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A few months ago, my father texted me and told me that there was a particular company that wanted to hire me. I was perplexed because I already have a job career that I really love. I thought maybe he had spoken to someone at the company and maybe there was some real interest in ME for whatever reason, so I asked him why they wanted me. His answer was flattering, but came directly from the job posting. He told me,

They’re looking for the “greatest mind in technology”, and that’s you.

I was intrigued, so I checked out the posting online. The job was an IT position for a growing local company. I love their products and I know others that work for them. The job would allow me the flexibility to work partially from home and to work with a great group of people who truly love what they do. “Maybe it’s really time for a change.” I thought to myself. After all, the stress of being an educator in the current political climate of Michigan has been overwhelming. More than once in the past couple years I’ve discussed with Mr. Hippie, a colleague, or just a friend the possibility of doing something less stressful, less heartbreaking and probably more lucrative.

I continued through the job posting. As in most job postings, there were many skills that candidates should have. I looked through the list and was surprised that most were things I had experience in. Unfortunately, there were several that I didn’t and couldn’t fake my way through even if I tried. So, I gave up the idea of a career change.

But I didn’t. The idea has lingered with me ever since. I’ve talked to the friends that work at the company about the job. It’s since been filled, but could become available again. Even if it doesn’t, similar jobs are available all the time in other great companies. So, I researched the skills that were missing from my resume. They would take some time to learn, but it wouldn’t be impossible. So, I started teaching myself code. Simple code, but code nonetheless. I started at Khan Academy and in the process got addicted to their “World of Math”. I stayed up most of Thanksgiving night solving complex math problems I haven’t seen since college and still stop and do math almost every day for a few minutes. It keeps my brain young, right?

But I digress. Code. Kids can learn it. I want to learn it. I need to learn it. Even if I don’t take a technology job, it intrigues me and opens doors that for now, are closed. Khan is a start, but I’ll need to know more.

And then.

My friend Liz posted this link to FaceBook: Harvard edx. I followed it. I signed up. And now, I’m really  going to learn code.

Stuck

Have you ever been stuck in a rut?  I have.  That’s where I seem to be now.  I started the year out blogging like crazy and fired up on my 101 in 1001 challenge.  I’m still fired up about the challenge, but that’s kind of where the rut started.  I have posts started that will document things after they are finished, but they are in progress.  I’ve also taken pictures of lots of things.  Food mostly. 

But, I’ve been busy working on the list.  Baking.  And cooking.  And reading.  I’ve finished both the books that I had borrowed from friends (#3) and started Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. ( #4)  

I’ve also been running three days a week (#60)  and commenting daily on other blogs (#8) despite being sick on and off for most of this month.  I wrote another magazine article which should go to print soon (#7) and I’ve written to my grandmothers twice (12).

I started a backpack for Gwen (#29) and bought the fabric for the laptop case (#27).

I registered for a 10k (#65; the Bayshore, May 2011) and attended yoga (#70).

So, I’m here.  And I’m busy.  And I have lots of posts up my sleeve.  I’m hoping to get 30 posts done in 30 days, but that would mean a crazy day filled with posts in the next day or two and I’m not sure I’m up to it. 

 ‘Cause. I’m. Feelin’. Stuck.

Any advice?  I’m off to bake a cake (#39).  And take pictures of it.  Maybe if I get unstuck I’ll even post it.

Until next time,

Angela

Taxes

hardly any posts
had to get the taxes done
back to normal now

Dark Days Week 16 Am Edition

I meant to make this meal last week, but I got wrapped up in other business.  (Conferences, typing and formatting brochures, you know, the usual stuff.)  You’d think breakfast wouldn’t be a big deal, but I didn’t have any local bacon and had to go to the store before I could finish the meal.  ‘Cause breakfast isn’t breakfsat for the boys ’round here without meat. 

Most of you know that my Rhode Island Red hen, Molly, started laying eggs a while back.  If you didn’t know that, where the heck have you been?  Go read this post and get caught up already!  And yes, I have changed that poor chicken’s name three times now.  I promise I’m finished now.  But, I digress.  I didn’t know what to do with that lonely egg, so I waited until I had enough to do something with.  Here they are in a bowl waiting to be scrambled:

Look at the golden yolks on those babies!

The eggs were so beautiful.  There really is no comparison between home-grown eggs and grocery store eggs, but the color of these eggs is far superior to even the eggs I usually get from my egg-lady.  But, egg quality and why you should have chickens is a completely different subject so I’ll get back to the point.

Breakfast was more than just beautiful eggs.  As I mentioned before, there was meat.  Local bacon.   Hash browns from the sacks of spuds in my “root cellar” and homemade French toast rounded out the scrambled eggs.   The French toast used up the rest of the local hamburger buns from our burgers and fries meal last week and one of the remaining eggs from my egg-lady.  Local syrup, jam and honey were available as toppings for the yummy French toast.

Yum!

Dark Days Week Three (or Slow Fast Food??)

I can honestly say that the idea of fast food repulses me.  Don’t get me wrong, I used to love Burger King as much as the next gal.  I loved it even though I knew it wasn’t good for me; they don’t call it junk food for nothin’.  But, somewhere along the way I realized that it wasn’t just bad for me, it’s bad for us.  When I say us I mean that collective “humankind” that we all belong to.  It’s bad for the earth.  It’s bad for our economy.  It’s bad for our healthcare industry.  

I won’t go into industrial food and factory farms because I’d probably be preaching to the choir, but if you’re not familiar with agribusiness and the related issues, I highly recommend Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma: a Natural History of Four Meals.  I stumbled upon it in Horizon books one day last spring and decided to make it my summer reading.  I’ve been a slow foodie in the making for a while, but this book was the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back”; I haven’t eaten fast food since I finished it. 

When you’ve sworn off fast food, what do you do when your son asks for, “A burger like Burger King without any corn in it” for dinner?  You cook. 

Oleson’s Buffalo Farm is just down the road from us and the meat is sold in their grocery stores.  The burger is leaner and tastier than any ground beef I’ve ever had, and is reasonably priced if you don’t plan on eating it every day.  Plus, if you drive by the farm, you can see the buffaloes wandering around the field eating grass like they are supposed to.  Oleson’s sells ground buffalo already made into patties; they’re uniformly shaped and really flat, just like fast-food patties are, so Tuesday night I thawed a pack and started dinner. 

Fast Dark Dinner!

My dinner wasn’t as fast as the drive-through would have been, but it was cheaper, way more delicious, much better for us and didn’t come with a side of diesel fuel like a fast-food dinner does.

Hello world!

Where to begin.  Perhaps at the beginning.  I’ve been “blogging” via Facebook notes for several weeks.  Got a new camera and started adding pics.  Talked to friends about blogs we’ve seen and what I’d been writing.  Seemed interesting and a natural extension of what I’d already been doing.  Plus, easier to organize than the mish-mash that my rants have become over on FB.  So, welcome to my blog.  Now you can know everything you never wanted to know about me.

This whole thing is new to me, so let me know what you think.   Me?  Right now I’m thinking, “This page is entirely too green even for me.”  So, is it?