Random Musings: Home

Goodbye, 2005

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:50:19 GMT

I know, it's been a long long time since I wrote last in this space. So much has happened in the past 6 weeks, so much activity and stress ... I never felt compelled to sit down and actually get to work here.

Where to begin? Well, the biggest change is in my job. I gave up being the GM of two products I absolutely love, Hotmail and Spaces, to take on a new challenge around leading up the Design and "shared architecture" team for MSN. In many ways, I feel that all of my experiences have lead me to this one place, right now.

Follow the Omens, as they say.

Was it a hard decision? Yes and no. Obviously, having started the Spaces team and set the original goals, I feel a specific loyalty and desire to "finish the job." Hotmail, on the other hand, has been such a part of my history at Microsoft...well, let's just say the decision to give them up was difficult. However, the new challenge in front of me is something I have dreamed of, talked about, and pushed for for a very long time: taking Microsoft and turning it into a design focused company. I truly believe we are, as Daniel Pink would argue, moving out of the Information Age and headed deeply into the Conceptual Age. The future belongs to the Creatives. I hope to contribute meaningfully to Microsoft moving into this world.

I am, at the moment, laying out my goals for the next year, personal and business, as I imagine many people do at the end of the year. 2005 was a busy year and it's hard to believe how fast it screamed by. Here is to what 2006 can bring us!

Snow Tease

Tue, 29 Nov 2005 07:06:37 GMT

One of the things that cracks me up most about living in the Pacific Northwest is that the weathermen here have absolutely no clue what the weather is going to do at any given moment. I live in a whacked out weather region. At the beginning of today, snow was a certainty. By evening, "we aren't sure." And now it's like 11 PM and the weathermen are now explaining that becuase some warm air is here, no snow for us.

All within 12 hours.

Contrast this with Boston or upstate New York when I lived there. If they said it was going to snow, it snowed. A lot. Often.

I yearn for that level of certainty, and my kids certainly would love knowing if snow was coming. I feel bad for them in a way because they get all excited and then it all goes to hell on them in the space of hours...

The Puget Sound, land of uncertainty and letdown.

How to spend your time on vacation

Sat, 20 Aug 2005 02:28:40 GMT

So instead of using all of my time to golf during my vacation, I instead focused on the boy's room and making it cooler. I hope they like it. They will see it Sunday.

Tempus Fugit

Mon, 16 May 2005 15:12:54 GMT

I was thinking last night about when I stopped looking forward to my birthday, and at what point will I start to dread it? I would have to say 21 was probably the last one I looked forward to because it was when the California Government decided I was a "real adult" and gave me the last of my rights. Thirty was a big one -- I remember that one because it was during WWDC when Microsoft had sponsored a huge party at Gordon Biersch and the gang took me over to Katie Blooms so that at the stroke of midnight, I would take my shot and welcome in 30.

Best birthday present? Two years ago, we went to Vegas and Amy had arranged for a bunch of our friends to meet us there -- that was pretty damned special. Close second: Amy got me a ticket to go see Pink Floyd live at Foxburo when we lived in Maynard. That was pretty cool.

Last year I went out with my buddies and played 36 holes of golf at Newcastle -- that was cool and a tradition I will continue until I can't swing a club.

It's hard to believe that high school was 20 years ago. That 20 years ago I was graduating and saying "see ya" to upstate New York and my father and moving on back to California where I belonged.

Life, I believe, becomes interesting when you really reach the age when you remember your parents at that same age. They seemed old, but you don't feel old. It's an odd experience.

The Kids Are Killing Me

Wed, 09 Feb 2005 13:31:30 GMT

I'm yearning for sleep. Due to a messed up scheduling week, I was supposed to break my rule today and do a day trip to see the Hotmail team and attend an offsite. I say "break my rule" because I do not usually do well with the day trip concept. In order to make the flight, I have to get up at 4 AM, and with the way I sleep, that's not an easy task. I digress...

For the past two weeks, we have had all three children get the flu, one right after the other. When that passed and Amy and I thought we were emerging from the woods, Galen came down with a chest cold that has him hacking and coughing at night. So last night, he decided that I was his caretaker for the night and crawled into bed with Amy and I and choosing to embed himself into my back. Then came the coughing. I could not escape him. Along came 1 AM, then 2 AM, then at about 3:30 he decided he was awake. FINALLY, at 4, he fell asleep again, as did I for an hour.

It's now almost 5:30, and I walk downstairs and am followed by Katie and Galen. For whatever reason, nobody in this house, except Will of course, feels they need to sleep. :( So obviously, I missed my window and will now have to get into the offsite via the phone. Definitely sub-optimal. I am, however, going to HM next week, so at least I have that. And I guess now I get to see Katie's play tonight as well...sigh

Anyone want a free 4 year old? Can't promise you he will sleep, but he is cute and can recite Shrek 2 from memory.

Poor Kid

Thu, 16 Dec 2004 16:16:41 GMT

Sitting at home this morning listening to Will cough like a flock of geese (or the incredible Mr. Limpet). He's geeking out watching a show on INHD about the Sun while I do email and play the part of nursemaid. Normally, Amy would be doing this, but as Murphy would have it, she's got Katie at some testing thing that's been going on for a few days. And so it goes...

Ah, the joys of children

Wed, 15 Dec 2004 23:49:01 GMT

Had to pick up my son way earlier than planned today as the school called me to say "Hmmm, your boy is wheezing and is coughing like a dog barks." As any parent will tell you that means usually one very fun thing: CROUP Ah, yes, our old friend croup. So, you will know what I'm doing tonight as I turn my bathroom into a steam room to calm him down and try to get him to sleep when he feels like he can barely breathe. Then, of course, wait for the other children to get it, or maybe even myself. D'oh!

Remus to Training

Sun, 12 Dec 2004 02:52:45 GMT

Sort of a sad day here at Casa Eames -- Remus, our 5 month old German Shepherd, has now gone to training for 8 weeks. I drove him down to Vancouver this morning and we won't see him again until February. :( A pisser, but necessary. He's a big, high energy dog and he needs to be trained so we can handle him. That was a long ass drive...at least it wasn't raining.

Making it all worth it...

Mon, 06 Dec 2004 05:02:47 GMT

This has been a fairly long weekend. Amy and some of her friends from the neighborhood loaded up and took the train to Portland on Friday to do some Christmas Shopping where it's free. I suspect getting away from the kids was also high on the list.

So I was Mr. Mom this weekend and it was a rather busy weekend with playdates, sleepovers, and massive cleaning in preparation for the arrival of my mom Christmas week.

On Friday night at about 3 AM I am awaked by Galen who is trembling beyond belief and talking about how he saw a Zombie in his room. Fantastic. So into bed with me he comes, trembling and holding my arm for dear life. No sleep for me as the postion I had to be in to keep him from flipping out pretty much took sleep out of the equation. He then talked about Zombies all the next day. How does he know about Zombies, you might ask? Oh, the old stand by: Scooby Doobie DOoooooo. *sigh*

So anyway, long weekend, and finally got them into bed tonight. I'm fairly tired and frustrated, and Galen is freaking out about sleeping in the dark again. I come upstairs and Will, Galen's older brother, has moved over from his own bed to sleep next to Galen and comfort him.

That one kind gesture from a big brother to his baby brother made this entire weekend worth it. Will has the kindest heart in the world, and he proved it tonight in keeping his little brother safe.

New Appliance

Mon, 06 Dec 2004 01:10:45 GMT

In my role of Mr. Mom this weekend, I got fed up with our vacuum and went and plopped a ton of money on this new Dyson that I had heard about. I know it's difficult to get excited about stuff like this, but damn, this thing is amazing. I went to a carpet I had JUST cleaned with the other one and it picked up so much dirt and hair I was horrified.