The Life and Times of the Watters Family

Things are winding down here at Toolhouse. I’ll be at Audience Central Thursday and Friday of this week, and I’ll probably only be in the office (at Toolhouse) a couple of days next week as well. I’m hoping to take some time next week to take care of some other projects that have been piling up at home and with outside work.

I’ve started compiling my thoughts on my tenure at Toolhouse, and I hope to post them soon.

Next up on the wishlsit is a Garmin Forerunner 205. I got the Forerunner 201 for my birthday last year, and it still works well, so I don't anticipate getting this one in the immediate future.

The primary improvements that make it attractive to me are the improved GPS signal tracking and a new, wristwatch-like form factor.

Small World

I’ve often said that Bellingham is a very small town. No matter where I go or who I meet, we always end up being connected via some other avenue beyond the one at hand.

For instance, yesterday, I was reviewing a few of the resumes that have come in for the position that was created by my decision to leave Toolhouse. While exploring the website of one of the applicants, and following the trail of links, I stumbled upon the site of a guy that I worked with at summer camp eleven years ago.

Or, how about two months ago, when Toolhouse hired a new production manager? Turns out she went to WWU with one of my oldest friends. Not only that, my dad once fired her partner.

A little over a year ago, an obnoxious puppy (not Sam, he’s a good dog), that my family insisted that we adopt, chewed the hose to the propane tank on my last grill. It should’ve been a simple thing to replace, but it turns out none of the parts carried by the relevant local establishments fit my old, cheap grill.

Well, due primarily to a combination of laziness and somewhat peculiar fiscal restraint, we’ve been grill free. I hereby add a new grill to my wishlist.

UPDATE: My dad has offered me an unused (used once) spare grill that is just sitting in storage, so I no longer need a grill.

My birthday’s coming up (May 26th, for those not in the know), so I thought it would be a good time to start posting things that are on my “wishlist”.

I should point out that many of these things aren’t practical birthday gifts, and I’m not posting them as gift suggestions. Birthdays do, however, involve gifts, so I was in that “what stuff do I want” mindset.

I’ll post one a day (starting with yesterday’s MacBook post) until I’m out of things to post.

We’ve been wanting a new digital camera for some time. Our current camera is a somewhat dated 3-megapixel model. When the time comes, I’ve got my eye on a Canon PowerShot A620.

I’ve been waiting for these to come out ever since they announced the MacBook Pro, and it became clear there would be no 12″ MacBook Pro.

The black one is cool, but not worth the $200 premium. Maybe if I wait long enough, they’ll stop charging extra for it.

The only other downside, at least from my perspective, is the fact that it is nearly two inches wider than my 12″ PowerBook G4, and would therefore require a new bag to carry it in.

UPDATE: 2006-05-25

Cross this one off this list. I’m posting this from my new black MacBook, which was waiting for me in the pantry when I got home today. Happy Birthday to me!

Why Specs Matter. An oldie, but a goodie. I prefer to think of myself as a moron (turned, or turning, expert).

A New Job

After five and a half years with Toolhouse, I’ve decided to move on. I’ve accepted a position at AudienceCentral.

Toolhouse continues to be a growing and successful company and I wish them continued success as I move forward in my career. I’ve learned and grown a lot during my time here, and continue to believe that it is a great place to work.

I’ll still be at Toolhouse for the next few weeks to wrap things up, and will be starting at Audience Central in mid-June.