Evie Day 517

Good morning, and welcome to Wednesday. Today is 14 August 2024.

Last night there was a near disaster. Well… that might be an exaggeration – I’ll let you be the judge.

On Monday night, I decided to order food from Jade Garden, a favorite of ours, and a convenient spot for Lisa to run by on her way home. As it worked out, I order-ordered… after all, who doesn’t like leftover fried rice for lunch the next day? Lisa thought we had enough for dinner later in the week, and I thought she meant the very next night. With that in mind, I did not go see my guy about tacos last night.

Lisa got home about 5:25 PM and saw me working on the couch. She asked if I had already been to Cascada La Golondrina to pick up our Tuesday night tacos… and it then hit me. When she was talking about having leftovers later, she wasn’t talking about Tuesday.

I then ran into the restaurant and got my order in at the bar, while a couple of young men who were seriously enjoying their beers decided I was their new best friend, language barriers notwithstanding.

Anyway… crisis averted.

I had my one-day class yesterday, and I believe it went well. Today is a different course, and I’ll admit I think the slide deck is a bit too busy. I’d rather see cleaner slides and more content in the speaker notes, rather than trying to shoehorn in another sentence.

Tonight, I get together with the guys for some tabletop.

In the meantime…

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

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 516

Good morning and a happy Tuesday to you all… you already know what I’m having for dinner, right? Today is 13 August 2024.

I read some things that bugged me a little bit yesterday. I came across some folks mocking Minnesota governor and Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz because he chose to be a public school teacher. The point I think was lost on those criticizing Mr. Walz failed to grasp the idea that some folks are better at enriching their community than themselves. What an incredible concept!

I’m back in my virtual classroom in a couple of hours. I’m delivering a one-day course today and a different one tomorrow. Today’s delivery is my third for this particular content, and tomorrow will be new content.

I hosted a team meeting yesterday. I think it went pretty well. I also met with my manager, and he provided me with some good tips for other deliveries coming up.

Other than that, not a lot to talk about. I was looking over content last evening while Lisa and I had “Chopped” reruns playing in the background. Last episode we watched wrapped up at 9:45, so we hit the hay a little early.

I need to get to work. It’s an important day for me to lock down and stay on top of stuff. I also have a little bit to record before the day starts in earnest as well.

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

Peace y’all.

Evie day 515

Good morning, and a happy Monday to you all! We are starting this work week on 12 August 2024.

Mark McKinnon said something funny – I’m watching the news, and he’s a former campaign advisor that pops up every now and then to comment on the current political environment, and he was talking about campaign themes that work, and he said that the theme, “I’m pissed off, follow me” doesn’t really work. He was saying that in reference to the different themes in place by the Harris/Walz campaign and the Trump/Vance campaign.

Lisa and I had a nice weekend around here. It was unseasonably cool – cool enough that the pool was out of play – but we were more interested in the closing weekend of the Olympics, as we started off with the US Women’s National Team in soccer win the gold against Brazil, a brief break for lunch, followed by the US squaring off against the host country France for the gold in men’s basketball and an early evening pre-season matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars. The US men took the gold, and the Chiefs figured out that they need to improve their special teams play. Sunday morning we watched some more basketball, as the US women matched up against the host French team for the gold medal, and once again, the US came out on top. I do love the Olympics, but I’m tired of ’em for now.

I’ve been having a little fun with AI and prompt writing. It occurred to me late last week that I ought to try asking the AI for the “prompt of the day”… and I received a response like this: “Today’s prompt is all about adventure! Imagine you’re setting out on a journey to a place you’ve never been before. It could be a bustling city with hidden alleyways and markets, a serene village by the sea, or even a mysterious forest teeming with legends. Write a short story, poem, or even a diary entry about your experiences, the people you meet, and the sights, sounds, and smells that make your adventure unforgettable. Here’s a little starter:

As the sun rose, casting a golden glow over the horizon, I took my first step into the unknown. The map in my hand was old and worn, its edges frayed with time. It was more than a guide; it was the promise of stories untold and secrets to uncover. With a deep breath, I began my journey…

Feel free to take this prompt and run with it in any direction that excites you!”

I followed that up by trying out some different adjectives – the motivational prompt of the day, the inspirational prompt of the day, the technical training prompt of the day – and I was very pleased with how that all worked out. I’m going to continue exploring

This week I have meetings and a couple of one-day deliveries. Certification exam (yes, that dreaded expression) on Friday. It’s going to be a good week with opportunities for me to learn new stuff, reinforce old stuff, and organize some things that could stand a little attention.

In the meantime,

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

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 512

Good morning, and a happy Friday to you. It’s the end of the work week for most. Today is 9 August 2024.

I’ve got some things I need to attend to today, and my work schedule didn’t have any deadlines due, so I’m taking a day of PTO to address the things that need to be addressed. I still have a couple of things on the burner to take care of before a meeting on Monday.

The Olympics were fun to watch last night. We watched a replay of the USMNT in basketball. The game against the Serbian squad was a thriller. There were some other moments as well.

Right now my wife is deep in negotiations with our senior dog… she can have a bite of Lisa’s breakfast if she gets off the back of the couch and stops clucking at her. The dog won the negotiation… Lisa got up from the breakfast table and brought Lucy a bite.

Our dogs have trained us well.

One of the highlights of my week was reconnecting with an old high school classmate I haven’t spoken with in decades, quite literally. We chatted online and traded some information to discover we live fairly close to each other, so we’re making a plan to grab lunch sometime.

Lucy wants another bite of Lisa’s breakfast. Cluck, cluck.

I’ve thought about taking AI to a different place for fun and exploration. When I punch in a prompt, I will always get two or three additional prompts to try following an AI response. I think it could be interesting (distracting?) to intentionally click on the first 6 suggested prompts to see where the conversation goes.

In the meantime, I need a cup of coffee,

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

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 511

Good morning, folks! I see you all survived Wednesday. Today is Thursday, 8 August 2024.

We have a storm rolling through right now, and the thunder is scaring the dogs. Odin (yes, the irony is not lost on me) is sitting with Lisa. He does not like storms. The sisters Von Floof seem to be handling it pretty well. Lucy is lying in her bed over by the fireplace.

We’re watching the news, and we’ve gone from attacks on the new Vice Presidential candidate – pretty weak sauce – to Taylor Swift concerts getting canceled in Vienna, Austria due to the threat of terrorist attacks. Arrests have been made.

I wrapped up my teaching responsibilities for the week. Yesterday’s session was on writing better AI prompts, focusing on productivity. Based on the feedback I received, it landed well with the attendees. Today will be a day of catching up on some other responsibilities, finishing up a presentation for a meeting on Monday, taking a look at our applied skills training courses, and maybe cranking out another credential by the end of the day.

Last night I was able to hang out with the guys around the virtual tabletop. It was a good session. I was no longer a statue, and I had earned enough experience points to level up. The character I’m playing in this campaign is the rugged, outdoorsy type, with a slight point to his ears, a nod to his heritage on his dad’s side. After the levels were calculated, I then had a good night of die rolls, and I hit every single shot at the bad guys. It was a good session, and we all had a lot of fun.

I’m going to go make some coffee and get going on my day.

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

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 510

Good morning! Humpday! Today is Wednesday, 7 August 2024.

The news is on. Yesterday there was a little bit of a surprise… I was fully expecting Vice President Kamala Harris to pick Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as a running mate, but she threw a curve and selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. After I’ve read a little bit more about the governor, and I like what I read.

My class went pretty well yesterday. With single-day courses, you really have no idea how quickly the experience will go by, and I try to manage the pace… not too slow, not too quick. I had at least one learner that was on Eastern Time, so I tried to wrap up before 4:00 local time. I think it went alright. I’ll be delivering another one-day session later, and it’s a different course, but I do expect things to move at a good pace. The class today is on prompt writing for AI, and it’s an interest of mine. I’ll be dipping into my bag of tricks to share some prompts that are a little out of the ordinary.

Lisa and I watch the Olympics a bit last night, starting off with the recorded match between the USWNT and Germany in soccer. It was a great match, with Sophia Smith scoring in extra time. There were several great shots on goal, and both keepers did an outstanding job.

After that, we flipped over to watch some basketball, but it was getting late, and we already knew the outcome, so heading off to bed to get into a Sudoku game and fade off to sleep was the next step.

Time to ponder the day… we had tacos last night, and chicken the night before. I might need to think about what I can do with either smoked pork loin or smoked brisket for dinner tonight.

After dinner, it will be time to hang out with the guys and make the Forgotten Realms safe for the good folk of Faerun.

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

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 509

Good morning, and happy Taco Tuesday to you all. Today is 6 August 2024.

I have a session in a couple of hours, walking folks through setting up some security tools. It will be interesting to deliver a one-day class. I’ve done the same sort of thing before, with a different topic, but this one is new to me. Tomorrow, I get to do it all over again with another new class, but tomorrow’s class will be a 180-degree turn away from security as we explore AI.

The big news today is going to be Kamala Harris when she announces her vice-president. I have a feeling the opposition is lying in wait with a bucket of crap to throw at whomever it is, but it appears to be down to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro or Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. I don’t think either choice will really change my inclination for this voting cycle.

Lisa and I got a little tired of the Olympics last night. We’re not really into table tennis, team handball, or water polo. Sometimes it’s just as relaxing to watch old seasons of “Chopped” and see what kind of dessert the competitors can make with chocolate-covered raisins, miso, and an emu egg.

There’s not much else going on here. It’s hard to believe how quickly this summer is slipping by.

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

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 508

Good morning and a happy Monday and a new beginning to the work week! Today is 5 August 2024.

We had a weekend, and it was a pretty good one. We spent some time with Gracie and Evelyn on Friday and Saturday, and Bonnie and her dog, Ruthie, came over for a bit yesterday. I had a productive weekend with the grill, preparing a whole pork tenderloin on Saturday, and a small brisket on Sunday. I might have to run into town to get more of my preferred hot barbeque sauce – we came across a sale on sauces, but none of them have quite the punch of the hot barbeque sauce I prefer. The results have met with everyone’s approval, and we’ll have leftovers for a few days.

We spent some time watching the Olympics. The airwaves were flooded with political ads – apparently, if you are running for public office it’s less important to run on your record, and more important to call names at your opponent, claim an endorsement by a felon, and work in at least half-a-dozen pics with gun.

I’m glad I don’t live in Missouri.

The Olympics have had their ups and downs. I feel empathy for any athlete who was required to compete in the Seine… that river was not cleaned up appropriately for use as a sports venue. E. coli is now running through the Olympic Village.

Yesterday was a good day with the guys. My dwarven cleric cast a couple of timely healing spells to get some party members out of trouble. I worked in a couple of vicious knee-cap strikes with my war hammer, and I was in pretty good grace with the rest of the crew.

I have two one-day classes this week, so I’ll spend the lion’s share of the day going through that content and running through the lab experiences. The classes are capped at 27, but I have a feeling I’ll be seeing about half that number in my deliveries. Prep, a few emails, organize a different presentation for next week, and get ready for an exam (maybe, might defer the exam another week).

Time for me to get started with my day.

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

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 505

Good morning! It’s Friday! Today is 2 August 2024.

My spouse arrived home late last night from a business trip. I was very happy to have her return safely home, but I think the level of excitement expressed by the four pooches put my greeting to shame. They’re still excited 7 hours later.

It will be a good morning. My training partner and I will close out our four-week course with a closing and a little Jeopardy-style game. We have a two-hour slot, but we’ll see if we need all of it. I’m guessing there are more than a few of our learners who will be happy to wrap this up.

My daughter and granddaughter will be over a little later this morning. I look forward to seeing them both. Lisa told me we’d get Evelyn to ourselves tomorrow morning for a bit while Gracie runs some errands. We’re excited about one little milestone for Gracie – her car will be paid off completely the first week of September. Life is a series of minor victories.

Trash day – I better ponder this for a moment. I’ll get the trash out to the end of the driveway in a few.

I have work stuff to focus on, and new classes are showing up on the schedule. Next week I have a couple of new classes to teach, each of them one-day deliveries.

I might even get a chance to work with the Olympics on in the background this afternoon. Work, work, work, cheer for some random athlete or team, work, work, work…

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

Peace y’all.

Evie Day 504

Good morning, and a happy Thursday to you all. Today is the first day of August 2024.

My gaming session with the guys last night absolutely rocked. Well, it might be more accurate to say I rocked. It would be even more accurate to say I was turned into a rock. Yep… I’m a rock.

Yesterday was a good day. My training partner and I worked through our two sessions and called it a little early when there were no additional questions during office hours. I think the class has gone pretty well over the last few weeks, with a lot of folks spread out all around the world. It’s an eye-opening experience when that little map in my head opens up and I start considering all of the different spots my learners live.

I watched some of the Olympics yesterday. The US Women’s National Team squared off against the Aussie team in soccer, and the retooled American squad looked pretty good, and the USWNT ended up victorious 2-1. I should take a look at the other matches coming up today and tomorrow.

I’ve got some travel coming up I need to lock down. I’ve got my hotel addressed for one of the September trips, and I should lock in my travel for the other. I just need to wait for approval from the responsible parties.

That’s about all I have today. Two talking sessions today, one more tomorrow, and that wraps up a four-week class.

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

Peace y’all.