Let it Begin

This has been a big week for me. Office 365 moved from beta to "live", I officially started training for my first marathon, and I'm starting my blog. This is clearly an indication I need to get out more.

Let me explain who I am and why these things are such a big deal. My name is Allan Tobey and I work on computers for a living, otherwise known as a "Geek". I'm a Senior Systems Engineer (consultant) and have been in the field for 16 years. I've done a wide range of things but the past few years I've specialized in Exchange (email) and "Cloud Computing". What is second nature to me on the computer most people think is amazing. But don't be too impressed, if you did something everyday for 16 years you would look pretty amazing to the average person too. Office 365 is Microsoft's latest installment of "Cloud Computing" technology that will revolutionize how companies deal with their IT needs.

I'm also a runner. I started out as a casual runner about 4 years ago and hated it. I would run 1-2 miles on the treadmill during lunch just for exercise. I was slow it was torturous. But I stuck with it. A couple years ago I no longer had a treadmill I could use so I started running outside and began to enjoy it. One and half years ago I progressed from casual to serious runner. I wasn't fast and I still couldn't run very far, but I was gradually increasing my mileage and going out 3-4 times a week. I enjoyed pushing myself and the sense of accomplishment when I got done. I started to feel better and I found I was dealing with stress better. I was hooked. In January of 2011 I signed up for the Grand Rapids 25 K River Bank Run in May and the Grand Rapids Marathon in October. I completed the 25 K and I'm looking forward to my first marathon in October.

I also really enjoy photography. To say I'm a photographer might be a stretch, but I am trying. I became interested in the technical side of it. I can talk aperture, ISO, and shutter speed with the best of them, but I struggle with the creative side of photography. Sometimes I'm even challenged with the basics, like focus. I can take a whole bunch of pictures and end up with only a few in sharp focus. I scratch my head and wonder what happened. How hard can it be with an expensive camera that has auto-focus. Nevertheless, I persist and keep trying to improve. My wife, Cindy Tobey, is an amazing artist and is also a writer\designer for a scrapbooking magazine. She's been able to help me a lot with my shooting. She is also constantly pulling from our pool of photos for layouts in the magazine. Because of this I've had many photographs published, and even had one on a magazine cover. Now I'm trying to achieve consistency and creativity in my shots.

Life is full. That is what makes it exciting. I'm always striving to improve in the things I do, that's what pushes me forward. During this journey of improvement and growth I'll share the things I learn, the victories, and the blunders. Whatever happens I know it will be fun. I'll even share a lame joke once in a while, after all, that's what geeks do.