Balacing act

Some successes today!

I had an interview with a contracting/staffing company. The interview went well, in that it was a conversation with a purpose, and I learned things about the company and their clients. They work with large and mid-sized companies, which may not be quite what I want. I want to come in for a brief period, share some knowledge and maybe build some tools, and then leave. (Almost like "who was that masked man?", except I don't have a mask.)

In addition to the interview, I installed MySQL and got the server running. At first it would not run; I had to execute the "mysql_install_db" script. The MySQL book by Paul DuBois (another Book Thing find) was helpful here. I need MySQL to use Ruby on Rails, so the RoR install is waiting until the MySQL install is done. Tomorrow I can work on user accounts and rights within the database.

I also installed and tested the JPilot software on desdemona. Desdemona is the new acquisition, and replaces most functions of delia, the old Dell 266 MHz computer. Now that desdemona can sync with my PalmPilot, delia's only purpose is to burn CDs. And maybe that can go to desdemona, too.

A non-success today was accessing the Citibank credit card web site. They kill the web account after six months of inactivity, and there is no way to reactivate an account. Even if you forget your password, there is no way to have them send it to you or reset it. And besides, their web site does not work on Firefox or Opera; I had to use Safari on the Mac to get to them. (Maybe it's not the browser but the operating system. I used Firefox and Opera on Linux; Safari runs on Apple OS X which is derived from NetBSD.) The end result was that I did not get to the Citibank web site and I will simply put that credit card on "hold" until the next statement arrives.

I finished the day with dinner with a former co-worker. We had a good conversation about jobs, careers, and personal decisions. She gave me some good advice and agreed with my reasons for this move, both of which made me feel good.

One thing I want to improve is balance. For a while, I let my professional life take over my personal life. I need both. The emphasis may shift from one to the other, but both must live. I need to set some goals in both and set some boundaries to keep both in check.