The other evening I was talking to a young man that I have known since his was in middle school. He will be a senior this year. He is an
outstanding bowler and is on his way to a National Championship
tournament in two weeks. So I was curious what his plans for the
future are. I kiddingly asked if he was going to go pro, then I asked
if he was going to bowl at the collegiate level. I was very pleased to
hear that he’s looking at a few schools that have top notch bowling
programs, Nebraska, FSU, Moorehead State. Then I asked what he was
considering for a major – Engineering – good. I suggested he consider
Chemical Engineer, he said he really likes Chemistry. On to his
grades, what courses he will be taking as a senior, test scores… I
remembered he had had a bad year at school, but he turned himself
around – he’s carrying a solid B average. I was a little concerned
that he was taking Algebra II and Trig this coming year. I warned him
he was heading into an advanced math intensive zone and that his
freshman year in college would be even more intense. But he’s a good
kid and loves bowling.

On the home front, we are getting ready for the 4th of July weekend –
heading up to Morristown, TN to spend the holiday with Jeff’s best
friend and his family. I’m gearing up to do my BBQ’d ribs and potato
skins. Think I’ll do a pecan pound cake too.

Seems like people want to send me work just as I’m getting ready to
try and take some time away from the computer…oh well.

I had all kinds of thoughts running through my head this weekend. Frustration really hit hard when I heard that an individual that I had
taught many of my skills to has been offered a $65K plus job. Really
frustrating while I sit here barely making $33K. The lyrics to an Edie
Brickell song – Circle, hit home with me: “I quit, I give up,
nothing’s good enough for anybody else, it seems… When I’m all alone
it’s the best way to be. When I’m by myself nobody else can say
goodbye. Everything is temporary anyway.” Funny how I heard that song after being told of the associate’s job offer.

So I’ll hammer away at my resume, try to learn the best way to bill clients (fixed bid verses hourly have really gotten me in a pinch).
Know of any good mentoring programs that help the overworked and
underpaid? Maybe I’d better figure out what I want to be when I grow
up.

I love a rainy day at the beach, it’s so soothing to me. Maybe I should just fill my back yard in with beach sand and pretend. But then I would have to have ocean sounds and a few seagulls. We survived another little tropical storm passing over. The worst that happened was our trash can was blown over around 2 this morning. I guess that’s better than when the F1 tornado went over and cleaned all the loose paint off the handrail to the steps off the sunroom.

Despite all the really bad weather in Florida, my dream location is still Gulf Coast beach front. I like the Ft Walton – Destin area. Panama City Beach is too touristy – I had the “pleasure” of spending a month there during Spring Break. If their parents only knew. But then who am I to talk?

The rain has stopped for a while. I’ve taken a few more pictures of the garden, the rain has been good for it. The roses are starting to come back.

I was grilling some onions in olive oil last night and it triggered a
memory of a hamburger I had in Majorca years ago. I could never really
figure out what gave that burger it’s unique taste – maybe it was
olive oil. Then I remember the taste of a Sangria that to this day I
can not duplicate.

I drifted to thoughts of a wood-fired brick oven pizza in a little
Italian restaurant in Aviano Italy, Bratwurst stands with pommes
frites in Wiesbaden Germany,Yakisoba and Kobe beef in Okinawa Japan
and Strawberry Daquiris with cheesesticks in Dallas Texas.

Wish: Time to read a good book.

I was listening to an interview with Zell Miller about his new book “A
Deficit of Decency”. It sounds like a book I would like to read, but I
started thinking – when was the last time I read a book? I remember
reading the Miva Merchant ecommerce book that I gave a short review
on. I read that on the plane ride back from the conference in San
Diego. I used to love reading Tom Clancy books. I had started
re-reading Lord of the Rings but only made it through the first two
books. It’s pretty sad – no time for such a simple pleasure.

Even better, I would love to be able to read a book, on a rainy day, at the beach…