Well wishes

[Aaron Gonzalez]

Hey everyone, 

Hope you all are doing well and made it through these crazy years healthy and employed!

I just saw Man Ching and Brenda's name on my LinkedIn and figured I'd send another message out into the ether/black hole that is the old WOYP group. 

Not much to report here, just waving hello 👋 

-Aaron 

[Richard Cartwright]

Well this is a blast from the past. I am doing fair. My soulmate of 40 years passed away two years this coming November and I am trying to navigate life without her.

On a positive note,  my writing is coming along and the job I took that allowed me to work from home is far more enjoyable than practicing law.

I hope everyone else is doing well.

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[Ryan Waldon]

I’m alive, but recovering from Stage 4 Throat and Neck Cancer (diagnosed Aug 2020). I’m unemployed for the first time in over 40 years, I was fired for getting cancer. I’m still happily married (31 years and counting), I think she loves more since I can’t talk back anymore.

—ryan 

Sent from my iPad Pro via Spark  

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[Jon]

Kia ora from lockdown in NZ.

 

Seeing ‘WOYP’ in my inbox again made me smile 😊

 

After 30 years of marriage, now separated two and a half years ago. The legal stuff rumbles on and empties my bank account at regular intervals. Covid 19 nearly wiped out my 4 year old leadership business but my previous experience facilitating online has helped patch together some contracting to hopefully see me through. Had a melanoma scare (common here in NZ) early this year and am waiting for knee surgery but otherwise doing well.

 

Saving the best until last, navigating all this has only been possible through finding someone who seems thrilled at the idea of spending time with me 😊

 

As for writing, got my account of our emigration to a rough 100k draft but my appetite to finish disappeared after the separation. If anyone would like book recommendations, I have enjoyed two separate series in recent years – Adrian McKinty’s Sean Duffy stories set during Northern Ireland’s Troubles in the 70s/80s and Mick Herron’s Slough House series – wonderfully, darkly funny spy stories for our times.

 

Cheers from the Limey Down Over

 

Buzz

 

 

bignose...@gmail.com

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/woyp/3e2b9a74-61c2-4fcc-912c-1e953d4085f0%40Spark.

 

[Richard Cartwright]

Buzz, 

Sorry to hear about your relationship issues but glad you are making it. I certainly understand losing the desire for finishing the immigration tale, but it is sad because I still remember the enjoyment of reading those blog posts. I hope you find a way through because it's a good story. 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/woyp/32114B4C-662A-4C14-8BA3-8892C85CE259%40hxcore.ol.

[Richard Cartwright]

Ryan,

I am glad you are surviving, voice or not. At least it's more time to write. :)

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[Jon]

Thanks.

 

Gwyneth Paltrow tells a funny story about her parents’ long happy marriage. She says that the secret was that, while both had wanted to divorce many times over the years, they never did at the same time. I guess after the trials and hurdles of thirty years, we did.

 

While finishing ‘Looking for No.8 Wire’ anytime soon, I’m happy to share a hurriedly prepared PDF of a rough draft and the link to Dad’s Diary a short podcast series I made based around 10 key episodes from the same material.

 

Website (photos to match stories):

https://newzealandpocketradio.wordpress.com/category/dads-diary/

 

Episodes (minus E02 for some reason): https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uj4q6l8x98lbbcs/AAD2WmlUUedFqTcTtwj3R3tHa?dl=0

 

Right, I’m on cooking tonight so I’ll stop here.

 

Buzz

 

bignose...@gmail.com

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[Bert Latamore]

Glad to hear from some of the WOYP gang. I am living in the end of the Virginia Blue Ridge on aq durt road with my wonderful wife, Moire, our two dogs, one cat, and Macaw. I am basically retired from writing in the IT industry after 50 years, partly because opportunities have disappeared after Covid and partly because honestly I am tired of writing white papers. Now I am teaching myself video and making fair progress on that. We are having a late autumn this year, and the foliage has still not changed on Skyline Drive, which is my next planned video subject. 

 I am using a Samsung S20 FE smartphone as my video camera (as well as for other uses) and a Microsoft Surface Pro 7 tablet as my computer. Both take microSD cards, and I have a 1/2 Tbyte card in each, which helps managing the large video files (my largest is 30 GB and runs 58 minutes). I also have a 2 TB external drive on my Surface that I bought last winter. I back up finished work to the MS OneDrive. That takes hours, but it is worthwhile. Any tips anyone has about handling large files would be appreciated.

Moire is long retired from the US Govt and now teaches English and a second language to adults worldwide over the Internet, as well as volunteering with a Caqtholic Charities organization teaching ESL and the citizenship process two nights a well (as we aren't even Catholic). It keeps her happy and busy.

I am healthy, still, at 75 and taske 5 mile walks on steep hillsides for exercise. Right now I am listening to one of Terry pratchett's "Diskworld" books on Audible. I recommend them for enjoyable listening.

All the best to everybody, Bert

Bert Latamore

(703) 395-5137
Freelance Writer covering the intersection between IT and business

I dream of a better world where chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/woyp/32114B4C-662A-4C14-8BA3-8892C85CE259%40hxcore.ol.

[Jon]

Hey Bert

 

I, too, have shifted to the Surface family over the last few years. I bought a Surface Pro 4 when I started my own business in 2017. Although it was a more than capable machine and I loved have the touchscreen and pen, I never really got comfortable with the kickstand. This year, I bought a Surface Laptop 4 and now use it as my daily driver, and use the Pro as a back up and second screen (via wireless display).

 

This proved to be handy when we went back into lockdown two months ago. I have a three screen and camera setup in my workspace which I use for running my courses but I wasn’t allowed to travel or enter the building. Having the Surface Laptop + Surface Pro combo allowed me to do a decent job of facilitating remotely from my girlfriend’s kitchen table – even if the chair and table gave me backache! Thankfully, the lockdown has dropped down one level now and I can use my sit/stand setup in my workspace again – much better on the back and easier to navigate, control video, share screens etc.

 

Since being in NZ, I have had a fairly good run of mobile phones. In the late Noughties, my employer provided the Blackberry Pearl and I actually found the teeny Qwerty keyboard and rollerball cursor easy to use.  When I change jobs, I was given a Windows Phone which I didn’t enjoy and found far from intuitive to use. I was then gifted a brand new Samsung S5 which was excellent and served me well for a good few years before I moved to the superb LG V20, which was as close to perfect as I have ever found. Sadly, it’s successors proved to be less impressive, lacked a 3.5mm jack and had a non-replaceable battery, as is the case with most phones now. Two years ago, I bought an Oppo A9 2020 retail at less than half the price of a new iPhone and have found it to be a good, reliable and highly serviceable phone which meets all my requirements. My daughter also has an Oppo and has had a similar positive experience.

 

With that, I had better saddle up and head into the workspace to prepare for today’s gig (kicking off a 9 month  leadership course for NZ’s biggest cooperative business).

 

Best wishes to you and Moire

 

Buzz

 

 

bignose...@gmail.com

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/woyp/CAA5Ap5aGpSO-kBGKngeL0w1SKHtjNSaoCMt2QyWZtz7zD03JyA%40mail.gmail.com.

 

[Bert Latamore]

Hi Jon,

Sounds like you are doing well. I prefer the tablet to a laptop. It does come with a clip-on keyboard that doubles as the front of its travel case. I use that when I travel. On my desk, I take that off. The tablet goes on a star that raises it to eye level, and I use a full-sized keyboard at typing level that connects through my USB hub. The one problem with the tablet is that the C drive is small by today's standards even if you are not juggling videos. I fix that with a microSD that goes into the slot in the back and becomes the D drive, plus an external solid-state drive that travels with me. Microsoft's close link to the MS OneDrive provides a large storage area mostly for backups and inactive documents. And all of this except the stand and large keyboard fit in my briefcase when I travel. If I were still commuting I could take it to work every day.

Bert Latamore

(703) 395-5137
Freelance Writer covering the intersection between IT and business

I dream of a better world where chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/woyp/121C5F77-C4C4-4DB3-A30A-170E59AB8526%40hxcore.ol.

[Jon]

Bert

 

Your use case and set up sound similar to mine. The microSD and cloud storage certainly helped. I really enjoy(ed) the tablet but, when was travelling a lot, I found my self wishing for a screen that didn’t need a kickstand.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/woyp/CAA5Ap5YSRXu1pjN8KZO_zUCStvcfSNMjph6O_sNKrj5-bp_xJg%40mail.gmail.com.

 

[Bert Latamore]

Jon,

The kickstand doesn't bother me. What I do not have that you do is two screens set up side by side. 

Bert Latamore

(703) 395-5137
Freelance Writer covering the intersection between IT and business

I dream of a better world where chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/woyp/D0893252-97BD-4405-A353-34C917484CFF%40hxcore.ol.

[Aaron Gonzalez]

Wow! So cool to see all of the woyp emails hitting my inbox this past week. 

Sorry for the late reply. Been busy with work and life (only 20 yrs or so more to go before I can retire. Tell me it goes by quickly!)

Richard: Not sure if you mentioned the loss before and I missed it, but sorry to hear about that. 40 years together is incredible. Hope you're getting by. 

Ryan: Cancer AND fired?? Ay dios. That's awful to hear. Throat and Neck Cancer sounds scary. Glad to hear you're recovering though. Can't imagine what that's like.

Buzz: (who is this "Jon" person?? 😂) Separated after 30 years sounds like a huge life change. But finding someone new sounds like that's a very good thing! Can't believe you also had a health scare. Jesus, everyone either had or currently has some serious sounding medical problems. Hope you all are taking it easy and recovering little by little.

I'm hoping one of these years I'll finally get to NZ and maybe say hello. You still run that bnb? 

Bert: Retired! Nice! That's got to feel good. 50 yrs in the business... You've definitely earned that retirement. 75? And just retired now? Where did you find the energy for the last 10 years! I'm hoping to be done right at 65 on the dot. 🤞🏽 

Just realized that when we all first started chatting about pdas and stuff, that was 20 yrs ago(!). Guess we're all old(er). 😂 

Really nice to hear from you all still. 

-Aaron 

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[Jon]

Aaron

 

I’m glad I didn’t mention the colon disease and upcoming knee surgery as you would have really started to worry, right? 😉 LOL.  It’d be great top see you here in NZ as and when that is possible/allowed. Sadly, the B&B was part of the family farm, After 18 months delay, this was sold as part of the separation. Depending on what I’m left with after the settlement and the alimony, you’re welcome to stay in my cardboard box!

 

Buzz

 

 

 

bignose...@gmail.com

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/woyp/CA%2BnDzx%2BxS%3D-168cTQUqkcEakHeqmuF-e8HUWJM65mCppe%2B%3DT4Q%40mail.gmail.com.