Upgrade Weekend and a Great Ex-Wife

As you may know, when IT does an upgrade, it typically takes place over the weekend. It involves a lot of patience, testing, testing the tests that were used to test the test…you get the point.

Our upgrade consisted of moving from a physical server to a virtual environment, upgrading from SQL 2000 to SQL 2008, moving from DTS to SSIS and making sure everything was good for Monday. Upgrades.Never.Go.Well.Ever.

However, this time, we did two test runs which weeded out a lot of issues we would have run into. The upgrade hit a couple of bumps but after 9 hours, we were as successful as ever.

Of course, I mentioned this takes place over a weekend. It also meant that, as a divorced dad, I was not going to see my kids that much. I saw them for a short time in the morning and then off I went. I talked to my ex wife and asked her if I could see the kids for a couple of hours the next day if I didn’t have to work. She agreed and when I woke up and checked email, I didn’t have to go in. I called her and she dropped them off.

I am convinced that two mature adults, who put their kids first, do away with their differences and their potential dislike for each other, can successfully get along.

I, for one, did this and I can say that my ex-wife and I have a stronger friendship than ever. She is, and will always be, the best ex-wife.

Music as a Weapon tour 2011

January 28 was a night not soon forgotten. I attended this concert at Mohegan Sun with a great bunch of friends all who share a love for music.

I recently became a fan of the band called In This Moment. They were the opening band and while you could tell they were “newbies” they sounded great. The band is fronted by a female singer whose vocals can go from sultry to screamer in roughly a nanosecond.

Next up was Sevendust. I have never seen them and was extremely impressed by them. Muscially, they were spot on. Now, I have to say, they sounded better than any studio album. I would see them again in a heartbeat.

Next up was Korn. Now i have been a fan for a long time and never seen them. I can say that I was not only completely mesmerized but was in awe. Jonathan Davis is one of those amazingly talented individuals whose charisma and stage presence command respect and admiration.

Last was Disturbed who was good but was not mixed as well nor as charismatic as Korn.

The best part of the night was being around friends.

A blast from the past

All I can say is that I TOTALLY forgot all about this site. It is like my own time capsule.

So since my last post, almost 3 years ago, a lot has gone on and I am going to attempt to catch you all up with what has gone on in my life.

My friend that I was living with married the woman he met online. I was his best man and now they have a beautiful baby.

I went through another layoff which ended up being a blessing. It was right before the summer of 2009 and while it hurt financially, I spent the entire summer with my kids. A most amazing and rewarding experience.

Feb 2010 I landed a job. Ironically, I had interviewed there in the past and passed up the position. I can say that having been there almost a year, it is by far the best company I have worked for. My coworkers are great, the owners value their employees, and the work is fun.

My folks traded in their motorhome for a nice fifth wheel which we keep at a campground. My kids and I spent a lot of time there in 2010 and we are looking for another fun filled year there.

I am still single. I love it.

I have reconnected with some friends and have had a blast with them.

My ex-wife remarried and I went to the wedding. It was a great time had by all. I am very happy for her and her husband. He treats my kids well and that’s all I ask for.

Other than that, life is going on and I am having fun.

Thoughts on the Mumbai Tragedy

The recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai shows us once again what an arrogant, ignorant, and hateful species we are. We are supposed to be an intelligent, rational, and educated species yet we see that there are people who are willing to take innocent lives all in the name of a deity which, for all intensive purposes, may or may not exist. For sake of argument, I am not going to debate whether such a deity exists but I am merely pointing out that most of the wars throughout time have been fought over religion.

But to my point: I truly and wholeheartedly believe that the Spain train bombings, the recent attacks in Mumbai are all testing grounds for Al Qada’s next attack here in the United States. The overtones to these tragedies seem to indicate that an attack on our public transit is imminent. An attack on the Taj Mahal and other extravagant hotels point to their undying hatred for all aspects of capitalism.

I believe the next attack here in the States will be a two prong attack: the public transit and also at the site of all things capitalism: Las Vegas.

I want to get this out there and will elaborate more in the near future.

WHAT?!

From Sunday’s Televised ‘Meet the Press’ Senator Obama was asked about his stance on the American Flag. Obama Explains National Anthem Stance.

Sun, 07 Sept. 2008 11:48:04 EST, General Bill Ginn’ USAF (ret.) asked Obama to explain why he doesn’t follow protocol when the National Anthem is played.

The General also stated to the Senator that according to the United States Code, Title 36, Chapter10, Sec. 171…
During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform are expected to stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. At the very least, ‘Stand and Face It’

Senator Obama Live on Sunday states, ‘As I’ve said about the flag pin, I don’t want to be perceived as taking sides, Obama said. ‘There are a lot of people in the world to whom the American f lag is a symbol of oppression. And the Anthem itself conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs bursting in air and all. It should be swapped for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song ‘I’d Like To Teach the World To Sing.’ If that were our anthem, then I might salute it. ‘We should consider to reinvent our National Anthem as well as to redesign our Flag to better offer our enemies hope and love. My wife disrespect’s the Flag for many personal reasons. Together she and I have attended several flag burning ceremonies in the past, many years ago. She has her views and I have mine’.

WHAAAAAAAT !!!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you heard it right. This could possibly be our next President. I, for one, am speechless.

Dale Lindsborg
Washington Post

Chef’s Dinner at McCormick and Schmicks w/ Chef Ryan

Many of you know the story. I used to work at RI Housing and thus spent a great many lunches and evenings at McCormick and Schmicks and joined their rewards program. Well, to make a long story short, I just had my 3rd Chef’s Dinner. Each time, there has been a different Chef to prepare an amazing dinner. This time, I had the honor and priviledge to have Chef Ryan create the most amazing dinner yet (Chef Tony/Chef Todd: he kicked it up about a dozen notches). In addition, being a frequent patron, I have gotten to know many of the waitstaff and managers all who have been very good to me.

As a thank you to the waitstaff whom I have gotten to know, I invited several of them (again, I did this at my 2nd dinner) to enjoy what I knew would be an very outstanding menu created by Chef Ryan.

To Chef Ryan/Mark/Rob/Wayne/Liz/Rhonda:
My deepest gratitude to all of you for creating yet another memorable occassion. From the selection of the wines, to making sure that the guests were able to come, to the superb service and of course, to the creativity of the food and its presentation and to, simply put, how damn fantastic it was! I also would like to publicly thank Chef Andrew for coming by and saying hello. You have a very talented and amazing staff and I am for one glad to be a frequent patron to M&S.

Here are the pictures and description of the courses:

The first course was:
Amuse Bouche-Sword fish tapenade- marinated crimini mushroom cap, grilled sword fish topped off with a Tapenade(paste of olives, anchovy, parsley and oil and garlic) this was chosen because the saltiness of the tapenade was to wake up the mouth. Pared with a tomato water martini with smoked sea salt.

 

The second course was Soup- butter nut Squash soup with granny smith apples and ginger root. Garnished with local smoked cheddar cheese. pared with spicy and earthy Pinot Noir. The soup was to feel buttery at first bite but fairly tart after swallowing.

The third course was Salad/Ap- Traditional Caesar salad with crab cake croûtons and old bay butter crostini. Pared with New Zelands Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc.

The fourth course was Intremezo. The purpose: to allow food to digest and cleanse the pallet before main course arrives. Honeydew and Avocado Sorbet served in a dried prosciutto Cup and a drizzle of honey balsamic glaze. Honeydew is not a very outstanding flavor… but pared with avocado it stands out beautifully. The avocado also gave the sorbet a creamy finish. The idea was to twist the traditional melon and prosciutto paring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Main Course- Pan Seared Sea Scallops (out of New Bedford) roasted purple Cauliflower. Risotto served with Champagne Sauce and garnished with lemon citrus micro greens. Pared with Chandon Rose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dessert Trio- Individual apple tart, Honey Mascarpone mouse in a sugar twielle cup served with a side car of flaming Mulled Hard Apple Cider. port wine sauce.

The Next Round of Debates

The next debate is happening soon. I believe there will be a lot of finger pointing and jabs back and forth. I do not think it is going to be like the very amicable VP debates. I am very interested in hearing what both McCain and Obama say about the current ecomonic crisis.

A recent survey says that 8 out of 10 people are stressed about these economic times. Ya think?

Truthfully, I haven’t made up my mind on whom I shall cast my vote for. I believe I won’t make up my mind until I am in the voting booth. The last time I did this, I voted for Clinton. I honestly do not see McCain getting in. Which ever party is in power during tough economic times, is usually not the party that gets elected. In addition, considering Bush’s lackluster leadership since 9/11, I do not see McCain getting in. I think the only way McCain could win would be to do the following:
1) drop Palin
2) distance himself from Bush but acknowledge what he would do differently
3) although it is rather late – bring on more younger, technically savy people to help with online campaigning
4) drop Palin – oh wait, I said that
5) pull a stunner – get Hillary on ticket

What are your thoughts about this scenario?

It’s been a LOOONG TIME

Holy shit. I cannot believe I have not written anything in…what 6 MONTHS!? Totally unacceptable. I will go lash myself with barbed wire and pour alcohol over it later. Let me get a whole bunch of stuff off my chest.

So…the divorce was final back in…July? So to recap:
Jan 2008 – in the hospital with diverticulitis (go and google it) and found out (ex) wife had an affair.
Feb 2008 – move in with one of my best friends
March 2008 – said friend meets woman of his dreams
April 2008 – my last single friend is no more. Of course, she IS one awesome woman and both are very lucky to have each other. She moves in. Oldest son turns 6.
May 2008 to now – Life at the condo is good. Roommates are doing awesome. Marriage has come up between them. Went camping in NH with my boys to the place I used to camp. Work stuff. Joined eHarmony, Yahoo, match. I have met some great people (and some psychos) but it has been a great experience and enjoying the single life for the most part. We went to the Cape recently and had a blast. My kids have started school and are doing well. Proud of those kids.

The ex wife and her boyfriend have moved in together. Yep, I am fine with it. No issues on my end whatsoever. I am glad they are doing well. He and I get along.

Most importantly, my kids are doing fine with everything. Yes, there are times when they ask if we will get back together but that is happening less and less. I believe that I am doing the right thing. By this I mean, not getting into a serious relationship. My focus and priority is them. I will have plenty of me time later. Don’t get me wrong, I do have my own time, but do not want the complication of another serious relationship.

The Economy
Well, the Dow dropped 800 pts today but recovered to -300. People are committing suicide over foreclosed homes (it’s not worth it people), a jobless dad killed his family (again, do it to yourself…leave the rest out of it), and the general consenus is that a depression is likely. The gov’t passed a $700 billion bailout which I believe was a rash decision. Of course, there is a lot of pork added to it so that it would pass. I will discuss this on another post this week.

The VP Debates
First and foremost, please check out this poll by one of my Twitter buddies, Chris Abraham.

My thoughts: I think Palin did better than expected but those expectations were set very low. She was very good at deflecting the issues but extremely adept at identifying with the “average joe/jane”. She was very polite to Senator Biden even when disagreeing with him.

Senator Biden was what I expected. A well versed, well informed career politician. He had the answers, the stats, and the confidence. I do not think there is a winner at VP debates but there certainly is a loser. However, I think both candidates did an admirable job of getting some of their points across.

New Media
Make sure you check out this New Marketing Summit with one of the best guys in the business, the one and only Chris Brogan. I am a big fan of Chris (for one, we share a common name) and I HIGHLY recommend him for speaking engagements, new media initiatives, and for a wealth of knowledge. I am always learning something from this man!

Another great friend of mine from Twitter has released MobaTalk Alpha 1.0. Now, I know Michael from Twitter and I can say that he is another amazing individual. The ideas in this man’s head makes Ben Franklin a has been. He is a workhorse and a devoted father. If I owned my own company, I can tell you that Michael would be one of the first few people I would hire faster than a heartbeat.

I have some other plugs to give. I will do that within the next few days, I promise.

Well, this is part 1 of a big brain dump. It was more stream of consciousness writing as opposed to a well thought out blurb. I just needed to write and get stuff off my chest. I do feel better.

Thanks for reading and please check back as I have more to say about a lot of stuff.

Whole lot of happenings!

March 19 – we had a Dinner for Six at one of my favorite restaurants: McCormick and Schmicks in Providence. McCormicks is primarily a seafood establishment but I can vouch that any of their dishes are great even when it is not seafood.

April 1 – Infected by Scott Sigler hits the market. Scott is an amazing guy who definitely deserves big success in life. I am pleased to say that Infected is a great novel dealing with a mind boggling scenario: what better way to overtake a planet and colonize it than to bioform it. It is a must read for any scifi/horror reader. Buy it now!.

April 14 – Went to court for the divorce. We actually had a blast seeing the other cases. In fact, we want to go back to see the outcome of one. It was that good!!! As for our case, it was over and done in about 7 minutes.

Work has been very busy but going well. We are in the middle of several projects and are looking to rolling them out in the coming weeks.

Life at the condo is going well. I bought an XBox 360 and have been thoroughly enjoying Gears of War. My roommate has met an awesome, intelligent, beautiful lady and I really am hoping this is the one for him.

Other than that, I am hoping to get more done online including getting tonycarcieri.net up. I think that may be more of a social/web 3.0/ playground.

I know I am missing out on a couple of things, but please forgive me as I am at McCormicks now drinking the delicious Bass Ale.

Where have I been?

Yes, I realize I said I was going to post more. Yes, I know my call for actions this year were to post and be more active. Life always seems to through a nuclear reactor in front of me.

Yes I am getting divorced. Aprill 14. I have been living with one of my best friends and my best man at his condo.

What has happened since the last time I talked?
Well, my soon to be ex and I remain good friends. Since we have the kids, we are making it as transparent as we can but they do know. I take them and pick them up from school most days. Once I leave work at night, I head over to her house where I get the kids ready for bed. Once they are asleep, I leave.

What this means is that I have more “free time” which allows me to go out with friends, play some XBOX, write some computer programs, and of course search the current dating scene. I can tell you that the current dating scene is…challenging at the very least. Oh well.

I am also looking into going for my Masters in IS. This would be done via the University of Phoenix. Anyone have any feedback on their programs?

Other than that, I am mentally, emotionally, and spiritually in a better place now. It allows me to focus on my kids and myself. If that seems selfish, well, I think I am due for some me time.