube channel.  However, after vetting that idea I laid it to rest, or at least filed it away in the recesses of my mind.  If I'm not even able to keep up regularly blogging my thoughts - and even I don't always understand where I come up with them - then when will I ever have time to dedicate to a YouTube channel.

In conclusion, as I sit here with Suite No. 3 in D by Johann Sebastian Bach playing and my laundry rolling around in the dryer, I can only be thankful that the last two years has been a time for growth and opportunities for my many family and friends.  This isn't the same for everyone.  There's a lot of anger out there.  There's a lot of stupidity, ignorance, all of the negative stuff of life.  I remain confident in my conviction that if the only concern you have is to improve yourself, learn something new each day, and make great effort to avoid social and political drama, you're going to be much better off than you would be otherwise.

Family Day

Now that I have a family some things have become more important - specifically spending time with my wife and daughter in a non distracting environment.  I say non distracting, because it would seem that in the world that I'm raising my daughter in is not lacking in distractions.  If it's not concerns with work and what immediately lies ahead on the daily agenda, then it's technology.  Interestingly, those who know me would be confused at this point.  Technology?  Really?  The self described technophile is concerned that technology is a distraction?  Well c'mon, I'm not naive!  As much as I enjoy working with and learning about and using current tech trends I'm also equivocally vigilant about how much of my life is spent basking in the warm, inviting glow of my phone, tablet, or laptop.  (As an aside, I make every effort not to abuse tech, however that's a discussion for a later time.)

I'm finding myself increasingly aware of the fact that it would be the best thing for my family if I'm not constantly checking social media, reading the news, drafting a new blog post, catching up on the latest research in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), or just aimlessly browsing until I land somewhere interesting.  After a lot of reflection on every pro and con and measuring how much time I really spend using such frivolous things as social media I've come to a simple conclusion:  It's time to set aside an entire day where I don't engage with tech - at very least keep it to a practical minimum.  Of course, in practice this can be complicated.  Look around you and it cannot be more clear: technology is used every day by every person.  This is why being practical about tech is just that much more imperative.  So, just like every goal I've ever set (I'll admit some goals I've set are more practical than others) I have to establish the ground rules, so as the Joker is quoted as saying in Batman: The Dark Knight: "So, here we go..."

1. No checking social media!  That witty response, meme, or group chat?  That can probably wait until the next day.  If it's the family group chat, that's allowed, because... it's family day.
2. The computer stays off!  My internet browser, while good at showing my email, agenda, and to-do list is also a temptation to sit for a while and stare at my social media feed (if I have nothing else to do).  That time spent staring and gawking at society's "epic fails" or shortcomings could actually be spent with family.
3. Phone calls and text messages are allowed, because it could be my boss trying to get a hold of me due to an emergency at work, or maybe a friend needs something urgent.

As I made clear the idea is to minimize my engagement with tech by taking one day out of the week and shifting my focus to something else.  I foresee actually being able to eventually sit down and a couple books that I haven't picked up in a while (books that I'd really like to dive back into!).  I could also see the time spent with family turn into breaking out a board game or even going for a walk (spring is coming soon... I hope!).  The end goal is to make a purposeful effort to give my family the time it very much deserves.  As far as what day that is?  Well, that's easy:  Sunday!

What I'd like to do is also encourage you to try the same.  (No, your family day doesn't need to be on Sunday, that's just what I've chosen.)  Don't try to just give up technology, as that would actually be impractical, and typically those who completely cut the cord with tech usually come off as conspiracy theorists who have a unfounded paranoid opinion linking the government and "Big Tech" as somehow trying to enslave the human race, or some other garbage.

What I'm encouraging here is a chance to take one day a week and do something fun that doesn't have to include technology.  All the advancements in technology are great and totally worth while, and often times extremely helpful, but we have to remember that just like a hammer, a car, or a pocket knife these are merely tools.  Sometimes, even your favorite tool is also allowed to have a day to rest from use.

Leaps, Bounds, Milestones, and Other Thoughts, Oh My!

So, I've just realized that I haven't posted an update on my daughter in a long time, not since she began crawling.  Visiting relatives over Christmas, a crazy work life balance, and a hundred other distractions have gotten in the way.  Looking at the photos on my phone I realized just how much my daughter has grown in the last couple of months.

For starters Isabelle had her first taste of a snow storm on January 12th when we received 15.5 inches (39.37 cm) of snow accumulation over the course of 36 hours.  My little daughter thought the snow was just absolutely the BEST thing ever, like a new toy, but cold, and magical as it turns to water in your hand.  As I began the couple hour long process of moving the snow off of the cars and drive way my wife Jessica brought our daughter outside to see the snow.

On Thursday of this past week Jessica and I looked up and found Isabelle grabbing the table with one hand and standing more steady than she has.  Her legs are getting stronger and I'm sure at this rate she'll be walking very soon!  So far it would seem that at only 9 months she's a little ahead of the game on milestones.

Some days it seems like I can't quite keep up with how fast she's growing and developing.  Sometimes, I'm sure, people might think I'm crazy and wonder how I plan to give time to my family and to my hobbies.  Sometimes, I think I am crazy taking on a lot.  However, I would not trade it for anything else in the world.  I do miss my "old life" as it had a lot of great memories and I still keep in contact with my friends, but I've learned that this life is exciting too, and I know I have the support of my old life.  But I really don't consider it my old life.

In retrospect I consider the adventure of getting married and starting a family as just another chapter in the book of my life.  It's something that I've noticed some people think is an "end of your life" moment, however I think that assertion is very short sighted.  I still have just as active and fulfilling of a life now as when I was in college or even when I spent a short time as a Catholic seminarian.  As I look to the year ahead, I'm excited to see how my family will grow and develop, and to see what friends I can run into.

Life Goals, Rhinosinusitis, & Looking Forward to Christmas

So I would've been at work today, but instead evolutionary responses to pathogens decided to manifest themselves beginning yesterday evening and at the moment continue to prevent my otherwise optimal biological functions.  Postnasal discharge, irritation of the pharynx, minor inflammation of the larynx, cephalgia, and generalized ache and fatigue are the symptoms that point to rhinosinusitis - commonly said as the common cold.  It's fascinating how when we look at the medical terminology it makes things seem a lot worse than it is.  Of course, so far I'm not bad off.  I'm faring better than my daughter fared this past week.  I don't have any excessive phlegm, fever, or respiratory inflammation that has been characterized by some who've been so fortunate as to already been afflicted with this round of cold.

The symptoms of course are easily mitigated by AleveⓇ, green tea with honey, and rest. Vitamin C is also a good thing to add, just because the body needs it (or so I've been consistently told).  Vicks Vaporub™ of course is a gift from God if congestion and respiratory inflammation become exasperated.  But so far, unlike most men of my condition, I'm not in critical condition.

Today I finished one of the three books I was reading.  The book "Personality Hacker: Harness the Power of Your Personality Type to Transform Your Work, Relationships, and Life" was written by Joel Mark Witt and Antonia Dodge and is a fantastic read if you're interested in personality theory and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).  I first heard of their book by listening to the Personality Hacker Podcast which I heard about via their YouTube channel which I definitely recommend taking a look at.  You can read my review of their book here.

Aside from having the imposition of a malaise I've been making some positive progress toward my goal of waking up early.  Alternatively I'm not waking up at 5:30 every morning like the video says, but reasonably around 7:30.  This of course has not been without challenge.  My work schedule constantly fluctuates so going to bed at the same time every evening has been difficult.  My goal has been to be ready to sleep by 11 pm, and this is done well most nights.  Of course with the responsibilities and joys that come with parenting I must see this is as an attainable, if at times impractical, goal - especially while my daughter was ill with rhinosinusitis and my wife and I found ourselves up late at night making sure she was as comfortable as possible.

I'm looking forward to the next few days off of work to spend with the family and visiting with relatives.  Christmas, at least per my perception, is a much bigger deal than Thanksgiving.  Both are filled with food, but there's just a more relaxed ambiance that comes with Christmas.  There's less rushing around to do, all is quiet.

I want to take this opportunity to wish every one who somehow chances to fall upon my blog a very Merry Christmas!

My Daughter Is Crawling Successfully

Took a few weeks of trying, but finally got a video of my beautiful baby girl crawling forward.  Typically, as infants learn to crawl they figure out how to move backwards before they move forward.  At seven months my daughter figured out how to crawl forward, and since then has wanted to do nothing less!

Every day I anticipate with excitement and joy what developmental milestones she will reach next.  Guess the next milestone will be walking and adding a few more words to her vocabulary.  In addition to "dad" and "hi" she's added "momma," "hungry," (very important!) and "hey."  Little by little she grows and it amazes me that we all start out with just a couple of words and working out how to move around.

My Daughter's First Taste of "Food"

This was my daughter's first taste of "food."  I deliberately use quotes because, as her face will say, it's not exactly creme brulee!

Welcome to Autumn

Autumn Has Arrived

Autumn in Missouri is off to a good start!  The weather has been typical of the Midwest roller coaster that's experienced every year.  The few crisp mornings we've had make me miss my time living near Chicago with all the lake fronts.  From looking at forecast models, it would seem that autumn has made a consistent appearence up north.  Here in Missouri the weather couldn't be more, as the locals say, "bipolar."  80s one day 60s the next.

Job Hunt & Work Woes

Since it's been made known to me that I'm likely stuck in my current position at work without any future considerations I've been looking around for other work.  So I've been giving my resume out and filling out job applications, and so far to no success.  Much of the time the feedback I've been receiving is that I'm just not experienced enough for this or that position.

Things on the job couldn't be more chaotic.  Unfortunately the schedule has been tossed around and I've been getting scheduled a lot of six day weeks!  This of course has been abandoning me adrift in stress and exhaustion.  After a six day stretch all I want is to be alone.  Without people.  Often after working 6 days I forget what day it is (thank God for Google!).

Baby's First Word!

Isabelle's first word is "hi."  As the days have gone by she has begun to build her vocabulary.  She's added "dad" to her words, and at least once has said "hi dad" when I've arrived home from work.  Some days I wonder what she'll say next.  Not long from now she will be crawling and so far has been working very well at developing her arm muscles and coordination to at least support herself.

My Daughter's First Cardinals Game

This past Sunday my wife and I took a trip with Isabelle to see the Cardinals play at Busch Stadium.  It was great to get out and visit Ballpark Village and experience the exciting atmosphere as the Cardinals won 9-2 over the Giants - sweeping the series.

As an added plus, the tickets we bought months ago came with a bonus: an opportunity to actually walk on the field!  It was awesome to be able to walk by the players as they were getting ready to play the game.  Definitely an opportunity I won't forget!

It was also Isabelle's very first Cardinals game!  She made it through the game pretty well cheering on the Cardinals and taking a couple naps.  Overall I think she handled the crowd well for a baby!

This was my second Cardinals game at Busch.  Being a Cardinals fan growing up in Illinois made most of my Cardinals games being seen at Wrigley Field in Chicago.  Not bad to note that so far the Cardinals have only lost one game that I've witnessed in a stadium.

We began the day with Mass at the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales, an absolute must for us every visit to St. Louis!

My Daughter Is 3 Months Old & Other Updates

My Baby Girl

How time flies!  It seems like yesterday she was born.

I'm impressed every day at how she's growing and developing.  Already she is sitting up (with assistance), grabbing and lifting toward her mouth, and babbling.  Speaking of babbling; her babbles sound more and more like language than just little coos.  Could she be an early talker?

Parenting - at least for the moment - is relatively easy.  Sometimes I get caught up thinking that my child is just the most perfect person to ever walk the Earth (of courseI'm sure every parent thinks this).  To an extent though it does seem at times that my little girl is becoming an overachiever like her dad.

But enough about her - I could go on about child development theory and what milestones she's getting close to, and how quickly she's achieving them.

Work v. Life Balance

Still working as an Optician, however it has become apparent to me that those above my boss won't open up my position to be full time.  While I have enough hours it's unfortunate that it's just enough.  In a manner of speaking I've come to a crossroad.  I can try to move elsewhere within a company I've worked at prior (in college) and apply my previous experience as a cashier and negotiate a full time position as a supervisor.  The other option I have is to keep looking around and applying for jobs, many of which are either in the medical field or in manufacturing.

Most of the opportunities for work that relate to my experience and tenure of my resume unfortunately don't pay very well, and leaping into another field of work inevitably means facing the unknown and risking not knowing anything about a job.  Most who know me well know that I prefer to expand within my academic goals and experience.  With most of my experience in typical white collar jobs it would be quite a transition to accept a blue collar position.

Plans To Continue My Education?

Since I left the Chicago suburbs - due to financial aid difficulties and inability to fund my own education - I've discovered through colleagues and others that there's a very slim job market for Meteorologists.  This of course I've taken into account, and after a couple years of thought and reflection on my academic career I've decided to make a slight adjustment to my academic plans.

During my time studying in the suburbs of Chicago I thought very seriously about a double major in Computer Science, given my enjoyment of computer programming and ability to work with computers on more than a basic level.  As I've discussed my interests and knowledge with my wife and friends it's apparent to me that perhaps I should consider well pursuing a career in IT.  The more I look into it the more I see a promising job market.  So this is definitely an option I'm greatly considering!

"But what of Meteorology?  Chasing storms?  Aren't you throwing all your learning and work away?"

Goodness no!  The weather will always be an interest, and I'd never carelessly throw away a piece of information on a whim.  I'll continue my interest as precisely that, an interest.  I'll still make observations and give reports via social networks to the National Weather Service.  It's just that I've decided to step back from a childhood dream and pursue something different, that's still an interest I've had since childhood.

So for now I've decided to teach myself the Python programming language.  After that probably Java as it seems knowing C and Java are good starting points and Python is a good bonus.  There's also certification sequences I can learn that can give me a start in IT related work.

So... long update!  There's been a lot on my mind and I've been itching to write and get my thoughts out, so... yeah.  You should probably know I can be long winded anyway 😜.