When daZZee shut down their Springfield office, I promised myself that I would not get so easily waylaid again.  I’ve been enjoying my new job so far, but I need a way to get started with software programming.  That means tools like software development kits and computers like a new MacBook or MacMini.

Any savings I’ve had was erased during the five weeks without a job and the first two weeks of the new job before regular paychecks started.  I can’t use credit cards for many reasons, but the main one is that they are the tool of the weak.  If you don’t have the money to buy something, credit cards enable your weakness to be satisfied.

So to start a business I need to raise capital in a more traditional way.  The easy first step is the business plan–a list of what you need and how much it will cost versus the likely ways to get revenue and repay investors.

Needs:

* Software development kit for the chosen platform.  This is easy and free since most companies want you write for their platform.  My choice is the Mac and that means…

* Platform.  I need a Mac and, while I have three (!) they are all older G4-based machines.  New software development can’t be done on a machine without an Intel processor.

* Training. That comes from books, the web and time, all of which are affordable.

Tammy and I took some time for a “date” tonight and headed to Tong’s, a Thai place on Campbell near the Honda dealer in Springfield.  Tong’s has been around for several years, taking the place of legendary Kim’s Korean Barbecue.  Tammy had a chance to get a salad from Tong’s while at work last week, so we headed there tonight, looking for something new.  We were not disappointed.

I had Emerald Chicken, a fantastic and simple dish of grilled chicken breast, sliced and placed on top of steamed vegetables and covered tastefully with a traditional Thai peanut sauce.  Paired with a Chardonnay, it was a great entrée that satisfied my craving for Thai and a need for solid protein.  Tammy’s dish was a local invention called the “Thai-rito”, an inspired food mashup of Mexican and Thai cuisine.  The bite that Tammy shared made me wish I could trade plates.  We also had a few appetizers–a soup called Tom Kha Ghi and a fried cake made of ground chicken and shrimp called the Todd Gunn.  Both were authentic and the flavor was great.

I’m running out of superlatives so I’ll wrap this up by saying:  treat yourself to Tong’s.  You won’t be disappointed.