PenguinREPORT

It’s a good time of year in Iowa. The weather is finally settling on something that resembles spring - temperatures in the 60s and 70s during the days. The morning’s dreadful cloud cover has blown off leaving an irridescent blue sky that promises to hold throughout the weekend.

If you’re an old hand at Penguin Shell, you know why those things are important to me. If you’re new, I’ll clue you in a bit.

My interests outside of pounding a keyboard and marvelling at clean code, are all outdoor-related. As the proud owner of a 1979 Yamaha XS11 motorcycle, I sit through the Iowa winters grim-faced and awaiting the moment when I can first fire off my bike to hit the road. The scenery in Iowa is beautiful in the spring and summer, but especially so from the seat of a motorcycle. With the weather finally cooperating, you can beat I’ll be taking a break in the very near future to twist the throttle and lean hard into the curves of some amazing Iowa roads.

My other non-computing, non-family passion is baseball, specifically the St. Louis Cardinals. The love of baseball is made even better by my business partner Ed’s love of the Atlanta Braves. It makes for a good-natured rivalry that lasts three-fourths of the year. I know, too, that admitting to being a hardcore baseball fan somewhat dates me. The real interest in sports today seems to gravitate toward football, basketball, even (sigh) soccer. Baseball is seen as a slow game, something from the past, and certainly not a sport that translates well on TV. Right, right and right. I find all those things appealing about the game. No clocks. A grand and rich history, completely traceable through an incredible wealth of statistics. And, a feel much better conveyed by a skilled radio announcer than some of the dunderheaded TV broadcasters of the day. If you can’t be in the park, the radio and the box scores are simply the best way to experience the game.

Which, really, is all just a long way to make a point I’ve made before. If the weather is as good where you live this weekend as it’s supposed to be in Iowa, take a few to step away from the keyboard and enjoy. Whether it puts food on your table or merely provides a way to move the clock along, computing can be great fun. But the most fun I’ve ever had with computing is when it fit in nicely as but a part of the big picture of life. With luck, I’ll put it a bit more in perspective over the next few days.

Have a great weekend.

Tony
Steidler-Dennison