For those of you that don't know, I left NAU back in November to study for and obtain my CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional).  I didn't have the ability to promote or increase my salary or have more challenging job responsibilities, and the CISSP is an industry standard that shows an employer that you know what you are doing.  I took the test on February 8th and passed it on the first attempt, and am currently waiting for the endorsement process to complete within the next few weeks.  I've been applying for positions all over the Western United States, and have a few positions at UCSD that I am really hoping come through - my fondest IT memories took place in External Relations and it would be like coming home in more ways than one.  

As our time in Flagstaff draws to it's probable close, I am looking back on the things about this fair city that I will miss the most, and will make sure that I pop in on when I visit.  While the job market here is stagnant and impending doom due to poor political decisions threatens the way of life of the general population, the good qualities that first attracted us to Flagstaff still exist, and will be genuinely missed.

The people (in general): The people of Flagstaff are generally very friendly and polite.  The small town attitude and slower pace sometimes leads to slow service, but I have had more strangers come up to me in public and start conversations out of the blue than any other place I have lived.

The weather: The ability to experience all four seasons has been something that I have really enjoyed, even if it means the occasional shoveling of snow (it's good exercise and better than coffee at waking me up).  The summers are warm but not hot, topping out in the high eighties (while Phoenix is around thirty degrees warmer), and while we do get the monsoon rains later in the summer, the spring and fall are gorgeous.  While we do get some high winds at times, it's usually not that bad.  My ex-boss and good friend Pete Yanka likes to say 'If you don't like the weather in Flagstaff, wait ten minutes, and it will change.'

Pete Yanka: Speaking of Pete, working with Pete was one of the best experiences of my life.  I didn't do as much IT work as with other jobs, and the pay wasn't very good, but I was as much a part of a team there as anywhere I've been.  Pete was the LT and I was the sergeant; I was like an older brother to the student staff, and mentoring them was such a rewarding experience.  While I wish that it could have lasted longer, Pete deservedly got a better opportunity and took it, and the HLC has been worse off for it since.  I've never worked for anyone that had such similar views and values, both professionally and personally.  If I end up back in San Diego, I owe him a fishing trip and a burger at Rocky's when he visits.

The Flagstaff Adult Baseball League: Speaking of teams, I've had more fun playing and coaching the past four years up here than I did in the forty years before I got up here.   From the first tryout, meeting Andrew Dell (the commissioner), warming up with Jon Combe (knowing he'd be the first pick in the draft), being asked to start a new team and helming my usual island-of-misfit-toys type team to a championship in our second year, it's been a fun ride.  Although I didn't play as well as i did in the past, I still had some moments - game winning RBI in extra innings, a couple three hit games, two singles left-handed when it hurt too much to bat righty, some textbook bunts and a bunch more innings behind the plate.  Most of all I will miss the Red Sox - Billy, Ricardo, Jesus, Robbie, CJ, Nate and Alex, Roca the ageless, Eddie, Gabe, Keegan, Eric and Matt, and so many others that all had their own moments.  So much respect between players and teams, good competition and sportsmanship, its a great league and I will miss being a part of it.

The sky: I know, the sky is still going to be there no matter where we end up, but on a clear summer night in Flagstaff you can see the stars behind the stars.  Being a dark city, you don't get the light pollution that you get in a big city, and with Lowell Observatory being so close and so interesting it has given me a newfound interest in the stars.  (And Pluto is a planet, you will never convince me otherwise.)

The places:  I'll miss lunches at El Capitan (shrimp enchiladas with chipotle cream sauce, surf-and-turf tacos), pizza and wings from Fratelli's, breakfasts from Martannes and the Galaxy Diner.  I'll miss the HLC and most of the people there, especially Fred and Jeri and Dr. Kruger.  I'll miss shopping at Bashas (and the donuts), seeing deer in the neighborhood while walking Blue, going to Lowell Observatory for hours of knowledge and history, and looking north to see if there is snow on the San Francisco peaks.  

While the time here has been challenging at times, and not all my experiences have been positive, I can look at the nearly five years here and say that I've enjoyed it for the most part.  Meeting Pete and working with him and the student staff were definitely the highlight for me, and being a part of the Red Sox was a great experience, whether we were winning a championship or going 1-9 (and then almost winning it all regardless, falling in extra innings in the semi-finals to the eventual champions).  I'll miss taking a deep breath in the thin air and sighing contentedly as I take in the beauty of this sleepy mountain town.  Thank you Flagstaff, it's been fun.