Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog.

I am a Lotus/Domino Developer and a runner. I've blogged quite a bit on my old blog about running, and I'd like to start a new blog which incorporates one of my other passions, Lotus/Domino development.

So get it? Running Notes? Notes on running and running (Developing) Notes? Wow, I am so clever, right? Hey, what can I say? The good titles were all taken.

About me:

My running background - Prior to 2007, I was a sloth. Seriously. I was 40 pounds overweight and wouldn't run unless a bear was chasing me. I had tried running a few times before in my life and despised it. Why would anyone want to torture themselves like that? Then, in September of 2007, I decided to try the Couch to 5K program. Literally taking people from couch potatoes to running a 5k in 9 weeks. With the program, I took it slow. I mean SLOW. Like old-ladies-passing-me-slow. And in November I ran my first 5k. Slowly. 34:41. BUT, I RAN it. The whole thing.

Then, I was bit by the running bug. I loved it. Kept running all winter. Keep in mind I live in New Hampshire, so that actually means something. I ran in 24 degrees with snow blowing sideways. I built up my mileage and signed up for several races in the Seacoast Series. I ran my first 10k in June 2008.

Then, I really did something crazy. I signed up for a half marathon. So it was that just over a year after I started running, I ran my first Half Marathon in November 2008.

I've cut back since then and really need to get back into a consistent schedule. Especially since I *may* have signed up for another Half in April...

My Lotus Notes and Domino background - this one is a little longer. I started out post-college as an Actress in Music Theatre, living in New York City. After I got tired of that and wanted a "real" life, I moved to New Hampshire. I had intentions of taking a temp job and possibly becoming a web designer (I had some experience with some technical temp jobs while trying to support myself as an actress). I got a temp job in 1999, which was data entry-ish at an Investment consulting firm.

I moved up through the firm from temp job, to permanent job (Data Analyst) to Performance Analyst, to Investment Analyst. It was a small firm, so while I did the investment side, I was also part of the "Tech Team". Part of my duties on the tech team were to perform some of the junior duties of a Notes/Domino System Administrator. I was also involved in hiring and managing an outside consultant who developed an internal application for our firm. Managing the consultant involved learning the design of the application in the event he was "hit by a bus". He wasn't hit by a bus, but he did move back to India.

It was shortly before that I was made a full-time IT person. Still performing junior system administration tasks, and also maintaining and developing Lotus applications. When our consultant left, it was trial by fire. I had to learn everything about development and learn it quick.

Not surprisingly, development soon became my sole focus. So, I've been involved with Notes since R5 and a full time developer for the last several years. I am both self taught and IBM trained. I am officially an "IBM Certified Advanced Application Developer - Lotus Notes and Domino" for 7 and 8. I've attended Lotusphere 2008, Developer2008 and Lotusphere 2009. I completely feel that Lotusphere is THE best way to learn anything Lotus related.

Thanks for reading if you made it all the way here.