WooHoo!

    I'm moving in a new direction and very happy about it.  While trapped in my last job, I thought a lot about what I wanted to do with my career.  I was tired of being busy but not having to use my brain; tired of being underappreciated; tired of feeling stagnant; tired of only having a day or two off for Christmas.  I wanted something with a challenge, in which I could think, solve problems, create, and be logical.  I wanted a career that was a bit more flexible.  I wanted to do something I had enjoyed before.  I wanted to be more techy, more geeky.
    So, I'm now a computer programmer (surrounded by vast suburbs of programmers).  I finished a class, am reading more books, and am starting projects.  I am also starting to look for work.  [If you're offering, or know someone who is, check out my resume.]  Starting over in something different is not actually all that hard.  Of course, I have a wonderful role model in my dad.  I'm enjoying what I'm doing now much more than what I quit, and truth to tell, the financial aspect should not be too big of a hurdle either.
    We are still in the preparatory stages of trying to buy a house.  We'd like to get something lined up fairly soon so we can give notice and get out of our current house.  Though this house is okay, the rent is going up, the kitchen is small, we miss owning, and the weather and commute are both better from the other side of the Bay.
    I've been trying to turn Pepper into a distance running dog with mixed success.  I think he's getting used to me dragging him around the lake for another two mile loop, but he has tried to kick on lap one and end it early.  Still, he thinks he's being cheated if we get up without taking him running and he speeds up for those doggy encounters with the other dogs he meets at Lake Elizabeth.
    I had a great two week visit from my mom in July after we had a short but sweet visit to Seattle.  We are planning a Chicago visit to coincide with my sister-in-law B's wedding in October.  We may try to take off for a weekend in celebration of our own anniversary and we keep talking about going out on the water without yet making actual plans.
    Well, hope your summer is living up to expectations.  Let me know what fun things you did!

    Peace and a good book,
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