Day 178: What a scenery!

We were driving home from shopping center. I suddenly noticed how great sky was looking: like some kind of ray of light in the middle of the clouds. Luckily I have my pocket camera with me. So happy to have at least some kind of photo of that beautiful scenery.

Day 177: Icy window!

Yes - now we really have winter. Actually today we had winter storm: lot of snow and really heavy and cold wind. Traffic  was jammed in Helsinki - I had problems to go from work to bus station. When looking around I saw many buses with icy windows. They looked actually quite great. This picture I took from bus next to my bus through window. Little creepy - isn't it.

Day 176: Snow!

Now we can talk about snowing. Now there really is snow and it has been forecasted that snowing continues. We will finally have winter! So happy!

Day 175: Snow?

It was forecasted that snowing starts and there will be many centimeters snow. Bah - say I. There is snow if you look carefully enough. So disappointed! Photo taken from little window in my city home.

Day 174: Healthy life - here I come!

Early warning has made me really thinking to do something. I have the feeling that I am not actually making decision - I am just facing reality. Healthy life - here I come. These grapes are one evidence for that. I don't want to have heart attach this young!

Day 173: Hourglass!

I have been wondering where the days have gone. How can my children already be grownups and my parents so old. I am not feeling myself so old - even having "heartbreaks". But yes - time is running all the time. This hourglass is showing that very concretely.

Day 172: Squirrel!

Last winter we had several squirrels in our back yard eating nuts we were offering for birds. This year we changed the place where are offering nuts so that squirrels wouldn't come and disturb birds. But still - there was one squirrel in our teracce. Maybe it was eating something birds had dropped down but I really hope that this year these nice looking animals are not bothering birds! Note that this guy already had his winter coat on.

Day 171: Blackbird in our back yard!

Last winter during Xmas time we first time ever saw blackbird in our backyard. And yes - he is back. I am so happy to see other birds than tits only in our feeding area.

Day 170: Grey-aholic!

I have few favorite tv series which I follow. Like C.S.I (the original - but so fun of the others) and Numb3rs (so sorry that they stopped that after 6 seasons). But I am really hooked with Grey's Anatomy. I am like a Grey-aholic!

Day 169: Make a note!

James Bach told once that he always has little note book with him. He makes notes about problems, solutions, issues and stuff like that. I decided to try that also and so - I am happy to present my "take a testing note" note book. My little black book! I seem to take my job very seriously - don't I. Once a workaholic, always a workaholic.

Day 168: Heart attack?

This is not funny. I had serious chest pain today and doctors where doubtful whether it is heart attach or something else. Didn't I just yesterday decided to start new healthier life and now this? I was very afraid. But luckily it turned out to be something else - what else that I don't know yet. But yes - early warning received. I really need to do something for my height issue.

Day 167: Healthy life!

Today I decided to start - once again - healthier life style. I don't know how many times I have made this decision but as said - once again I decided to do something. I have serious height problem - I am far too short for my weight. (But doctors keep saying that I have serious weight problem - I am far too heave for my 167 centimeters).

But, decision made and this was my evening snack. Looks delicious - or not. This is serious diet food!

Day 166: Ready for action!

Now I am ready for photoing birds in our feeding area when ever birds are there and I am on the other side of window during daylight.

Day 165: Xmas is coming!

How you know that Xmas is coming? In our back yard one sign are Christmas lights. And in living room - that sign I told already yesterday.

Day 164: Panic!

Xmas is coming and I am busy with creating presents. I have occupied our living room - me and my yarns. There is lot to do since there are only five weeks left to do that all. Panic!

Day 163: Follow your dream!

I have dreams - a lot of dreams. Following them is not always easy but I have manage to do quite well.

Day 162: Me and Marimekko!

I am Marimekko-aholic. These are my Marimekko bags in my city home. I have lot more in Naantali. And one in work place.

Day 161: Always learning!

This is from book which I have been reading a lot. It is one of my favorite in area of testing. Now I finally have some explanation why I am studying all the time - I want to be a good tester. (Maybe I should rethink my current position as method expert and start looking for open vacancies for testers...)

Book is "Lessons Learned in Software Testing" by Cem Kaner, James Bach and Bret Pettichord.

Day 160: Cards, cards, cards!

This evening I wrote 16 postcrossing cards! Sixteen! Ten for my profile soikka and six for soikkis.  Some might think why I have two accounts/profiles. It is so nice to come home from work and find card or two, or if lucky, many cards in floor when opening corridor door. And then - when going back to Naantali, there are others waiting for me. Nowadays we do so that my dear husband scans every card and send them to me so that I can register them without delay.

I really like this hobby. I have learned a lot, like what is Ural Owl in Finnish (viirupöllö) or in Estonian (händkakk). And so much about geography!

Day 159: One sexy bird!

I can't help having this odd mental image when looking this photo. For me it looks like that one sexy bird is getting ready for pole dance.

Day 158: My best friend during this weekend!

Yes - indeed. I have had headache starting from Thursday afternoon. I visited doctor Friday but he couldn't help me. He didn't manage to find anything "wrong with me" and said: if headache continues, take painkillers. And I have done that - this little vial has been my best friend during this weekend.

Day 157: I am busy!

Maybe I should rethink what kind of work I would like to do. Even I love to read a lot about testing,  software development and so on - I love more to create things with my own hands. And just now I have lot going on simultaneously. Even not all of them are in this photo since some of them are in Helsinki.

Day 156: I got it!

As said - I love to watch birds. Watch and photo. Now when we have started "the winter feeding" season I have possibility - on those days when remote working here in Naantali - to photo birds visiting our bird feeders. So far I have only seen blue tits (as in this photo and in yesterday's post) and great tits but looking forward also for other species.

Day 155: Time to exercise!

I had very busy day but during lunch I manage to photo blue tit exercising while another one was eating. I like this photo! Even I know as fact that blue tit is not exercising, I got the mental image - he is exercising. Maybe he is also dieting...

Day 154: Home!

Time to go home. This time by bus. Photo was taken in Kamppi. Bus has not arrived yet but I am anxious - it is Wednesday and I will be remote working rest of the week. And I got the ticket with 2 euros!

Day 153: Open?

Three openers: two for doors - also known as keys -  and one for bottles. I have no idea when I have last time used bottle opener so that is not the key element in this set. But is it giving wrong impression of me: the lady with bottle opener - hmm - she must drink a lot.

Day 152: Wanna-be-something!

My youngest daughter has always said to me that I wanna-be Roland - meaning that I am trying to be as good photographer as Roland. Or I have big dreams but no possibilities to achieve my dream. Or something like that.

Today I visited stand-up night where 7 wanna-be-stand-up-comedians were giving their best at the stage. Not at all bad performance - sometimes I really enjoyed - sometimes I felt sorry and sometime I was abashed: is it okay to laugh for this. But new field of art for me and cultural experience with shock effect. And what else to do on rainy Monday evening...

But the reason why I visited there was this one wanna-be, "business executive Ullgrén" as he was presented. Husband of my colleague and after all - not so bad at all. I really laughed for his story about how similar drag business and IT business is. I don't know whether that really works in English but in Finnish, it was quite good.

Day 151: Could be better!

Me and my husband went for a short walk today. I was hopeful - I might be able to photo some birds since it was quite nice weather. But not so lucky - have to say. All birds were so quick and busy that they didn't have time to stop to be photoed. Except this one blackbird. Only three photos and this is the best of those. Focus is not in the bird so I think this could be better but on the other hand, it is quite nice as it is.

Day 150: Don't wake me up!

Today we visited Helsinki Zoo (Korkeasaari in Finnish).  Last time we did that was many many years ago when we one summer spent three days here in Helsinki with my daughters.

Weather was not best possible but at least it was not raining. I have always thought that wild cats (tigers and lions) are more active when it is not so hot. But bah - this guy was sleeping. "Don't wake me up" - that was the message.

But actually this guy was bluffing us. Immediately after I photoed him he got up and started to stare at me. Or perhaps he was looking me angry "You did wake me up!"

Day 149: Happy Halloween!

My husband had made some shopping while I was working. And this is what we ate with coffee. Happy Halloween! No diet food - not at all.

Day 148: Visitor!

I have a visitor here in Helsinki. Me and my husband we decided to spend yet another weekend here in Helsinki. Last time it was when there was this concert of Vesa-Matti Loiri. Since I don't have TV here he spends his time reading - but actually that is what he is doing even at home. So no big difference are we in Naantali or in Helsinki. Books are everywhere!

Day 147: Past my bedtime?

Well - there are evenings when I do something so intensive that I totally forget to check the time. This evening I was reading my newest work related book "Agile Testing" and then suddenly I realize that it is far past my bedtime.

Day 146: NO!!!!!

I have quite old laptop in my Helsinki home. And yes - it has been little bit unstable lately but this is something I don't like to see on the screen. Not at all!

I can't afford new laptop now. But if this keep happening I don't have options: I have to buy new laptop. I can live without TV but without computer - NO!

Day 145: Like a preacher!

I spend whole day listening James Bach. Course was "Critical Thinking for Software Testers" and yes - lessons learned - I am not as critical thinker as I have thought. This course was worth of every cent paid. I learned a lot and enjoyed every minute. Even I felt myself really stupid from time to time when James was putting some pressure on me and I managed to get speechless. But I think that was the way to do it. Actually it is quite pity that I am no longer working as tester. Should I once again rethink what I want to do when I get older?

Day 144: Sock - really?

I am more and more wondering whether the result will be anything like sock. At this point this is more like a rocket than a sock.

Day 143: Wintry view!

I can't believe this - it is not even November and we have so beautiful wintry scenery already! Unfortunately, like our neighbor said, it won't last. At least according to weather forecasts. But let's enjoy as long as it is here. This is wintry nature at best. It can't be more beautiful - or can it. That we will see during following months.

Day 142: Snowing!

Yes - it is snowing. Snow is covering the landscape - also roads. I love snow. I do. I don't know why but I really do! I would not like to live any country missing winter season

Day 141: Sign?

Once again - working late. Very busy with this project - feeling stressed and tired. I had worked already almost 12 hours and finally decided to leave. And what happened - the most important map which I need daily - it falls and all papers spread out and mixed up. Could this be a sign: I am not working efficient enough or I have work too much?

Day 140: Guru!

Even I am very busy in work I decided to participate discussion dinner about "Specifications by examples". Actually I made the decision about two hour before dinner started. And I had no idea that I will be sitting in the same table with one of the testing gurus - James Bach. This was good reason to have photo taken of me - even I don't like that at all. What level a vanity - to be photoed with James Bach making my day!

Day 139: How do you think like a tester?

Well - that I try to figure out. How do you think like a tester? Especially now when I am no longer tester but methods expert working with testing methods. Luckily there is lot of material available to read - I love to read and learn. One of my favorite material (and also material for course I am participating next week) is this by James Bach and Michael Bolton. I have already participated course "Rapid Software Testing" with Michael Bolton and this time it will be James Bach teaching me "Critical Thinking for Software Tester". Looking forward for that! Those two guys are gurus in testing business.

Day 138: Bedtime!

When I have to woke up about 5 next morning that means early bedtime for me. I am like little child: I need lot of sleep - otherwise I'll be really cranky! Even more than usually...

Day 137: More progress!

Now there is more progress in my project "Toe-Up-2-at-a-time". But I am now really wondering will the result be actually two socks or something else!

Day 136:Cheese!

I love cheese! I could eat cheese every day - actually I am eating but not with saltine cracker. But I can't imagine better snack than cheese and saltine cracker. No diet food - I know!

Day 135: In progress!

My project "Toe-Up-2-at-a-time" has not progressed very fast. But some progress can be seen.

Day 134: Dark and rainy evening!

I am very busy at the moment. Our project deadline is soon and I have lot to do. This night I was walking home about 8 PM in dark and rainy evening. But when looking this photo it is not so bad at all.

Day 133: Visitors from Sweden!

Managers in my unit where having meeting here in Helsinki and therefore we had two visitors from Sweden: Ulriqa and Johan - sitting in upper left corner. And Johan had had his 40 birthday about month ago and we were eating cake for that. In our unit there are three teams and in two other teams there is only one Finn but in my team - we are four plus manager.

Day 132: What is inside my bag?

The content of my bag is very much depending where I am, where I am going to be and what I am going to do. But perhaps this is not the normal stuff who are having with you when sitting in theater. It is not so clear but yes - there is book in my bag! I was reading it during half time. And camera - of course - for documenting this.

Day 131: Young drivers!

Yesterday with real car and today by video game... Oh these young drivers: never getting enough of driving!

Day 130: Look!

I must be quite old since my youngest one has driving license. In Finland you have to be 18 years old to get one. But I am still pretty proud of my girl: she drove our car with automatic transmission without pushing brake instead of clutch - which I did during my first drive!