After getting the big news on Monday on what baby we were having I guess it was too much for me because later that night – or more appropriately early Tuesday morning Noel took me to the hospital for severe abdominal pain.  I had the same symptoms about 6 weeks ago and a trip to the urgent care turned up nothing and so I came home and felt better the next day. 

The doctors theory is that my appendix likely ruptured then (you can see a nice picture of how my body covered it up in the bottom right picture – your appendix is not supposed to have a bulbous mass on the end of it – it is supposed to look like a worm).  The fluid in the two top pictures was sloshing around in there as well.  They took it out yesterday and today I got to come home thankfully.  I am glad to have things taken care of and hope that this is the my last visit to the hospital and to surgery for a good long while.  This did throw a wrench in the plans to go canoe the Snake River with Dad, Brett, and Kevin next week which is a major bummer. 

Note: I use this blog to post both Personal and Technical articles.  For a technical only feed use the following URL (http://bryanandnoel.spaces.live.com/category/technology/feed.rss).  For a family only feed use the following URL (http://bryanandnoel.spaces.live.com/category/family/feed.rss)

We went to the doctor on Monday and got the news that Baby #2 will be a girl.  E couldn’t have been happier to be getting a sister.  We are so excited and can’t wait to meet the little one when the time comes.

Note: I use this blog to post both Personal and Technical articles.  For a technical only feed use the following URL (http://bryanandnoel.spaces.live.com/category/technology/feed.rss).  For a family only feed use the following URL (http://bryanandnoel.spaces.live.com/category/family/feed.rss)

   Today I lost one of my heroes.  My grandmother, Lillian Arrington, returned back to her Heavenly Father.  It happened unexpectedly – she seemed as lively and vivacious as ever.  We’ll miss her dearly and deeply.  Even as I write this it seems unreal to think that she is gone.  We love you Grandma – oh how we love you!  We miss you!  I am sure that as she is reunited with her mother who died soon after she was born that she is happy and as busy as ever.  I have pulled together some photos that I could find of her as well as a video of her leading us in the Arrington song from the 2008 Arrington Family Reunion.  How I love and miss her!

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  There is a site I commonly read called Worse Than Failure (WTF – they redefined what WTF meant to them a while back to make the site more palatable to people – perhaps when they started taking ads).  The site publishes programming horror stories and frequently has very funny stories to brighten the day.  A recent article departed from the norm and was more serious in nature.  In it the author made the comment that

Learn Off The Job. Self-improvement is a tenet of every profession, but the place to do that is “off the job,” i.e. not while developing information systems. Instead, learn by creating applications for yourself, your team, or perhaps even some open source project.

  I disagree with that statement.  Our world is filled with professionals that get paid to maintain and enhance their skills.  Doctors, educators, and accountants are expected to take classes and attend seminars to maintain their certifications.  Compensation is often tied to increasing their knowledge.  The same goes for many factory workers.  They are sent to classes to certify them in safety, new equipment, and many other things.  Why would software development and software developers be any different.  Now the author is a single voice and represents just one viewpoint, but I do see this sentiment echoed in the behavior of other organizations though (just not spelled out as clearly). 

  There needs to be a balance in all things.  A software developers main job is not to just learn new technology, but as part of their job they need to be constantly learning and growing.  They should be paid for that time and have their company pay for the training.  Many developers program as a hobby as well and will undoubtedly learn valuable things through their personal activities that can be applied at work.  It is not appropriate though for companies to depend on people using their personal time to advance their skills.

I have read LDS Gems since somewhere right around 1999/2000 when I first developed an “online presence”.  It has morphed over the years before finally falling into the Church’s hands to administer.  It is full of great quotes an insights.  Here is one from today that resonated with me!

Lifelong Missionaries

"We properly pray for the safety and success of the full-time missionaries throughout the world. And a common element in many of our prayers is a request that the missionaries will be led to individuals and families who are prepared to receive the message of the Restoration. But ultimately it is my responsibility and your responsibility to find people for the missionaries to teach. Missionaries are full-time teachers; you and I are full-time finders. And you and I as lifelong missionaries should not be praying for the full-time missionaries to do our work!

"If you and I would truly pray and ask in faith, as did Joseph Smith—if we would pray with the expectation to act and not just to express—then the work of proclaiming the gospel would move forward in a remarkable way."

David A. Bednar, "Ask in Faith," Ensign, May 2008, 95