Happy 2026!

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It is time to wish everybody happy holidays and do annual reflection of 2025.

Career and professional development

This blog has started to support my CCIE studies. Surprising it is, but I am still pursuing the title.  With almost 20 years in networking I still think that CCIE has some value, at least as a long-term goal. This December I passed 305-401 ENCOR and started 1.1 blueprint with INE subscription. I keep INE for the third year now and happy with their materials and lab setup.

To prove my new title I did some research and studies on what it is to be a Technical Architect. Among others I took a PM and BA foundation trainings, passed Juniper Associate Design test. Lot of "buzz technology" trainings were taken: Cisco Infrastructure for AI, advanced prompting, Cisco Security solutions, etc. It's always good to keep up with the market, I don't regret any minute spent on those.

Project-wise I had a good one of integrating on-premises routing / Azure cloud routing / Cisco Meraki SD-WAN for my current client. Great learning and deep dive into Azure ARS, ER gateways, BGP route manipulation and attributes. One of the challenges was to keep redundancy and some load sharing when make sure that traffic is taking symmetric path through the network. 

Personal life

Not many changes here which is probably a good thing. Read several good books through the year and have many more in a reading list. Educating myself with Economy and Investing, but didn't move far there.

Had updated my personal best in a freshwater fishing, keeping the old one for the tidal waters.   

Nothing beats a day on a river

Had a chance to make one of my dreams true - build a real treehouse. Friend of mine bought some land in a forest and was kind enough to let me build whatever I want. What made this even more special that I worked alongside my both sons. We stayed in a tent for two nights till project was done. Couldn't be happier. 

Everyone is working together on dad's dream!

Final touch to the treehouse

New old hobby

As a teenager I spent most of my days assembling electronic circuits. This turned to be my first job during my student life and lead me to a computer area. After an almost 30 years pause I am happy to announce that I'm returning to the old hobby. It all started as an online consultation to a boy struggling with his first kit. Duno how I found myself assembling another kit. Now I am repairing old tube radios and building tube guitar amps. Some of the amps are played on a real stage, making me over the roof proud!

Here are just a few pictures below, if you like them check my other blog called Valve Beauty for more

 

RCA25 tube radio fully restored

Fender Champ like tube amp from an old radio

Another Fender Camp guitar amp on a radio chassis

Rear view of Traynor Bass Mate guitar amp

Location: Timberlea, NS, Canada

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