The Places You'll Go . . .

Well, the time has arrived. Yes, July's drawing near,
And somehow I've managed to last seven years!

I've analyzed forecasts and studied the trends,

While spreadsheets multiplied without seeming to end.

We've planned for the sunshine, the storms, and the load, while Mother Nature kept changing the code.

But through all the numbers, the forecasts, and charts, the best part of Cenergy's always been hearts.

The people beside me, year after year,

Made even the toughest challenges clear.

To the bright, talented folks reading this today,

The future is yours now—you're well on your way.

And unlike my era, here's the key:

You’ll work with AI just as smooth as can be.

The reports that took hours may take only minutes.

The models you build with intelligence in it.

The data will flow faster than ever before,

While AI handles tasks that are mostly a bore!

But here's my advice as I head out the door:

Technology changes, but people matter more.

AI can predict, calculate, and compare,

But it can't build trust, and it can't truly care.

Stay curious, keep learning, and don't stand too long.

The tools will keep changing, so adapt and stay strong.

The winners won't be those who resist what's ahead,

But those who learn how to use it instead.

So thank you, my friends, for the laughter and cheer,

For making these seven years genuinely dear.

I'll miss all of you, but retirement must start—

And I'll leave with gratitude filling my heart.

Whatever comes next, here's what I know:

Life remains full of places to go.

So embrace what's ahead, and continue to grow.

. . . And may AI be helpful,

Your forecasts be true,

Your coffee be strong–

My friends, here’s to you.

I’m Patrick Ball. Join me – On the Fly. (Est. 2012)

Comments

Back to School (Without the Triple Lindy)

I hadn’t set foot inside a public library in over thirty years. Last Saturday, when I walked through the sliding doors of the modern County of San Diego branch on Eucalyptus Avenue in Vista, my eyes instinctively scanned the floor for the familiar, comforting sight of varnished oak cabinets and brass pull-handles. Nothing . No card catalog. No little wooden drawers. No rows of index cards typed by someone who presumably had beautiful penmanship and a pension. I walked up to the front desk, looked the librarian dead in the eye, and asked with complete earnestness: "Where’s the card catalog?" She didn’t laugh, though she had every right to. Instead, she offered a warm, dry smile: "We magically had the computer digest it." And just like that, I was enrolled. Not the Rodney Dangerfield kind of back-to-school. No diving board, no loud blazer, no campus party, and thankfully, no need to convince anyone I belonged there. Just an overdue reminder that while I was busy with ...

Beyond Facts-The Deep Dive

✨ In this episode, Beyond Facts: Reimagining School–in the Age of AI . . . This week's podcast is a bit different; it's another example of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can offer tools to creatively enhance your analytical presentation of information. We took this week's blog and copied it into Gemini with the question, “If a story is to work, it must, on some level, create an illusion of escape and also achieve a goal simultaneously. Does this apply to my blog post that follows?” What's created is not just an analysis of the writing, but an AI-generated discussion produced “On the Fly” - Enjoy! Did you know that the word "school" comes from the ancient Greek word scholē , which originally meant "leisure"? Not a rigid schedule or droning lectures filled with "facts," but free time for thinking and conversation. To the Greeks, learning happened best when life slowed down—when you had room to reflect, to ask questions, and to wrestle ...

The Rhythm of the Woodpecker

The morning in Vista often begins under a heavy, gray marine layer that rolls in from the coast, pressing a damp, muffled stillness over the neighborhood. At 4:30 a.m., the driveways are still full. The local commuters are either blissfully unconscious or stumbling blindly toward their showers, clinging desperately to their last shred of peace before the nine-to-five grind claims them for the day. I, on the other hand, am voluntarily wide awake in the dark. When your agenda consists of absolutely nothing, it is critical to get an early start. Inside the house, the quiet is profound, broken only by the sharp, mechanical click of the kettle as it reaches a rolling boil. I stand at the counter, watching the dark ground coffee bloom as hot water hits the French press's stainless steel. The smell is sudden and heavy—a deep, roasted-earth aroma that cuts through the morning fog. I push against the plunger’s gritty resistance, pouring a cup that radiates dark, stinging heat against my pal...

Stamps and Snow

In this episode, Stamps and Snow . . . You don’t usually walk into the local Post Office expecting a time warp . . . but here we are. All we wanted were stamps for this year's Christmas cards— yes, the old-fashioned paper ones that require licking, sticking, and hoping the Postal Service is feeling ambitious this week. But holiday errands have a talent for slowing you down, almost like the universe whispering, “Relax. You’re not getting out of this line any faster anyway.” So we waited. And while we waited, we talked (Are you surprised?). Because the Post Office is one of the few places where people still look up from their phones long enough to talk . . . Maybe it's because they're holding packages. It’s the modern town square: part civic duty, part free entertainment, part sociology experiment. The discussion began with holiday specials streaming on Netflix, Paramount+, and other services during this time of year. One gentleman who has lived in Vista since 1958 told us,...

On The Fly

Search This Blog