Resistance is futile

For years now, I've resisted becoming one of those people walking through airports seemingly talking to themselves (usually at a very loud volume) until you notice the thing in their ear. Yes, the blue tooth headset. Makes one look like a Borg wannabe. Not wanting that image, I've resisted, stubbornly hanging on to my wired ear piece that I've been holding together with duct tape (seriously).

Resisting that is ... until Monday. My cell phone has been becoming increasingly unreliable and had reached a point where it could be used for less than 30 minutes. Because I'm on the road so much, a working cell is a necessity.

On Monday it was off to the cell store to purchase the phone I'd researched and determined that I wanted. While there, my husband convinced me to go ahead and join the Borg. So now I have this very lightweight device hanging off of my ear. The model I chose had 33 different face plates so a little personalization was possible. Hm, I could even create my own insert ... I'll have to consider that.

My new phone is also lighter than my old phone. It has all of the same features, but is also GPS enabled and I got a navigation package to go with it. I justified the $10 a month for that because I travel to unfamiliar cities. I started to write "strange cities" but most aren't strange (except maybe Toledo) but they are unfamiliar so the GPS navigation package should help.

So, I guess resistance really was futile. I could put it off, but in the end, I was assimilated.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm refering to (Borg, assimilated, resistance is futile), I direct you to the wikipedia entry on Borg.

Changes are a coming

The company I work for just announced they are considering "strategic alternatives" including selling the company. WoW! I guess it's time to polish my resume. Time to think about the future. Of course, I know that I've just been flowing with the current ... content to not push too much ... life by accident as my old friend Bill Karlson would say. I guess it's time again to look at who I am and where I want to be in 10 years.

Trouble is ... I really like what I do, know the software really well, and enjoy the people I work with. Bummer.

Musings on a summer day

In 2001, when I was first working as a software consultant, I spent a lot of time in Phoenix. By a lot, I mean that for about 18 months, I spent more nights in Phoenix than I did in Austin. I had more alone time during that period than I have ever had in my entire life. So in the evenings or on airplanes, I often turned inward and reflected on who I was/am. I realized that I was not exactly who I wanted to be. To be truthful, I'm still not. But back then, I started thinking about how to become, more closely, who I wanted to be. I started on a campaign to define who I am as a person. I would say to myself "I am a person who _______." to reinforce the definition. I don't want to say change, because sometimes it would be reinforcement of a small little part of my personality or id. One that maybe needed nourishing in order to move myself closer to who/what, I want to be.

Some definitions from that time and where I am in making them happen (in no particular order):

• I am a person who rides a scooter - I purchased my vino and rode it. Customized with bumper stickers that express who I am and what I believe.
• I am a person who plays guitar - I purchased a cheap (<$80) guitar kit and signed up for classes at the local community college. I have on occasion carried a guitar with me on my business trips. It helps to keep me from working too much in the evenings. Although I'm practicing less and less as I am now a person who suffers with trigger thumb.
• I am a person who takes time for myself - I could be better at this, still. I try to see a massage/Reiki master on a regular basis. I try not to work on the weekend. I take more sick time than I used to. If I'm sick, I take off work rather than working through it. Interestingly enough, I recover quicker ... go figure.
• I am a person who is not as concerned with the dust in my home. This has been a big change for me. I'm not a neat freak or germ-a-phobe (although I have taken to wiping down my hotel room with disinfectant cleaner), but I used to get really uptight about the dust and fuzz, but now I'm much more relaxed about it. There are more important things in life.