Reunited

Jim and I got together on Saturday for the first time in I don't know how long. We hashed through a lot of stuff that had been brewing on both sides for a while and I hafta tell ya, I feel a lot better have had some honest, clear communication with a dear friend... my brutha from another mutha!

We talked briefly about CapsizedCanoe 2007 and his solo trip, we talked about our families, I met his new puppy, Jack and we watched the last half of the Leafs game. It was nice to just hang out with a good friend.

I left for work a little late this morning (on purpose) so I got to spend some time with the kids. I just can't seem to get enough time at home these days. I wish I could work from home on a regular basis but that's not in the cards for a while. I made a decision to stick with the company that I'm with for the long haul and "develop" my career there. I figure I should be in a position to replace my director when he's ready to retire in the next 3-5 years. I work for a good company and it provides a means to provide for my family and that's important. Anything I've seen that's closer to home doesn't provide the potential that this job does and certainly doesn't pay the same as I get now so I have to shift my mental perspective to recognize that I'm here for a while and I should strive to leave my mark on the organization.

Oh, yeah, it turns out that my previous employer has made a decision to outsource the IT operations - something they had been trying to do for a number of years but they just couldn't make it work. I'm glad I'm outta there 'cause I would have ended up being an IBM employee and I don't particularly like the sound of that.

Jim has set a goal of doing a "sprint triatholon" and that has got me thinkin', with GeWilli being the biker dude he is and Jim now givin' it a try, perhaps I should give it a go again after many, many years of not riding. I used to do it and enjoy it and we have a route that I really enjoyed back when I was running on a regular basis that take me along the lakeshore. I think I may buy some new tires for my bike to make it a little better on the road. I have a mountain bike with a fairly agressive tire and I think it may be better to have a road tire on instead. Or maybe I should jsut take it out as-is for a few rides and then decide if I want to change the tires or perhaps even the whole bike. GeWilli chime in with your opinion here anytime. I think I'm gonna give an early morning ride a try later this week after I go out and buy some lights for the bike. I used to have all the stuff I needed but like I said, it's been many years and several kids since I rode and some equipment has been lost in moves and such.

Okay, decision made, I just consulted my WeatherEye desktop applet from The Weather Network and it looks like tomorrow would be a good morning for a ride so I'm gonna do it. I'll stop by Canadian Tire and pick up lights for my bike. I took a quick look and I think I'll get these since they are LEDs and should provide longer battery life:


Raleigh LED Headlight


Raleigh LED rear light

Well, with that decision made, I should get back to work so I can leave at a decent hour and stop off to buy my latest gadgets. Marie will LOVE me... perhaps I should pick her up a little something too.

g.