Jason Colby’s Blog

It’s hard to believe it is already March.  Here in the Pacific Northwest we have had a very mild winter and it seems spring has sprung early.  The cherry blossoms are already beginning to bloom and I have spotted various flowers making an appearance.

Next week will be my final week with my current employer whom I have been with for two years and eight months.  On March 15th I begin work for a company much closer to home doing software support.  I am excited to both eliminate the commute and begin working in a new area (Warehouse management systems).

As I have been dealing with all that comes with switching jobs I have also learned that I have Diabetes.  I again urge those at risk to talk with your physician about getting tested.  The spring like weather has made getting out and exercising easier (exercise being important in controlling diabetes).  Yesterday I spent thirty minutes walking around the Narbeck wetland sanctuary which is one of my favorite local parks.  I am looking forward to geocaching this year and will likely begin this coming weekend if the weather remains fairly dry.

I apologize for the brevity of this post and the fact that my posts are infrequent.  My goal is to post details, including photos, of my geocahing this year.

Yes it is true I don’t make frequent updates to my blog.  Part of this stems from my subject matter limitations. You may be asking yourself why are there limitations on the subjects you blog about?  The fact is that I don’t blog anonymously and therefore have to be aware that employers, both current and potentially future, can read these posts.  With work consuming at least half of my waking day it stands to reason that much of my thoughts center around that subject.  I hesitate to write anything more than a generic mention of anything related to my position and therefore make updates when there is something else that is compelling enough to mention.  Perhaps someday I will feel the desire to be an evangelist of the products or services I work with, for now I will stick with the odds and ends that I feel worth mentioning.

There are two unrelated items I feel compelled to mention in this post.

Recently Mac unveiled the iPad and the web has been abuzz with everyone’s opinions.  My view is not different from the many other voices out there which state that the iPad is really just an overgrown iPod touch.  The pricing is too high for what you get even at the entry level model.  I was surprised to hear that the iPad does not even have a camera.  The concept is great and perhaps after a couple generations of the iPad have been released there will be enough improvements that they are worth considering.

I also wanted to mention Heritage Dr Pepper which I tried this last week.  Heritage Dr Pepper is a throwback product which is made with real sugar and not the usual high fructose corn syrup.  To me the taste was slightly less sweet and the other flavors were more noticeable.  As my sister said it brings back memories of drinking Dr Pepper with my grandfather.  Like my grandfather I like to add some salted peanuts to my Dr Pepper (not all the time just as a treat).  The product is hard to find in Northwest Washington and is said to be a limited time offering (I hope they reconsider and make this a regular offering).

Like I said two unrelated topics.

Welcome to the first day in the year 2010.  This last decade has gone by in the mere blink of an eye, at least it seems to have gone by that quickly.

Some major world events have happened including the tragedies of 9/11 and the resulting wars George W. Bush forced us into under the guise of protecting the United States from terrorism such as those events on 9/11.  In reality Iraq had noting to do with 9/11 and the war in that country were started for other unjust reasons.  The war with Al Qaeda in the Afghanistan area on the other hand is related to terrorism.  Though the war in Afghanistan may be a just cause the resulting deaths of US an allied forces and innocent bystanders is unfortunate to say the least.  I hope that this year sees the withdrawal of US and allied forces from Iraq in a timely manner.

Last year began the Presidency of Barack Obama which carried with him the hopes of not only Americans yearning for change but also a world which has grown weary of US politics that push American values on people of other countries.  President Obama had more expectations to live up to than any other person in modern times, it would be nearly impossible to meet them all in the time promised.  In my personal pinion he has done a good job though I think he underestimated the difficulty of fulfilling these promises and as a result he is behind in these tasks.  If he is able to keep momentum and his values remain strong I feel it likely that progress will continue even if at a slower rate than was initially predicted.

These last ten years have presented me with personal struggles and challenges which I have so far been able to overcome or otherwise endure and my outlook for the next ten years is positive and hopeful.  My three nieces were born in this decade and while they live too far away for regular visits they are often thought of and I look forward to the times when I can visit them.

Many people make New Years resolutions, I on the other hand have never been one to take part in this particular custom.  Instead of making a resolution I simply intend to make the most of the New Year and do what I can make each passing year better than the last.

Let me start by saying Happy Yule, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy Kwanzaa!!!

With numerous very important initiatives on going we do not get Christmas Eve off this year as we have in the past.  I finally decided I would use a vacation day so I could enjoy Christmas Eve and the resulting four day weekend. Last year we saw a white Christmas here in the Pacific Northwest and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  This year is looking to be cool and dry with no white in the forecast (yes I am disappointed).

December is a magical month that I look forward to every year.  During this season I am filled with happiness for the present and for the wonderful memories of past celebrations.  Two of my three nieces have their Birthdays in December which again is a reminder of how wonderful this month is (February is also great with my third niece having her Birthday then).

During the Holiday Season I tend to be thankful for many of the things I tend to take for granted during the rest of the year.  I am especially thankful for the well being of my family members around the country, for my own health (I still have a pulse), for my employment, and for the roof over my head.  There are other things I am thankful for though those are really the “biggies” that I feel compelled to mention.  In the last sixty days or so there have been eight law enforcement officers shot here in Washington State and sadly five of those eight did not survive and one remains in critical condition. Having spent eight years as a firefighter/EMT I feel especially close to the emergency service community and incidents such as these fill me with sadness.  Families have lost loved ones who spent their lives serving and protecting our communities. As I take stock in all I am thankful for I know that there are others who have much less and who have lost so very much.  It is these people who have less and who have lost so much that I think of during this time of year and I hope that they will have the strength and ability to rise above that which has them down at the moment.

My hope is that humanity is filled with the true spirit of the Holidays and that they use this opportunity to practice kindness and charity for all those less fortunate.  By less fortunate I do not only mean those less financially secure but also those who suffer both physically and emotionally.

For my parting words I would like to say…

Wishing you and yours a very happy Holiday Season

It has been a busy couple of weeks and the year is nearly gone.  The saying that time goes faster as you get older really does seem to be true.

Last week I finished reading The Walk West: A Walk Across America 2 by Peter Jenkins.  I would have to say that this book was better than the first (A Walk Across America) and I would recommend both of them to anyone looking for a good read.  I also read The Thief of Always by Clive Barker.  The book was intended for somewhat younger audiences though I decided to read it since I missed it in my younger days.  This also was a very good read (goes fast) and well worth picking up.

Typically I wait until after Thanksgiving before putting up any winter holiday decorations though I found that this year the urge came a bit early.  Throughout last week I began putting out decorations and all I really have left to get is the tree.  The cool air seems to bring about feelings of festivity that I feel compelled to act upon. So bring on the holiday season!

This past Saturday I attended a Board retreat for the Lupus Foundation of America, Pacific Northwest chapter.  We accomplished a great deal of planning in our eight hours and I have to say that every member of the Board is a pleasure to work with.  There is no doubt in my mind that the chapter will flourish with the great Board members which I currently have the honor of serving with.

As fall matures and the air continues to chill I find myself getting anxious for the winter holiday season.  I have already begun to embrace the commercialism of the season by browsing the various stores and pondering what decorations to add this year.  With the months flying by at break neck speed I have decided to decorate next weekend so I can enjoy the festive decor for a month and half.

Yesterday I went to the IMAX theatre in Seattle and watched the 3D version of A Christmas Carol.  The movie was great, as almost any version of A Christmas Carol is, and I was very impressed with the 3D effects.  As I sat watching the movie it seemed to me that high quality 3D movies will likely be the norm rather than the exception in the near future and personally I can’t wait.  When I was growing up there were special 3D films that would air on TV (such as Creature from the black lagoon and Jaws 3) which required special glasses that you could get at stores like 7eleven.  The quality of those early shows was pretty bad especially when compared to the shows that are being released now.  While there are still special glasses required the quality is much different.  The new glasses are sturdy and most notably do not have the red and green lenses seen in the old paper glasses (you still see these style of glasses for viewing 3D movies at home).  The scenes in A Christmas Carol were such that you felt like you were there and this helped to elevate the intensity of feeling of what was occurring.  Before the show started I noted how warm the theatre was and yet as I was drawn into the movie with its drifting snow and clearly visible breath of the near freezing characters I forgot my own warmth and felt almost cool. Two previews played before the show, Avatar and Alice in Wonderland.  I intend on watching both once they are released, the new 3D movies have me hooked!

It’s been a while since my last update on here.  The weather here in the northwest has been cool and wet which I am enjoying.

A couple of months ago as I walked out from the dentist I reached for my cell phone to change the ringer from vibrate to ring.  As I pulled the phone from its holster it began to fumble in my hand and before I could react the phone struck the sidewalk screen first.  Pieces flew and I thought for sure the phone would never work again.  I reached down and found that the pieces I had seen were the battery and removable back cover so everything was looking okay…until I turned the phone itself over.  A crack ran diagonal across the entire touch screen.  A sickness came over me and I felt faint, my G1 which I love is cracked.  To my amazement the touch screen still worked though the crack is all too visible.  As my phone continues to function I will continue using it though I have begun eyeing replacements.  My next phone will also be an android and will preferably have a full keyboard which limits my choices.  So far the likely replacement will be the Motorola CLIQ.

I had wanted to save for the new Barnes and Noble Nook device.  Now I saving and will have to decide which I will purchase the nook is over a hundred dollars cheaper while the phone gets constant use.  These are the kinds of decisions I don’t like to make.  Today I go in for my eye exam and new glasses are not a luxury, they are a necessity and will be purchased no matter what…Thats an easy decision.

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is under two months away!  A month from now I will begin the decorating process which I am looking forward to.  This past weekend I actually watched a couple Christmas movies…guess I am ready for the season.

It’s a short work week for me as I am taking Friday off to head for Spokane.  The Spokane Lupus walk is on Saturday so I am driving the 41/2 hours on Friday and staying the night at a hotel.  I am excited about this little trip for two reasons, First is that I am excited to see all the people having fun while working to help the Lupus foundation, Secondly I am excited to see the area as the last time I was in Spokane was when I was a firefighter and was sent as part of a task force to fight a very large wildfire back in 1991.  Despite the reasons for my being there at the time I found that I really liked the area and this is a welcome return, especially as the circumstances of the visit are much more positive.

It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is the autumn equinox as we are expecting temperature in the mid 80’s here in the Pacific Northwest.  Autumn to me is 50’s to 60’s so I will need to use my imagination to make it feel like autumn.  I hope the end of September or beginning of October usher in some cooler weather.  If not then is anyone hiring in Anchorage!?!

As I mentioned in my previous post autumn is my favorite time of year and it is approaching. 
Like a child waiting for Christmas morning to arrive I feel as if time has slowed to a crawl, when will the cool crisp weather arrive? 
I may have to find an Oktoberfest to attend as it seems this greatest of seasons is under celebrated. I also would really like to take a scenic drive as the leaves are changing color.  Taking a scenic drive like this has been on my “to do” list for several years and it would seem I need to take action and make it happen.
I thought it would interesting to see the results of a poll that asked people what their favorite season of the year was.  My guess was that summer would win out even though it’s my least favorite! 
According to this 2007 survey posted by Rasmussen reports summer was in fact the favorite.  Here is the breakdown given:

Spring 29%
Summer 31%
Fall   25%
Winter 7%

It’s an interesting breakdown as the numbers (with the exception of winter) are fairly close.

It has been a while since my last post on here.  The extended weekend is near and I am excited for the extra time off though I have no major plans (which I don’t mind at all).

The Lupus Foundation of America, Pacific Northwest Chapter has several walks coming up. I will be assisting at the Spokane and Olympia walks and participating in and assisting with the Seattle walk.  I urge everyone that is able to participate in their nearest walk.  If you can’t walk your self consider donating (there is a link to my donation page on the right).

Portland – September 19th (I won’t be able to attend this)
Spokane – September 26th
Olympia – October 3rd
Seattle – October 17th

The summer has been an especially warm one here in the Pacific Northwest and I am looking forward to my favorite season…Autumn!  Bring on the fog, cool weather, and brilliant colors.  The cool foggy mornings have an incredible feel and smell to them that are hard to describe except to say that it is truly wonderful.