Android has been in the back of my mind ever since I bought my last batch of books on Mobile development. It's very interesting and I look forward to going back to it.
Programming my C library has taken centre stage really. I've put together a bunch of routines that should make any project I want to start, a little easier. The great thing about this little project is that I've been able to learn how automake, autoconf and libtool to generate and build my library. There's more to know but I'm content with it building my library and running my tests. Tests, ah that's another concept that I've really begun to appreciate ever since reading Martin Fowler's "Clean Code": my library is interrogated any which way with tests that inspect that the functionality doesn't change if I make modifications to the code. I define the test, what it should be able to do and then I run these tests everything I make changes. I now make many many changes without thinking what will be affected...the tests will tell me what now doesn't work. So that's testing, it's a revolution for me. C library I also bought 3 books to learn a new windows presentation API called WPF. I've not given time to appreciate this new approach to writing Windows User Interfaces. It will eventually supersede the model I'm more experienced with which is called Winforms. I really like it.
I've been going to the Gym as per usual, but I've cut the running - I'll reintroduce it perhaps next week. The reason is that I think while I'm holiday, a reasonable concession is to rest or take a break - its my running that's picked the short straw. Everything else is still in full force mind you!
I read Steve Hawkins' book, "a brief history of time" and while I was determined to get through it, which I did, I'm not sure I could appreciate it as much as perhaps others(who are more interested in cosmology) are. It was interesting.
I also read(well mostly) a book on developmental biology. I got about 2/4 into it and it got boring because it was too heavy. Both these books went back to the library. As part of my C programming, I decided to buy some more books about C data structures. I learnt about sparse matrices, binary trees, linked-lists which helped my implement my command line handling functionality in my library.
I've been mindful of my Nutrition lately and have continued to eat clean. I do get quite hungry after the gym and I've found that the salad bars at my local Morrisons and Tesco in Wimbledon and Tesco in Covent Garden have been godsends. They help me to eat well while I'm out and about. I've also been drinking an oat drink as well as eating oats and whey regularly. I've found that wholemeal high-fibre crisp breads are a good way to keep my energy levels stable. Although I still get tired but not that tired say if I skipped eating for a while because I am too busy walking around. I put these into my rucksack and snack on them from time to time.
Yet another book purchase saw me get a little more interested in using Jquery. I read it, I can appreciate it but have little use for it right now. Perhaps moving forward it will be useful. I really really have been reading a lot . I bought a Web design book which like the Jquery book has appeased my increasing commitment to want to do a little more web development. Most of these books don't teach me anything new but do roll up many surrounding concepts into a nice box which you can call, say making websites, what's involved. That's quite nice because I've had a lot of time to read and it's easier to read something you have familiarity in.
I've also come across a very bizarre music band called Austrian death metal. It's basically an Arnold Schwarzenegger tribute band and it's geared towards gym workout music. It's featured heavily in my gym playlists.
I've also recently been using Contactless payment and wow it's convenient. From buying coffee which I did everyday to getting into trains. Then, I lost it. Now it's completely contactless. While on holiday, my routine has seen me drink at least 3 cups of coffee each day. That's a lot, for me, perhaps for most people. I'd get up, go to the gym, then go into the city and that's the first opportunity I get to buy coffee. I drink coffee on the train, when I'm done with my coffee, I'm walking with another cup, sipping it as I go. Then inevitably I'll not be thirsty and will be off my coffee for an hour or two until I feel a little coffee envy and the cycle continues. That said, a few things about coffee. It's not harmful, it's not got sugar or fat or cholesterol or something that'll hurt you. It's got caffeine and it's keeps you alert and focuses and it's hot and warms you up in this cold winter air. It does cost a bit though and it stacks up. I probably spend close on £8 a day on coffee(only when I'm on holiday). Ever since I got back to work, I realise how lucky the free coffee is. Coffee is good for another reason to, it fills you up.
Enough about coffee. I did do some work-work while on holiday. Terrible I know. Specifically, I read my emails and responded to both internal conversation and those with a particularly important customer. It all involves the most recent project I've been involved in. And here's a confession. It's quite a relaxing experience to inform everyone that you are on holiday - I set my out of office in Outlook - and then any conversation you have is for everyone else a bonus and they are extremely grateful for it, not only that but everything you say is just your opinion or theory and everyone else knows that you couldn't have tried it, or proven it before you said it - you are on holiday for goodness sake. So it's relaxing to be able to have no obligations or restraints because no one will hold you on anyplace of it, because your on holiday! The bonus for me? I get to ensure everyone knows what they need to know and if they are stressed out, I can chill them out from my arm chair because, I'm on holiday and I have perspective. I also like to have a portion of my day for this kind of change from my holiday routine and because I've got no obligation other than being useful, it's a nice feeling to have.
So as you can see I've done and described quite a bit, and other things like me meandering around book stores, health stores, clothing stores all not included. I'm sure I missed something... Oh yes I bought a book on writing TCP/IP socket program's in C. I'd read it already before by now I own it and can read it again.