Checking In

A catch-all, catch-up post

There are 1,132 posts filed in Checking In (this is page 23 of 114).

Work, fast and furious

Oh, how I forgot how quickly things move at a startup company! I’ve dived right into my role as support manager, not really knowing all I need to know but trusting I can figure it out. I’ve already reached the point where I can field some support cases on my own, which is sooner than I expected. I’m still nowhere near where I need to be to feel comfortable, though, and I lean quite heavily on my more-experienced coworkers, but I’m getting there.

One of my coworkers walked into my office today and told me, “uh, hey, we’ve really piled on the stuff for you, haven’t we?” I had to laugh! It’s great to have the confidence of one’s coworkers but it’s true that I’m barely keeping my head above water now. I told my boss I feel like the kid who just had his training wheels taken off: I’m wobbling all over the place but have somehow managed to stay upright.

Getting up to speed is very much like learning a foreign language through immersion. I hear all these names and acronyms which are still fuzzy to me, so I focus on the context to fill in the blanks.

Am I working hard? You betcha – harder than I have in a while. Am I enjoying it? Absolutely! I am all in. It’s good to feel wanted and good to feel like I’m contributing right off the bat.

Little Raleigh Radio server delivered

Little Raleigh Radio

I also buckled down this weekend to get Little Raleigh Radio’s studio server set up and delivered to the temporary studio. Mission accomplished!

The server has a full install of the Rivendell radio automation software and 2GB RAID1 mirrored drives for a HUGE storage space of music. It still lacks a monitor and sound card but those are on the way.

Now the difficult work begins of getting the rest of the staff trained on how to use Rivendell.

Radiator work

After returning from DC with Hallie and her class, I had a rather intimidating task ahead of me: changing out my car’s radiator. I’d never done a radiator before but in the age of YouTube I had all the instructions I needed.

Having bought the replacement radiator at AutoZone a week before, I was all set to make the change. It cost me an hour of my Saturday afternoon, a few busted knuckles, one Imperial Pale Ale, and about $110 but I got it done. Had we taken it to the dealer we’d have probably been out $600.

DC and back

At the White House


Well, I didn’t get a chance to do much blogging during my DC field trip with Hallie and her class. The pathetic battery life on my smartphone prohibited me from much websurfing up there and back and when I got to the hotel I had more email to catch up on than I expected.

We had a great time in spite of the bone-chilling wind.

DC bound

I’m taking the next two days off to chaperone my daughter’s 5th grade class on a trip to Washington, DC. I’ve been looking forward to this trip for months and can’t believe it’s finally here.

While I’m gone I’ll be missing a Parks board meeting. I can’t recall if I’ve ever missed one in the 4 years I’ve been on the Board. Maybe one, but no more. This is totally worth it, though. I love helping kids, and the chance to pal around with my daughter for two days is a real gift.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll even get a chance to do some blogging. We’ll see.

Not fast enough

I had to laugh last week when I overheard a conversation in the breakroom between two coworkers. One was at the microwave, complaining that he had to enter the full cook time, rather than hit one button for a preset time.

I laughed when I realized how absurd the thought was. Here was a miraculous invention that could cook food in mere seconds and my friend was griping that he had to wait an additional two seconds. If there ever was a “first world problem” I’m sure this is it.

VPS Farm closing up shop

The hosting provider where I host this blog, VPS Farm, is closing up shop in two weeks. The owner is changing jobs and shutting it down. This means I have to find a new provider, and fast, or my handful of readers will be forever lost.

I have some local providers that I can turn to, so I hope to switch over to a new provider soon. With any luck the transition will be seamless but I’m sure a gremlin or two will pop up. Just bear with me. I promise that there isn’t much that can shut me up!

Still here

I know I’ve been a bit quiet on the blog lately but it’s because I’ve been very busy with stuff. The new job is going well but the schedule I’m on doesn’t leave me with much copious free time (TM). I am having to hustle to make things work and it’s been an adjustment but so far I’m making it work.
Kelly left this morning for her three-day session in Greensboro, so my schedule has taken a hit for that, too.

The other blog blocker is caused by books. Seems whenever I request books from the library they all tend to come in at the same time. I got an inter-library loan in from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg library called Escaping the Endless Adolescence, which is living up to its expectations. Soon after, the Charlie LeDuff book Detroit: An American Autopsy, arrived. Because Endless Adolescence wasn’t due back until the end of the month, I read through LeDuff’s book first. Now I’m back into Endless Adolescence again. My reading doesn’t leave much time for other things.

I still have posts to catch up on and hope to get those online as soon as these books have been returned. Life is pretty good, though, all told!

Work is stabilizing

I’m into week three at the new job and I’m not feeling as overwhelmed as I was the first two weeks. I’m starting to get the hang of it, at least a little bit. I’m confident enough that tomorrow I’m going to interact with my first customer, so that’s a big step.

The schedule is a bit crazy as I mentioned before, but it’s a top-notch team and I’m happy to be a part of it. Perhaps I can find a little time for blogging in-between.

Transitions

Friday was my last day as a contract sysadmin at TeleTracking. It was a wonderful job with a great group of people. I enjoyed working in a small office and helping out with their occasional IT needs. Still, I have skills that I never got a chance to apply there because others were responsible for those areas. I was hired primarily to do the Linux system administration along with occasional Windows administration. I began to wish for more responsibility.

Near the end of last year, I was contacted by a company that I spoke with before my TeleTracking job. I turned them down back then due to the travel involved with that particular position, not to mention I didn’t have a clear understanding of the product. This time around there’s a position which doesn’t involve much travel. What’s more, I have a much better appreciation for the product’s value.

I start next Monday, working full-time again. Juggling my schedule (and Kelly’s) might be a challenge at first but it will be worth it. I’m looking forward to the challenge and am excited about my new opportunity!