I’ve had little free time lately. The new job has proven to be a 24/7 commitment.

While the IT operations skill set it getting supercharged, the personal enjoyment skill set has taken a beating.

I’m adding a tremendous amount of Cisco-specific experience, something I’ve been sorely ignoring throughout my career (largely due to the distinct compartmentalization of responsibilities in most of the firms I’ve worked for,) and am glad to be learning. One of the boons of a small company is having access and challenges across a broad range of disciplines.

In just six months, I’ve had my hands all over Cisco’s better security products, wireless equipment, carrier grade routers, and high end switchgear. Most of the training has been “trial by fire,” and so far the house still stands.

In other news, the holidays are upon us, and I’m looking forward to two weeks of personal time at the end of December. I’d like a chance to catch my breath, reflect, and engage some of my long neglected personal work.

During this hectic six months, I’ve managed to purge most of the unwanted technology I lamented in my earlier post. The Mylo, extra phone, and handheld computers were thinned out. I’ve managed to back off from a nice, but overkill PowerMac down to a petite Macbook – although with substantial performance compromise – and I feel that I’m approaching a sensible balance in my resources.

I picked up a new Yaesu FT-817 multiband radio recently. I was hoping, although I’ve been at work too much to make headway, to buff up my amateur radio activities and participate in the local community. Expect to hear me on the HF bands as soon as I can practically pass the General exam. In the meantime, I may focus on getting up on 6 meters. I hear 10 meters is still very challenging, but I have privileges there as well with the current ticket.