It's all good so far

Had an earlier experiment using a mark down editor on the work laptop. It was interesting. I need to have a cheat sheet of codes posted if I continue to use that program. Without an apparent means to save the file it a likely to be a short lived experiment

I have also been experimenting with text expanders. The ability to produce a compete response to the very common Candidate parent request for information being reduced to hitting the reply button and typing ordeal@ is fantastic. The response includes hyperlinks to: the lodge website ordeal section, to a map to the camp, and to the download site for the medical form. Whiz freaking bang all questions anticipated and answered.

Life is good

Inhaling to have the tray table down for a writing surface. I am trying to get back into the daily habit of nontechnical writing and taking advantage of time on the plane to get started.

I don’t normally put my seat back because I know how annoying that can be when suddenly I am surprised with my laptop being thrust into my diaphragm from an unannounced reclination by the passenger sitting in front of me. It’s a first world fat man problem.

It was a full day yesterday, especially since my boss and a coworker and I spent the previous evening solving the worlds problems until the wee hours.

Even with the short night We managed to get a lot accomplished. We found a work around for a reporting issue I needed. It does help to have a strategic partnership with the consultant.

The consultant is of similar vintage and we have some similar interests in technology and wines. He has done several trips to Napa and has had the opportunity to build an impressive cellar.

Our post meeting dinner was at the Hereford House restaurant. One of the best steakhouses on Kansas City. Our group managed a private room. I was volunteered to manage the wine. We were a diverse group with various experience in wine from some serious red enthusiasts to one younger staffer who had never had a red wine.

I picked a Le Adventure Paso Robles which everyone was pleased with. With six dining, a second bottle was needed. This one was allowed to decant for a short while which did make an improvement.

The consultant uses an aerator and decants everything he opens. Looks like Santa will be getting us a decanter.

It was a very pleasant evening. Did not stay late. We were back at our rooms by 9:00.

By 10:00 pm I had successfully fought the French style plumbing (evidently the pipes don’t always cooperate in cold weather) and had most of the packing done.

Caught the shuttle to the airport and in spite of my packing , I discovered that the TSA has additional issues with the CPap machine and electronics in the suitcase. Normally I would check the bags but with the quick connections on this trip I have opted to carry on my suitcase. I need to see about the prescreening. I will also re-evaluate what I am using as a day bag. Q1 promises a lot of travel.

Looking at a very quick connection in Dallas. This one will be challenging to get out and to the next gate. If it goes like Monday we had to wait on the Tarmac for our gate to free up. Fortunately the connection was late. With this last leg being a Dallas to Houston hop, I am not worried about having to catch another if this one doesn’t work.

This gives me another reason to see if the CPap will fit into my messenger bag. I don’t want to check the bag and have it thrown into the bowels of the cargo hold. Not the way I would treat my electronic toys.

Was able to do the gate dash and boarded the connecting flight with the first half of the A group. First flight that has not been stuffed full since I started this trip.

Managed to get some email correspondence completed before the take off. With the ordeal coming up this weekend, most of the traffic is from parents that did not print out their receipt which has a lot of that information.

After copying and pasting a standard response a couple of times, I realized that I could probably automate this with a text expander. So now typing Ordealinfo on the iPhone will load a detailed mresponse complete with links to both the lodge and the council websites. I just have to do a couple of quick edits regarding drop off and pick up locations/times and camp location. Now I just have to add text expanders to Google Chrome for gmail and Word/Outlook on my other computers.

I am open to a suggestions/recommendations.

Enjoying the cooler weather, sitting outside at our breakfast spot, trying not to appear like a wantabe writer. I have been doing more reading than writing. The writing I have been doing has consisted of technical procedures and training materials. Not the most fun part of the process. I am finding the limits of using a web based system.

However, I have the opportunity to work with others to decide how best to implement procedures. We have time to discuss, and to plan Instead of the procedures being stone tablets being delivered from the corporate mountain top with compliance forced downward. This time I am writing guidance documents – that can be custom tailored for each product line. Work instructions become templates. The drafts are circulated first to the respective HSE managers within the product lines with explanations of purpose. This allows line specific customization so we are not blindly pushing a one size fits all program. They will comment and we will revise. Then we will meet with their respective operations managers and to discuss what is required by regulation, and what they need to see.

In addition to the documents, I am supplying tools – online reporting tools that allow us to capture and preserve data, and will allow us to measure compliance, track trends, and to see what training is needed. It is a tall order, but I am getting to incorporate the best of what I have previously seen or used. I also have the opportunity to experiment to see what else we might be able to do. Everything is scalable to support the growth that the company desires.

There is a lot of support from management because we are providing a framework that will allow various lines to function with with a great deal of autonomy but in a cohesive manner under a corporate vision. It is all good so far.

I had a couple drafts started in various places. I haven’t posted much if anything since the travelogue. I should do a review of the discarded tailings to see if there is anything salvageable.

I have been reflecting some of the second half of life. I am looking at the rate of implementation of things at work and how much time that I may want to spend working for others. Another decade? That will put me at 65. I have worked on legacy sites that have more the ten years of history. I have scouting files for my current position that I developed 15 years ago. A decade working for others should get my my programs implemented, evaluated, revised, and improved. I should have a staff trained and running with things, training junior staff.

Not sure where the family business will be at that time, but we should be well into working with electronic archives and making committee decisions.

Watching the wheels coming off my dad who has been in great shape, but in the last two years he has gone through a knee repair and a significant fracture. He has compounded this by falling and fracturing his other femur one week into knee replacement recovery. Head strong independence has a price. Will be spending some time helping get him through rehab by getting him a means to work.

I know that Sandra and I need to plan ahead. We are discussing goals, and sharing plans. Looking at how we design our next home that will allow us both to downsize but remain independent. Perhaps borrowing a retirement community design to drop into the hill country. We are both working on the diet and exercise, now perhaps with a a little more diligence.

Still much more to do, but the rewards will hopefully be 30 plus more years together.