Author: drewmillikin

My job requires a lot of work in front of a computer. I’m constantly using email, IM, facebook, Excel, Word, editing our webpages, etc. Ironically, as I’m the “tech guru” in our office, I find my office, perhaps a because of the computer, a very difficult place to be creative. I think my trip to Jay last week was an example of that.

Another was a trip to Florida. I went down with the swim team on their training trip just after Christmas. For some reason, I was thinking about work all of the time down there. Not in a bad, I’m stressed out when I should be enjoying the time with the swimmers (I love coaching) manner, but in a very productive, creative way. Ideas kept coming and I eventually sat down with my tablet and wrote out a new e-communication plan – something that I’ve been meaning to do for a while, but have felt completely uninspired.

I’m figuring this out as a write this, so bare with me. You’re getting a stream of consciousness flow here.

So I really liked that I was away from the office, and being creative, but there’s another aspect that I’d like to talk about as well and that was the physical act of writing down these ideas. I am very much a pen and paper person on some levels and very much a e-file person in others. I love the act of writing – physically putting pen to paper. Love it. I don’t know why, but I seem to remember things better if I write them down. Organizationally, I do not do paper well. I don’t do files and filing cabinets. It just doesn’t work for me. When I go looking for something, it doesn’t even pop into my head too look in a file. When I go to file something, there may already be a folder for it, but I tend to create a new file folder with a totally different name. I’m a pile person. I pile things everywhere.

I don’t think I’m that unique when it comes to those two traits. I’m sure there are tons of boys in the school system that share similar traits. I think technology can help in this area. I’ve got one of the new tablet laptops and I absolutely love it. The pen feature is great because I can take notes and save them in a structure that makes sense to me. When I was a in school, I would take notes and inevitably, pages would fall out of my notebook, and float around my bag or locker and I’d never be able to find them again. This tablet provides a great solution.

I’ve got to run, but I’m sure there will be more on this.

First day of School.

I really dread the first day of a semester in which I’m taking a class. Really the last thing that I want to do after work is go and sit in a classroom for 2 1/2 hours. It wouldn’t be quite so bad if the subject was something that I felt invested in and that I was learning a lot of new technologies and techniques. Education and educator are so far behind, even the technology teachers, that it’s usually quite dull for me. I guess that if you’re not sitting in front of a computer everyday, it can be hard to keep up with new technologies. That of course doesn’t excuse a person from refusing to learn.

So we’re down here in Florida again. I’m not sure what it is about winter that always makes me take writing back up again. Maybe it isn’t the winter but the time off from writing. I really hate writing. I’m not sure that’s the right word for it. I’m not sure it’s strong enough. The worse part is I think I’m creating more writing for me at work.

I’ve just written up a communication plan for work that’s going to triple my writing responsibilities at work. I’ll just have to get better at procrastinating, I guess.

A whole lot of news and most of it involves beer.

I started brewing my own beer a couple of weeks ago. I haven’t tried any of it yet, but I’m pretty excited about it. I went with a recipe for a pale ale in similar to Bass. The whole process is pretty simple. You begin making tea, basically. You boil some water, put some grains in a bag and then toss the bag in the water and let it steep for a hour or so. Add malt and the boil for another hour or so adding hops at certain points along the way. After five days in teh fermentor you’re ready to bottle. Then it’s another ten days in the bottle. My first batch should be done by Sunday.

I also picked up a kegerator last weekend as well. It’s a converted refridgerator – a really old one with the rounded sides. I spent some time last night spray painting it black. i need to put another coat on tonight and i’m going to add a stel your face sticker to it. It should look pretty wicked.

Sold my Jeep this weekend. It’s the end of an era. More than a first car, it was my way of rebeling against my dad out of college. I worked an extra job in order to make the payments. It was worth it.

Tiem to move on to the next stage in automotive maturation. I’m officially a VW driving yuppie now. i think i need to deck myself out in some VW apparell. Get the hat, shirt, etc. Maybe they make VW carseats.

I had a thought this weekend as I was enjoying the beautiful August weather here in Vermont.

August in Vermont is so much like Sundays. Sunday, you have the day off, but there is always that thought in the back of your mind that Monday is not far off and you have to go back to work.

August is the same way. The weather is gorgeous here in VT, but you know that it’s going to start getting colder and winter is just around the bend….

Muggy! The heat wave arrives!
I just took a walk around campus here to clear my head and get out some of the frustration that comes from on-line editing. It is freakin’ hot out, brother.

Tonight’s going to be one of those nights where you’re camping out in the basement hoping the dog or wife doesn’t touch you because if they did you’ll scream it’s so hot.

Last day of class. I’ve been taking this class called LOGO for the last two weeks. If you think back to middle school computer class this is basicaly it. Making shapes with Turtles and making simple games.

Oh yeah, I learned a ton about myself too.