OBX Sandbars and Board Shorts Day Seven: Total Tourists

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obx_foj13_d7_23After two full days on the beach and an awesome evening of fireworks, it was time for a recovery day. Sort of. Welcome to day seven on the Outer Banks, Friday, July 5. We were going to be tourists today, and there’s nothing wrong with that. On Monday, we did a day trip to Ocracoke and Hatteras Island, which was a great time despite the rain. It was time to check off a few of those attractions that you always drive by, but never go to. Today was our day. Continue reading →

OBX Sandbars and Board Shorts Day Five: Bikes and Beach

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obx_foj13_d5_02We’re on day five of our week on the Outer Banks. On Wednesday, July 3 the weather finally cooperated with us to get to the beach for an extended amount of time. First, the family enjoyed a bike ride in Kill Devil Hills.

Merri Beth recently added a child seat on her bike and we brought our bikes with us from Raleigh. I added the “Alley Cat” bike extender to my bike for Zander. MB had Coco, while I had Zander and we were off on the bikes. Continue reading →

OBX Sandbars and Board Shorts Day Four: Taco Tuesday

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obx_foj13_d4_12Not only was it Taco Tuesday on day four of our OBX beach week, but it was “Work From OBX” day. On Tuesday, July 2, Merri Beth and I were working remote and getting stuff done. Red Hat is great that way. I have the ability to work remote and still operate pretty smoothly with my team. My mom had today off and needed to run some errands. Zander tagged along with her. Continue reading →

OBX Sandbars and Board Shorts Day One: Stormy Shrimp

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Surf check at First Street

Surf check at First Street

We arrived on the Outer Banks on Friday, June 28, after a three hour drive from Raleigh. We unpacked the Jeep, settled in, and watched a nasty round of evening storms pass through.

On Saturday morning, we were eager to hit the beach, but the weather was not cooperating. When I woke up at 6:30am, it was raining, so I rolled over and went back to sleep. As the rest of the family got their day started, Zander and I went up to NY Bagel to grab some breakfast for everyone. After that, we started making plans for the day, trying to anticipate what the weather would do and plan around it. Continue reading →

In the News, Sporting my Red Hat

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Image courtesy of Russ Stephenson

Image courtesy of Russ Stephenson

“Raleigh is a great place to call home” said Jim Whitehurst, CEO of Red Hat. Whitehurst led off as dignitaries from all levels of North Carolina government spoke at the ribbon cutting ceremony held at Red Hat Tower on Monday, June 24, 2013.

Governor Pat McCory thanked Red Hat for their commitment to the urban core. Chairman of the Wake County Commissioners, Joe Bryan, highlighted the need for a grocery story in downtown Raleigh. After talking with a few Red Hat associates who live near downtown, Bryan took the opportunity to talk about improving the quality of life for downtown to attract more companies like Red Hat. Continue reading →

3 Years of Solar Power (PV) Generation

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solar_0021On July 2, 2010, the photo voltaic system installed on our roof by Southern Energy Management that included 18 solar panels was turned on. We finally started generating renewable energy. I looked at the project as a long-term investment, not a quick way to make money. But overall, the right thing to do for the environment.

I was inspired by Thomas S. Friedman’s Hot Flat and Crowded. In the book, he says that there should be solar panels on every rooftop in America. So we found a great company to partner with and we did our part. Not quite an early adopter, but jumping on the  bandwagon.

I get a lot of questions about how much the system costs and how it works. It seems like a good time to share this information (as I’ve been meaning to for a long time). Plus, I saw a post that June was solar energy month in NC and decided to share our story. Continue reading →

Now available on Lulu and Amazon: The foundation for an open source city

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Open Source City stickerIt’s time for another update from my recently self-published book, The foundation for an open source city. First, an excerpt from Chapter one, a section called “The five elements of an open source city” which is the essence of the book and the framework for how to start an open government movement in your city. Then, a brief update on how sales of the book are going and a chance for you to add your review.

The five elements of an open source city

How can you apply the concepts of open source to a living, breathing city? An open source city is a blend of open culture, open government policies, and economic development. Continue reading →