Ed Goes Audio

Okay -- as you may have noticed, there's an audio message embedded above (I'm not sure how that will work out with different RSS readers, so I'm sort of playing it by ear for now).

Apparently, this company has partnered with Google to provide audio blog entries, and so far, it seems pretty cool. From the blogger's point of view, I simply call their number, enter my number and PIN, and record my message. It publishes my message to my blog automatically, which means that blogging just got a lot easier.

As I point out in my audio post, I have no idea what their business model will be (how can you drive revenue when you provide a free service?) but so far, it's pretty exciting.

Weekend Woes

I've had some craptacular weekends in my day, but in that respect, this weekend seems exceptional. Perhaps it goes without saying that you don't spend nearly 7 years in the Army without a blown weekend or two, but even at that I'd have to place this weekend on par with spending some quality time with an IRS auditor in terms of frustration.

First, my wife left for a business trip to New York on Thursday, and she wasn't scheduled to return until Saturday morning. So the weekend lead-in is a little shot -- no biggie, right? She ended up going straight from the airport to her office on Saturday, and basically working a full day. I did get to have dinner with her on Saturday night, though, and it's a good thing, too, because she left for work again on Sunday morning and ended up working straight through until she got home this morning circa 5:30AM.

Now, I try to be understanding when these things happen (I've certainly spent my fair share of time working late). That said, because I'm also in Software Development , there are times when I can't help but feel like some of this stuff falls under the 7 P's. You know: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

So I was a bit agitated at not being able to spend a little quality time with the little lady, but I was doing okay with it (sort of -- depending on who you ask). I was managing the increased burden in the form of laundry and chores that most husbands (present company included) balk at. Then, last night, some fun things happened (and I mean the same sort of fun as having a rectal exam by an NBA allstar).

First, the cable went out. I'm not married to TV, so it doesn't seem like a big deal until you realize that with the cable goes the Internet. Okay, no sweat. I'm a man of the new millennium, so I'm just going to rotate that last load of laundry, and then head for the hay. A nice early bedtime is just what I need to get me on track for work on Monday.

I kiss my son good night, and begin my "nighttime maneuver" (this involves stripping down and jumping for the bed so the last of my clothes hit the floor about the same time I'm between the sheets -- hey, I said I was a man of the new millennium...). About midway through the process I notice a big wet spot on the bed.

At first, I think I'm about to relieve some stress with a good old-fashioned cat beating. Then I realize that unless my cat has somehow learned how to stick to the ceiling like a fly, that drip-drip-drip doesn't have feline origins. The damned roof is leaking!

Yes, I realize that roofs sometimes leak. To fully appreciate my frustration, however, you need to understand that since I renewed my lease in April, my air conditioner has broken three times (and each time it rains water into my dining room), and I haven't had the greatest luck with maintenance (which is a blog post in itself). Indeed, they came into my house a few weeks ago without any notice, and without leaving a note, and left my daughter's window all the way open (nice of me to cool the entire neighborhood -- hello electricity bill from hell). It was 10 hours before I got home to close it, and it rained pretty bad, so her floor was soaked. Ironically, maintenance had just removed a big noisy (and no doubt electricity sucking) dehumidifier that they placed after the last air conditioning fiasco.

These things in mind, I think you'll agree that my weekend wasn't so great. There is an up side, though. The best thing about having a lousy weekend is watching the expressions on the faces of the Monday morning busy-bodies in the office. "How was your weekend?" they ask with an all-too-saccharine smile. "It sucked." I tell them, all the while feeling a bit better as I amuse myself with their startled expressions. Maybe there's just a little streak of sadism in me after all.

Time Marches On

Time stands still for no man. It's been a busy 3½ months since my last post, and it occurs to me that I really need to dedicate more time to my blogs. I am now faced with the very daunting question of how to get back in the proverbial saddle with my writing.

I suppose I could start by pointing out the obvious: it's been a very busy three months indeed -- both for me personally, and in the world at large. Among other interesting changes, I accepted a position as the Director of Software Development for a litigation support company in Washington, DC. That being the case, it also seems appropriate to inject the standard caveat: any opinions I express here are entirely my own, and may not accurately reflect the views of my employer or coworkers.

I would also like to point out that, while it's true that most people change jobs because they are not happy, that was not the case here. No, you won't find this move chronicled in any future Jobs that Suck post. In this case, it came down to a simple question of opportunity. While I was treated well by my former employer (and have an invitation to return), here I have the chance to really build something. Call me naive, but I still think I can change the world.

Now that I've cautiously dipped my toe back into the blogging waters and I can see the temperature is fine, I think I'll be more comfortable diving back in. Watch for more rants, raves, and quips in the near future!