The inspirational part is the tough times that tree has had. When it was still fairly young, something ate most of the bark at the base of the tree. (Without bark, the nutrients cannot get back and forth between the roots and branches.) The tree held on and eventually healed.

This past summer, we had a severe hail storm that wiped out most of the leaves on the tree. A few weeks later, that tree started shooting out new leaves and even blossoms – never before seen after the spring bloom! How could I tell they were new leaves? The old ones turn dark green, have spots on them, and many even fall off in the effort to pass on the energy to the new apples. New leaves look lighter green and fresh.

So here we are in October. Frost is occasionally on the roofs and lawn in the morning. The ripe, red, dime size apples are starting to fall from the tree, but it continues to produce a blossom here and there. It continues to put its best effort to continuing on even after devastation. It continues to put a positive spin to a difficult situation. It perseveres.

How about you?

Background info: Dragon*Con is a huge sci-fi/fantasy convention held each year in a number of hotels (Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, Westin, and Sheraton) in Atlanta. I’ve heard attendance between 40,000 and 60,000 attendees – many in costume. Celebrities also make an appearance and are available for photos and autographs at a cost. The sessions are divided in to tracks (science, trek, alternate history, podcasting, etc.) There is way too much to do for any single human being so you’ll never get bored going again and again.

Similar to last year, my buddy Kreg from South Carolina and I did another live show for the podcast track. We changed the format from last year’s game show to be more like our regular Sunday night show. Let’s just say that it was not as successful as we would have liked and isn’t going to be released to the public any time soon.

We also attended the Parsec Awards for excellence in speculative fiction podcasting. While we weren’t nominated (we don’t have a category for what we do), it was great to see some of the recognized names winning as well as many new names. In some cases, new names won out over some stiff competition from the incumbents. Congratulations to everyone who won!

Unlike last year, Kreg and I went in costume. No Wookies or steampunk for us, we went as Men In Black. I  already have a black suit, and it’s easy to travel in. Throw in a black tie, tabloid, and a neuralizer, and we were ready to go at little additional cost. (It also had an unintended side effect that I’ll talk about later.) My flight to Atlanta was delayed a couple hours because of weather in Chicago. Coupled with a 3 hour line (could have been 4 if I hadn’t gotten lucky and hit the express queue) to get registered, it meant we got to Thursday night’s “cosplay” (costume show off time) later than expected. Almost immediately people were asking to take our photos. It was an interesting feeling, but it also meant that we couldn’t take as many photos as last year. We also wore the costumes to march in the Dragon*Con Parade on Saturday. The latest estimate of parade attendees was 3,000, but I’m sure it was much higher by Saturday. The Atlanta streets were lined with thousands of people all cheering loudly. That was something to behold. Thankfully, the weather was beautiful. With three “Elvis” costumes in front of us and “Mr. Six” from Six Flags Theme Parks behind us, it wasn’t hard to convince people we had a right to “zap” them with our neuralizers. We were joined by Cian McMahon, host of View from the Quad podcast, and his lovely girlfriend Lizzie O’Malley from Ireland, as well as Clinton Alvord from Comedy4Cast. We appreciate them joining us in the parade and hanging out the rest of the weekend.

Clinton also joined us for a recording of commentary over the movie “Star Trek V – The Final Frontier”. If you have ever watched Mystery Science Theater 3000, you know the style of commentary. Kreg and I started doing this a few years back with “Star Trek II – The Wrath of Khan” while driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles (Clinton helped us finish out that project last year.) We set our sites on a lower target and ripped up STV this past weekend. Kreg is getting me the audio to release to the Technorama listeners. It was a lot of fun and we’re already plotting for next year’s movie.

We also spent some time with Grant Baciocco this weekend. We had a pleasant surprise Saturday night when the magic show we wanted to see was full so we went to see Grant’s friend Tom Smith perform his music as part of the FILK track. We had a wonderful time experiencing some funny music and audience interaction. Thanks Grant and Tim!

One of our major objectives for going to Dragon*Con was to talk to the celebrities to set up future interviews for the Technorama podcast. We have not done too many interviews or site tours in the last few months so we thought this might be a good opportunity to start collecting contact names for future use. It worked better than we had hoped. We collecting about a dozen names/numbers of stars or their agents. We even got two in-person interviews with Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers) and Edward James Olmos (Admiral Adama from Battlestar Galactica). Oddly, it seemed that when I wore the MIB suit, I got better results.

It was this “intelligence gathering” that prompted me and Kreg  to re-think our podcast strategy. Long story short – we’re going to be doing future interviews in a new (yet to be named) podcast on the ChuckChat.com site. Stay tuned for future details. Part of the logic was that Technorama has two brands. One light-hearted and the other for interviews and audio tours. The actors or their agents/managers will want to check out the show before they book. If they listen to one of our silly shows, they may not want to be get involved. However, if they listen to a series of interviews we have done before (e.g. Gil and Edward) then they have no doubt what the show is about and what sort of interview we will be doing. We are very excited about this new project and the schedule for the next year.

Again, I want to thank all the people that we met (or re-met) this year. Special thanks to the TWiT people, Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont, who allowed us some space on their table to see a few books.

Goals and plans for next year are already in the works… it’s going to be even more fun. One of these days, we’ll take a vacation that DOESN’T involve work, but then we wouldn’t have as much fun if we weren’t working at least part of the time.

Hope to see you at D*C 2011!

1. I love the touch type keyboard, however I might get an external one. One of the critical success factors for me to purchase the iPad was the ability to touch type on it. I wanted it to be a fairly efficient note taking device as well as crank out email faster than touch typing on the phone. When I tried one out in May it seemed to meet the requirement well (although getting used to the location of some of the non-alpha characters is still taking some getting used to). I also notice that I need to tweak my typing style a bit since I normally hit keys like x, c, and n with the tip/nail of my finger and that’s not good enough for the touch screen. I had thought about getting the wireless Bluetooth keyboard for a while, but don’t care for the idea of hauling two items around all the time. Since I work from home, I am never too far from my laptop anyway.

2. I wish they would upgrade to iOS 4. Since the iPhone has upgraded to iOS version 4 earlier this summer, I am surprised it has taken so long to upgrade the iPad to the same. I really enjoy
background processing on the phone and wish I could play Pandora, for example, then switch apps on the iPad. I also love the idea of folders to group icons together on the iPhone. Just because the screen is bigger on the iPad doesn’t mean it is easier or quicker to navigate around 50 or more apps.

3. It makes a great photo frame. I know, this is one of those simple pleasures and specific applications, but since I already have an iPad, why should I spring an addition $50-100 for something that only displays photos. Besides, out single-purpose photo frame doesn’t stand up all that well.

4. It is a great Netflix viewer. Watching movies works well if you have WiFi, but the 3G service doesn’t keep up very well and can get expensive if you are on the 200MB plan. Not only is the app a movie viewer, but it also allows you to manage your queues. The netflix app UI is very similar to the website in terms of navigation so there is no learning curve to watching your favorite Instant Queue movies.

5. Having 3G service is handy. Although it was a premium on the device, I find it very handy to use while traveling and the ability to turn it off while I am not using it. Around the house and several other places that I frequent, WiFi is the preferred method. My only wish is that I could send and receive text messages. The device has a phone number and this *IS* a data plan after all, isn’t it?

6. Having a case like the Apple one or Incase is a must. One of the first things I noticed when I first got my iPad was that it was heavy and kind of difficult to hold for an entire 2 hour feature film. Also, typing on my lap was a bit tricky with the rounded back and the angle it lays on the lap was sub optimal. The challenge was to find a case. I should note that while I looked, the device was protected with neoprene sleeve. I had two options in mind, the Apple jacket or the Incase leather book jacket. Both protect and double as a stand that improve the angle for typing. While the Apple case is less expensive and thinner, I started hearing people report that the case started to get lint and other funk on it. I opted for the Incase sleeve because it offers three stand angles and is a bit more padded. I ordered it online and it took about two weeks to arrive.

Got one? Want one? Leave a comment.

This article was composed and published from my iPad.

Believe it or not, I had to reference our book Sams Teach Yourself WordPress in 10 Minutes to find a bit of little used knowledge to make a static front page and still retain the blog. Other key things I learned from this experience included custom menus, more in-depth CSS modification (most of the time spent), and installation/configuration of a photo gallery.

Now when I have new content, I can compose from any browser, the iPad or iPhone. Uploading photos and creating albums is made much easier by staying in the WordPress framework. Very simple.

To make the development of the new look easier, I installed a local copy of Apache, MySQL, and PHP which allowed me to get everything done “offline” then upload it to my server when it was the way I liked.

I hope you like it too.

Special thanks to Kreg Steppe for his help.

Around the house, the big news is the storm that blew through a couple weeks ago. It took out a 20 foot tree in our back yard. No damage to our house or the neighbor’s from the tree, thank goodness. However, we did get some hail damage to the roof and siding. The insurance claims adjuster was here last week and settled our claim quickly and fairly. We went with one of the larger names in insurance for home and auto and we’re glad at times like this. The new roof should be on early this next week. Photos to follow.

Speaking of insurance, Julie now has her driver’s license and our insurance rates went up a bit. Now we have to look at getting her a car of her own. She can borrow mine for a while, but her school schedule will have her hopping across town for her college calc class a few times a week. Her birthday is this week so we are going to have to step up the car project a bit On the topic of college, she and Donna went to look at University of Minnesota last weekend and thought it was a bit big. In a few weeks they are going to look at Northern Michigan University (Donna’s and my school) and Michigan Tech. It is hard to believe she is going off to college soon.

I have also been working hard to get a number of things ready for the upcoming season of HDI local chapter meetings. Now that I am the chapter President, I want to make sure that the current and future officers know expectations better than I did when I came on board almost two years ago. Our chapter was missing several key documents and it turns out that the templates from HDI corporate are currently being revised. Thanks to the hard working team of officers on our local chapter, we have made some great progress during the summer without the added work of monthly meetings. Our website has been tuned up, we got a phone number for people to call with questions or information, and we even have business cards and other literature to hand out at the fall meeting. We just need to get our arms around our contact list and send out invitations to all those people to regenerate interest in the group.

Finally, I am eagerly looking forward to Dragon*Con in Atlanta GA on Labor Day weekend. This is a huge sci-fi convention that draws some pretty big names from many genres and media. Last year was my first year. My intent was to meet with my friend, podcasting co-host, and co-author, Kreg to check it out, but when we were asked to do a live show of Technorama, we couldn’t say no. We had a good time meeting lots of old friends and being introduced to some new as well. Once again, we are doing a live show and looking forward to a whole lot of fun. This year we even agreed to dress in costume. I won’t tell yet. You will have to wait for the pictures.

In 23 days I went shaking hands goodbye at Plexus to having an offer from a new company. I owe a lot of thanks to those who helped with job leads and advocates within Service-now who made a strong case for me. I can never repay the debt I owe.

Once I accepted the offer, I had to get some paper work done, book a trip, and drug screening. OK, the trip was booked prior to the drug screening and criminal background check completing, but c’mon!

On June 7, I flew out to company headquarters in San Diego CA (actually Solana Beach) for two weeks of training. (note: no relocation necessary. I get to work from home with periodic trips to the mothership and travel to customer sites as necessary.) I felt pretty good on the first day when we got on a conference call and I was able to contribute some technical knowledge. The second day wasn’t such a high as we dug in to the specific areas where I was to be trained. While my technical knowledge was solid, my customer delivery needed some work – and that’s putting it mildly. Knowing a subject and teaching a subject (with confidence) can be two entirely different things. I was reminded of my high school freshman algebra class where the teacher would walk us through problems. Everything was easy to understand. It made sense. Then when I got home and was all alone with the book full of exercises, frustration set in because they never seemed to work for me. The nice thing about that freshmen algebra class was that I made friends who helped me understand and pass. I feel the same environment to succeed at Service-now.

Everyone at Service-now has been very supportive. Over the past couple years, I got to know several of the employees either through working with them directly or hearing their name. In some cases, I met people only weeks before when I was out here at the Knowledge user conference in April. Those relationships are only growing stronger. I was humbled that several remembered my name (I only wish I could return the favor.)

As my second week progresses, I feel better about my “pitch” and have been getting some hands on experience resolving customer problems. It’s been a long time away from home. I left Appleton on June 3rd to travel to Colorado Springs for an HDI local chapter officer summit. Having been elected as our local chapter President during my unemployment phase, I thought it best to go and learn more about the organization I represent and how to make our chapter more successful. It was a great four days, but it makes this additional two weeks seem very long. I look forward to returning to Appleton on Friday.

In terms of my career, this is not a management position, as the last five years have been. However, I feel I need to first understand the company, employees, products, and opportunities plus prove myself before being given a leadership opportunity. The company structure is pretty flat now, but they are growing rapidly (another reason I desired this company.) I expect opportunities for advancement will present themselves in due time; with them may come a choice and/or requirement to relocate – I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it with periodic conversations with my wife. She’s been so supportive over the years. I am truly blessed.

My advice to those who find themselves in a similar situation:

• Stay positive. It makes a difference. People talk to other people and your attitude factors in to your conversations with those around you.
• Rely on your network. Keep meeting new people and stay in touch with them. They are going to be your biggest asset when the time comes.
• Be prepared. Keep your resume sharp, backup your contacts (offsite, in the cloud, etc). Fortune favors the prepared mind.

In some ways, I’m a little sad that I didn’t have more time off to do more of those odd jobs around the house. On the flip side, I’m happy the severance package is paying at the same time I’m collecting a REAL paycheck. Donna is happy too!

Thank you everyone – I look forward to this next chapter in my life.

“Sure. What’s up?”. I followed and when I saw it was just him and the HR girl, I knew immediately what was up. My 22+ years at the company were done. It was a great experience. Right out of college as a software developer for a year and a half, then a Unix Sys Admin for several years, then broadening my technical skills with more advanced projects, and finally management for the last several years. I was given some great opportunities and made some great friends.

Was I surprised? Sure. Was I unprepared? No. I’ve had the good fortune of reaching out to some excellent resources (most notably Mark Horstman at Manager Tools) who prepared me for this eventuality. Five years ago he told me to build and maintain a network in the community, in the industry, and online. Keep the contacts alive, backup your contact database, and keep the resume up to date. Relationships are the key to success or as he puts it “It’s all about the people.”

I should mention that my wife and brother also work in IT at the same company and were not affected (save emotionally.) There was one other project manager that was let go the same day. Our departure sent shock waves through the IT. Everyone was very nervous and some were angry. Me? I was ready to move on.

There’s no value in trying to figure out “who said what”, or “how could this have happened”. I may never know and I’m not sure I want to. I was actually smiling while the HR rep and my boss were giving me the final meeting. I was excited at what awaits. It’s not that I wanted to leave. Like I said, it was a fun ride while it lasted. I was ready to try out some of those skills I’ve been working on (and in some cases preaching about) for the past few years. I collected my things and headed out. Donna was given the day off to assist with family matters. We took the folder full of papers and went to get some coffee to look things over and make a task list.

Once we had a plan, we headed home to start taking care of some easy wins (online accounts and things.) One thing I remembered were a few business appointments I had made with recent acquaintances at a conference a couple weeks ago. I called the first to cancel and apologize and within minutes it had turned in to a potential lead. I called the second that afternoon and the same thing happened.

Was this a miracle? Not really. It was hard work and knowing what to do at conferences. I won’t go over all the details. You can find that at Manager Tools or Career Tools (same site). I talked to people. I exchanged business cards. I kept in touch with them after I got home. I even offered one of them a friendly travel tip because we had the same kind of bag and she appreciated it. While at the conference, I won an award for Innovation of the Year which didn’t hurt the reputation either. That was the “hard work” part. You see, the week before the conference I was sick for two days and still managed to finish work to get all the materials needed submitted for the award.

As week #1 of my new life winds down, I find myself with several leads, a severance package, and time to get a few ignored home tasks done (like giving the kids a little more attention.) I’m optimistic, enthusiastic, and still enjoying the ride. I look forward to getting back to work (after the basement and the studio are cleaned.)

More to come.

With the book now available, Kreg and I are going to start focusing some energy on the companion podcast for the next few months. There is much to talk about that did not make it in the book and I suspect big WordPress news is coming out soon. Stay tuned! If you want to start a blog, or learn more about WordPress – we’ve got a book and a podcast that can help.

I just need to keep telling that little voice in my head that wants to write another book “wait”. Like Donna, I need to remind myself of the pain giving birth to the second child.

I feel truly blessed to have been given an opportunity to write this book. It was challenging from the get-go. Having experienced a re-write (on a generous schedule) two years ago, this was challenging from a shorter time line. We had six weeks to get the original content completed, then quick turnaround on the author edits. Once those were done we still had to review the PDFs for final markup. To say I’m familiar with the material would be a bit of an understatement.

Having done this book from scratch has certainly helped me with my writing. Already I’m noticing a greater challenge producing the Gmail Podcast. I hope it reflects in the quality of the content in the latest shows.

So what’s next? A companion podcast. Kreg and I are working on the setup (using WordPress of course). Kreg and I will get in to more topics that we couldn’t delve in to in the book (new and useful plugins, latest news, in-depth topics, and more.) Watch this space for more information on the upcoming “WordPress in 10 Minutes in 10 Minutes Podcast“.

Last year’s goal was to get in touch (and keep in touch) with people. I feel I accomplished that thanks to help from friends, colleagues, and technology.

This year’s goal is to remember to say “Thank You”. It sounds simple, yet I’ve noticed (usually after the fact) that I skipped over it in lieu of something else. I was at karate doing warm-ups and someone said “Chuck, you certainly have gotten more flexible over the years.” Rather than saying “Thanks” I responded (lightly and rather off-handed) “yeah, but I still can’t do a straddle stretch to save my life.”

It was only later that I realized an opportunity to show appreciate had gone and I didn’t like how I felt about it. It hints at an underlying problem – of which I cannot think of any.

This year’s goal is to really listen for compliments and say “thank you” as a more common response.