since we last spoke
i always tend to say this, but now it’s finally true! a lot has happened to me in the past month.
I left Secure Computing after exactly (coincidentally to the day, in fact) 3 years in software development, and close to 5 years total. I had been working from home since moving to Seattle, and although there were many benefits to the job (great team, awesome language, no commute) I decided it was time for a change (human co-workers, new project, smaller company). I’m now gainfully employed by a startup called SynerG Software on the East Side. I won’t bore you with the details, (basically we consolidate multiple disparate applications to a single view/app in enterprise environments) but it’s a lot of new stuff for me, combined with a flexible and friendly team. things are going well so far. Coincidentally, the architect of the product’s name is Dave. Not unlike Secure Computing. I’ve continued the practice of having people refer to me as David. Seems to work so far. Not that I really wanted to be called anything else anyway.
Fearing that I might squander my week off between jobs, I booked a somewhat last-minute flight out to NYC/Boston. The agenda:
- Fly out to NYC, stay w/ CL and GS
- Pack light, buy jeans if needed.
- Drink, eat, see Coney Island, art, friends, etc.
- After several days, head out to Boston
- Eat lobster, buy a Red Sox hat (fitted)
- Stay with someone nice enough (MB to the rescue) to drop me off at Logan for my return flight at 6am
All of the above took place in one form or another. I really did pack light. Decided to just bring one camera lens, (the light one) a single pair of jeans, (the nice ones) and just a single pair of shoes (the ones i now suspect make my knee hurt). I think it’s safe to say I’ve never packed quite as well for a week long trip. Everything fit comfortably in my Chrome bag.
In NYC, I got to talk to GS about working from home, ate some delicious bagels (pretty much every morning), and failed to buy a new pair of jeans (too many options, i think.) CL and I made our way out to Coney Island. We didn’t get to ride the scarily rickety roller coaster, but we saw some awesome jellyfish at the aquarium instead. and some walruses who seemed to be 69ing each other, until we found out they were mother/daughter. So much for that hypothesis. I had a chili cheese dog at Nathan’s. Because I’m an American, I ordered the ‘extra large’ beer - it really was extra large, too - and the chili cheese fries. You know how it is.
I saw Take Your Time by Olafur Eliasson at the MoMA, and can’t recommended it too highly. I didn’t expect the exhibit to be so engaging. My favorite piece involved a large room with a circular wall. Over time, the color of light projected on the wall would fade from blue to red to yellow to pure white. The sheer size of the wall and brightness of the light made it impossible for me not to smile. You can feel your mood changing depending on the color of the light.
In Boston, I got to see the park above the big dig, found my bosox hat, visited the ICA with my parents, the MFA (great Antonio Lopez Garcia exhibit) with CL and JB, enjoyed riding the T and watched predator. And read the intro to a Linear Algebra textbook (for fun).
That’s all for this installment. Expect pictures soon.
