After a long period of deliberation, ups and downs, excitement and confusion, I’ve decided to move into a new position. The things that I enjoy most about being a director of software engineering are the things that could have made me great at the position but not destined to stay there - the ability to be involved in all aspects of the product, to comment on virtually every specification and product decision, to help set direction and provide vision, to be hands-on and technical, and to be patient yet firm.

Eriko and I went to see Jake at the Jazz Alley on Monday. I had absolutely no idea what to expect and I was blown away by what Jake can do with a ukulele.

Check these out:

• while my guitar weeps gently
• crazy g
• me and shirley t
• going to california

This man was able to accomplish this in just 200 days.

It is amazing to see what he accomplished in his first four months.

Could I do this (the weight loss part) too? My 30th birthday is this year and thus, a new goal has been born.

From here: If you are a beginner, start out slowly. Exercise at a moderate pace for about 15 minutes, no more than three times per week. Keep your heart rate around 130-140 beats per minute. Eventually your goal will be to work up to 30-45 minutes of moderate-high intensity cardio 3-4 times per week. … Diet

I woke up this morning with Jerry, used the toilet, and a few minutes later heard the ominous sound of water splashing on the floor.

The root cause of this catastrophe is as of yet unexplained.

Luckily we have a bathroom across the hall (the condo’s) which we can use. Unfortunately, the toilet cut-off valve doesn’t work completely so I had to hack this up:

How can I get ahead? I have so many dreams and goals - I’m unwilling to abandon them, but unable to pursue them. Recently (since returning from vacation), Jerry has begun going to sleep by about 8 PM. This is pretty amazing as it gives Eriko and me time to work on our hobbies, relax, etc. We both know how to entertain ourselves - we’ll spend an entire evening in silence, completely enthralled with what we’re doing. Her presence brings out that inner peace in me.

2007 ended wonderfully, with ~10 days of candy, crying, and spending quality time with the family. 2007 was an interesting year.

It started with:

• Jerry learning to crawl
• Isilon stock @ 27
• Vying for a director’s position at work
• A list of goals

It ended with:

• Jerry learning to talk
• Isilon stock @ 5
• Sole director of development
• Having accomplished none of those goals

2007 was a lot of adjusting - adjusting to Jerry’s ever growing demands of my heart and attention; adjusting to the thought of not retiring in the next ten years; adjusting to the reality that between Isilon and Jerry, I can’t seem to get anything else done.