Kevin's Watch

Sorry I have been away from the Watch for the better part of the month so far, but I have been wrapping up a journey that started 2 1/2 years ago. I had decided I had gotten as far as I was going to go in my career as a software engineer and technical manager without a degree, and went and got one. Today I finished the final class in my B.S. program at Western Governor's University. Going to school full time while working full time plus while raising two young children has been draining, but it is finally over, and soon that diploma will arrive, 27 years after I graduated high school. Check that one off the bucket list.

And, now I can get back to more fun stuff, like working on my novels, and posting on the Watch

Congrats Rob.

--A

Congrats, Rob!

WTG Rob!
Welcome home, Jenn.

I am up tonight with no idea what to do with myself

Congratulations Rob. My sister did the same - got a degree about 6 years ago. She works in IT too. What will you do with all the time you will now have on your hands?

Very well done, Rob!!

I had a great weekend, Saturday was a memorial service for a man who was loved by many, many people. He passed away in the States but even our memorial service in Jos was packed and it helped me so much with my grieving not only for him but for 2 other friends who died, all three of them within 3 days of each other (and completely unrelated). He had ALS so his passing was not unexpected but the other two were complete shocks.

Sunday, I led the band at the chapel where many of the missionary community worship and that is one of the things I enjoy the most and feel most alive doing. One of the benefits is hearing 200 people sing back at you while you lead... which is the most beautiful sound in the world. Stag of the Dawn and I took an evening walk, and the night ended, let us say, with a bang. It was just a perfect weekend. I NEEDED that so badly.

Schools in Nigeria re-open the 22nd, so I plan to use this week well to clean old junk out of my classroom and prepare for 3rd grade awesomeness!!

Hi! I did forget about the watch for a week after having some crazy work stuff and no time to post on a forum (or even remember to take my pill every day, so bad month to start an affair with the mailman). Making dinner just now, I suddenly remembered this site.

We got a new government over the weekend. Right wing out, left wing in. Also, 13% of the vote went to the party founded by nazis making them the third biggest party in the country.

Congrats, rdhopeca!

Iolanthe wrote:Congratulations Rob. My sister did the same - got a degree about 6 years ago. She works in IT too. What will you do with all the time you will now have on your hands?

He will post more.

That is not a suggestion.

--A

Avatar wrote:

Iolanthe wrote:Congratulations Rob. My sister did the same - got a degree about 6 years ago. She works in IT too. What will you do with all the time you will now have on your hands?

He will post more.

That is not a suggestion.

--A

I will. I promise.

See? I just did.

deer of the dawn wrote:Very well done, Rob!!

I had a great weekend, Saturday was a memorial service for a man who was loved by many, many people. He passed away in the States but even our memorial service in Jos was packed and it helped me so much with my grieving not only for him but for 2 other friends who died, all three of them within 3 days of each other (and completely unrelated). He had ALS so his passing was not unexpected but the other two were complete shocks.

Sunday, I led the band at the chapel where many of the missionary community worship and that is one of the things I enjoy the most and feel most alive doing. One of the benefits is hearing 200 people sing back at you while you lead... which is the most beautiful sound in the world. Stag of the Dawn and I took an evening walk, and the night ended, let us say, with a bang. It was just a perfect weekend. I NEEDED that so badly.

Schools in Nigeria re-open the 22nd, so I plan to use this week well to clean old junk out of my classroom and prepare for 3rd grade awesomeness!!

This is very cool. I miss making music.

Ananda wrote:Hi! I did forget about the watch for a week after having some crazy work stuff and no time to post on a forum (or even remember to take my pill every day, so bad month to start an affair with the mailman). Making dinner just now, I suddenly remembered this site.

We got a new government over the weekend. Right wing out, left wing in. Also, 13% of the vote went to the party founded by nazis making them the third biggest party in the country.

Anandy!!! I missed you. Welcome back!

rdhopeca wrote: This is very cool. I miss making music.

Maybe you'll have time for it now that you're done with higher education for the moment?

Congratulations Rob - graduating college is such a great feeling, no matter when you decide to do it!

As for me, I saw a neurosurgeon yesterday because of the numbness in my finger that is from the pressure on my spinal canal that was seen in the MRI I had last week.

Good news really, he agrees with the original diagnosis that it is a trapped nerve in my lower neck, and thinks that the best course of action is to start with some steroids and 4 weeks of physical therapy. After that he's confident that it will be improved greatly, and if not then I'll get a cortisol shot into my spine and hopefully that will be an end to it.

Fingers crossed for you, michaelm.

Deer: Yay for fresh starts!

I'm taking a mental health day from work today. I've already been online with the office once today, though. Hopefully that will be enough, and they will leave me alone for the rest of the day....

I need a mental health day. I'm about to bite someone, and there isn't even an emoticon for that.

Sorus wrote:I need a mental health day. I'm about to bite someone, and there isn't even an emoticon for that.

This little guy seems to be tearing something a little bit during his spiel

No damn green text schtick right now. The mother of my wife's best friend died--we are going to the funeral tomorrow--so she asked me "don't you have a friend who is closer to you than your brothers?" So I thought about it for a minute and replied, truthfully, "no". I have acquaintances at work but they don't know me and I have acquaintances here but Hashi isn't Hashi when he isn't online so that doesn't count, either. Right now I am flipping back and forth between regret for always walking away and/or not bothering to have friends and indifference because I've made it this far being self-sufficient so I can handle the future, as well.

Ironically, there isn't anyone else I can say this to, so I get to dump on you (the inclusive and generic "you", not the personal "you").

If you are sustained by who you are, Hashi, there is no need for regret.

Interestingly to me you mentioned your brothers. I have friends that I'm closer to than my brother, but that doesn't mean him and I don't get along. We just have different interests and do our own thing most of the time.