7 posts from 2008

I joined Twitter

Karma - Through the law of karma, the effects of all deeds actively create past, present, and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain and joy it brings to him/her and others.

Luck - Luck is a chance happening, or that which happens beyond a person's control. Luck can be good or bad.

Ever say, "well if that's the worst thing that can happen?, then it's all downhill from here!" OR "I hope that’s all the bad luck we are going to have?"

Ya see, I was just about to close the laptop for the night and I spilled a whole cup of ice water all over the keyboard of the laptop.  I immediately pulled the power plug and flipped it over while turning off the power button. At least it was water and not coke (my normal drink). After gently shaking it to dispense the water out, I took it to the bathroom and used the hotel hair dryer on it. Then after some more shaking was almost satisfied I had all the big stuff out.  I wasn’t completely convinced so I placed it on the end table in front of the air conditioner for an hour.

While waiting for it to dry some more in front of the AC, I got a new cup of ice water and then knocked it over on to the alarm clock on the other end table by the bed. Ok, no more water for me tonight.

I crossed my fingers and turned the laptop back on and it booted. Everything seems ok.

So, if that’s the worst thing that can happen for this trip, I’m glad it's out of the way.

Arrived at my hotel in Miami and got settled in. I actually unpacked and used the dresser drawers since I’m here for 2 weeks.  Then drove down to the school (3 miles away) to make sure I knew where I was going in the morning. On the way back took note of all the Starbucks (one on every other corner), fast food, and especially any Chinese restaurants or buffets. 

Stopped and took pictures of the hotel, school, and found a fire station on the way. Also found St Augustine’s Catholic Church in case I can squeeze in a Mass. (doubt I will have time).

Grabbed dinner at Kyojin’s Japanese Buffet and came back to hotel to blog and crash early for the beginning of a long two weeks of intense studying.

Holiday Inn University of Miami

The Academy

Arrived at my hotel in Miami and got settled in. I actually unpacked and used the dresser drawers since I’m here for 2 weeks.  Then drove down to the school (3 miles away) to make sure I knew where I was going in the morning. On the way back took note of all the Starbucks (one on every other corner), fast food, and especially any Chinese restaurants or buffets. 

Stopped and took pictures of the hotel, school, and found a fire station on the way. Also found St Augustine’s Catholic Church in case I can squeeze in a Mass. (doubt I will have time).

Grabbed dinner at Kyojin’s Japanese Buffet and came back to hotel to blog and crash early for the beginning of a long two weeks of intense studying.

Holiday Inn University of Miami

The Academy

Arrived at my hotel in Miami and got settled in. I actually unpacked and used the dresser drawers since I’m here for 2 weeks.  Then drove down to the school (3 miles away) to make sure I knew where I was going in the morning. On the way back took note of all the Starbucks (one on every other corner), fast food, and especially any Chinese restaurants or buffets. 

Stopped and took pictures of the hotel, school, and found a fire station on the way. Also found St Augustine’s Catholic Church in case I can squeeze in a Mass. (doubt I will have time).

Grabbed dinner at Kyojin’s Japanese Buffet and came back to hotel to blog and crash early for the beginning of a long two weeks of intense studying.

Holiday Inn University of Miami

The Academy

If you are ever in Miami, just down the street from the University of Miami, there is a Japanese buffet on South Dixie Hwy (US1), you have got to try.  Kyojin Japanese Buffet.  It was my first sushi buffet experience.  And a close second to my best sushi experience.

I walked in expecting the normal, at least for me the normal is a Chinese buffet with poor sushi. This was the opposite. Kyojin has over 60 items of fantastic sushi and a few items of Chinese (Hot Food). And they do offer the traditional Hibachi Grill that cooks to order if you don’t mind waiting.

My second thought was, ok looks good but is it? The sushi was to die for. My favorite was the pan seared Tuna Takaki. The portions of Tuna and Salmon nigiri sushi were large and of fine grade on and off rice. There were over a dozen slices of various sashimi.  And over 40 different sushi rolls.  My favorite, which I came back for over twice, was the dynamite roll with crab meat and some kind of sauce.  I think I had almost one piece of everything accept squid and may be on or two other unidentifiables I don’t care for.

My other favorite for the night was on the Hot Food buffet. Crusty Tempura Shrimp. The best tempura I have ever had.  There was also a seafood buffet with crab, shrimp, muscles, and oysters.   

Price is a little higher than I am used to for a buffet.  $21.00 a person – all you can eat everything. And I did.  Compared to the sushi I eat back home, I ate over $60.00 in sushi.   The only bad thing, I left in pain from eating way too much food. I never even made it to the desert bar.

 Service staff was excellent, filling glasses before you could ask and whisking away finished plates. Not only very polite, but thoughtful. My waitress (without asking) brought me hot butter and a pair of crab pliers as soon as I sat down with crab legs.

For me, “The Ultimate Sushi Experience”

Kyojin

6212 S. Dixie Hwy (US1)

South Miami, FL 33143

305-722-1888

While I am not working (still on the hunt for a new job); I’m taking the time to go to a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer 2003 Security+ Training Boot Camp.

I have my MCP for 2000 and my Network+ but I never finished and got my MCSE. So I have deiced to use a boot camp to finish up. Plus it makes the resume look prettier. After that I am going to come home and knock out Cisco CCNA with the home study video kit I have had.

Now some are against boot camps because they are designed for only getting you to pass the 7 tests and get your MCSE. Without experience, you become a “Paper MCSE”. But I am not someone looking for a career change that has never seen a server. I have 10 years of hands on experience administrating windows NT, 2000, and 2003 servers and I went to college for 2 years for Network Engineering and Database Administration (but the college did not push the tests for certification) so I feel that this is just a chance to brush up and get the certification to prove my experience and worth as a real MCSE. And it is becoming apparent that I need that on my resume to get an interview. Things have changed and job descriptions are now making MCSE a minimum requirement instead of a desired one. CCNA /CCNP as well along with a 4 year degree, which I don’t have either.

Its going to be an intense two weeks of long days and even though the school boosts a 95% success rate I know for a fact talking to former attendees that is only the 4 out of 5 that stay till the end and pass with an MCSE.. Not including the 25 the class started with but dropped out.  Which is more like a 10% success rate.

So we will see if I can hack it and if I can make it. I have to thank my father for picking up the tab (he says I am spending my inheritance early).

The camp is in Miami. Here is the link for the interested.  The Academy