Steve Tout's Blog » Uncategorized

Hi there!

Steve — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 01:07:15 +0000

Welcome to my new and improved Website. I wanted to build something that was easier to update, more interactive, and frankly more fun to use. I’m shifting the focus a little to give more room to talk about the business and technical issues around enterprise identity and access management. Some of the things you can expect to hear more of are about performance management tuning and stabilizing your Oracle IdM infrastructure, managing your manager, building your IdM career, privacy issues, IdM architecture discipline and deployment/support strategy. If you are expecting a technical discourse with tips and tricks for IdM admins, you will have to look elsewhere because that’s not the main focus of this blog.

So thanks for visiting! Please pardon me while I clean things up a bit. I expect to have things in order and ready to rock and roll around the first of the year. If you are interested in following this blog, click on the RSS link to the right and add it to your favorite blog reader.

Cheers!

Molly faces forward in her car seat

Steve — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:29:00 +0000

I think Molly gets cuter and more interesting every day. Daddy cleaned out mommy’s car this weekend, adjusted the straps in Molly’s car seat and switched from its rear-facing position to face forward. Needless to say, Molly was in Wonderland with all the new things to look at while riding in the car. She made some of the goofiest sounds, it was cracking me up! Cami tried to capture them in the video. I don’t think the video is as funny as the actual event, but it’s worth sharing anyways.

Molly faces forward in her car seat from Steve & Cami Tout on Vimeo.

Molly started walking today!!!

Steve — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:09:00 +0000

Can you believe it?

Untitled from Steve & Cami Tout on Vimeo.

Today is Molly’s 1st Birthday

Steve — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:11:00 +0000

Our precious little Molly Jane turned 1 today. She means the world to my wife and I, and has to be the most beautiful baby we have ever seen in our lives! (Not kidding!) But more than the good looks that she (obviously) inherits from her mom, we are so thankful today for God’s blessings. For those who are just starting to read my blog, Molly was born with a rare form of children’s cancer called Wilms Tumor. We feel extremely lucky that it was caught so early, and that we live in an age and time when advanced surgery can completely remove her cancer (and her kidney) so she can live a completely normal life. In the last year we have heard of other familys who have less fortunate experience with Wilms, and our heart goes out to them. We are thankful every single day, and surprised by the little personlity that Molly has grown into. We are also thankful for all the friends and family who have supported us with their thoughts and prayers and concerns. In spite of the challenges, our lives are enriched by the love and beauty and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Molly got her first chair. A cute pink velvet one from Target. She loved it, and we enjoyed watching her play with it as much as she enjoyed climbing all over it. Here are a few pics.

I can’t say “NO” to a BMW

Steve — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:59:00 +0000

In moving to Seattle, one of the things that needed a better solution is commuting back and forth to the airport, and having reliable transportation to run odd errands, like going to the post office or the gym. So Cami and I decided I’d need a car now since we live a lot further from the airport than we used to, it wouldn’t be feasible for her and Molly to taxi me to the airport and back when I travel. At first the logical thing was to get something functional and practical, like a truck with decent gas mileage (as if such a thing existed) but after searching high and low I couldn’t find anything. I actually was sold on the Toyota Tundra 08 model, it’s totally sweet, but the price was a little out of our range for a 2nd car. Somehow in a round about way looking at a Porsche Boxster brought up the subject of me getting my dream car, the BMW Z4. The size is perfect as a commuter car, and it receives pretty high ratings for reliability by JD Power Associates. And did you know, that this puppy gets 28MPG Freeway?

So I’m not sure if the MPG sold my wife, or the fact that I was not going to take no for an answer but she finally agreed to let me get one. I promise I tried to stay away from this car. In the process I almost bought a Dodge 1500 truck and a Porsche Boxster, but we ultimately agreed that this would do the job.

So color me happy!!!!!

I’m picking up this car at SeaTac tonight, and I’m stoked! It’s a 2005 model for all you fuddy duddys, which means it’s new enough to impress a BMW purist, but it’s old (and affordable) enough to contradict the skeptics. I paid $20k and some change for this car. It has a 5-star safety rating from NHTSA, and probably gets better gas mileage than the car you drive, so don’t even start about what a BMW snob I am. haaa! It always pays to do your homework.

Here’s the sweet car. It’s Toledo Blue.

The Premium Audio and the sweet stick shift.

Happy Birthday to me!

Steve — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:02:00 +0000

Birthday boy here, with little signs of aging except that I wish I could forget how old I’m getting. I shouldn’t feel so lonely about it, though. A couple of my friends had their birthday yesterday, so they feel the pain before I do. Also me and my sister-in-law are the same age so I know someone must be able to empathize.

Running made me feel better. I’ve been running lately, and today I ran 3 miles for an average of 10 minute mile. I used to run 3-5 miles on the X-Country team in High School, and it seems my body is adapting to the training I used to do back then. I am trying to get my heart healthy and strong, and to get back to my leaner and stronger self. Beginning to feel and enjoy the energy and endurance benefits, be it ever so slightly.

It still hasn’t really sunk in that we are moving to Seattle. I will miss all the flowers Cami and I planted here. I’m considering digging up a few and taking them with me. If I don’t, I will have to get a few roses and lavender plants to start anew up north. Here is a shot of our hollyhocks in (almost) full bloom.

It’s gorgeous outside today, it’s supposed to get up to 83, which is about perfect! There isn’t a cloud in the sky. Color me happy. Cami is going to take Molly and I shopping and for a lunch in Clackamas. I theoretically have the day off from work, but let’s not go there. Since taking VMware live back in June with their spanking new Oracle Identity & Access management solution they have had fewer problems (thankfully) and everyone is happy including me.

Time for me to go. Have a great day!

It’s my birthday week!

Steve — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:52:00 +0000

Howdy. We are packing up the house and getting ready to move to the Seattle area in August. It’s sad to leave our home here in Portland behind but it’s exciting at the same time. Cami is working on some business plans with her sister that looks pretty dynamite, and I can hardly wait to share the details here when they begin to materialize.

I was reading Jessica Claire’s blog today, and discovered that her and I share the same birthday week, anyways. Does anyone know what day her birthday is? Mine is the 24th. Wouldn’t it be cool if my birthday was the same as Jessica Claire’s?

Having a birthday in the summer is the best! I remember going to Water Works Park with all my friends in the middle of summer in Redding (NorCal where it is typically 107 degrees but we didn’t care) and made a day trip out of it. I miss those days.

Here’s what I looked like last summer on my birthday. The saying on this shirt pretty much sums up the way I feel this week. I hope to take it as easy as I can.

Here’s what’s on my birthday wish-list. You can help me out by leaving comments for my wife to read and tell her how badly I need these things. Because she will probably read it once and laugh out loud. Joke, hahahaa, funny funny. Why is it so funny?

Suunto T6c Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Trainer Watch (Black)
DLO Action Jacket Armband Case for Zune 30 GB (Black)
Fossil jeans (dark denim)
Totally Rad Actions 2, The Revenge
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L
A date with Jessica Claire and Becker (in Seattle this fall)
Greg Gorman workshop in Mendocino
The Fine Digital Print I & II Workshop with John Paul Caponigro
BMW Z4 2006 Black (even though I’d have to pay for it, hey worth asking anyways)
Weekend retreat on the coast

Be thankful you’re not married to me!