Day 9 - Windows... will the updates never cease???

There was much excitement this morning when a parcel arrived at our house... Well, much excitement from me as the parcel was for me and contained my brand new laptop! YAY! So off I went, doing a minimum of chores as possible, so I could unpack my new toy and get it up and running.

Then Micro$oft interfered... slowly at first, but then with full force. All went smoothly (on the most part... Office was a bit stubborn...)  *until* it came time to patch the system. Yep, to run Windows Update. Now, there are always going to be updates regardless of how new the machine, that's just the way Microsoft works (or, can be argued, doesn't...)

So, 79 important updates and a few optionals.

"Fine - go for it!" I said.

"Nope, sorry. Can't install all 79 updates at the same time, but I didn't tell you that and I'm not going to tell you now which ones go with which!" said Windows.

Fine. Just dandy. Thanks Bill. Why didn't I buy a Mac, or better yet install Linux...

But I persisted. Cautiously installing 1 update at a time at first, and then a few at a time... and after about 7 hours (no exaggeration!) I had all the updates - important and optional - installed and had rebooted my laptop more times than a brand new laptop should be rebooted on its first outing...

And I'm an IT Consultant. Not an incompetent one either - incase you were starting to have doubts... So how do you non-IT types cope with your Windows PCs???

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Day 1 - Back to the Books

I have been fumbling around for ages now trying to figure out what I *really* want to do when I grow up. I really found myself at a loss and quite distressed - growing up I always knew exactly what I wanted to be. Of course, whatever it was could change on a daily basis... But at least there was *something* I knew I wanted to be.

Now, a thirty-something mum of two, who kept a vague contact with the IT industry through a bit of consulting work while being a stay-at-home mum, I am ready to get back to the workforce. The kids are both at school (prep & year 2 this year) so I have time to get back to 'me' - and 'me' wants to get back to working. "Use it or lose it" - as they say - is so very, very true.

I considered retraining and changing industries completely, or staying in IT but focusing in Project Management with a view to becoming a Program Manager. I was moving into PM work before I had the kids. But none of that was quite the right fit... In searches for courses and jobs ni the IT industry, network security occasionally popped up. That area sort of simmered in the back of my mind as I continued to research postgrad courses and career paths.

Then I started to look at security stuff - just a peek. I got more and more intrigued and more and more fascinated. Then forensics popped up. Bingo! I found my little niche in the world of computers. I found what I *really* wanted to do! So I'm officially back to studying security and working my way towards a career in forensics. And I'm having a ball!

It is so liberating; such a relief to *finally* figure out what I want to do when I grow up! And as a bonus I get a new laptop as my current one just can't keep up ;-)

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