Turned 27 on Tuesday. Had a few people over for a small BBQ and it was a good time. I have this strange reflex where I want to mark the passage of time, by travelling somewhere. I find myself thinking if I don't go anywhere this summer, it will be a wasted summer. Even if I'm enjoying and accomplishing stuff at work. Having fun little get togethers with friends. It's like without "big events" or "trips" time slips through my fingers. Because it can't be "the summer I went on a roadtrip to X" I wanted to go to the Atlantic provinces, because i've only ever been to Prince Edward Island as a 6 or 7 year old once. But then my boyfriend seems not super excited at the idea - and is still willing to do it for my sake. So now i'm starting to doubt and thinking maybe it's more of a fun trip to do with a group of friends. And researching, it seems expensive and a lot of driving, to get to someplace similar to Maine. What I TRULY wanted from that trip is get to St Johns in Newfoundland and just pure remote places out there, but it's not realistic in the timeframe we have. it's like i'm trying to decide between no trip or a lukewarm trip. Both sucky options, because what I really want is an adventure. Something I've been missing so much with Covid - pure exploration. I could probably scratch that itch with some outdoorsy stuff, but my boyfriend's not the partner for that and the planning required to get started without guidance seems overwhelming. If anyone on here has ever been to PEI, New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, i'm all ears :) Because right now google is showing me a lighthouse and a giant Lobster statue as top attractions, and i'm starting to loose my enthusiasm.
I've been up there a bunch. Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia all used to be part of Massachusetts in the late 1600s, and you can feel it. Very similar places. That said, Halifax is a hoot. Nightlife is different than in the US. Bars and Pubs close kind of early, then nightclubs open and stay open very late. Lots of good music and little underground venues. Tons of history there. And the pier is cool. Some nice little restaurants and whatnot. I liked Bearly's House of Blues. Food was good too. Sprouts were amazing, which isn't something I'd normally be saying about sprouts. St. John New Brunswick is kind of boring. Moncton is a little more interesting, especially if you're interested in Acadian culture, the Dieppe side of the river still speaks it and has some cultural offerings. But New Brunswick's kinda dull, not gonna lie. There's more life and better scenery in Nova Scotia. The tides are interesting too, some of the biggest in the world. Anyways, I'm not sure what side of the border you're on. But you should know it's closed either way. So no cutting across Maine from Ontario or crossing in from the States.
I just came home from a kayak trip with my father and siblings. It was a late birthday gift for my father who turned 60 last year. I was a bit anxious beforehand since the planning and logistics mostly fell in my lap, but it went smoothly and I think everyone had a good time. Not pictured: the roaming packs of Germans with cases of beer in their canoes, and the JAS Gripen that showed up and put on a show for us during a lunch break.
Around here it's legal. Drinking while out on the water has historically been a legal free zone in Sweden, it was only 2-3 years ago that legislation around drinking while steering a boat (with an engine) was introduced, despite loud protests from the bars and restaurants out in the Stockholm archipelago.
Sometimes I think I should find a product/program manager job, do that for a couple of years, and maybe spin up my own thing. Seems realistic if it was 1999.
I don't think you need a few years of experience as a PM in order to pursue your own thing. If you have a good idea, try to just start building it. There's plenty of "no-code" platforms these days, or you could hire some cheap contractors to make you a proof of concept.
Hah, I am not in tech! A lot of the principles are cross platform, but in MFG it’s a bit of a different ballgame to get a product going.
Are you thinking about a contract manufacturing operation, or actually building your own product (either through invention or licensing)? Obviously manufacturing of any sort of some of the most capital intensive business out there, but there are a lot of local governments who will offer loan guarantees for anyone trying to bring manufacturing to their area. I think it's an awesome idea.
Manufacturing is a low margin high capital and highly regulated business. That’s why the us has so few manufacturing start ups. In tech it’s easy you get a couple people In a garage with computers and you churn out a app it’s mostly just labor cost. If your want to make something you better be buying 50-100k of equipment and have the knowledge on how to run and maintain it, while trying to stay compliant with all the various regs.
Can confirm. Am at $50-$100k of equipment and three years into the knowledge on how to run and maintain it, and can't download any software anymore without certifying that I am not Iranian. Am under a thousand dollars in revenue. The only way to make shit in the US is (A) GSA contracts, which is the only reason Haas exists, or (B) niche luxury goods. My local distiller now makes about 20 different kinds of booze. I don't think they have anything under $50 a bottle, despite the fact that WA craft distillers pay a radically lower liquor tax. They're probably a million five into their operation and I suspect they're starting to break even.
The redder the severer. Possible evening/nighttime tornadoes (CAPE at 2500-3000 J/kg with steep helicity at 1 km), hail, strong wind and flooding warnings were issued as well. It's been heating up for the last five days, and now we're influenced by a low-pressure front from over Germany. This will definitely test all the waterproofing I set, for sure. EDIT: I'm fine, don't think there even was a storm here until 03:00 and most of it zipped past West from me. There's going to be more of it today, gonna wait for forecast and situation to develop.
There's a big triathlon in Allgäu Sunday, and one of the competitors mentioned hoping the weather would be ok. Is this the start of some bad weather? Hope you and everyone else stays safe.
Pretty much. Central and Eastern Europe gets its worst storms from late June/early July up until early September. Yesterday there were terrible-looking-on-radar storms over SE Germany, so that definitely checks out. As said in the post above, I'm very realistic about severe weather dangers and did my utmost to prepare. This house is solid, and I moved to the already live-in ready basement to cope with the heat anyway, so I'm in-shelter pretty much 24/7. Still, much appreciated concern! Thank you.
I'm bad at taking time off from work ... but when I do, I fall into a pattern I am REALLY looking forward to when I retire! Anyway, maxed out my vacation accrual, so had to take some days. Washington State has fully re-opened now, and we planned to get away for a few days. I figured the weekends would be booked up, so I took Monday and Tuesday off, thinking it would be easier to find a place to stay. Heh. Riiiiiiight. After about 2 hours of intense Googling, phone calling, and calling in favors, I came with with exactly NOTHING available until late August. But I also realized the Pacific Coast is about two hours away. So we had a lazy Monday morning, then packed the dog and some beach supplies in the car, and headed out in 80-degree weather for Ocean Shores, WA. By the time we got to the beach, it was 60 degrees, overcast, and windy.... which is absolutely perfect for a Pacific Northwesterner like myself!! LOVED IT. Moxie, our big baby Anatolian Shepherd/Husky had never seen the ocean before and was suitably cautious. She was appalled at how bad the water tasted, though! :-) We wandered a long way down the beach, way far away from anyone else, and let her off leash to Be A Dog On A Beach, and she LOVED it. Watching the pure joy as she zoomed around in the shallow water and sand dunes was good for the heart and soul! And that was the day after the Seattle Seawolves - the second-worst team in the Major League Rugby league - handed a stunning defeat to the NOLA Gold at home here at Starfire Stadium to a packed crowd. I also killed a wasps nest this weekend, that stung my wife. So all around, a lovely 4-day weekend!
Coming off two successful seasons to start MLR, I still consider them a good team. I've been a Seahawks and Mariners fan since I was little, and a Seawolves fan since MLR started. Even with this year's terrible record they are still the best Seattle team in my books :)
From one perspective, I’ve been a glorified customer service person for the last two years. And some customers are the WORST once you tell then you’re not gonna be around much longer. Like one guys has always been high maintenance, but it’s a disproportionate downer to have him suddenly be distastefully resentful about everything. Also my supervisor has been doing some very unethical, very illegal shit to my coworker. That’s not the reason I decided to leave, but it sure validates all my misgivings. Really, really looking forward to the move after next week. The new apt and new job are legitimately cool and exciting, so I’m not just looking forward to the escape aspect of the move. I’m very excited about the next few weeks.
I shaved my legs Sunday. I'd never done it. The larger surface area compared to my face is tedious, and the backs of my thighs are hard to be sure are done well. But the hair is much softer than my beard and seems much easier to shave. Related: triathlon number 4 for the summer is Sunday. I shaved my legs for the aerodynamic advantage, and yes I'm serious. The bike course is mostly pretty flat and I'm hoping to maintain some good speed. This race is Olympic distance of 1500 m swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run. It'll be my second Olympic but I think overall an easier course. I'm hoping to come in under three hours. I'm taking a rest day today. I really need it. I might call in sick Friday for a mental health day, maybe go hike somewhere local. I needed that earlier this week but had a bunch of meetings. I probably should have just called out of all of those.