WPToronto Meetup First Meeting
I would have to say that our first meeting was a rousing success.
I left home about an hour before the scheduled meeting was to start. Most people who know me also know I often get lost, sometimes by chance often by choice as I like to check out new places and areas. One of the best ways to learn a little about an area is to start by getting lost in it.
I arrived at High Park about 30 minutes later. I do not recall being inside the park but I am sure I have been there before … maybe. I drove up Colborne Lodge Drive as the Google map showed a fairly easy and clear route to the Grenadier Restaurant in the middle of the park. Less than five minutes later, about a quarter of the way in, the northbound side of the road ended?! Having reviewed maps of the area (and having a print out with me) I thought … No problem, I will just go a little further east and take Parkside Drive and enter the park from the east side.
I drove out of the park; turned left on The Queensway; and, headed east looking for Parkside … I didn’t see it. I chose Sunnyside Avenue and headed north thinking I can turn around somewhere and head back west looking for Parkside … or some other route into the park. I drove around the block that St. Joseph’s Health Centre sits on and ended back on The Queensway heading west. I found Parkside … as I drove over its underpass.
No worries, I thought to myself, I will just drive back to Colborne Lodge Drive turn south and head back along Lakeshore Blvd W to Parkside and be on my way … it was closed for construction to eastbound traffic. I believed at this point I had managed the lost phenomenon! I drove a little further east along Lakeshore and there was a turn-around to head back west, which I took; and, as I was heading west trying to sort out the next approach I saw that Parkside was open to westbound traffic and proceeded north to High Park Blvd.
I entered the park and arrived at our meeting place at just before 1:45PM … this was a truly great starting experience. I got lost(?) and I still arrived early. I walked into the restaurant and looked around. It was busy. Lots of people in the park and a good deal taking advantage of the restaurant’s good food and warmth. I did not see any particular person or group that looked like our Meetup members immediately so I started walking through the restaurant looking for a potentially familiar face, or sign. I notice there was a more formal dining area, still causal, but a maitre’d podium with a “Please wait to be seated” sign drew me closer.
Craig Taylor, the organizer, was waiting to be seated … and so we began. We were followed by five more people and the meeting lasted for well over two hours. We discussed various WordPress related topics and sorted out some ideals for future meetings. The attendees (in an order following how we were seated around the table):
- Craig Taylor
- Chris O’Brien
- Martin H
- Joel but you can call me Joe
- Joel’s +1 (my apologies for not getting your information for this post)
- Alex Frakking
- Daria Sukman
- Edward Caissie
To join the group, just follow this link: http://www.meetup.com/WPToronto/
WPToronto Meetup
I just stopped in at Meetup.com to see what was new. I am happy to see a new post on The Toronto WordPress Meetup Group Message Board. Craig Taylor, the organizer, has managed to gain a nice shorter URL to link with: http://www.meetup.com/WPToronto.
Also, as a reminder, the first meeting of The Toronto WordPress Meetup Group is scheduled for this Saturday (Jan 23, 2010) at 2:00 PM. We will be meeting at the VSP Grenadier Cafe in High Park.
There will also be an announcement, for members only, regarding the upcoming WordCamp Toronto in March 2010, too.
Forty-Four
I am looking out at the horizon of my forty-fifth year, writing from the intersection of first and forty-fourth; or in other words, my first birthday blog post on my forty-fourth birthday.
I have looked at today as my New Year’s Day for longer than I can remember. There have been years I was introspective; some years were open and exciting; other years passed uneventfully; but, this year … this year starts a new decade!
I see myself continuing in my works with WordPress. I find it interesting; I enjoy delving into and explore its functionality; and, I see it as something to transition with into the future.
I plan to get back to writing, too. Maybe just more blogging, or maybe I will get to that book I have always dreamed of penning.
The imagination is a remarkable place, one without boundaries, waiting to be explored. A great story is only the road map to get you started.
Some interesting items to note from January 14, 1966:
- It was a Friday.
- It was celebrated as New Year’s Day by those following the Julian calendar.
- French-born American Trappist monk Thomas Merton wrote in a letter: “The best way to solve the problem of rendering to Caesar what is Caesar’s is to have nothing that is Caesar’s.”
- David Bowie released his first record (Can’t Help Thinking About Me)
Toronto WordPress Meetup
The Toronto WordPress Meetup Group will be holding its inaugural meeting January 23, 2010 (2:00pm) at the VSP Grenadier Cafe in High Park.
I am suggesting the twitter hash tags: #wpto (WordPress Toronto) and/or #wptomu (WordPress Toronto Meetup) for following …
Suite101.com Tagline Contest
Just a quick little post …
Follow the link below to a SurveyMonkey page and start the process of entering the contest: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XYTRJCM
Read the rules; accept the terms; and, be creative.
I submitted:
Well Written. Well Read.
WordCamp Toronto 2010
WordCamp Toronto 2010 is scheduled for March 27 & 28, 2010. I’m looking forward to this one, especially since I found out yesterday rather than the day before the event like I have the past two camps.
This WordCamp is being held at the Centennial College Student Centre
941 Progress Avenue (e. of Markham Rd. and s. of Hwy. 401)
Toronto, ON, M1G 3T8, CANADA!
Here is a short link for sharing the location: http://tinyurl.com/wcto2010map (opens a Google map)
From the WordCamp web site:
WordCamp is a conference that focuses on everything WordPress. WordCamps are informal, community-organized events that are put together by WordPress users like you. Everyone from casual users to core developers participate, share ideas, and get to know each other. WordCamps are open to WordPress.com and WordPress.org users alike.
I plan on attending this year’s WordCamp Toronto, are you?
Happy New Year 2010
I am sitting here at my desk, writing in the quiet of my thoughts. This is when I take time to reflect on the past year and consider the year ahead. My new year’s ritual.
First, I do not make New Year’s resolutions. I do not feel it necessary to wait for a specific day to make a change in my life, or start a new venture, or … live.
It was in May of this year that I decided to start developing and designing with WordPress. I had been blogging for a few years; I like to work with graphics; I enjoy resolving issues with web sites; and, WordPress was an accessible platform. It seemed a natural progression to actually focus my attention on it and get to work becoming part of the community.
June 4, 2009 was my WordPress New Year’s day. That was the day I saw the WordPress Themes Team approve my popular Desk Mess Mirrored theme. I still use it at BuyNowShop.com the site I use for focused WordPress related activities. August 15, 2009 I committed my first plugin to the WordPress Plugins repository. BNS Login is used on every blog I manage, and I have even incorporated it into a couple of themes, too.
As I look back and see what I have accomplished with WordPress this past year, five publicly available themes and seven publicly available plugins, I can only look forward and believe there is more.
There is more that can be done.
There is more that will be done.
There is more I will do!
That is not a resolution, resolutions can be broken.
That is a promise, and promises I do not break.
Happy Holidays 2009
Merry Christmas!
… and thanks to those artists celebrated with Google logos
Popeye Creator’s Birthday
I love Google doodles, really I do. Today, Google Canada presented one that is another childhood reminder. Today they celebrated E.C. Segar’s birthday, the creator of the Popeye comic strip character.
Here is the doodle:
… and here is a bit from wikipedia:
Evening American Managing editor William Curley thought Segar could succeed in New York, so he sent him to King Features Syndicate, where Segar worked for many years. He began by drawing Thimble Theatre for the New York Journal. The strip made its debut on December 19, 1919, featuring the characters Olive Oyl, Castor Oyl and Horace Hamgravy, whose name was quickly shortened in the strip to simply “Ham Gravy”. They were the strip’s leads for about a decade. In January 1929, when Castor Oyl needed a mariner to navigate his ship to Dice Island, Castor picked up an old salt down by the docks named Popeye. Popeye’s first line in the strip, upon being asked if he was a sailor, was “‘Ja think I’m a cowboy?” The character stole the show and became the permanent star. Some of the other notable characters Segar created include J. Wellington Wimpy and Eugene the Jeep.
Wikipedia
Recognition
Recognition for ones contributions is always a reward in itself.
I like to spend time on the WordPress Support forums helping where I can. Some days I’m able to offer a tip, or a suggestion, or a bit of advice; other days I am learning from what I read. I do what I can to contribute to the community and I was greatly pleased to see it recognized … as well as seeing all the other great people that volunteer their time and efforts on the Support forums receiving recognition for their efforts, too.
The following is an excerpt from the blog post “A Little Support?” at WordPress.org:
The Honor Roll
These people are not official moderators, but their knowledge and activity levels have caught the attention of those who are. A big round of thanks to these folks for selflessly sharing their knowledge with other WordPress users.Most active volunteers, nominated by more than one official moderator for recognition (for the reasons given):
alchymyth – “Overall knowledge”
apljdi – “Overall knowledge and programming skills”
t31os_ – “Programming skills”
whooami – “For her security responses” “Knows her stuff”Generally active volunteers, nominated by official moderators for recognition:
esmi, ClaytonJames, numeeja, stvwlf, buddhatrance, songdogtech, alism, alchymyth, Ipstenu, RVoodoo, jdingman, kmessinger, ArnoldGoodway, Shane G., figaro, jonimueller, blepoxp, cais, mfields, designdolphin, doc4, greenshady, mercime, mrmist, bh_WP_fan , henkholland, krembo99, jdembowski, pboosten, adiant, andrea_r, GDHosting, Gangleri.Some newcomers who’ve been getting active:
a_johnson, equalmark, WebTechGlobal, kymac.
Posted November 30, 2009 by Jane Wells.
Thank you to all those mentioned above, the list is by no means exhaustive …
