Just Another Day…

Tag: Tom

  • Being A Big Nerd: Day 1

    In a word… Wow.

    The first 2 hours of the class I was concerned that it may be a bit too basic for me. After all I had been reading a lot and what was covered I already knew. But that quickly changed and before I knew it I was having flashbacks to being in HS and was sweating. I could tell the people around me were “getting it” a bit faster and had more experience. I was falling behind and fast!

    I took a short lunch and came back early to keep working and by the end of the class I was caught up. I’m used to being the most technical person in the room, but here I’m probably the least educated on the topic. I think it’s been a long time since my brain really felt stressed stretched like this.

    But, I have a few hours tonight to brush up on what we did today, and tomorrow I’m getting up early to read ahead in the next few chapters so that I’m as prepared as possible.

    We did actually write no less than 3 applications today, and 2 were actually deployed to the iPhone for testing. It was a pretty cool feeling to see your own application loaded onto the phone.

    I’m really looking forward to tomorrow and the rest of the week. It’s a good class of people, and the two teachers (Aaron and Joe) from Big Nerd Ranch are awesome. I’ve struggled at times when I was reading and typing my own code, but having somebody right there that can look over your shoulder and explain what you did wrong is pretty awesome.

    More later this week!


  • A Calling

    Have you ever wanted to do something that you just felt was meant to be? Maybe something you’ve always wanted to try because it spoke to you in a way that nothing else did. Maybe it’s playing a sport or starting a new hobby. I think we all have at least one of those things inside of us, a seed that was planted long ago that’s yearning to grow.

    For me that has always been computer programming. I’ve always felt that it was something I would be very good at. I have a very logical and technical way of thinking, which plays nicely into programming. I’m also full of ideas for programs that either don’t exist, or are improvements on programs that are out there that fall short.

    But, I went down the path of television production long ago, and once you’ve built a career, and even more once you have a house payment, wife and now kids, it gets harder and harder to take a step in a different direction, not matter what the calling. It all comes down to responsibility and the fact that life is not just about you anymore (well, it was fun while it lasted anyway).

    So, it’s with great excitement that I will be spending this week in California taking a crash course on programming for the iPhone, iPad and future iOS devices. Not only is it the perfect class for me and where I am with my programming skills (very limited) but the class is with some really great people that I’ve admired professionally for years. So it’s a chance to meet and work with some of my heros of technology.

    The class was not cheap, neither was the hotel (however the flight was pretty good), and my hope is that the money spent now is just a downpayment on a future return as I begging to write applications and sell them. In some ways it feels like a long shot, and in others if feels like this is where I was always headed.

    I’m very grateful that Brenda has been very supportive of this dream of mine. This week will be hard on her and I know she would rather I was around. And even though this is costing a small fortune for us right now, she never once made an issue of it. She believes in me, which helps me believe in myself.

    So time will tell where this week leads. My hope is it’s the beginning of a new chapter in my life. If not, I at least know that I gave it a solid shot without letting dream just die inside me.
    Time to get on the plane!


  • Thomas Da Train

    Thomas Da Train

    It’s fun to see what things your kids become interested in as they grow up. At the age of 2, it’s pretty simple. Cars, Fire Trucks, and Trains. At least for Andrew. He is obsessed with them all, but Trains is probably in the lead right now. A few months back we took him and Max on a train ride to Chicago and he still works it into a conversation unexpectedly as the mood hits him.

    More recently it’s been all about Thomas The Train. He would play with his Thomas The Train set by the bay window, while watching Thomas The Train on TV. I think for me that’s like watching a nerd show on how to build a computer while sitting on the couch on my wireless laptop or iPad. So I understand. The male species can be an easy read.

    Because he loves it so much and gets so excited, Brenda and I have wanted to add to his excitement by expanding his train set with more engines, cars and maybe an expansion pack with more tracks. Those are all great, but then we noticed that they actually sell a table specifically for setting up the train. I liked this idea a lot. It would be kind of nice for him (and Max when Andrew allows it) to have the train setup it a place that didn’t get knocked on the floor multiple times a day, sending Andrew into a rage yelling “No Train Sydney, My Train… Time Out Sydney!”.

    Anyway, after looking at a few tables and seeing how crappy they were made, especially for the price, I decided to make one myself. A quick google search turned up a link on some very basic plans that I thought I could handle since I’ve been home this month. So one day I had the idea, the next day I was at Home Depot with the Little Sydney picking out lumber. What’s really amazing to me is that I’ve had a top notch woodworking garage for the last 7 years, and never made a single project aside from remodeling the basement. But the first summer after I sell all of the machines, I decide to make something where the machines would have actually be useful!

    My original plan was to make the table at a much higher quality, and for less money. In the end, It probably cost me twice as much when you count the glue I had to by, the name tags, clamps that I needed but didn’t already own and the fact that the materials list given on the website actually had 2 extra pieces listed that I didn’t need. But, it is personalized and much better made. My hope is (and I do know this is a long shot) that 20 years for now Andrew is able to give the table to one of his boys (or girls) and adds another name tag to it.

    I had an idea to shoot a time-lapse video of building it. I have a camera that’s very easy to mount anywhere that can take a suction cup, and has a very wide angle lens, so it was pretty easy. Looking back at the video now, I’m really glad that I did it (both the table and the video). Hopefully it will be a nice memento for the boys in years to come.

     

  • New Book: Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know

    This book was recommended to me by my good friend Craig who has a daughter that’s around 4 years old. Thanks Craig!


  • Transition Back Into Society

    Just like the prisons have a program to reintroduce reformed convicts into society, we have come up with our own version of a transition program for Brenda.

    Starting this November Brenda is returning to the work force as a freelance editor. But after 3+ years of not working outside of the house, she was feeling just a bit rusty and apprehensive. Would she spontaneously burst into song in front of the client and sing the Bob the Builder theme song? Would she keep saying to the client “very good” for even the smallest accomplishment? Or even worse, would she start asking those around her if they went poopy in their pants?

    To help ease her transition back into the world of non-child speak, we decided to swap jobs for the month of October (actually, it already started today). She would work at the office at a place she’s familiar with, with people that she knows – and I would take over at home being Mr. Mom. That also has the side benefits of giving me more time with the kids that I don’t normally get, and her a break from the kids for a bit.

    So we shall see how the month goes, but it seems like a win-win all around.