Hello readers!  I don’t have a particular topic ready to blog about, but I thought I would just chat and share a general status.

As usual, I am up early on a Sunday morning. I have always been an early bird. I generally wake up at 5 a.m. every morning. I also have a “talent” of being able to fall asleep instantly if it’s past 7 p.m.  I typically get 8-9 hours of sleep each night, and never less than 7 hours. I like my sleep!

Anyway, life’s been extra wonderful lately because my daughter Sarah (who lives in Amsterdam) is in the U.S. for a couple of months. She is attending an 8-week course at the New York Film Academy in Burbank, California, where she is getting some great instruction and hands-on experience in film making.  My husband and I are so excited for her, and also happy to spend time with her.

My current job is remote, but I often have to be in Southern California.  Since Sarah was going to be here too, I booked a hotel room for all 3 of us at a Hilton Embassy Suites in Los Angeles. We enjoy the complimentary breakfast together each morning, and we sometimes sit and enjoy the complimentary drinks and snacks at the daily happy hour.

I will miss both Sarah and my husband when I am away next week.  Tomorrow I am taking an Amtrak train to San Diego and hosting a 3-day JAD (Joint Application Development) session with my stakeholders.  I will be explaining what user stories are and how they relate to functional and non-functional requirements. My team and I will then review and get their input on 100 user stories, which map to 1,000 requirements. It’s not the most exciting work, but I feel like it’s valuable, and I feel confident that my presentation and working sessions will go well.

I am taking today off to enjoy my time with my family.  Time for breakfast now, so see you later!