Indian Rocks Beach, Drive Home, Worn Out
Indian Rocks Beach
We spent the better portion of this week recuperating from our one day at Magic Kingdom. I will say, I am glad I spent the time walking and exercising my legs before this trip. We did around 8 miles walking that day and I was able to fit into every ride that we did (Mine Train was a squeeze). The weather was not so great on this trip, although it was sunny most days, it was incredibly windy with highs in the seventies. Great weather if you are back home, but not ideal when you want to spend time in the ocean. The ocean temperature itself was a little chilly and we didn’t really get into it much at all. Luckily the pool was heated so we could spend time in it comfortably, although getting out and feeling the wind was a little unsettling.
We did make it to Crabby Bill’s and Haze Ice Cream. We’ve never eaten at Crabby Bill’s before, really because it always so crowded and I don’t want to take my kids to a bar. But lunch time was another story and we found a place to sit easily. We also walked down the beach which was nice. I don’t drink alcohol anymore so I can’t comment on the drink menu, suffice it to say I would’ve loved a few cocktails without the worry of having to drive home. The fried grouper was delicious. At Haze I ordered my standard ice cream shop order, a vanilla double malt. We also saw some of the damage to nearby buildings, some of which haven’t opened up yet.
Other Updates
I am reading through “Clean Code” to familiarize myself with best practices in code design as well as taking CS50 (the infamous Harvard/EdX introduction to Computer Science course). My new role is taking a turn into a more technical focus, and whereas I was the best CE on my old team, I am not the best of anything on this team, so I have some beefing up to do. I like a challenge though, and I face them with certainty, because honestly in my life I’ve met nothing but challenges, over and over again, and I learned to face them proactively because the alternative of ducking my head and hoping it passes over won’t “cut the chut”.
I am considering a master’s program. Of the three I am looking at, all are located at Northern Kentucky University. The first would be a Master’s In Business Informatics. This is what I gained a bachelor’s in, so this makes the most sense. I am not sure about the program though, I am not seeing any mention of Machine Learning, and that is red hot right now because of AI. The focus in it is Oracle and R, the latter of which is a statistical programming language so it tells me there is some data science focus, however where or where is the Python? The second is a standard MBA, which I have resisted up to this point. Honestly if I knew that an MBA would become the new bachelors and it was possible to get one with any random degree, I would’ve just gone that route and earned a Communications or other generic degree instead of suffering through difficult business classes at one of the best business colleges in the region. Finally there is a Masters in Computer Science, which is the ultimate stretch goal for me. I am not even sure I could get into the program or complete it successfully, it would be difficult, but a piece of me wants to shoot for it. Of course, I am still not sure what AI and off-shoring is doing to the tech field so investing in a master’s program is not cut and dry. I also harbor going out on my own via a consulting business, which typically an MBA would be useful, but also if my consulting practice is focused in the legal technology space then I certainly need boning up in the tech arena.
We purchased 2K25 WWE and I went all in on the best version they had! I’ve never done this before but my youngest son is really into wrestling and this gives us something to play together on. We will have all of the characters and arenas to play with together so he is excited. WWE for me is just a form of mental escapism. I honestly don’t think about anything else when it is on, and it’s low stakes, sometimes funny, sometimes overly dramatic spectacle is just what I need to free up some space in my over cluttered, over worked mind. The package is pretty cool though, I’m not sure what the card game is all about but evidently I will have all of them. There is also GM, which I toyed around with in 2K23, and My Faction. This version is Bloodline Focused, which I felt was one of the best story lines in WWE history.
Shorter Updates
I’ve been really interested in the lives of mathematicians. I spent some time deep diving Archimedes after a question I saw posed to Satya Nadella in an interview with himself, Gates, and Ballmer about what historical figure he’d like to introduce to Microsoft’s new compute platform. He said Newton, but I think Archimedes is the better fit. Newton is considered one of the greatest minds in science, but Archimedes gets my vote for a doer who transcended his era and could apply the benefits of computing to further his observations.
We still think Chattanooga TN is the best fit for us if we ever moved. It is nearer to the outdoor activities that we enjoy like the mountains and the beach, fly fishing, hiking, and nature. I like that there is no state income tax, however, there are significant questions about how teachers are compensated and treated in the state.
I’m really liking this Kindle I purchased, particularly the pen and the Notebook function. I like writing notes at the same time I am reading, like if something comes up in inspiration for me.
Reactions
I’m not sure what to make of the recent market reactions to the tariff waffling. Markets dislike surprises, and they’ve had enough of it recently. I’m not sure what to expect in terms of an upcoming recession either, although I suspect we’re entering into some kind of weird quasi-economy where certain sectors get hurt and others are fine, reflecting a broad diversification in the US economy, perhaps a lesson learned after the 2008 Great Recession. For example, Midwestern soybean farmers are going to get hit the most, maybe even irrevocably, especially if China starts buying from somewhere else (Brazil perhaps?)
