After a nice holiday break, I'm back in TX again. (Technically I've been back a couple weeks now, but that's not the point.)
The point is, time flies when you're on a good gig. I can't believe we're already a month into 2007. It seems like I was still looking at Halloween decorations last week. (Ok, fine, technically I WAS still looking at Halloween decorations last week, but that's because it's my favorite holiday and I couldn't be bothered to take them ALL down.)
So anyway, back to the gig. It's a good one. Some travel gigs aren't much fun, or the accomodations are bad, or whatever. This isn't one of those. I'm staying in a loft apartment, about 200 yards from the office, just across a canal. Not a dirty, smelly canal either... a pretty one, with ducks. It's awesome.
I walk to work (and back) each day. Sometimes I walk "home" for lunch too. This morning it was snowing just enough to be seen, but not enough to actually get anything wet. It's great. (Tonight will be ice, not so great, but still very pretty.) I walk along the canal each morning on my way to work, in the evenings I take the long way back around the other side of the lofts, because it's a fairly social place and I've met some really cool people that way.
The lofts are awesome, with lots of interesting people. Best of all, everyone is really friendly and there is so much to do, it's like being in a dorm. We have free pool tables, a theatre (they show free movies too... last night about 20 of us watched The Illusionist), free popcorn, free beer (on movie nights), a decent gym, a pool, etc... it's pretty much heaven. The apartments themselves are nice, with really high ceilings and lots of space.
The job is cool too. We're currently working on a Windows application rewrite using CSLA 2.0 which means I get to stretch out a bit and do something besides just web development (which I love, but it's nice to do something different now and then.) That's probably one of the coolest things about being a consultant... not having to do the same exact thing every day, in the same place, for the rest of my life.
Even with all the headaches I've had with American Airlines, and trust me, there have been a few, I still love travelling. I can't fault AA too much anyway, I used the free travel vouchers to fly two of my best friends from Seattle to South Carolina for my birthday.
I'm still getting my new Magenic laptop setup for work (I just can't say goodbye to my tablet... I tried) and from what I've seen so far it's a real beast. We're talking fast... really fast. I can't wait to slap some 30-40 project Solutions on it and see how it really holds up under fire.
If you're interested in finding out a little more about the consulting life, or Magenic, feel free to contact me via this blog.