Bryan Echo

Birthday Wrapup

Yesterday was my birthday and it was another great one...

I get pretty introspective around my birthday. I think about the year that's passed and so much has changed. I remember where I was last year and the birthday party that I had. There were friends that came that I don't hardly know anymore. And there were friends that I hardly knew then that have become very close. I guess that's the ebb and flow of life. Its not predictable and you can't fight it.

If anything the year feels like its been longer than a year. I think back to the last time I saw Marcy and I know it was last summer but it feels like a lifetime ago. She was an ex-girlfriend that I was talking to back then. And I remember the trip to Europe last August but it feels like it was so much farther away.

I can't help but think of the women that have come and gone in my life this last year. I had a lot of dates and several relationships. I fell in love twice and both of those breakups were difficult. I had regrets that it didnt work out and I suffered pain at the loss. I'm gaining perspective everyday and learning about myself.

My career has continued to go well. I was faced with challenges at work and excelled in every area. I was given a good review and asked to grow towards a bigger role. I found out last week that I've exceeded expectations and I've been asked to lead a new project. This was a goal that I set for myself last year. I've lead small projects before but not at this job. I want to grow and do new things.

I went out Saturday night with friends and had a great time. I was on the dance floor at midnight when my birthday started. I haven't had that much fun dancing in months and months.

I realized that with all the changes I'm still pretty happy. I'm very hopeful for the future. I have great friends and a great life. The person that I am is getting stronger and happier every day. What a wonderful birthday.

Yesterday was my birthday and it was another great one...

I get pretty introspective around my birthday. I think about the year that's passed and so much has changed. I remember where I was last year and the birthday party that I had. There were friends that came that I don't hardly know anymore. And there were friends that I hardly knew then that have become very close. I guess that's the ebb and flow of life. Its not predictable and you can't fight it.

If anything the year feels like its been longer than a year. I think back to the last time I saw Marcy and I know it was last summer but it feels like a lifetime ago. She was an ex-girlfriend that I was talking to back then. And I remember the trip to Europe last August but it feels like it was so much farther away.

I can't help but think of the women that have come and gone in my life this last year. I had a lot of dates and several relationships. I fell in love twice and both of those breakups were difficult. I had regrets that it didnt work out and I suffered pain at the loss. I'm gaining perspective everyday and learning about myself.

My career has continued to go well. I was faced with challenges at work and excelled in every area. I was given a good review and asked to grow towards a bigger role. I found out last week that I've exceeded expectations and I've been asked to lead a new project. This was a goal that I set for myself last year. I've lead small projects before but not at this job. I want to grow and do new things.

I went out Saturday night with friends and had a great time. I was on the dance floor at midnight when my birthday started. I haven't had that much fun dancing in months and months.

I realized that with all the changes I'm still pretty happy. I'm very hopeful for the future. I have great friends and a great life. The person that I am is getting stronger and happier every day. What a wonderful birthday.

I'm not dead (I'm in Pittsburgh)

Hi, with apologies to the city of Pittsburgh... I recently recorded a cover of the song I'm not dead (I'm in Pittsburgh) by Frank Black. I've never been to Pittsburgh so I can't comment on the lyrics too much but I had a great time singing and playing it. ;-)

Download pittsburgh.mp3

~Bryan

The House is Still

The house is still in this moment
I can feel myself at peace with myself
Its like the world has found a balance
And I'm happy to be in the middle of everything else
I can feel things pulling in my mind
But I don't really want to bother
I know this feeling will soon be gone
And life will seem a little harder
For right now though its all good
A feeling I'd rather not lose
I don't want to be anywhere else
I don't want to be someone else

I can hear echoes from last night
I can smile from ear to ear
I can laugh at the good times
I can feel as if everyone is still here

I feel blessed and happy
I feel at peace with my life
I know I'll soon forget
But in this moment things are right.

Writing software

I love my job and most of the time I really enjoy writing software for a living.  Its a job that's unique, misunderstood and challenging.  I just read a really nice post from Joel Spolsky about what it is to write software.  He calls it a game of inches:

And as you fix more and more of these little details, as you polish and shape and shine and craft the little corners of your product, something magical happens. The inches add up to feet, the feet add up to yards, and the yards add up to miles. And you ship a truly great product.

The kind of product that feels great, that works intuitively, that blows people away. The kind of product where that one-in-a-million user doing that one-in-a-million unusual thing finds that not only does it work, but it's beautiful: even the janitor's closets of your software have marble floors and solid core oak doors and polished mahogany wainscoting.

And that's when you know it's great software.

link

I think this job is part writer, part craftsman, its part construction worker, and part artist.  It stimulates my mind in ways nothing else does.  I can't believe I've been doing it for ten years and its still pretty fun.