In retrospect, I don't know how I feel about 2016. But here's my 2016 in review.
Working for the Weekend
From roughly May until November, I didn't have a project to work on. That was weird. I expressed concern to my boss(es) several times, but they reassured me that they weren't going to let me go. Turns out, my client kept me and the programmer from the previous project on retainer so that we would be available when they had another project. I spent those 5-6 months taking Udemy courses: Java Programming, Cucumber, Git, Appium, Jenkins, JMeter, Testing in Agile. They are all software testing tools, except the Java Programming course. I'm taking that one because I currently write my test automation code in Java. So I thought it would be a good idea to learn more about Java programming so I can write better test code.
In July, I was promoted from Software Quality Engineer to Senior Quality Assurance Engineer. Came with a 10k/year raise, but I didn't see the raise until December. But the raise was retroactive to July.
For the new project we are building mobile apps (one for iPhone and one for Android), a bridge that connects our client's system to the mobile apps, and a administration application that resides on the client's server.
Cancer Sucks
If you have been following me and reading my blogs since last spring, then you know that my father was diagnosed with cancer last spring. I drove out to Mississippi to be there for his surgery and to help out my mom with whatever she needed. So I was chauffeur, gopher, tech support, moral support, yard cleaner, lawn waterer, and a few other things. I also worked remotely while I was there. So I didn't have much time for fun.
My dad's surgery was successful. In September, he started 6 weeks of intense radiation treatments. They finished up at the end of October. He had an MRI recently and everything looks good. He has a CT scan soon to check again, but it all points to dad being cancer free.
Award Winner
In November, my brother was awarded the Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation's Person of Courage award for 2016. He gave a great acceptance speech. Mrs. DeadGuitarist and I also donated $250 to the NCCF so that one kid with cancer can go to camp this summer and feel like a normal kid for a week. I'm going to look into volunteering at the camp for a week too. Maybe use my music and photography skills while I'm there.
Travel
I was planning to go to Death Valley to photograph wildflowers. There was supposed to be a super bloom last spring because of all the extra rain El Nino brought. But I couldn't get out there while it was still cool enough. Unexpectedly, I took a trip to Mississippi (see Cancer Sucks above). I didn't have time to stop and see any sights on the way out there, but I did take my time on the way back. Got some nice photos of a sunset over the Mississippi River while I was in Memphis. Took a few hours on a Sunday afternoon to go over to my college alma mater, Mississippi State University, to take some photos and see all the new changes since the last time I was there. On the trip home, I spent half a day at Hot Springs National Park, saw the leaning water tower of Britton, Texas, saw the largest cross in the Western Hemisphere, Cadillac Ranch in Texas, stood on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, spent a day at the Grand Canyon, and drove US 66 from Seligman, Arizona to Kingman, Arizona. It was a fun return trip. I prefer to travel by car whenever I can so I can see America.
Photography
I got some nice photos on that return trip from Mississippi: Grand Canyon, Winslow, Arizona, Route 66, Kingman Arizona, Caddilac Ranch, the Largest Cross in the Western Hemisphere, the Leaning Water Tower of Britton, Texas, Hot Springs National Park. Also got some nice photos of a sunset over the Mississippi River, Mississippi State University. Closer to home, I took a few photos of Lake Mead, some sunset photos at the Clark County Wetlands Park and some night time photos of the Las Vegas Strip from about 5 miles away. I got a Nikon D3200 camera in August. It's a certified refurbished camera, but it's just like brand new and cost about half the price of a new one. Also got a 50mm lens and a 18mm-200mm zoom lens for $3 due to an Amazon mistake.
Music
Didn't get any new songs recorded and published, but I did get music nailed down for Toxic and came up with a nice chord progression for a new unnamed song, which needs lyrics. Started jamming with some work friends this past fall, which has been a lot of fun. Got a new pedal board, and with the gift cards I got for Christmas, bought some new effects pedals, which I should get sometime this week.
Friends and Family
Mrs. DeadGuitarist and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary on 14 May 2016. Mrs. DeadGuitarist turned 48 in August and I turned 54 in November.
I renewed my SG membership in February and decided to become more active. I've written quite a few blogs, including my PINK MAGIC Weekly WCW blog, which seems to be pretty popular, and uploaded quite a few photos (not including those I swiped for PINK MAGIC). I've taken more selfies this past year than I have, well, ever. I've made quite a few friends here: @thekarmaguy, @nebula, @zelena, @zen, @sid, @midnightsun, @shinyarmour90, @electriceye22, @littlejohn22, @oakheart, @chef, @cooky, @vanp, @caraphernelia, @floydian, @cockzombie and many others. Haven't met any of you face to face yet, but I'm pretty sure I'll meet some of you in 2017.
Health
While I was in Mississippi, I realized that I was not eating well... to many carbs and too much sugar; things that elevate my blood sugar and also cause me to be tired, sleepy tired, all of the time. When I got back home, I started going to the gym on a semi-regular basis. My eating habits haven't gotten much better, but my A1C went down after three months of going to the gym and eating somewhat reasonably better.
Mrs. DeadGuitarist is also in good health, although she stepped awkwardly on a curb about two weeks before Christmas, fell and broke a rib. It's going to take a while to heal.
Miscellaneous
We bought Mrs. DeadGuitarist a new Mini Cooper this past summer. It's orange and black with black bonnet stripes. She nicknamed it Tigger.
I finally got my hair dyed. Initially, I was thinking of going blue or purple, but changed my mind and went blonde (I was trying to get white, but the blonde was perfectly fine). When I want anime hair, I use Spiker Ice Colorz to spike and color my hair. This way, I can be a different color every day if I want.
That's all the highlights, good and bad, that I can think of. So, overall, I guess it was a pretty good year.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2017
I'm planning to travel to Southern California over the first weekend in February to attend the Salton Sea day @nebula is putting together. I will get to meet quite a few people from SG that day. In March, I hope to get together with @nebula while she's in Las Vegas for the Spartan Races, and also finally meet @zen and some other Las Vegas SG people. I might go out to the Spartan Races as a spectator to cheer on @nebula and get some photos.
Depending upon how many days I take off from work for the Salton Sea trip, I may take a day and spend it at Joshua Tree National Park. I'd like to spend a couple of days there, but I don't think that's going to happen.
I'm hoping to go out to Death Valley for a day in March or early April for photos. In May, I might drive up to Zion National Park for a day or two for some photography and hiking.
Closer to home, I'm planning to make several trips to the Clark County Wetlands Park and the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve for some easy hiking and photography. I also hope to get some hiking and photography in at Mt. Charleston, Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire too.
In August, and hopefully in early December, I hope to travel to the Goldfield, Nevada area for some astrophotography during the Perseids and Geminids meteor showers.
If I can swing it, I'd like to go to Yosemite National Park in late November or December. I've been to Yosemite a couple of times, but never in winter. But Yosemite might have to wait until 2018.
I'm going to do my best to get into the gym at least 3 days every week, and eat much healthier in an attempt to lose about 50 pounds and get off my diabetes medication.
I should be able to buy a 500mm/1000mm lens for taking wildlife photos, a backpack that has space for photography equipment, a hydration pouch, and clothes and other supplies, and some camping equipment for my photography excursions.
Also with my photography hobby, I hope to be able to find some people for portraits and maybe shoot a set for SG if any ladies are willing. I'm a member of a couple of local photography meet up groups, but haven't taken the time to go to any of their activities. I hope to attend some this year, although it's difficult for me to get to the monthly meetings because they are usually on nights that I bowl.
Mrs. DeadGuitarist might accompany me on some of those photography excursions, but we also might make a trip out to Mississippi to visit my parents sometime in 2017. We've had preliminary discussions about it already, but nothing concrete yet.
I'm also hoping to at least start the back tattoo I want: the Evolution of Scorpio. It'll be a large piece consisting of a scorpion, a golden eagle and a phoenix, which are the three stages of Scorpio's Evolution. I need a good tattoo artist in Las Vegas, so if anyone has one, PM me.
Musically, the jamming with my work friends will continue in 2017. We haven't discussed when our next session will be but it wouldn't surprise me if they want to get together this Saturday afternoon. I already have the day reserved. I plan to record Toxic (guitars, bass and vocals, using or creating a drum track from software... I cannot play drums). I also plan to write and record another new song and record some songs I've previously written. I'm hoping that our little work band will actually start learning some cover songs and maybe some originals. Not necessarily to play some gigs, but at least we'll have the option to do so if we want to. I came up with Soundcheck as the band name. Cameron likes it. Geoff hasn't weighed in yet. He's been on vacation.
Mrs. DeadGuitarist and I will celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary on 14 May 2017. I'm hoping we can go away for the closest weekend or at least take a staycation at one of the resorts here in Las Vegas. We've done that a couple of times before: once at the Luxor (10th anniversary) and Paris (don't remember which anniversary that was).
I won't be bowling in summer leagues this summer. Need to give my right shoulder a break as it's been bothering me the past few months. Not sure if I'll bowl in winter leagues that start up in September. I'll decide that during the summer.
Well, I think that's a pretty full year. We'll have to wait and see if I get to do all that stuff.
What do you have planned for 2017? Write your blog and link it in a comment below. I'd like to read them.
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Stay Tuned...
DeadGuitarist
Besides Suicide Girls, you can find me on various other social, photography and music sites, as well as career oriented sites:
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | REVERBNATION (ARTIST) | SOUNDCLOUD | FANDALISM | TUMBLR | FLICKR | 500PX | VIEWBUG | GURUSHOTS | WASTED YEARS (MY PERSONAL WEBSITE)| YOUTUBE | LINKEDIN | AMAZON WISHLIST
I'm not super active on all of them, but I add stuff to each of them occasionally that you won't necessarily find on my SG profile page.