Evie Day 628

Good morning, and a very happy Taco Tuesday to you all. Today is 3 December 2024.

My one-day class went pretty well yesterday for the folks that stuck around. It can be frustrating at times, watching a couple of people pop in at the beginning of the day and leave, a third never coming back from lunch. It would’ve been nice to receive some feedback about their experience.

Today I’ll start off the day with a little recording session for the channel I contribute to for work. Cloud technologies change so much, and I like providing insight into what is happening in that part of my world.

It’s funny. Lisa and I used to get up and flip on the TV to catch the morning news, but these days, we just leave it off. I figure when there’s good news, it’ll come around to us, but right now, so much of it just seems bad. I might flip over to the AP Newswire after a bit to catch a little bit of news, but there are some aspects of media I’m just trying to avoid for the next four years or so of guaranteed chaos.

I’ll be back in a virtual classroom again in a bit. Time to ramp up on a new certification on the security side of the house.

Tonight, there will be tacos…

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 627

Good morning, and a very happy Monday to you all. Today is 2 December 2024.

We are in the last month of the year. 2024 has gone pretty quickly.

I shared with you that I wasn’t planning on writing my blog over the Thanksgiving holiday, so this is my first post since last Wednesday. We had a pretty good break. We went to see family on Thanksgiving, did a little Black Friday shopping, and watched some sports.

The visit to Clay Center to see my family there was very pleasant. My brother-in-law surprised us all. As we arrived in Clay Center, there was a pink car about 100 yards ahead of us. I thought, “Is that the Pink Panther?”, but I couldn’t believe it, but I should’ve. My dad was really into hot rods. All of us kids had some pretty hot wheels at some point – I had a ’55 Ford Pickup, Tom had an AMC Javelin, and Dan had a ’65 Ford Galaxy 500. But Traci had the best of ’em all – a 1950 Dodge Wayfarer, pink, with a custom Pink Panther image on the trunk lid. It’s a beautiful car, and I am so happy my brother-in-law took measures to get it running again.

We had a good visit with family over the holiday, and with my kids, I didn’t have to worry about doing any driving.

Dane and I went into Microcenter on Friday for Black Friday sales. He’s refreshing some of the components on his desktop computer.

The Chiefs won Friday over the Raiders, and Saturday was a mixed bag for my Jayhawks. The football team came up short in their quest to become bowl-eligible. The KU women’s basketball team won their holiday tournament by beating Auburn. The KU men won Saturday late afternoon over Furman.

Sunday was the last day of my vacation, and I spent a portion of it with the guys tackling a scenario involving two big bads. We came out victorious – my role was to basically apply healing spells to keep the more effective warriors in the fight, and I was able to get a couple of licks in. I think I leveled up… and that’s always a good thing.

In a couple of hours, I will be in my virtual classroom once again for a one-day session. Tuesday through Thursday I will be sitting in a class, and Friday will be a busy day with an exam and a presentation.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 622

Good morning, and a happy Wednesday to you all. It is Wednesday, November 27, 2024, the day before Thanksgiving.

I’m not going to call this a hump day with the holiday. Not a great fit today.

Last night we enjoyed tacos and watched a little college basketball. The University of Kansas played Duke in Las Vegas, and the Jyahawks eeked out a 3-point win versus the Blue Devils. There were some fireworks with one player ejected for kicking another player in the face after he got submarined, and there was some great defense by K.J. Adams against the player most are picking to be the #1 pick in the NBA draft, Cooper Flagg.

Today is going to be a mix of busy and dialed-down. I have to run into town later to pick up a couple of things for tomorrow’s trip to see family. I’ll drive out, and I’ll most likely ask Lisa or Dane to drive back after it gets dark.

I will take the rest of the week off from writing, and I’ll be back on Monday. I might have a picture to post of me in my office after Gracie is done with her plan.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 621 

Good morning, and a happy Taco Tuesday to you all. Today is 26 November 2024. Two days until Thanksgiving, and I’m still on vacation.

We had a soft landing Monday night. For dinner, Lisa and I ordered pizza and some fried mushrooms. We watched a couple of episodes of “The Diplomat” with Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell. Last night, Allison Janney made an appearance as the Vice President, and she had presence.

After that, I flipped over to watch the Ravens finish off the Chargers, Jim Harbaugh versus John Harbaugh. It was a bit anticlimactic.

Today I have some tasks to work on. I’ll cut an audio piece for work (yes, I know I’m on vacation, but it’s kind of my thing, and it doesn’t take too long. I also have some other stuff I ought to look over for next week and beyond. I have an idea for a script that will automate the creation of my daily to-do list by integrating a couple of applications into AI prompt. I want to spend a little time on that and then share it with teammates.

Tonight – basketball and tacos as Kansas plays Duke in men’s basketball.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 620

Good morning, and a happy Monday to you all. This is a short work week as most of the US prepares for Thanksgiving on Thursday. Today is 25 November 2024.

This week marks the beginning of the fall holiday season for me. Thanksgiving is this coming Thursday, Christmas is in another month, and Bonnie’s birthday—which most people call New Year’s Eve—is followed closely by that.

This also marks the time of year when a lot of folks who might have been hiding their loneliness and depression take a turn. This time of year brings out the best in many people, but it also serves as a reminder to many among us that some people who were in their lives are no longer in their lives, and that can drag a spirit down. Let’s collectively practice a little kindness. You might save a life.

I had a pretty good weekend. Kansas hosted Colorado on Saturday and found a way to win their third game in a row versus a ranked opponent. Next up – Baylor on Saturday, and if Kansas can pull that win out, they will be bowl-eligible. That’s a huge comeback for the season after they started 1-5.

Kansas City pulled out a win at the last moment yesterday, again. A substitute kicker hit the field goal with 2 seconds left on the clock to check the “Win” box on the road versus the Panthers.

I spent a little time with a couple of the guys yesterday. It was not a great day for a big gaming session, but we took care of a little housekeeping, leveling up a couple of characters.

Did I tell you I’m on vacation until next Monday? I’m on vacation until next Monday.

And that’s about all I have for now.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 617

Happy Friday, folks! It is the end of the Western work week, and Thanksgiving is next week! Today is 22 November 2024.

I’m looking forward to a few days off. I blocked off Monday-Wednesday for next week, so this will be my first full week off this year. I’ve blocked off a few days over the Christmas/New Year’s break as well.

Yesterday was a good day. I had a one-day class on Mountain Time, so we started a little later than what I’m used to. Generally speaking, my classes are typically Eastern Time or Central. Yesterday was no real problem – it was a one-day prompt writing course for folks in the industry. I’ve doe a few of these workshops, and the attendees have always been great.

Last night I attended a banquet with Lisa. It was primarily a dinner for the advisory board for her school up at the university. I saw some familiar faces and enjoyed some conversation, but I made an effort not to be too gregarious. After that, Lisa and I went home, and I flipped on the Steelers @ Browns football game and watched the snow come down. They were playing in a blizzard, and the 2-8 Browns had the upset win over the 8-2 Steelers. Good on ya, Cleveland!

I’ve got some stuff to get done today for work. I love teaching and delivering new content to folks, and I get to work with folks from all around the world, but like any other line of work, there’s reports and paperwork, and today is that day dedicated to finishing up some reports that are due.

This weekend will be a chance to relax as I start my vacation. Tomorrow Lisa and I get to spend some time with our granddaughter, and Kansas will play Colorado in college football as they continue to pursue history.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 616

Good morning, and a happy Thursday to you. Today is 21 November 2024.

Thanksgiving is one week away. Wow.

Just a moment ago I had an odd random thought pop into my head – how many movies have I come across with a character referred to as “Swan”? For some reason, I was thinking about the 1979 movie “Warriors”, and the lead character played by Michael Beck, and then dominoes tumble, I thought of other characters named after waterfowl – Goose from Top Gun, Duckie from Pretty in Pink.

My mind goes to interesting places sometimes.

I got together with some of the guys last night for a little virtual tabletop, and with a new member to the group, we took a little time to set him up with a new character. After that, we did some slaying. Lisa went over to Gracie’s for a little while to watch our granddaughter. After she returned home, she was pretty tired and called it an early night, but not before passing along that we’ll get to spend some time with Evelyn on Saturday.

I am back in my virtual classroom in a couple of hours, and an hour later than I initially expected. I have a Mountain Time delivery of a one-day remote course. That’s the first time since I’ve joined the company. Sure, I’ve taught in-person classes in Denver – funny thing – one of my Denver students also sings in church, but her church does a broadcast from Basilica in Denver, and we have watched that broadcast occasionally. Every time I have seen her sing, I remember working with those folks and getting them certified before the pandemic.

Tonight, we have a dinner to go to up on campus.

In the meantime, I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 615 

Good morning, and a happy Wednesday to you all. Today is 20 November 2024.

Today, I get to sit in class for a while. I had a one-day delivery yesterday, and as fate would have it, I have a one-day delivery tomorrow. I have a certification exam pending, and I’m happy that I get to sit at least two days of a four-day class on the subject I’ll get tested on.

Yesterday was a good day. My delivery went pretty well, and folks were excited and engaged. I was able to engage my brain into second gear and come up with a couple of new prompts that were worth sharing. The one that I found particularly interesting was the prompt for assessing participants’ engagement level and sentiment in an online meeting. I was rather pleased with the prompt and the generated results.

Last night, I made my taco run. Gracie came over for dinner, and that made for some nice conversation. I don’t always talk during meals, but I’m making an effort to participate in small talk. It’s not a skill I’m known for… I’m more of the listener for a while then inject a humorous quip at an awkward moment, and then go back to my tacos.

The KU/UNCW game was a nice break for a Tuesday night. Kansas secured the win over the Seahawks, 84-66. It wasn’t the most exciting game, to be frank. One of the freshman big men turned an ankle awkwardly, and I hope he’s ok.

Alright! I guess it’s time for me to focus on the day ahead. I’m sitting in a class, but I need to multitask today.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 614

Good morning, and a happy Taco Tuesday to you all. Today is 19 November 2024.

Yesterday was a day of meetings and prep work, including reviewing the content I’ll be covering in my one-day AI workshop. It’s a little sad for me, as the internal guy who set up and scheduled the class is a friend, and he was recently let go from the mothership. I’ll send some positive thoughts his way while I’m delivering.

I’m not sure if I mentioned it yesterday day or not. I am back in my virtual classroom today, walking folks through some tools for improving productivity thanks to artificial intelligence. It’s a neat little workshop, and this is the fourth (?) one of these I have had this year. It’s an enjoyable course, introducing folks to some new ideas on how they can use AI to improve their work and, sometimes, their personal lives.

I tried something last night for fun. Lisa and I were watching “Chopped” reruns, and I decided to open up my AI tool at the beginning of the round. I took note of the four basket ingredients and then asked the AI to generate a recipe that had to include them, and the AI could add any other ingredient to the recipe.

I don’t think the AI will be competing on “Chopped” anytime soon.

My task list today – breakfast and coffee, AI workshop, taking care of the necessary tacos for dinner, working on my report for my manager, and watching some Kansas basketball – The University of North Carolina-Wilmington Seahawks are coming to town. Sometimes these smaller, lesser-known schools give me a little anxiety during the early part of the season. There is always one or two teams that really give the Jayhawks a test on an off night.

Time for me to fill the water tank and grind some beans for the Ninja coffee maker.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 613 

Good morning, and a happy Monday to you all. Today is 18 November 2024.

I woke up at 5:30 and hopped into the shower to start the day. I got myself dressed, threw on a polo and a cardigan, and bent my ear to listen to the sound of the rain coming down. I went to the kitchen, strolling by Lisa, already up, already working, drank my two big 24 oz glasses of water (a good way to start the day), then sat down on the couch by the floofs.

Somebody ought to write a song about November rain.

Sports guy Bob had a good weekend, for the most part. Friday night was a bummer, as the KU Women’s Soccer team fell in the first round of the NCAA tournament to #8 Saint Lewis. The Kansas City Chiefs lost on the road at Buffalo, which I’m not too worried about (the last two times the Chiefs had regular-season losses to the Bills, the Chiefs ended up winning the Superbowl). The Kansas City Current also lost to the Orlando Pride in the second round of the NWSL playoffs. The wins made up for some of the setbacks, as the KU basketball team took a W against Oakland, the KU volleyball team swept Baylor 3-0, and the Kansas Jayhawks went on the road Saturday night to earn the win against the undefeated BYU Cougars. There is still a chance that KU could make a bowl game if they win their next two… one game against Colorado, and another against Baylor.

I have an interesting week at work. I will still be delivering one one-day class this week, but I will also be attending a Security Analyst class to prepare for a certification exam that I’ll tackle before the end of the month. I’ll revisit that sort of schedule in December, as I’ll sit another class on Identity and Access Administration. My schedule doesn’t allow me to sit for four consecutive days, so I’ll need to ensure I fill in the gaps independently.

It’s crazy to think that we’re in the second half of November already, and Thanksgiving is next week, and Christmas is only 5 or 6 weeks out.

Lisa made a couple of great breakfasts this weekend, and I am grateful for the leftovers. One was a savory breakfast loaf filled with bacon, ham, cheese, and some other breakfast favorites. The other was good old cinnamon rolls. Last night she got creative with some spicy sausage, cream cheese, and Rotel to make some rather interesting meat pucks… not exactly a meatball, a little flatter, but very tasty. Even though they were made for dinner, I think they would also go very well with eggs for breakfast.

The coffee pot if calling my name. Time to throw some beans in the Ninja.

I hope the world is treating you better than you deserve.

Peace y’all.