Day two (first real full day)
August 6, 2009
Ok so it is hot… really hot and to top it off muggy. But I will take this hot muggy day over my air conditioned office any day!
We slept in a bit this morning seeing as we didn’t get to bed to till after 2 am. Breakfast was a typical wonderfully simple spanish breakfast of toast and coffee. After we all took our time getting showered and dressed all four of us (Nathan, Laura, Josep and I) went to the grocery store.
Can you be homesick for somewhere you already are? That was how I felt at the store. I was so excited to be in a store full of everything I miss when I am stateside but it made me so sad to think I have to go home. About 10 minutes into the trip I swore to Nathan I was NOT coming home!
After shopping we had lunch around 2:30 then dropped Josep off at work. Nathan, Laura and I headed out to a wonderful park with a maze in it. We got lost, found ourselves, and got sweaty trying to find out way around the maze. Either way it was a blast.
From the maze park we hopped on the metro and headed to the bus station to buy out tickets to San Sebastian for Saturday. Nathan and I were fading at this point since we haven’t adjusted to the reduce caffeine consumption so we headed to downtown Barcelona to get some coffee and squeeze in some shopping.
Once at Plaze de Cataluna we headed to the best and cheapest coffee I know of- McDonals. Now before you judge me let me just say that McDonalds in Spain serve pretty decent espresso and to top it all off for 1 euro you can get a shot of espresso poured soft serve ice cream- perfect for a very hot day.
We then wandered down Las Ramblas (the main shopping area) where there were street performers, open air pet shops, flower shops and the most amazing market where we found both sweet and spicy paprika to bring home with us.
Finally we found our way home around 9:30 and made pizza for dinner. It was still so hot we put down a blanket and at on the balcony where it was a little cooler.
I am so excited to be home… when I took a bite of chorizo earlier today I almost started to cry. Can I stay here? Please?
And we are off
August 3, 2009
Two and half years ago Nathan and I got to enjoy a magical New Years in Spain. We visited friends in Barcelona, San Sebastian and Madrid. Finally after much waiting, and two bouts of unemployment, we are going back. Leaving in about two hours to be precise.
The tentative itinerary is to be in Barcelona from the 4th to the 8th. From the 8th till the 16th ish we will be in San Sebastain/Donostia for Semana Grande. We hope to sit on the beach, watch fireworks, visit with old friends, make a quick run across the French border, and eat lots. We will return to Barcelona the 16th ish and fly back stateside on the 18th.
Check back often as I will be updating from sunny Spain.
Eggs Benedict and New Employment
June 4, 2009
I guess I fibbed about writing more frequently… oops!
I kept pretty busy during the three months that I was laid off. In case you didn’t notice from the title of the post, I am once again employed!
During that time I landscaped the backyard – It’s AMAZING – posts to come on that soon.
I also wrote a proof of concept application for a start up that was seeking funding. I am still waiting to hear about the results there, but things sound positive. The proof of concept had two purposes: the first being to potentially get a job after the company was funded, and the second to prove that I could do what I do to some of the folks higher up. Since the work was a form of sweat equity, aka free of charge, I was working mostly towards goodwill.
Turns out the goodwill that I generated landed me a great opportunity with my current employer. I am now the lead developer for a start up based out of Florida. I am currently telecommuting and will have my own office space in downtown Eugene soon. The whole situation is very exciting as I am officially on a start up team, which is the starting point for several of the goals I made when I graduated from the university.
At this point I bet you are curious what this has to do with Eggs Benedict. Well, telecommuting occasionally gives me the opportunity to cook more challenging meals in the morning and the other day I tackled Hollandaise Sauce. In combination with the egg poacher I recently picked up, it made a very very tasty breakfast (see picture above – the sauce is from The Joy of Cooking)
The Good and The Bad
February 18, 2009
It has been awhile since I have posted. The last month has been very busy for me at work and Kimmy has been writing some excellent posts.
The good news is that I will be writing more frequently over the next few weeks. The bad news is that I was laid off last Friday due to my employer’s financial position. It is possible that I could have my job back within the next month or so, but none the less I am needing to plan for a future where that doesn’t occur.
All in all, I am not too stressed out about the change. Kimmy and I have been through this before so we know what to expect. I am also much more prepared this time around. Our guest house is doing well and my skill set as a developer has come a long way.
It will be interesting to see how the coming weeks will treat us. The current weather is a blessing and I have been very productive as I prepare for my job search.
In the mean time I am looking to pick up some freelance web development as I can. If anyone knows of any opportunities, please send me an email and I will see if I can help.
Our story!
February 4, 2009
The U of O Alumni Association asked for stories of couple who met at the U of O and then went on to get married. I sent in my story and pictures because, lets face it, I think our story is pretty cute and we couldn’t be bigger Duck fans!
Much to my suprise today I found this on the UOAA website: http://uoalumni.com/enews/0902/love.php
The couple underneath us also met in the Oregon Marching Band. In fact the year Nathan and I met Brooke was our color guard captain!
Sappy? Certainly! But I am proud of it!
Happy Birthday!
October 25, 2008
I love you! I am so lucky that you have chosen to spend your life with me.
I hope your day is perfect.
I am Enjoying a Busy Fall
October 17, 2008
Its been a couple of weeks since I posted last. Life is steadily moving along and I am enjoying the flow of things. Work has been slowing down as I wrap up one product and get ready for the next.
Fall has definitely arrived. The weather is gray most of they time and the leaves are starting to fall on the running paths.
I am slowly achieving last years resolution to run 100 miles before 2009 and am now at around 63 miles for the year, most of which I ran within the last two months. The new Nike shoes help alot and the Nike Plus tracking device has given me a new source of motivation as I am competing for the most distance with a group of friends this month. I am excited to see both my speed and distance improving. Sometimes I feel like a child of Nike as almost all of my running gear is branded with the swoosh… I guess its OK since Nike originated from Eugene and the U of O.
My business ventures are also coming along. I hired a writer to develop content for www.theviewfromhome.com last month and am very pleased with the results. The content has been posted and I am now working on adjusting the pages so they look good and have appropriate ads and images.
My affiliate marketing application is also coming along as I just finished another piece of it. I am hoping to have it working within the next three months or so. It is exciting to watch it take shape.
Aside from all of that, I replaced my very first window in the studio last weekend and have three more to tackle soon. The process went fairly smooth. The next three will be interesting as they are on the second story and require a ladder…
I also just ordered parts for the mini and am hoping that this round of tinkering will get it to a runable condition again.
Brisingr
October 3, 2008
It is not very often that I read science fiction or fantasy. These days the books I read tend to be nonfiction guides, tutorials, and manuals. Occasionally, however, I dive into a story and let it take me away to far off lands.
I finished the book Brisingr by Christopher Paolini last night. I am not going to give away any details about the book but wanted to share how much I enjoy his writing. Paolini does an excellent job bringing his characters to life and developing each character.
I was a bit surprised at the end that there would be a fourth book as up until that time Paolini had only talked about there being three books. Three quarters of the way through the book it was pretty evident that there was quit a bit more story to be told. I look forward to the next in the series.
My First Contract Employee
September 18, 2008
I officially paid my very first contract employee today!
The bill came to $36 for 5 hostel reviews, 3 with images, and a volume bonus.
I am expecting 5 more articles to arrive shortly and I may have another writer that is staying at a hostel writing an article for me. We will see…
Now to run the articles through an editorial review and then on to publishing them.
The New Office… Hummmmmmmmm…
September 16, 2008
Yesterday was my first day in the new office. I have had a lot of mixed feelings towards the move as change has a tendency to bring both good and bad.
With this move, I now have an office to myself which is a first. So far my concentration is up and so is my productivity. Before the move I was worried about how this would impact the social nature of the office. The developers are a bunch of social butterflies which is great for morale, but not so great for productivity. Fortunately, we still move about in the afternoons.
Although my assigned office leaves something to be desired, I am finding that I can live with it as it is better than a cube. My office is definitely the smallest and suffers from the frequent drone of the HVAC on the roof. The ventilation duct for the two lower floors cuts through the left third of the room.
Most of the time the hum isn’t so bad. There are a few places in the office that resonate in such a way that I get disoriented! To work around this my desk is awkwardly in the middle of the room which actually works for me. I would have the desk next to the window but my extension cord doesn’t reach… 
So aside from the quircky environment, I think this new private office will be a good thing. I have the ability to close my door and get down to work as needed.
