Write Faster

My throngs of readers (both of them) have been asking me why I haven't been posting very often. The short answer is that someone else has been paying me to write stuff, so you freeloaders are just going to have to be patient. The serious answer is that someone read something else I wrote and offered to let me write some articles for their site. In case you need some good bedtime reading (guaranteed to cure insomnia) I've listed some of my articles. Oh, and let me take this opportunity to thank my lovely and vivacious editor, the master of active voice, my wife, Sue. Without you I'd still be some hack writing a blog that nobody reads. On to the articles:

Virtualize Your SOA with the Managed Services Engine

A Spoonful of Governance for SOA

Transactions Made Simple with Windows Communication Foundation

SharePoint Site Taxonomy

Also, thanks to everyone who does take the time to read my self indulgent ramblings here and offer encouragement. I am thankful.

Swimming with the Fishes

This weekend we visited a local indoor water park to celebrate my niece's birthday. In a rare moment of solitude as I relaxed at the rigid plastic table we had so wisely claimed earlier in the day, I happened to see a small girl fall into about two feet of water. She was unable to swim and an alert lifeguard plucked her out within seconds. The lifeguard immediately dispatched the girl's older sister to find their parents while busily looking annoyed that he had been forced to get his swim trunks wet. Upon seeing her parents, the older sister exclaimed "Mom, Mom, Kara drowned!" Now it could just be me but I swear I heard a tinge of satisfaction in the older sister's voice. Mom, on the other hand, didn't find that particular description of the situation amusing at all. Luckily for all, Kara was fine and Mom became exponentially more attentive.

As for our own little pair of Esther Williams, the biggest threat they faced was the strange white foam that seemed to form a thick ring around the hot tub. Looking like that industrial run-off you see in streams situated near leather tanneries, I was unable to convince them that the foam was not in fact bubbles but rather the boiled off remains of people. People soup you might say. The Moms simply requested that I tell them to keep their mouths closed while submerged. Add hot tubs to the list of things to avoid. 

Justice has been Served

The Richton Park judicial system has failed in its attempts to frame an innocent man for a parking violation he did not commit. Facing a system designed in every way to make you just give up and pay the fine, I persevered. The smoking gun, as it were, in my righteous hand, I informed the clerk that I had paid for parking at the train station and justice would be served. I presented my receipt and with a bang of her stapler and a solemn gaze, she informed me, "You can go." Score one for the little guy. To the unfortunate jay-walker in line behind me, I feel your pain. Who knew crossing outside of the white lines could cost you $150?

Santa's End

As Sue and I watched Emma sitting on Santa's knee this year we exchanged a knowing glance. This might very well be the last time we get to see our little girl actually think she's talking to Santa. I'm glad we had the opportunity to take her downtown to Macy's at least once to experience it while she still believes. Even if you don't still believe, skip the mall, get on the train and go downtown. It's hard not to be impressed by the old Marshall Field's store in its full Christmas regalia. Although, I'm not sure I understood the theme of the windows this year. Something to do with blue furry creatures.

No Waiting

I was kind of hoping for a huge line at the local polling place. Something I could tell my grandkids about one day. "I remember standing in the snow for 3 hours waiting to vote back in 08. Now get off my lawn!" I do wonder what the deal with those optional privacy folders was. You already use a booth with walls on the sides. Are there people with binoculars looking in through the windows? And why do we need to know the political affiliation of the people running for coroner? Are dead constituents a big concern? Oh well, if you haven't voted, then go do it!

The Fat Guy on the Couch

They say it's a small world and I guess it is. Only the most loyal of readers will remember The Fat Guy on the Couch. Well, life has come full circle. This weekend, I met fat guy again. Imagine my disappointment when he wasn't’nearly as fat as I remembered. When it was pointed out to him that Sue and I had looked at the house he was selling almost 4 years ago, he asked why we had passed on it. Let me pause here to say that rarely does life give you an opportunity like this. It's one of those scenarios you only imagine: "Boy, if I ever see that guy again, I'm really gonna tell him what I think!" So what did I say? "The yard was too small." To which he replied, "I knew it!" Oh well,  he can go forth ignorant to the influence his lack of mobility would have on our future. Here's to you Fat Guy on the Couch, may you spend the rest of your days making prospective homeowners uncomfortable.