Evie Day 749

OK, looks like my site is back up. Sorry folks, it has been a few days…

Good morning, and a happy Thursday to you all. My WordPress site has been offline a few days, so I do apologize for that. I have some friends that keep track of me through my blog, and I didn’t mean to worry anybody.

We had a weekend, we had a Monday, I had tacos on Tuesday… and Wednesday game night has been deferred for a day this week.

Work stuff is going pretty well. I had a nice conversation with a training agent from the UK about my availability to teach some classes on this side of the Atlantic, so that looks like a possibility.

To be frank – I always hated the term “To be honest”, because the smart alex in me always thinks and sometime says out loud – “Oh, now you’re going to be honest? You’ve been misleading us up until now”… so, to be frank, things are ok for me professionally. They could get better, but I’m putting together a patchwork of small opportunities that are keeping me engaged.

My big worry right now is the economy. Tang the Terrible’s latest poorly thought-out tariff initiatives suggest we’re headed for a major recession.

For those of you who like my occasional posts about my granddaughter, Evie is growing up fast, and she’s learning some very important lessons right now about a toilet’s purpose. We also found out over the weekend that she likes orange sherbet… not necessarily the lemon or lime that were in the same pint.

There you go folks… the first picture I’ve ever added to my blog.

OK, time for me to get focused.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 743

Good morning, and a happy Friday to you all! Today is 28 March 2025.

Sorry about yesterday. I started to put things together, and then I was unable to get authenticated to WordPress, and then I became distracted by another project.

This has been a good week. Gracie started a new job with the school district in Baldwin. Dane had a breakthrough with some of his research into a medical device, Bonnie was busy with her work, and Lisa was doing well, too. I’ve been working in a project that has been very professionally satisfying, clearing some labs for a lab hosting company, and my report is due Monday. If I can keep crackin’ this morning, I might have it done this afternoon.

Wednesday night is normally a game night with the guys, but with some travel and other work responsibilities, we didn’t have the numbers, so we called it an early night after some chat. Hopefully, Sunday afternoon will have better attendance.

There are some other things going on in the world that I could talk about, but it would just get my blood pressure going.

On that note, it is Friday, I need to get the garbage out to the corner for collection.

I’ll get back with y’all on Monday. Hopefully I’ll have a little more to share after the weekend.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 741

Good morning! It’s Wednesday, Humpday, Mittwoch, whatever you want to call it. Today is 26 March 2025.

Yesterday was a productive day. I stayed on task for a very long time working on my lab reviews. More today, but instead of three-hour and five-hour labs, the collection I continue with today will all be between ten minutes and half an hour for each experience.

There were no real surprises for dinner last evening. Dane preferred the pork chili verde, and Lisa had a little of that as well as chips and salsa. I had my crispy beef tacos with some queso and habanero sauce, and all was good in my corner of the universe.

Today shouldn’t be too exciting, really. Labs, paperwork, other paperwork, and then a little tabletop with the guys this evening. I’m not quite sure where we’ll be with numbers, but whether it’s conversation or gameplay, I do enjoy hanging out with the guys.

I don’t have a whole lot to add, really. There’s stuff on the political horizon that angers me, but I can’t do anything about that. Let’s just say that secure communications should not be hosted on an unsecured app, and if someone on a team mentions using an unauthorized platform for secure communication, it’s the responsibility of everyone in that conversation to question.

That’s enough… time to think about more pleasant things like coffee.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 740

Good morning! I hope this Tuesday finds you happy and healthy, and possibly prepared for the perfect meal on the day… TACOS! Today is 25 March 2025.

Yesterday was a good day. I was fairly productive with my class commitment, but I took a moment or two to say hi to some former teammates (truth… some of the folks at the mothership that I used to work with will never be “former” teammates… good people), and then I got back to work. It was nice to pop in and say hi, and then pass along my current email address.

My work day was done about 4 PM, so I ran into town thinking that it would just be Lisa, Dane, and me for dinner, but Lisa phoned me while I was on my way home that we would have two additional guests for dinner, our daughter Gracie, and of course, our two-year-old granddaughter Evelyn.

We made up a little game for Evie… the “quick hug” game. She has to run to one of the others in the room and give them a quick hug and then run back to momma. She seemed to enjoy it. I know I certainly did.

In light of recent events, a buddy of mine has redefined an acronym. “TS/SCI” normally means “Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information”. In light of the recent Signals snafu announcing war plans, it is now suggested to change it to “Top Secret/Some Civilians Invited”.

Including a journalist from “The Atlantic” in the war plans distribution list is not a good idea. It might be a breach of security…

“But her emails!”

Yeah, another mess up from the current administration… absolutely a fireable offense two months in. I don’t think it will improve.

In the meantime, I hope you find all the freshest ingredients for your dinner this evening… crispy or soft shells, a good protein, grated cheese, maybe some warm queso… fresh lettuce, and just the right sauce. Mine will be habanero.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 22,470

Good morning, and a happy Monday to you all. Today is 24 March 2025.

We had a weekend.

It was pretty typical first weekend of spring, with a dinner with an old family friend on Friday, some planting of seeds to get our veggies started, and some other family stuff. Lisa and I are still maintaining our broadcast news boycott… it’s not really a boycott, we just can’t stand to see Kumquat Pol Pot get any more attention.

We did watch some sports over the weekend, but no basketball. We’re still mourning the fall of the Jayhawks in the first round. Saturday evening we watched some women’s soccer as the Kansas City Current traveled to Washington, DC to play the Washington Spirit. The Kansas City squad won 2-0.

Baseball is around the corner with opening day another week or so away. It’s frustrating around here. The Kansas City Royals are the local team, but their broadcast package is lousy. We’re on DISH network, but apparently the Royals made a deal with Direct TV, so the only alternative is to buy the streaming package. I’m not that dedicated a baseball guy to spend a ludicrous amount of money just to watch baseball. I can watch other sports instead, or even (gasp!) go outside to get stuff down around the property.

I’m always thankful for the Sunday afternoon gaming sessions with the guys. I enjoy the banter, and it’s an enjoyable experience to slay an imaginary baddie every so often. It can be cathartic.

I’ve got work to focus on today. There’s also a learning day for my training peers. I signed up for two sessions, and one has already been canceled. I might have to poke around and see if there’s another I can get in on.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 736

Good morning! It’s Friday, the last day of the Western work week. Today is 21 March 2025.

The long and often agonizing Kansas basketball season is now over. Preseason number one the last two seasons, both times ending in abject disappointment. It’s been rough. The Jayhawks have plenty of talent, but they just couldn’t mesh for one reason or another. The 3-point defense certainly played a role in some of the losses this last season.

But, now I’m free of a time commitment to watch the NCAA tournament. My team is out, so I pivot to something else.

In a little bit, I’m going to pivot to work.

Friday, still Lent… so I’ll either go the easy route and have ramen noodles for lunch, or, if the opportunity presents, I’ll make a run in to town and either grab a fried fish sandwich, some fish or shrimp tacos, or if I’m really in a mood, sushi.

Oooh… I need to remember to get the garbage out to the end of the driveway. It’s that day, too.

Other than that, not much else is going on. I’ve got things to get done, and some time to do it. Coffee and breakfast are my highest concerns right now.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 735

Good morning, y’all! It’s Thursday, and the work week is winding down. Today is 20 March 2025.

The weird winter weather we were supposed to encounter yesterday huffed and puffed, but did not bury the house in snow. I guess we were lucky. We did get a little precipitation, which is certainly welcome.

I was productive yesterday, stayed on top of the course I’m reviewing. I also had a pleasant surprise with the offer of a couple weeks worth of work for a training provider, one course on solutions architecture, and another on using a scripting language for administrative tasks. I’m looking forward to it. I also was able to enjoy the company of a lovely young lady yesterday afternoon while her momma, my daughter Gracie, went to the dentist. Evie is always a delight… and the cookies she baked with Gramma turned out pretty good, too.

I got together with some of the guys last evening for some tabletop. Things seemed to be going our way, but I have a hard stop at 10 o’clock as part of my negotiations with Lisa (not formal, but I did tell her that I’d hang it up by 10 on Wednesday nights and 6:30 PM on Sundays). I stepped away, and I’m not sure if we completed the conflict, or if the game master decided to pause. I’m Central Time, and a couple of our other players are East Coast, so it’s even later for them. I’m guessing there was a pause.

Today I will be watching some NCAA basketball. I didn’t take the time to fill out a bracket this year – I try not to get caught up in the gambling side of the NCAA tournament – but I’m hopeful that Kansas can play up to their potential this weekend as we start off against Arkansas (lost to Arkansas in a preseason exhibition game). Arkansas has an injured starter, and I think the Jayhawks are relatively healthy. If Kansas can pull off a victory, then they will likely face St. John’s on Saturday, and the star for St. John’s is a guy who used to be at Kansas, Zuby Ejiofor . When he left Kansas, a lot of folks were a bit mystified. He seems to be thriving with his new team… there have been times we certainly could’ve used him in Lawrence this season.

OK, time to focus on the day ahead.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 734

Good morning! I hope you are well. It’s Wednesday, humpday, midweek… today is 19 March 2025.

I looked up at the clock and saw the time – then realized I had yet to write today.

Yesterday was a good day. I was able to get things done that needed to be done, and made my plan for the day… and yes, I am now an hour behind. I have shifted the time I rise from 5:30 in the morning to 6:30 in the morning, and I’m wondering if I should flip that back.

I wrapped up my admin course yesterday, and today I’m digging into security – I’ll be focused on that for the balance of the week. Next week will be interesting as I dive into a series of basic labs for a fundamentals course.

Had a nice message pop up, asking about my availability to teach a cloud solutions architecture course next month. No commitment yet, but it sure is nice to know folks are thinking about me.

The weather in Kansas is going to get weird today – wind advisory during the day, and the possibility of a blizzard blowing through later. I caught a little video from Bunker Hill, Kansas, and that was definitely a blizzard. It might blow north or south of us between now and then, but it it definitely white, cold, and blowing with some ferocity.

This afternoon, Lisa and I might be tasked with watching a little one for a little while. I do look forward to seeing my granddaughter. Lisa is on spring break, which means she’s only working 60 hour week.

I’m going to buckle down and get focused myself.

In the meantime…

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 733

Good morning – yeah, you know what day it is… there will be tacos. Today is 17 March 2025.

Yesterday was a productive day with only one delightful interruption. I spent most of the day going through labs, and it was after I’d wrapped up my third lab in the morning that I decided to refill my coffee cup, and I heard a small voice coming from the kitchen… “mix, mix” the little voice said.

I do love being a grandfather. Gracie had some work to address, and with Lisa on spring break, we’re an easy choice for keeping an eye on our granddaughter for an hour or two. I didn’t even know she had arrived – she was behind the island in the kitchen with Lisa when I heard her. She is a delight.

After a brief break, I went back to work and got stuff done. I still have a little wrap-up on the first class to address, but then I’ll move on to two other courses, one on security, the other, on fundamentals

The NCAA tournament starts today. I’ll take a look at the schedule and see if there are any games that catch my eye. Today will have some play-in games. Let me take a quick look…

Looks like two 16 seeds match up in the First Four – St. Francis versus Alabama State at 5:40 my time, then a different point of view – two 11 seeds – North Carolina and San Diego State – will play the late game at 8:00. That second game could be very interesting, as both of those programs have been in the Final Four in the last few years.

OK, time to realign my antennae and think about that first cup of coffee.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 732

Good morning, and a happy Monday to you all! Today is St. Patrick’s Day, as well as the birthday of my youngest nephew, Keegan! It is a great day!

Yesterday was a great day, too. In reality, we started celebrating Evie’s second birthday well before the given day. Friday afternoon was great, with Evie and Gracie coming over for a bit. I had a couple of breakthrough moments with Evie, as she grabbed a book, then handed the book to me, crawled up the little steps the dogs use to get on the couch, and climbed into my lap all on her own for the first time. I was moved. She’s pretty clingy to her momma (I joke that it fits our Star Trek fan family that she’s a Klingon), but I thought it was pretty sweet that she wanted a little book time with Grampa. The scene repeated itself a little later. I am a blessed grandfather.

Saturday was wonderful, and the birthday party at Gracie’s yesterday was a lot of fun as well.

We also let her run around in a new battery-powered kid car with a remote control. She giggled the entire time.

The weekend was pretty good. After the windstorms that cam through the end of the week, I reached out to my wireless internet provider to let them know my antennae dish was out of alignment. He came out and got me back connected, and we started talking about steps we can take to improve our speed and reliability. He’s helping me, and we’re looking at a difference type of dish that allows the wind to pass through.

I have work to keep me busy today, so I better get my ducks in a row and pay attention to my day.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.