May 17, 2018

UA 518.

I’m sitting in first class on a United 737-900 from Rochester, N.Y. to Chicago-O’Hare. I lucked out on the upgrade to first class; I was upgraded when I purchased the ticket and I am completely without complaint. I need to fly first class more often, and if you agree, please let my husband know that it is worth the budgetary hit. Sitting in first-class shouldn’t really affect my self-esteem, but it does. I still make eye contact with the riff-raff as they make their way to steerage. Flying is awesome no matter the seat you have on an airplane. It’s just more awesome the further to the front that you happen to sit. Don’t ever forget the magic of aviation.

My three days of work meetings have come to an end. Tomorrow is a normal workday and I have a lot of changes to institute with the team I lead. All of these changes will ultimately make the team more productive in the long run; they’re a great group of people and everyday I count my blessings for leading such a capable team of developers and for being part of a good organization. I like my gig a lot. I write this down so I remember how I feel in this moment the next time I get stressed out and I tell Earl I want to throw something or jump off something. When it’s all boiled down to what it is, I have a great gig, we do good things, and I have few complaints. Not a lot of people can say that.

Today I told my director that I was ready to give up the decommissioned work Mac that was required for me to join the company nearly three years ago. The company I work for has chosen to go primarily with Microsoft technology, and I have watched Microsoft significantly improve their office experience over the years. I still feel that Apple makes the best hardware, but Microsoft is bringing great services to all platforms. I’m looking for a way that I could try out a tricked out Surface Laptop for 30 days to see if I really like being all in on Microsoft hardware. As I type this blog entry on United flight 518, I’m typing it on an iPad Pro using Microsoft OneNote (to be later pasted into WordPress when I have a wifi connection again). OneNote is amazing and it’s wonderful that Microsoft has worked hard to bring it to all platforms. There are a few glitches here and there, but it’s not like the days of Windows Vista or Windows 8.

I’m wondering how a Windows Phone, or better yet, a “Surface Phone” would be accepted by the masses these days in today’s climate. We need a disruption in the smartphone space. Something new and fresh and completely integrated and interchangeable. I don’t know that Apple or Android is up to that task. Will Microsoft do it someday soon? Let’s hope so.

UA 518, Part 2.

As we fly from ROC to ORD, I look over the landscape of Southern Ontario and smile, knowing that I have flown a very similar route, at a much lower altitude, several times as a private pilot. When flying from Rome, N.Y. to Oshkosh, Wis., we would stop at Niagara Falls for a fuel stop and then make our way to Saginaw, Mich. Spotting the same landmarks from 37,000 on a United 737-900 is rather awesome.

A couple of different choices a decade or two ago and I could have been the pilot of this flight. There’s nothing wrong with where I am today, but hints of other paths I could have taken with my life help me keep an open mind.