Well, I started a mental vacation as soon as I found out I’d gotten the full time teaching gig. Today, late today starts the physical vacation to match. I’ve still got a fist full of things to take care of before we leave late tonight, but it won’t be a problem.
I honestly have no idea what to expect from the time we land in the Domnican Republic until we arrive at the hotel, but I guess we’ll figure it out soon enough. 
I’ve accepted a position as a full time Instructor at PCC. The details are forth coming, but that bolds well for a relaxing vacation.
I can’t wait!
Less than a week away, I’ll be bound for the Dominican Republic. Me and Cyn are on vacation for a week and half, almost two weeks.
We could certainly both use a vacation, this will be the last one for quite some time, seeing as how Cyn is going to be knee deep into her Dr. Program this time next year. Actually she’ll be neck deep I’d imagine.
I’ve been doing play by email roleplaying for a loooooong time. I’ve always used the GURPS 3.5 system for roleplaying. The system works very well for Modern to Futuristic/Sci-fi settings. I’ve adapted the system to play in the old TSR world Top Secret S.I as well as a handful of homemade worlds.
Here are some examples: http://frank.robertsguild.com/
It’s fun, but I’ve got to elevate my game, to make it more enjoyable for my players. I’ve heard from my players, that the game seems stacked against them. so I’ve got to work on that. Its certainly not intentional, but could just be habit. One thing I recognize, that would instantly make the game flow smoother is more planning no my part. I take for granted that because the game isn’t face to face I have more time to plan and react, but that’s not always the case. That just seems to slow things down. SO, as always, a plan is forming…..
Blue Planet, it’s a gaming world. I managed to pick up almost all of the rule and source books for the game. Using those books I’m going to shift my PBeM over to a pre-made adventure and see how it goes.
That means:
A – I’ll have to READ it! So I’ll have to adjust my current reading list.
And
B – I’ll have to convert Blue Planet to the GURPS system. Shouldn’t be too hard.
So with Vacation and new found free time, I’m going to put the plan into action. I’ll keep you posted.
Whelp I survived the Spring 2009 term!
The term ended last week and grades were posted this week.
I feel as though I’ve certainly improved and/or grown as an instructor over the past 3 years. The biggest thing, feedback. Taking in feedback, good or bad and turning it valuable information to be processed, evaluated and used to improve the learning experience for my students. Sounds kinda, hokey, but its true.
One of the first examples, a student expressed…… dissatifaction with me as an online instructor. I didn’t engage the online students enough and I managed to miss two questions from this student in a row! Now, I post in the discussion boards reminders as well as in class thoughts.
There are a few things from the previous class I’ll be looking to implement come fall term.
First, I’ve got to finish developing the Server 2008 CIS-288M and CIS-289M. Its moving along, but I need to crank out tons more before vacation. Before I leave I at least one all of the formatting and configuration done. That would leave just dropping in content, which isn’t easy! But still a major step towards being done.
Being semi-unemployed hasn’t driven me off the deep end, yet. Teaching has one week left, then I will truly be unemployed, 0 jobs! Then all bets are off on NOT going crazy.
I’ll still have plenty of things to keep me occupied. Provided I can stay focused enough to get them accomplished. That’s being the true challenge.
1st – Painting 4 bloody cowboys before this weekend. It didn’t happen! that’s sad, cause I’ve had months to do it. Pretty crazy.
Another items is staying on top of course development. But with 240M just about done, that shouldn’t be all that hard. I HAVE managed to stay on top grading, getting final grades in should be a cake walk, even with the end of term bum rush of assignments.
Cyn headed to DC for her Dr. Course Orientation. She’s been there for 3 days so far, and has one more to go. She’s headed home late Sunday. She’ll turn around and head to class Monday morning – ouch. She was very stressed leading up to this trip, if you read her blog you’ll see that. Big tyme. So I’m hosting made gaming this weekend. Plenty of dice rolling.
I’ll have to start a game post with a full update on my current gaming – thing.
Well its been 3 years since I’ve been down to one job. Not really feeling it. I can’t say a break from the normal pace is a bad thing, but I’ve gotten use to the pace of having two jobs. So what have I been up too?
I put together a list that outlines my three main objectives:
#1 – Find a job
#2 – Caught up on current course CIS 240M, caught up means grading and such. Only another two weeks and this will be removed from the list. And #3 will jump.
#3 – Course Development. I’m writing two new courses for PCC CIS-288M and 289M
So when I wake up in the morning I start with the first item on the list. Once I become frustrated with the blah of job hunting, which generally doesn’t take long I move on to item #2. I haven’t been doing a very good job is getting caught up here. But a good solid hour or two and that’ll be resolved. Item #3 will move to #2 and I’ll find something else for Item number #3.
Once those items are done for the day I move onto other items on the Nice to get done list. That list isn’t as, formal: Includes things like house work – yeah for me, gaming stuff, etc.
Cert study is officially on hold. The value (for me personally) isn’t there right now, but that could change.
I’m always looking for billable work at the old job as it’ll bring SOME loot if I find actual work. There are few items there but nothing to keep me swamped, by any means.
I got unemployment figured out! Yeah! Wasn’t that painful. No one was hurt in the process – physically.
Well I got up and went to spin class this morning, an hour break from life to sweat, a lot and focus on the tasks at hand – #1 Find a JOB!
A little human interaction never hurts.
I’ve started to develop a a list of “preferred” rules (or game system elements) in the games I play.
Alternating turns is a BIG one! With Anima Tactics (AT) and Alternate Earth WWII (AE) there’s no Mega push by the enemy that you have to survive. With WM/Hordes, in most games you have that TURN, where you opponents pops is feat and goes for the gusto. You’ve got to survive it and then plan your own Mega turn.
Rotating first turn. Last night while playing AE, scoring two turns in a roll where I got to go first gave me the edge, but there was just as much of a chance for my opponent could have gone first.
You’ve also got systems where you have the ability to react outside of your turn. You opponent attacks and you “dodge” or you compare numbers and the better one wins the encounter.
I’d say those are the big ones, with AE the moral system prevents long games, for sure. 5 – 6 turns and its usually over, someone is running from the battle field.
Campaigns and Scenarios, I want to have more of this in mini games. BUT it doesn’t usually play out that way, games end up armies facing off, death match.
These elements are becoming more important to me as a gamer. That’s kinda my take.
Just smashing ish, can get old – quick.
So what does my current status as unemployed mean for my continued certification plan, that’s a good question.
I don’t know. I’d been considering taking a break from getting my certs, the constant study. But it was the only thing I had going for me at the new job AND the boss wanted us to be fully cert’d. Well that’s certainly changed.
The question I’m faced with now, do certs bring enough value to my resume to continue for the time being? Does the cost, $125 per Cert, outweight the percieved value and benefit?
14 years experience as a network/system admin, certs don’t mean a whole lot. I’ve got several so far, MCSA and MCTS. That may as well be enough.
We shall see, I haven’t seen enough jobs in networking to determine if its worth yet. I’ll have ot keep an eye on it. In the meantime, I’m on a break from certs.