Update

A friend wrote to me and asked if I had moved elsewhere as a writer, or if everything is OK.

All is well, and this blog is still operational, in theory.

The big news over the winter is that I have changed jobs (still on PEI) and found romance, which has been fantastic. The combo explains why I have been away from writing.

Hope all is well with you, kind readers
CC

Hello, 2012

Happy New Year, readers!

My long break from work is about to end. It has been mostly good, filled with warm fuzzies, though the last days have been bruisers, along with the dreaded return.

I don't have the energy to do a full post of resolutions, but one idea for 2012 is to reboot with a new personal blog. One that is public. I've also considered revealing this blog to the world (which will probably be uneventful - does anyone really want to read about the nefarious Jim G in 2007?)

I have been kicking around some ideas for the new site, but as it gets more serious, I wonder about life with no private outlet. Writing offline in a word processor just doesn't feel right; I'm accustomed to the feeling of having a potential audience.

Ah well. It will all work out. Cheers to all!

CC

ps. I contacted my old confidant, Jim O, tonight. It had been many months but we caught up for 90 minutes like it was nothing. Really terrific...

Memories of Christmas

Here are some photos of Christmas 2011. To protect the privacy of family, they are simply photographic evidence of Christmas Day. I think they are powerful.

Plenty of people at my parents' house. Santa stands guard at the door:



So many coats! The iconic Tilley hat belongs to my uncle, though my father has one as well.



These ornaments were given to my mother in the early 1960s. They may go back into the 1950s. I remember some of them very well from my childhood.

Ergonomists Unite!

I bought my MacBookPro in 2008 and generally am a big fan. However, I don't like the ergonomics of laptops.

I saw a recent tweet that mentioned a 'Rain stand'; lustfully, I bought one as part of a whole new landscape for the desktop.



It is much too early to report how well this will work, as the setup includes a new mouse and keyboard. So far, so good.

Interestingly, the keyboard is impossibly thin. It is tiny!

Boo!

My car stereo is the same model as this one, and today it shows a special message on startup:

New Phone

After 16 months of living in mobile ambiguity, I finally have a new phone!

I have a snazzy new iPhone 4S via Virgin Mobile. I will be emailing out digits as soon as I figure everything out.

Some tidbits on my decision:

• I was paralyzed by indecision on writing apps for Android versus iPhone, but realized that the best way to reach users is to have a mobile website. In this way people can browse with any smartphone.
• I was also paralyzed by choice: there are a zillion Android phones. Apple really makes things easy, offering only 1 model and a few options.
• I can't deny that the tributes towards Steve Jobs influenced my decision. I had to admit that I really just wanted an iPhone all along.
• I chose Virgin Mobile with some trepidation. The young lad at the store (The Source) seemed knowledgeable, bright, and honest, and he uses Virgin. We'll see how this goes...

CC

Commencement Speech As Eulogy

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way ... to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose."