Friday Five

The Sabbatical Ends

Hello faithful blog reader[s]. You may remember me. I’m a guy named Christopher that most people call Jersey. I used to blog roughly once a week, talk about really just a bunch of nothingness, and on very rare ocassion even spell words correctly. I got burned out on blogging a while ago, and finally decided to give up the ghost and walk away for a little while.

But as the months have rolled by, I’ve realized I missed blogging and I missed you, whoever it is that reads this blog. I also just missed the process of writing for the blog and the Friday Five. It was a nice way to collect my thoughts for the week and self-analyze the events. Even though I don’t necessarily write about overly deep topics frequently, it was still very helpful and more than a bit therapeutic.

And it’s also a great way to procrastinate from real work.

With that, I’m back. What can you (and I) expect? Well, probably a lot of the same nonsense as before, and hopefully with a bit of regularity. You can expect mispelled words and generally substandard English. You can expect political stances that are probably indefensible but make sense in my head. And you can expect to see the return of the Friday Five – where I talk about the previous week, and try to come up with five things to say about myself.

The Week

What I find interesting, and rather fitting, is that this week was honestly a very typical week. I found myself in Arlington, VA teaching SharePoint 2010 development. The class itself is one I’ve done 4 times now, and I’ve of course been to the DC area many times. Because I was here for business, I really didn’t get out to do a lot, but the weather did cooperate well enough that I was able to get in two runs along the Potomac and do a bit of sightseeing that way.

In all, the week went perfectly according to plan. I showed up, I delivered a very good (if I do say so myself) class, and even managed to get a little side-work done as well.

The Travel Note

For those of you scoring at home^[1], I was on the road 301 days last year. What strikes me about that number is I’m honestly not sure if I find that number too high or too low. I feel like I was on the road more than 301 days.

The Restaurant

Anyone who’s been to either coast knows how passionate they are about certain food items. Philly cheesesteaks, pizza, sushi, bagels… People have their favorite styles and shops, and stick with them and defend them with the same level of passion they do their kids. And the one thing I’d always heard from east coast people is the answer to In-n-Out was Five Guys.

I don’t normally allow myself to cheat, but since I was in DC, the home of Five Guys, I decided now was the time to see what all the buzz is about. I hate to say it, but I’m still trying to figure it out.

Don’t get me wrong – the burger was good. But it wasn’t so good that it made consider forming a new religion.^[2] They’ve got a wide range of toppings, and I had them throw all the normal ones on there. I didn’t want for toppings, but I wanted for more flavor, more punch, more ... something. It just didn’t deliver.

Sorry East Coasters – In-n-Out still has you beat.

The Five

Because of the absence, I figure I may as well put together five odd things about me.

1. While I am certainly a ham I hate having my picture taken. This poses a problem for someone who needs headshots for work. I finally broke down and got some professionally done. I have to thank Robin at unposed for taking such great care of me and making me look good.
2. I get very nervous talking/presenting in front of people I know. Strangers in a classroom I’m fine with, but people I know pose a problem.
3. I’d actually like to take a class on how to be a better trainer. Sort of like a great golfer still needs a swing coach, I know I have certain things I still need to work on.
4. As much as I miss walking around the course and hanging out with friends, I don’t miss playing golf at all.
5. One of the best side-effects of becoming a runner is the ability to see cities from a different perspective. I’m rarely a tourist when I travel for work, but getting out for a run at least helps me see the town that I’m spending the week in.

^[1] ... or even if you’re alone.
^[2] I’ve been considering starting The Holy Order of the In-n-Out Double Double Animal Style.