I recently went on a trip which required a long car ride with my son. I figured he would do fine - just as I did when I was his age. I did not have a DVD player and was entertained by just looking out the window or listening to my parent’s 8 tracks. When Amy suggested we bring along a portable DVD player so Evan could watch DVDs in the car to keep him content I was very against it. I have a thing about him not being too dependent on constant entertainment (TV) but … [more]

I returned from a trip to my alma mater, The Pennsylvania State University, a few days ago after getting asked to speak at the History Department career fair. I was one of seven speakers at the event. We all had various non-traditional history degree careers (which was the point) and surprisingly we all had a very similar message to give to everyone.

• Network. We all got to where we were by connections and relationships we had made along the way.
• Get yourself out there. Most of our first job experiences were not what we wanted to do for the … [more]
  

I just returned from a four day trip to FL to visit some family…and to play some golf - both which were enjoyable. I am not much of a warm weather person, but I did enjoy the break from the snow here in Chicago (the most we have seen here in ten years). I am hoping to now get caught up with work. I will note that having my iPhone with me on the trip was extremely key. Not only was I able to keep on top of most of my email, but it entertained Evan on the … [more]

I will be back in State College, PA in April to speak at the History Department Career Night. So, if any of you State College folks are around, I would love to get together with you while I am there (email me about my arrival/departure). I will be talking about my career outside of the typical History major norm (teacher, lawyer, etc) and how my studies at PSU prepared me for what I am doing now. I am quite honored and excited and look forward to seeing some of my old professors!

Well now that Fidel Castro resigned as Cuba’s President (by a letter!) and HD-DVD is dead (yeah for Blu-ray), I think we can all say it was one long awaited day!

Someone that I worked with for eight years came to town this past weekend for a meeting and I was fortunate enough to meet up with him on Saturday. It was quite interesting to me that I felt as though he never left - we just picked up where we left off. (Except for the fact we were both working different places and happy working) A big thanks to Ben for a nice Saturday, his chauffeur services, the dinner at Lawry’s, and the wonderful picture I have hanging in my office! Rock on!

I am back from a few day vacation in Washington DC with my family. We had a nice time in a great city! My grandparents were with us and I had the pleasure of going to the World War II monument with my grandfather who fought over in Europe during WWII. It was quite touching and a nice way to spend the holidays. A special thanks to my sister and her husband for putting us up and putting up with us. She did a fabulous job at getting meaningful presents and also making us feel … [more]

I, for some crazy reason, agreed to go to one of the busiest malls in America yesterday with a friend. Of course it was supposed to be a quick in - quick out shopping experience, but as soon as you get there, it always turns into a “ohh, I also need to go to x”. Not only were the lines were hideous in the stores, one women told us the line to see Santa was at 3 hours! I just have a hard time dealing with all the people and the non-holiday spirit.

I remember when … [more]

I have been enjoying Amanda Congdon via video for a few years now and recently she did an awesome interview about with an owner/builder of an amazing “green” house. If you have any interest in the environment and being more “green”, check out her video!

Just to let everyone know, now I have seen it all. (Thanks to Ken for pointing this out!)

It has almost been two months since I got on a commuter train, worried about having a lunch packed, or making it in to work on time. How has my life changed? I am much more calm and patient. I no longer try to make traffic lights at all costs and I really do not rush anywhere. In fact, I almost feel like I have moved into the southern way of life. Me…yeah, me. I tend to drink more Coke Zero, listen to music louder, and really enjoy what I do 90% of the … [more]

I am not sure if anyone else caught the Ninja Warrior but I was pretty worthless between that and having out of town guest here (who I also made them watch it too). This show contains so many great qualities: impossible obstacles, stories of the competitors and one really excited announcer. I am so happy I found this show!

I absolutely love the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm so when I recently saw a commercial that showed a new season on the horizon, I got all excited. I just went to the HBO web site to get more information and found out that there is now a book available on the show! If you even slightly enjoyed Seinfeld this is the show for you (and one of my favorites)! After working on insane CSS positioning all day, I am going to sit back, watch some old episodes and have a glass of … [more]

I recently finished up a web site (using WordPress as a CMS of course) for a client who besides being a client is an amazing writer. He has a best selling project management book (The Art of Project Management) and has another one coming out in the next month. If you have a few minutes, take a look at his web site and read his blog or some of his essays to learn more about design, project management, working with others, and all kinds of smart tips.

Well, the first two days of working at home have gone great. I have gotten more stuff done before 8am than I can usually do by the time 8pm comes around. I am able to get up, spend some time with my son, workout, shower, and then start working all in the time it would usually take me to get to my office. During lunch, Triscuit, Evan, and I go on a nice walk and then come back for some more work. Not to mention, I can now also stop working much earlier and enjoy some … [more]

Yesterday marked an end of an era for me. As of Monday I am going to do web development consulting full time under my company name Sandbox Development and Consulting Inc. As most people can guess or know, I specialize in WordPress content management systems and blogs. I also do a lot of general CSS, XHTML, web standards, and PHP/MySQL development. So - if you ever need any help or are looking for a web development constultant, contact me!

There are somedays when I blog about something new I have learned about CSS, PHP, MySQL, Apache, etc. There are also somedays I come home, unwind, and realize I have much bigger life lessons to share. Although life is not all fun and games I always try learn something from each experience. This is what I learned/realized today:

It is human nature to be liked and loved by all yet there are sometimes when you are faced with a choice. You can either take the path of least resistance and go along with the majority all the while … [more]

I would like to think we all have standards of some sort. I expect people to treat me with respect as I will treat them with respect. Other people demand to be catered to at all costs - all the time. This morning at the train station the police were out and about issuing tickets for all people who crossed the tracks (there are 3 sets - closest: from Chicago, middle: express trains to and from Chicago depending on the time, far set: local to Chicago). Anyone who has ridden the Metra for a few days/weeks/years … [more]

Today I went into a Trader Joe’s to pick up some beer and the the guy at the checkout reminded me that if I did not like the beer I was welcome to bring it back for a full refund. I told him I was very impressed with their customer service and he told me it was to promote customers being more adventurous. I have been a Trader Joe’s for a few years now and even more so after tonight. I love that they want their customers to be more adventurous with their choices. Cheers to … [more]

I love interesting and crazy signs (Ex: garage sale) and after looking through some pictures with a friend who recently returned from New Zealand, I thought I would share yet another great sign that someone decided to make and post. Even better…there is a law against spitting and a fine attached!