In the Beginning

      To start at the beginning…. My dream was to afford my first computer, simply to focus on creative writing. I knew of the word processors in the late 1990’s, and the computer was to be that answer to the prayers of the old typewriter, paper, and the much needed “White Out”. Strangely enough, my first use of a computer would be in a workplace, and using it for that business purpose, which all started out with spreadsheets. The biggest step was the starting out, and the learning process that lead me further from simply writing. Without going into details of what transpired more than a decade ago, I did finally own my first desktop, and later found the laptop a more intriguing tool to own. To be able to write anywhere was the biggest fantasy (since most inspirations happen anywhere than just at home). Later, I realized the computer was not only a communication tool for emails and internet surfing, but it became the ultimate office, and not just the office tool.

Since then, I have had the opportunities to experience networking, and every type of office tool I could acquire. Photography became another potential, along with cinematography and the social networking. I have had the greatest learning experiences with many hard lessons learned along the way, and still making this machine a simple source for creative writing is far away. The concept of making “How To” lessons in written form and video continues to be the obstacle and challenge that stands in the way. Much of it had to do with not having practical lessons to learn from. Through timing and economics, I found myself in the trucking and transportation business, and after seven years, owned the truck. Now, along with the machine as the concept of an office, the truck is the shelter and the true “office tool”.

My true love still remains the Toshiba Satellite, but after six years, the need for something(s) that require less power and more endurance in a truck lead me through an expensive search for the right machines. The netbooks became the best office yet. Netbooks were in the simplest form to be to for surfing the internet, emails, and  writing. They were not designed for gaming and may have been one shortfall that made their popularity come and go. The evolution to the basic consumer to have these machines from always slowing down over time lead to streaming, and chrome books. Much of the work a machine does now is shared over the internet, rather than the the computers own processor. Of course, these machines are still costly, so changing my own plan to keep up with the times is still not in the planning stages.

The netbooks (three to be exact) came into the plans to replace my “God like” office, the Toshiba Satellite, since they can run all the time and handle the bumps and rough environment of a semi truck, using less power, and stayed functional for office planning and services. The biggest success is that they also handled the extreme weather seasons well beyond my expectations. But it took three machines to replace the one Toshiba Satellite. The processors were just enough to run the same programs as one Toshiba Satellite, with the work load distributed amongst the three. In reality, it is the two machines I rely on most, an E-Machine, an unexpected “underdog” of netbooks, and my HP Mini, the office itself. The E-Machine is constantly on, and runs the GPS tracking of the truck in service, while the HP Mini does all the office works and planning, from outlook and email, to spreadsheets, scanning, printing, and the Driver’s Daily Log program.

Timely Investments

      The biggest investment still remain the development in my routines. I know the time to own a truck, and the future role of an Owner Operator is financially straining (not to mention the expenses and upkeep of an aging truck). It may have started with the main office program tool to be the spreadsheet, but Outlook, Word, and many third Party programs and services, such as Skype, all the messenger services, and that Driver’s Daily Log, all play the combined role of the operation. Verizon Wireless remains the connection and service provider, but the phone calls are still through the computer.

That routine keeps being a fight to master, since the daily tasks need to be done without fail, when it comes to recording loads, fuel and all other expenses, tracking mileage, and submitting completed paperwork. Focusing on the financial records keeping remains a challenge, and committing to Fridays as the time to focus on financial records remains a burden. The monthly process of backups and financial reporting also keeps falling short of this business development process. And then there is the need to keep progressing and advancing.

Production and Development

       Some of the side projects not relating to the trucking aspect of this business is actually the product development aspect, straying from the Spreadsheet mainstream and leading to Database programs and HTML website building. Databases have always been my main source for keeping a “permanent” record source, and building a database scheme of truck stops (safe havens), mechanic and other services, and note keeping, remains a project never really to be completed, but used as a main resource, and a possible product for future download, and even resale. That is long in even being presented, since the design makes sense only to me, but the concept of the program is easily seen. The biggest challenge is keeping up with the social needs, and building Apps to retrieve information may become an exercise in the near future.

Blogging itself remains another developing work in progress, that will never see no end. Currently, sharing the ideas in word was the initial mainstay, but adding visual and notary lines seem to be the next phase, taking me forwards and back to building a more attractive website focus.The website concept is not new, and is an ongoing attempt to keep a web address alive and possibly permanent. The reason for the importance of Blogging continues to be a source to be noticed, and brings me closer to the initial desire for computing. For now structured writing purposes and plans continue to command the keyboard, but it remains the dream to write fiction and adventure so long a passion in the makings.

Schemes and Brainstorming

      To grow and advance means an increasing investment of time along with money, and on a none existing budget, the work to improve, advance, and explore must also continue. The HP Mini cam with Windows7 Starter as the operating system, and it was recently upgraded to the Ultimate version.

The goal here was the exploration of a “Mini” server, for website development. The idea stems from my practices in building websites in the past, but only obtained when linking to the computer itself. In contrast to the world wide web as the public internet, the playground version of a mobile computer lead me to seek the realities of its smaller more elusive sister, the Intranet. It always had the limited application of privately building themes, not really shared. Now, the concept of making Intranets for business leads to the old Billboard concept, where a business would be able to advertise and inform from vehicles, where others could link to the vehicle through the explorer, by connecting to the local Wi-Fi router.

The daring role is to include video and product downloads. Streaming from a netbook might be too impractical, since that would rely on the netbooks processes, but a more advanced version, may make it a proposal worth exploring. It may become the unexplored form of business advertising of the future.

The Ongoing Learning Curve of Focus

      One of the last hurdles remains that goal and focus on what I call “switching gears”; going from driving the truck and all the routines involved, to then sitting back and returning to the development of computing and communicating. Driving a truck, and its demand for timely loads, along with the need to keep moving to afford the lifestyle is exhausting enough. But besides just shutting off the engine and focusing on the projects in development,I still see myself letting time pass when it comes to waiting to be loaded and unloaded, and those infrequent times when the vehicle breaks down. Time is indeed money, and it is also the period of ongoing development. I keep losing focus on that opportunity to sit down and return to those databases, website blogging, and other agendas. An unexpected tire blowout and other breakdowns seem to steal from those moments. It is like the mind goes blank. Realizing this is always an afterthought, and even now, there has to be a large amount of time to collect my thoughts and make a side plan to get other works done. Once I can master the ability of switching gears and keep a business day the main reason, I will have reached the milestone of moving towards more roles than simply driving a truck. This is important, since seven years ago, the trucking experience was supposed to be the theme and not the lifestyle it continues to be.

The Reputable Name

      In the very beginning I searched for partnerships. I never knew I would attempt any of this without some other person having their own agenda and purpose. That partnership search never transpired, and so the ongoing works continue to be that “One Man Show” structure. The financial end of the of this business already holds the naming of “The One Man Show Project”, and it is secondary to the whole structure of this business. It is time to let that name spill onto the initial roles of this monstrous undertaking. It was a fallacy to name the Blog site under such a name, but with the process and development still having momentum, I think using the name as the naming of the project in general will stay. With everything I have written, everything I plan to do, and even with all that continues to become the routine of routines, I actually think the naming is earned, and holds the best expression to the lifestyle I endure, and yes, even enjoy.

There is still so much to get done, while exploring to do more, and even looking back, a popcorn trail of work to needing to be revised. Business is business, where the focus is financial, but it also takes the intuition to make it worthy and interesting. It also needs to earn it’s place, since being a business from day one is the only “gift” acquired. Making it a reputable one becomes it’s own curse, lifestyle, and quest. But from beginning and until its ends, the best rewards is that it is mine.