It's all good so far

A breakfast post at the cafe because either WordPress or the iPad is acting up about the number of logins vs the new password. I may have had a draft from the road. It would have been about adjusting to the new routine.

The new job has been interesting. I have more autonomy than ever. It is my environmental program to develop and the boss has all the confidence in me to do what we need. His concern is approach, while a number of changes need to happen, we need to make sure that they are small steps that we can implement without being overwhelming. The people I am working with are very cooperative. We made some strides with the accounting yesterday that will be the basis of our environmental record keeping and waste minimization. Done with a personal meeting instead of calls to the Philippines and multiple meetings.

The digs aren’t bad either. Lots of non big company perks. Easy dress code, good coffee, quiet.

One of the challenges has been finding the time to write. May drop to a once a week post. There will be topics ahead. I am acquiring a new writing instrument from the dark side. I will be using a MacBook Pro 13 -8-256. It is a lotus, not a Ferrari – small, very quick, but still relatively reasonable.

I am also still using pen and paper. The TWSBI fountain pens have been a great find, and I still like getting work notes captured on paper to start. They do get condensed to the electronics but for first capture a pen and paper is far less intimidating in meetings. So there may be some comments on the productivity system.

Things appear to have worked out exactly as needed. If planned, it was done by a higher authority.

Blogging on the road again.  The news continues to cover the “Terror at the Boston Marathon”.  We don’t need a catchy slogan to know which incident they are discussing.  Or the number of details they are providing about the type of explosive that was used and where you can find information about them on the internet. Focus should be on the available surveillance and how public involvement can help.  

We saw the displays of selfless courage as people went into the blast area to assist others.  Blood donors are being turned away because their supply is at capacity.  Generosity and compassion.

How do we respond?  By praying for healing, for the dead, for the injured, and the traumatized.  Praying for the courage and selflessness to become involved with others and accepting the involvement of others.  

By understanding that our need for privacy needs to be tempered by public good.  We will endure, we will persevere.   

Big weekend behind us.  I got home from the work orientation session on Friday.  I enjoyed the time down in Robstown.  Got home and got through the taxes in relatively good shape.  I was able to write the check without undue concern about the bank balance etc. 

I did toss & turn with pre-Scout Fair concerns- what did I not get covered before this trip out of town.  Fortunately all went well.  The turn out for the opening was smaller than we planned but it provides us room for improvement next year.

The stage ran well.  We flexed as needed but all the acts that did show performed well.  Lots of complements and I sent those towards my staff adviser who did the yeoman’s share of the work.

I enjoyed getting to see friends that I have not seen in a while and continued the scouting network.  Got home and did some office organization.  Then prepared for Church.

Sunday service went well.  My role was simple and the readings easy.  It was good to be back.  I think we have things settled well enough now to get back to regular attendance.  Home again and errands with the kids.  I also pulled a box together of stuff to carry to the new office.  Lets get it started.

In a noodle shop waiting on lunch. Hoping to get served before I have to turn around. And hoping that my order wasn’t an outlier on the menu.

The challenge with a small restaurant is covering a number of Asian cuisines for a customer base of oil field workers. The menu has some Thai, some Vietnamese, and the traditional Chinese dishes. It will be interesting to see what I end up with.

It is crowded but is it a cost vs volume of food or actual quality of cuisine casing the crowd. It is going to have to be quick. I am betting that they have one cook in the kitchen based on the pace of the orders being filled. Just saw the cashier helping bus tables. Looks like it is going to be close or more likely a late return to class.

Managed to make in before we started. They brought me the new laptop. It’s a battleship but a quick one.