It has been roughly 6 months since I left Dassault Systemes or should I say Dassault left me. I was very excited when I left and felt it was time to move on with my career. I learned alot about myself and where I want to go not only in career but in my life.

I was approached and continue to be approached for many projects. Some dealing with hardware and some dealing with software. I am still acting CTO for a chain of nutritional centers. I take care of all the technical needs which are hardware issues for the most part.

I was involved in various software projects from video editing to the auto part rebuilder industry. Along the way I learned some tools of the trade. I learned to read technical blogs like I read the morning paper. I learned to network. To always carry my business card. I learned that I love learning about new technology. I learned that I have so much to learn..

There are many personal lessons I learned as well.

I am coaching the Covina national little league Braves.  I started my own adult basketball team with my friends that has become a year around affair. I also play basketball Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:30am with a bunch of old guys at the gym and I really look forward to it. I learned that I enjoyed spending time with my family, my extended family and my friends much more then I remembered.

Along the way I also interviewed quite a bit. I am looking for team lead or a management position and truth be told I may have talked my way out of some developer positions. However, I remember driving home from downtown LA or El Segundo after an interview and asking myself how I ever drove from Covina to Woodland Hills everyday for 5 years?

How would I ever make the 4:30 practice for my little slugger? How would I ever make the 6:30 basketball game in Alhambra?

In the end I learned that I want a job that supports everything I leaned in the last six months.

What to do? Find the perfect job or find the perfect office for my business….

I  don’t make resolutions but rather I set goals for myself at the start of the year. I do not always achieve them all but this year I am determined to get to as close as 100% as possible.  I am making these public so that I can have more accountability….Here we go with the goals for 2010…

Professional:

IEEE CSDP Certification – Took the test in Dec…Find out the results in Feb

Sun Certified Java Programmer

Sun Certified Web Component Developer

Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD)

Maybe – Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA)

ACE ColdFusion -

Ambitious I know but I think definiatly doable. I feel this will certify my “Application Architect” Title

Sports:

Pasadena Tri in March

WildFlower Half Ironman in May

Mudrun in June

Tri in August

Muddy Buddy in November

Wildflower is the big one….

There it is…wish me luck!