I've spent a good amount of time today reading articles, blog posts, and facebook comments concerning the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama. When I first heard the news, I was somewhat surprised, but then happy that an international body recognized the efforts that he has been putting in place to bring the world back from the edge of hysteria. And no, I'm not talking about his economic programs. The things that he has been doing since his inauguration to settle the rest of the world's angst at the US have been impressive. While some of them may be subtle, the point is, there is no longer a feeling that it's the US against the world. Because as much as we feel we might be able to win that battle....let me tell you, we can't. More importantly, we shouldn't want to engender that atmosphere.
Think about what it would be like if one state in the US suddenly decided it no longer wanted to have any dealings with the rest of the county. Not a big deal if it's North Dakota, but what if it's California? Suddenly the price of fruits, wine, cheese, technology, and a host of other goods would sky rocket in the rest of the country. And within California, they'd suddenly lose every good coming from the rest of the country, not to mention the funding and protection of the Federal government. Now it's obviously not quite the same thing, but like it or not, the US is just one piece of the global economic puzzle. And the sooner we realize that, the better off we'll be as a country.
Now, getting back to my point. A lot of the comments I had read were, what has Obama done to receive the honor? A good question, but those people who ask that, don't understand the reasoning behind the award. The award is meant to encourage, facilitate, and acknowledge efforts to make the world a more peaceful place. In essence it is meant as a platform to promote and further efforts already being made. In this case, it means the efforts President Obama has undergone to open up talks with nations like Iran, as well as the general switch in attitude of the rest of the world towards the US. The committee must have realized that without a healthy and popular US, the world can't fully recover. So this was their effort to help that outcome along. So all of you people who are protesting this, think about it in a bit more depth before slinging out gut reaction posts.... If you still think it's a bad call, then fine, but shouldn't you still be happy that an American President is being talked about in a positive manner by the global community instead of a negative one?
Wisconsin and Minnesota suddenly decided they did not want to conduct business with each other. Suddenly everyone who worked in the Twin Cities, but lived across the border would suddenly be without a job. Commerce would be halted.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
What the Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep
I can't believe what I read in the Milwaukee Journal today. Apparently, the union workers at Mercury Marine decided it was better for to have no jobs, than for new employees and workers returning from lay-offs to take pay cuts.
Seriously?
Well here's the inside scoop. According to a source of mine who works at the Mercury marine plant, most of the workers are nearing retirement age because the union previously saw to it that workers who were laid off were the younger, newer (and less expensive) employees. So, the average age of the remaining employees is somewhere in the mid 50's. These employees decided that taking pay cuts, and possibly cuts to their pensions would be worse than getting early retirement packages from Mercury. And they're probably right. On the other hand, all of those laid-off employees now have no chance of getting jobs back, and wont get early retirement or severance packages. Let's not forget all of the younger people in the area who were looking forward to someday working for Mercury Marine who will now have to try to find work elsewhere. All of this happening in a community where there are more and more people competing for fewer and fewer manufacturing positions.
Way to go Lodge 1947, you have cut another leg out from the Fond Du Lac community. I hope your retirement in Florida is a bit spoiled when you can't sell your house because all of the younger people in the market are leaving to find work at the plant in Oklahoma where you just sent their jobs.
I'm a bit miffed by this as you may well be able to tell. As I understand it, a union's role is to ensure the beneficial treatment of its current and future members. What kind of future members are you going to have when the plant is closed down? What kind of service are you giving your members that are currently laid off who now have no chance of being re-hired? It's just asinine.
I can only hope that other unions are more responsible to their members and the community at large. Or that some day unions will be as outdated as the work environments they were created to prevent.
Seriously?
Well here's the inside scoop. According to a source of mine who works at the Mercury marine plant, most of the workers are nearing retirement age because the union previously saw to it that workers who were laid off were the younger, newer (and less expensive) employees. So, the average age of the remaining employees is somewhere in the mid 50's. These employees decided that taking pay cuts, and possibly cuts to their pensions would be worse than getting early retirement packages from Mercury. And they're probably right. On the other hand, all of those laid-off employees now have no chance of getting jobs back, and wont get early retirement or severance packages. Let's not forget all of the younger people in the area who were looking forward to someday working for Mercury Marine who will now have to try to find work elsewhere. All of this happening in a community where there are more and more people competing for fewer and fewer manufacturing positions.
Way to go Lodge 1947, you have cut another leg out from the Fond Du Lac community. I hope your retirement in Florida is a bit spoiled when you can't sell your house because all of the younger people in the market are leaving to find work at the plant in Oklahoma where you just sent their jobs.
I'm a bit miffed by this as you may well be able to tell. As I understand it, a union's role is to ensure the beneficial treatment of its current and future members. What kind of future members are you going to have when the plant is closed down? What kind of service are you giving your members that are currently laid off who now have no chance of being re-hired? It's just asinine.
I can only hope that other unions are more responsible to their members and the community at large. Or that some day unions will be as outdated as the work environments they were created to prevent.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Philosopher's Stone
I was so close...
Caller number 5 in fact. Not the necessary number 10, but I knew the answer, and apparently the first number 10 caller did not. In fact, none of the first 20 number 10 callers knew it. But I did, and could not get through!!!!
This morning a local radio station offered 4 tickets to see the new Harry Potter movie, and a chance to win a preview, in Chicago, of the movie as well as admission to see the Harry Potter exhibit at the museum of Science and Industry. Can you say Tim's PERFECT PRIZE? The question that was to be answered in order to win this most fantastic of prizes was, what was the ORIGINAL name of the first book in the Harry Potter series? Everybody was answering that it was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The actual answer is Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I realize that this makes me an unbelievable geek and addict of a book series that was meant for 13 year old kids. I don't care, it's a good story, and a couple million other people agree with me, so there.
Anyway, I listened on the radio as person after person missed the question, while all I could hear was the busy signal and the echoes of, "Hi, you're caller number 5, please try again!" But now that I know they are offering that up as a prize....that's all I'm listening to for the next couple of days!
Caller number 5 in fact. Not the necessary number 10, but I knew the answer, and apparently the first number 10 caller did not. In fact, none of the first 20 number 10 callers knew it. But I did, and could not get through!!!!
This morning a local radio station offered 4 tickets to see the new Harry Potter movie, and a chance to win a preview, in Chicago, of the movie as well as admission to see the Harry Potter exhibit at the museum of Science and Industry. Can you say Tim's PERFECT PRIZE? The question that was to be answered in order to win this most fantastic of prizes was, what was the ORIGINAL name of the first book in the Harry Potter series? Everybody was answering that it was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The actual answer is Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I realize that this makes me an unbelievable geek and addict of a book series that was meant for 13 year old kids. I don't care, it's a good story, and a couple million other people agree with me, so there.
Anyway, I listened on the radio as person after person missed the question, while all I could hear was the busy signal and the echoes of, "Hi, you're caller number 5, please try again!" But now that I know they are offering that up as a prize....that's all I'm listening to for the next couple of days!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
6 Months = 1 Store
Six Months.... That is how long I have been away from Best Buy Mobile. In that time they have opened one store. One dang store!!!!!
Now I don't know for sure that they do not have more under construction, but seriously, when I left the plan was for something like 40 this year. And so far, we have 1. And honestly, it's in a mall I recommended, but definitely NOT the one I thought they'd get open first. It's in Eden Prairie, MN. I thought it would be perfect, but I was told that it wasn't good enough. I guess all I can say is whatever BBY Mobile...whatever.
Well, I guess that should make me feel happy that they eventually took my advice seriously, but I'm picturing the insanity I may have had to gone through to get to the point they are at right now, opening one store in 6 months...It certainly makes me feel like I made the right move...Although it would have been nice to live near Katie and Mike...
Now I don't know for sure that they do not have more under construction, but seriously, when I left the plan was for something like 40 this year. And so far, we have 1. And honestly, it's in a mall I recommended, but definitely NOT the one I thought they'd get open first. It's in Eden Prairie, MN. I thought it would be perfect, but I was told that it wasn't good enough. I guess all I can say is whatever BBY Mobile...whatever.
Well, I guess that should make me feel happy that they eventually took my advice seriously, but I'm picturing the insanity I may have had to gone through to get to the point they are at right now, opening one store in 6 months...It certainly makes me feel like I made the right move...Although it would have been nice to live near Katie and Mike...
Monday, June 8, 2009
The smart guy...
I'm scared...
I was told this morning that I'm "the smart guy" here in the office.
Whoa!
Let's repeat that, I'm THE SMART GUY!
What does that tell us? First, that this office may, in fact, be doomed. Second, I'm a MUCH better BS artist that even I thought. And third, I may need to redefine what my definition of "smart" is. While I'm probably WAY to biased about the first two, I think the third brings up an interesting point: what do I define as smart?
Really I guess it is as subjective as anything else. I mean really, in an office like this, the person who figures out how to operate the microwave on something other than the express setting may be the smart guy (I know, that's a VERY specific example...). In another realm, where intelligence flows like the Heineken does here each and every "beer Friday," smart may be someone who is well versed in items animal, vegetable, and mineral. But, let's say, for arguments sake, that there is such a thing as a universally acceptable definition of smart; how would I define it?
First, I would say that a "smart" individual is someone who is able to use logic (yes Jill, I used the L-word) to reason out answers they don't know right away. I think this is important because anyone can memorize information, but to discover something for yourself using only your mind is MUCH more impressive.
Second, I think the ability to use that knowledge is important. You will hear people say things like, "they are street smart, not book smart," but, to me there shouldn't be a distinction. In either case, if you truly are "smart," you are using information you have learned, or reasoned out and applying it to situations. Again, just memorizing something and spitting it back out on a test is useless once you get out of school and into the real world.
Third, and I think most importantly, is the ability to remain open to other ideas, theories, and viewpoints other than what you hold to be true. Imagine where we would be if "smart" people like Sir Issac Newton, Albert Einstein, or Thomas Jefferson refused to reach out beyond their existing viewpoints. We'd still be vassals of the Queen!
So based on THAT definition of smart, I guess I'm flattered, but I rather think the idea of being better at bull-crap can safely be assumed to be the main factor for my newly established title.
I was told this morning that I'm "the smart guy" here in the office.
Whoa!
Let's repeat that, I'm THE SMART GUY!
What does that tell us? First, that this office may, in fact, be doomed. Second, I'm a MUCH better BS artist that even I thought. And third, I may need to redefine what my definition of "smart" is. While I'm probably WAY to biased about the first two, I think the third brings up an interesting point: what do I define as smart?
Really I guess it is as subjective as anything else. I mean really, in an office like this, the person who figures out how to operate the microwave on something other than the express setting may be the smart guy (I know, that's a VERY specific example...). In another realm, where intelligence flows like the Heineken does here each and every "beer Friday," smart may be someone who is well versed in items animal, vegetable, and mineral. But, let's say, for arguments sake, that there is such a thing as a universally acceptable definition of smart; how would I define it?
First, I would say that a "smart" individual is someone who is able to use logic (yes Jill, I used the L-word) to reason out answers they don't know right away. I think this is important because anyone can memorize information, but to discover something for yourself using only your mind is MUCH more impressive.
Second, I think the ability to use that knowledge is important. You will hear people say things like, "they are street smart, not book smart," but, to me there shouldn't be a distinction. In either case, if you truly are "smart," you are using information you have learned, or reasoned out and applying it to situations. Again, just memorizing something and spitting it back out on a test is useless once you get out of school and into the real world.
Third, and I think most importantly, is the ability to remain open to other ideas, theories, and viewpoints other than what you hold to be true. Imagine where we would be if "smart" people like Sir Issac Newton, Albert Einstein, or Thomas Jefferson refused to reach out beyond their existing viewpoints. We'd still be vassals of the Queen!
So based on THAT definition of smart, I guess I'm flattered, but I rather think the idea of being better at bull-crap can safely be assumed to be the main factor for my newly established title.
Friday, May 22, 2009
The last glass
My body hates me....
It's true! But the torment is finally over, really! Over the last week, my body has had to endure more Burger King than it should rightly have expected to. Mostly because it has been a long time since I even stepped foot into Burger King, let along four times in one three days! Why have I spent so much time in the home of the king? It all has to do with Star Trek. For those of you who aren't among the geekier portion of the population, there is a new Star Trek movie out. And for those of you who don't really know my wife, she's a huge "Trekie." Not, "Oh my god. I have to dress up in my Lt. Uhura uniform and go to the convention" Trekie, but definitely "Oh my god, I HAVE to have those collectible Star Trek glasses from Burger King!"
And now you see the reason for the torment of my body. I was tasked by my wife to obtain these spectacular glasses from Burger King. And you would think you could waltz in to their restaurant and simply purchase these magnificent glasses. And you would be wrong. The King didn't become the King because he was stupid. No, quite the contrary, the King knows how to wriggle every last penny from the purse of his subjects. You cannot buy a glass UNLESS you buy a value meal. Then, and only then, may you purchase a glass for a small fee of $1.99!
That was a revelation found only after visiting my third Burger King on the way into the office this Wednesday morning. Oh, I forgot to mention that did I? Well the first one didn't have the glasses, the second one had the glasses, but their credit card machine was out of order (and who really carries cash anymore), but the third, oh yes the third house of the King had the treasure I was seeking. So, every morning since Wednesday I have been sampling the delights of the BK Breakfast menu, and last night I had a mayo-less Whopper (40% less fat!) in order to satisfy my wife's inner-most Trekie.
All of that may seem like a bit much for some silly glasses, but you really can't appreciate how really cool these glasses are in person. Of course, I could be feeling that way because of the mass quantities of fat and other BK related materials coursing through my veins. But, alas, my wife is happy, and we now have a few more really enjoyable glasses in which we can enjoy our beverages!
Oh, and also, I highly recommend seeing the movie. It was most enjoyable.
It's true! But the torment is finally over, really! Over the last week, my body has had to endure more Burger King than it should rightly have expected to. Mostly because it has been a long time since I even stepped foot into Burger King, let along four times in one three days! Why have I spent so much time in the home of the king? It all has to do with Star Trek. For those of you who aren't among the geekier portion of the population, there is a new Star Trek movie out. And for those of you who don't really know my wife, she's a huge "Trekie." Not, "Oh my god. I have to dress up in my Lt. Uhura uniform and go to the convention" Trekie, but definitely "Oh my god, I HAVE to have those collectible Star Trek glasses from Burger King!"
And now you see the reason for the torment of my body. I was tasked by my wife to obtain these spectacular glasses from Burger King. And you would think you could waltz in to their restaurant and simply purchase these magnificent glasses. And you would be wrong. The King didn't become the King because he was stupid. No, quite the contrary, the King knows how to wriggle every last penny from the purse of his subjects. You cannot buy a glass UNLESS you buy a value meal. Then, and only then, may you purchase a glass for a small fee of $1.99!
That was a revelation found only after visiting my third Burger King on the way into the office this Wednesday morning. Oh, I forgot to mention that did I? Well the first one didn't have the glasses, the second one had the glasses, but their credit card machine was out of order (and who really carries cash anymore), but the third, oh yes the third house of the King had the treasure I was seeking. So, every morning since Wednesday I have been sampling the delights of the BK Breakfast menu, and last night I had a mayo-less Whopper (40% less fat!) in order to satisfy my wife's inner-most Trekie.
All of that may seem like a bit much for some silly glasses, but you really can't appreciate how really cool these glasses are in person. Of course, I could be feeling that way because of the mass quantities of fat and other BK related materials coursing through my veins. But, alas, my wife is happy, and we now have a few more really enjoyable glasses in which we can enjoy our beverages!
Oh, and also, I highly recommend seeing the movie. It was most enjoyable.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Thanks for Visiting...
We're back...
The vacation wasn't nearly long enough, but they really never are. Except retirement, but that's not REALLY a vacation....I digress.
Anyway, we have returned safely from our cruise. I know that some of you were worried about Jill and I contracting the swine flu since our cruise was porting in Ensenada, Mexico. Well don't you worry, Carnival Cruise Lines takes absolutely no chances with the health and welfare of their customers. What that basically means is that we did not stop in Mexico. I can just hear some of your thoughts out there, "Well, better safe than sorry, right?" NORMALLY, I'd agree with you, but let me tell you why I don't this time....
First of all, at the time of our arrival, there were no existing cases of Swine Flu in Ensenada: ZIP, ZERO, ZILCH. Second, when the decision was being made to skip our port of call, there were already 4 confirmed cases in San Diego, and at least 64 total cases in the US. Now, I slept through a lot of math classes in my day, but I'm pretty sure 4 is greater than 0. Now I know that San Diego is bigger (about double the population) than Ensenada, but still is it really safer to take us back to San Diego where there are existing cases of the flu, or stop by a remote city with no cases...
Now, I might not be so annoyed about this whole thing except that this port of call was one of two for the whole trip, and was by far the better of the two. Catalina Island was a nice little pit stop, but really it's a golf course, some interesting scenery, and some really expensive boutique shops that cater to LA's wealthiest. Ensenada was the reason everyone was aboard that ship. Also, the way that Carnival handled the whole situation was pretty shady. First, they told us we weren't going to the port because they were concerned for the health and safety of everyone aboard the ship. OK, I appreciate that, but what are you going to do to compensate me for it? Then, we sail past the port (within about 250 yards) and were told that the ship still went to the port, but that the port was closed (which was NOT the case), therefore, it wasn't Carnivals fault that they couldn't stop at the Port. WHAT?!?!?! That's not what you said last night, still, OK so what does that mean to us? Well here's $20 because we couldn't stop at the port...Excuse me? I paid how much for this trip, mostly because I wanted to actually stop at the ports of call, and now because I can't do that, by your choice I might add, I'm only getting how much back...I don't think so! So, today's mission is to call and complain to the customer service of Carnival...especially when I know that my sister got 50% off a cruise because a hurricane interrupted one of the port of calls, and that wasn't the cruise line's choice, that was mother nature calling the shots.
I know this is a long post and that it may seem a bit childish, but really I don't take many vacations, and when I spend money on something I expect to get what I pay for, not changing excuses and poor service. Having said that, I will probably cruise carnival again because our past experiences have been really good...
The vacation wasn't nearly long enough, but they really never are. Except retirement, but that's not REALLY a vacation....I digress.
Anyway, we have returned safely from our cruise. I know that some of you were worried about Jill and I contracting the swine flu since our cruise was porting in Ensenada, Mexico. Well don't you worry, Carnival Cruise Lines takes absolutely no chances with the health and welfare of their customers. What that basically means is that we did not stop in Mexico. I can just hear some of your thoughts out there, "Well, better safe than sorry, right?" NORMALLY, I'd agree with you, but let me tell you why I don't this time....
First of all, at the time of our arrival, there were no existing cases of Swine Flu in Ensenada: ZIP, ZERO, ZILCH. Second, when the decision was being made to skip our port of call, there were already 4 confirmed cases in San Diego, and at least 64 total cases in the US. Now, I slept through a lot of math classes in my day, but I'm pretty sure 4 is greater than 0. Now I know that San Diego is bigger (about double the population) than Ensenada, but still is it really safer to take us back to San Diego where there are existing cases of the flu, or stop by a remote city with no cases...
Now, I might not be so annoyed about this whole thing except that this port of call was one of two for the whole trip, and was by far the better of the two. Catalina Island was a nice little pit stop, but really it's a golf course, some interesting scenery, and some really expensive boutique shops that cater to LA's wealthiest. Ensenada was the reason everyone was aboard that ship. Also, the way that Carnival handled the whole situation was pretty shady. First, they told us we weren't going to the port because they were concerned for the health and safety of everyone aboard the ship. OK, I appreciate that, but what are you going to do to compensate me for it? Then, we sail past the port (within about 250 yards) and were told that the ship still went to the port, but that the port was closed (which was NOT the case), therefore, it wasn't Carnivals fault that they couldn't stop at the Port. WHAT?!?!?! That's not what you said last night, still, OK so what does that mean to us? Well here's $20 because we couldn't stop at the port...Excuse me? I paid how much for this trip, mostly because I wanted to actually stop at the ports of call, and now because I can't do that, by your choice I might add, I'm only getting how much back...I don't think so! So, today's mission is to call and complain to the customer service of Carnival...especially when I know that my sister got 50% off a cruise because a hurricane interrupted one of the port of calls, and that wasn't the cruise line's choice, that was mother nature calling the shots.
I know this is a long post and that it may seem a bit childish, but really I don't take many vacations, and when I spend money on something I expect to get what I pay for, not changing excuses and poor service. Having said that, I will probably cruise carnival again because our past experiences have been really good...
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Fourth Hole
I know what you are thinking, Tim's going to be talking about golf, well you are incorrect. Although now that you mention it, I really should get out and golf...
Anyway, today, well actually yesterday was an extremely exciting day for me. I was putting on my pants, and securing my belt when I made a discovery. For the last, oh 18 months or so, I have had to wear this particular belt on the third hole from the end. Well yesterday to my surprise, I slid right past the third hole and on to the fourth with total and complete comfort. I was so excited I almost woke up Jill to tell her. I didn't however because I thought about how I'd feel if someone woke me up at 6:00 in the morning to tell me that they could now tighten their belt a little more...the violence that ensued in my head was enough to dissuade me from that attempt. Still, I was, and am excited...simple things people, simple things
Anyway, today, well actually yesterday was an extremely exciting day for me. I was putting on my pants, and securing my belt when I made a discovery. For the last, oh 18 months or so, I have had to wear this particular belt on the third hole from the end. Well yesterday to my surprise, I slid right past the third hole and on to the fourth with total and complete comfort. I was so excited I almost woke up Jill to tell her. I didn't however because I thought about how I'd feel if someone woke me up at 6:00 in the morning to tell me that they could now tighten their belt a little more...the violence that ensued in my head was enough to dissuade me from that attempt. Still, I was, and am excited...simple things people, simple things
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
A bit of fluff
I have been noticing more and more lately that there is too much fluff in this world. What do I mean? Well, to me, fluff is anything that's put in somewhere for the sole purpose of filling time, space, silences, whatever. For example, when you are listening to the radio and the DJ's clearly have run a subject through it's course, and they don't really have anything else to say. One of the hosts will just blurt something out. This morning on my way into work I was listening to a morning show and in one such pause in the conversation, one of the hosts just blurted out "How long does your meat stay fresh?" Whew, radio show saved by, wait, what the...? That doesn't have anything to do with what you were just talking about, and really? Is that what people want to hear about on their way into work? Ok, so that's just one example, and perhaps not even a good one. But, my point is there is a lot in this world that people just throw in to things to fill space.
Last week at work, I was asked to add some more fluff to a study we were working on to look more impressive (and for those of you who read last weeks blog, this is one of the things that set me off). I responded, if the quality of our, and specifically my work is not enough to impress our clients, then we should figure out what we are not doing right and fix it. Putting in fluff that doesn't mean anything is a waste of our time and insults the intelligence of our clients. Now don't get me wrong, some of the bank presidents could use a healthy dose of insults, but not from us when we're trying to squeeze a project out of them.
Maybe I'm a little too touchy about my work, but wouldn't you want to see only what you need to know in order to make an informed decision? Wouldn't you be more impressed by a 5 minute presentation that told you exactly what you need to do and why instead of a 45 minute collage of "pretty" maps that have been "tweaked" to display the results that we wanted? I would, that's for darn sure!
Even outside of work, if we as a country cut out even 20% of the fluff in our lives, we'd be where people in the 50's thought we'd be by now: flying cars, universal bliss, and chocolate that doesn't add copious amounts of fat to your midsection. Seriously, go through your day today and for every little thing you do, ask yourself, do I need to be doing this, or am I just doing this to fill time until I go to sleep? Yeah, it's a bit scary, but I'll tell you what, you'll be surprised, shocked, and maybe even scintillated by the results. Hm.. that sounded a bit like a self help book didn't it? Maybe this can be my big break into politics, I'll start the anti-fluff movement!
Last week at work, I was asked to add some more fluff to a study we were working on to look more impressive (and for those of you who read last weeks blog, this is one of the things that set me off). I responded, if the quality of our, and specifically my work is not enough to impress our clients, then we should figure out what we are not doing right and fix it. Putting in fluff that doesn't mean anything is a waste of our time and insults the intelligence of our clients. Now don't get me wrong, some of the bank presidents could use a healthy dose of insults, but not from us when we're trying to squeeze a project out of them.
Maybe I'm a little too touchy about my work, but wouldn't you want to see only what you need to know in order to make an informed decision? Wouldn't you be more impressed by a 5 minute presentation that told you exactly what you need to do and why instead of a 45 minute collage of "pretty" maps that have been "tweaked" to display the results that we wanted? I would, that's for darn sure!
Even outside of work, if we as a country cut out even 20% of the fluff in our lives, we'd be where people in the 50's thought we'd be by now: flying cars, universal bliss, and chocolate that doesn't add copious amounts of fat to your midsection. Seriously, go through your day today and for every little thing you do, ask yourself, do I need to be doing this, or am I just doing this to fill time until I go to sleep? Yeah, it's a bit scary, but I'll tell you what, you'll be surprised, shocked, and maybe even scintillated by the results. Hm.. that sounded a bit like a self help book didn't it? Maybe this can be my big break into politics, I'll start the anti-fluff movement!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
What was I thinking????
Over the last week or so, or really since I saw that Best Buy had posted an opening for my former position, I have been asking myself what I was thinking to leave Best Buy. Well, I know what I was thinking...we'll be in a much better position and this company seems really interested in getting cranking with new site selection studies. Well, we are in a better position. We have almost all of our outstanding debt paid off, except for student loans, and the company is really interested in exploring new markets for our site selection studies. Did you catch that last part, exploring. Yeah, I bet you can't guess what I felt when I heard that word for the first time...
The thing is this, one of the reasons I felt like it was a good idea to come here was because I thought they were truly interested in building up their studies department. And they are, as long as it's for banks and credit unions and as long as it gets the construction job afterword. I'm basically a nice little thing that they can waive in the faces of the bank presidents and say "Hey, this guy worked for Best Buy and Home Depot. Doesn't that sound nice?"
Really what bothers me is that they under value the work I do. They sell it for WAY below what it actually costs me to do the work in the hopes of getting the construction job where they make the "real" money. And I get that the real money is made on the construction projects, but they could sell the same crap studies as everyone else if that's all they wanted to do. They don't need me to bust my ass and give a great study for some banker who looks at the maps and says "ooh, those look pretty."
It's just a bit sad really. I've decided to give them a chance to prove to me how interested they really are in expanding this piece of the puzzle, but that chance is limited to a year. By that time, retailers ought to be ready to roll again...who knows maybe even Best Buy will want me back...
The thing is this, one of the reasons I felt like it was a good idea to come here was because I thought they were truly interested in building up their studies department. And they are, as long as it's for banks and credit unions and as long as it gets the construction job afterword. I'm basically a nice little thing that they can waive in the faces of the bank presidents and say "Hey, this guy worked for Best Buy and Home Depot. Doesn't that sound nice?"
Really what bothers me is that they under value the work I do. They sell it for WAY below what it actually costs me to do the work in the hopes of getting the construction job where they make the "real" money. And I get that the real money is made on the construction projects, but they could sell the same crap studies as everyone else if that's all they wanted to do. They don't need me to bust my ass and give a great study for some banker who looks at the maps and says "ooh, those look pretty."
It's just a bit sad really. I've decided to give them a chance to prove to me how interested they really are in expanding this piece of the puzzle, but that chance is limited to a year. By that time, retailers ought to be ready to roll again...who knows maybe even Best Buy will want me back...
Monday, March 30, 2009
Go Jill Go!!!
I wanted to post a very public way to go for my wife Jill. She has been working out very hard over the last week. For three of the last four days she has been working out like a fiend. And she would have done it all four days in a row had I not finagled a second game of scrabble at her mom's house on Saturday.
Our goal is to be in better shape, not only for the rest of our lives, but specifically for our vacation in a few weeks. So far so good, but we really need to keep at it so we don't fall off the work out wagon. Wish us both luck!
Our goal is to be in better shape, not only for the rest of our lives, but specifically for our vacation in a few weeks. So far so good, but we really need to keep at it so we don't fall off the work out wagon. Wish us both luck!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Crickets...
I went to a Buck's game last night because I was offered free tickets by a friend. I don't really care for NBA basketball, but I thought what the hell, I don't really do much, plus it's free! And for those of you who know me well, that is all I need to hear: FREE!
So I get to the Bradley Center a little after the game has started. My initial thought is "great, now I'm not going to find any parking, and if I do it will cost $20!" Well to my surprise, after just one lap around the arena, I found a legal street spot. That's right people FREE PARKING!!! So, now I'm ecstatic because I have a free parking spot and a free ticket to the game! I met up with my friends at a restaurant before heading to the game. They were just finishing their meal so I decided to just wait it out and eat later. Not that I had much choice. Twice the waitress came to the table while I was sitting there to ask if Casey or Kayla needed anything, and both times I didn't even have a chance to say I'd like a diet coke. It was like I wasn't there. Even when I said excuse me as she was walking away I got no response. The third time she came around, Casey stopped her and asked if I wanted anything, but by this point I didn't want anything just on principle!
So after this we headed to the game and were very surprised to find that our tickets had cost $111! That's right $111 for a NON-PLAYOFF BUCKS game! Once we were inside we quickly found our seats, very nice seats about 15 rows up center court. But you couldn't tell that you were at a professional sporting event. The game was going on, but there was no excitement, no cheering, not even any booing. It was like the crowd at your 8 year olds piano recital! The loudest and most raucous cheering heard all night, was for the Portessi Pizza give away sometime in the third quarter. It was a bit pathetic. Now, I know this is not indicative of all Milwaukee sports having been to many a Brewer game, but seriously, why do we even have a NBA team? No one can afford to go, no one really wants to be there, and the players play like it is scrimmage game not really worth anything...
It's just sad.
So I get to the Bradley Center a little after the game has started. My initial thought is "great, now I'm not going to find any parking, and if I do it will cost $20!" Well to my surprise, after just one lap around the arena, I found a legal street spot. That's right people FREE PARKING!!! So, now I'm ecstatic because I have a free parking spot and a free ticket to the game! I met up with my friends at a restaurant before heading to the game. They were just finishing their meal so I decided to just wait it out and eat later. Not that I had much choice. Twice the waitress came to the table while I was sitting there to ask if Casey or Kayla needed anything, and both times I didn't even have a chance to say I'd like a diet coke. It was like I wasn't there. Even when I said excuse me as she was walking away I got no response. The third time she came around, Casey stopped her and asked if I wanted anything, but by this point I didn't want anything just on principle!
So after this we headed to the game and were very surprised to find that our tickets had cost $111! That's right $111 for a NON-PLAYOFF BUCKS game! Once we were inside we quickly found our seats, very nice seats about 15 rows up center court. But you couldn't tell that you were at a professional sporting event. The game was going on, but there was no excitement, no cheering, not even any booing. It was like the crowd at your 8 year olds piano recital! The loudest and most raucous cheering heard all night, was for the Portessi Pizza give away sometime in the third quarter. It was a bit pathetic. Now, I know this is not indicative of all Milwaukee sports having been to many a Brewer game, but seriously, why do we even have a NBA team? No one can afford to go, no one really wants to be there, and the players play like it is scrimmage game not really worth anything...
It's just sad.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Hey you, you're not doing your job...
Have you ever had one of those awkward moments when you're talking about someone who isn't doing what they're supposed to be doing, and they're in the room? Well, now I have too.
Let me set the scene for you. I'm attending my first ever presentation to a Board of Directors meeting for a credit union to give them our recommendations as to what they should be doing with their branch. It's in a tiny little room (maybe 10ft by 6 ft) with no fan or air conditioning of any kind. Oh yeah, and it's 70+ degrees outside. Now lets add 15 people to this scene, mostly older members of the board, plus my boss, the president of our company, and myself. In this room there is also a little projector that we give our presentations on. This little guy gives off incredible amounts of heat. So with all these things added up we're looking at about 90 degrees, give or take.
As we're rolling through the presentation, we get to their branch office. Everyone sits up a little straighter in their chairs, this is the part everyone wants to know about. they have this tiny little branch that is in a fantastic demographic area, and it's barely doing any business at all. Our recommendation: remodel the branch, change the manager of the branch to someone who will aggressively pursue new members and loan opportunities. This is what everyone wanted to hear, exactly what they were thinking. Everyone, that is, except the manager of the branch who just happens to be sitting in the room. She is this little 65 year old lady who just doesn't want to spend the effort going after the people that live around her branch.
So basically, we told this little old lady, in front of everyone that she works for, that she's not doing her job and that she should be replaced. I'm suprised that she didn't fall down and die right there in that room. Talk about awkward...
On a positive note, the rest of the board loved the presentation, and hopefully we'll be able to get some more work out of the deal. But man, that was not a great feeling...
Let me set the scene for you. I'm attending my first ever presentation to a Board of Directors meeting for a credit union to give them our recommendations as to what they should be doing with their branch. It's in a tiny little room (maybe 10ft by 6 ft) with no fan or air conditioning of any kind. Oh yeah, and it's 70+ degrees outside. Now lets add 15 people to this scene, mostly older members of the board, plus my boss, the president of our company, and myself. In this room there is also a little projector that we give our presentations on. This little guy gives off incredible amounts of heat. So with all these things added up we're looking at about 90 degrees, give or take.
As we're rolling through the presentation, we get to their branch office. Everyone sits up a little straighter in their chairs, this is the part everyone wants to know about. they have this tiny little branch that is in a fantastic demographic area, and it's barely doing any business at all. Our recommendation: remodel the branch, change the manager of the branch to someone who will aggressively pursue new members and loan opportunities. This is what everyone wanted to hear, exactly what they were thinking. Everyone, that is, except the manager of the branch who just happens to be sitting in the room. She is this little 65 year old lady who just doesn't want to spend the effort going after the people that live around her branch.
So basically, we told this little old lady, in front of everyone that she works for, that she's not doing her job and that she should be replaced. I'm suprised that she didn't fall down and die right there in that room. Talk about awkward...
On a positive note, the rest of the board loved the presentation, and hopefully we'll be able to get some more work out of the deal. But man, that was not a great feeling...
Friday, March 13, 2009
Sweets A-hoy
Ok, so I feel like this post might irk a few of you, but it can't be helped. I'm so freakin' sick of the people in my office bringing in sweets. I mean seriously, I've been working here for three weeks and already I've seen Cupcakes (3-times), Cookies, chocolate, girl scout cookies, and a weird Italian cake thing with dried orange peels and almonds. Enough is enough! I don't mind that people bring things in. In fact, it is very nice that the office has that type of atmosphere, but can't we space it out a little bit, or maybe bring in something healthy? Or at the very least a little less sugar heavy? I haven't partaken in much of it, mostly because I've been trying to reduce the amount of sugar and carbs that I intake, but also because it's just too much! Honestly!
Ok, well, onto other things going on. Speaking of work, it is going well. Everyone here loves me, and loves what I can do for them. the downside is that everyone now wants a piece of me. I can handle it for now, but it might get to be a bit much. I guess we'll see.
Ok, well since I am at work and I have a couple of projects that need attention I'm going to have to cut this one short. Take it easy people.
Ok, well, onto other things going on. Speaking of work, it is going well. Everyone here loves me, and loves what I can do for them. the downside is that everyone now wants a piece of me. I can handle it for now, but it might get to be a bit much. I guess we'll see.
Ok, well since I am at work and I have a couple of projects that need attention I'm going to have to cut this one short. Take it easy people.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Run away if you can....
It's that time again. The workouts are getting serious. I have worked out everyday save two since last Monday. I can hear some of you cheering in the background. Don't cheer just yet. I've made these kinds of efforts before. This one feels like the one where I lost 85 lbs in 6 months, but the wagon is easy to fall off of. This time around I'm using music to pump me up and take the focus off of actually running. For the most part this works great, as long as I'm a little sleepy. A little tip for all of you who are like me and hate to run because you feel like you don't like it: run VERY early in the morning. If you are still half awake, you can't think about how much you hate running. It's brilliant, your body just takes over and does the work without feeling like you are torturing yourself. Late at night also works, but there are a few drawbacks. First, it can make it difficult to sleep. If you work out hard enough it will sap your energy and put you right to sleep, but if you don't, you'll just be awake for hours. Next, your brain isn't quite as tired and it is more difficult to keep the thoughts of rage from piercing your tranquility.
Anyway, running is the key to my health situation. Eating better can only do so much, so physical activity is my new remedy. Let's see how it goes.
Anyway, running is the key to my health situation. Eating better can only do so much, so physical activity is my new remedy. Let's see how it goes.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Ugly is the new hot
I don't know if you've noticed, but the men that are being called models these days aren't your typical "hot guys." Now, I know you are all thinking, "why is Tim talking about this," or, "So, how do you know what's hot Tim?" All very good questions, but that's neither here nor there. What's important is that TV tells me that ugly is now in. Not fat, short, or hairy. I don't want to get any hopes up. You still need a body fat percentage lower than 5, but your face, oh yes your face no longer needs to be perfection. Big nose, shaggy hair? No problem!
Seriously, it used to make me mad to think that only hot guys could get to be models. Not that I really want to be a model, but lets face it, hot guys get hot girls, and when you're a young strapping lad you care about that immensely. Not however, I'm pissed that these ugly mothers get the same kind of attention for being purposefully ugly! When is it going to be the fat guys turn? That's all I'm asking.
In more serious news, I have started working again. It's a completely different environment from Best Buy, but it's not bad. The funny thing is that they need me here almost more than Best Buy needed me, and that definitely appeals to my megalomaniac side. In reality it's still hard to know if I did the right thing, but it's nice being close to family and friends in Milwaukee again. Still feels a little weird to be living here, but I think I'll get used to it. If not then I've got 353 days until I can be a Best Buy employee again...Just saying...
Seriously, it used to make me mad to think that only hot guys could get to be models. Not that I really want to be a model, but lets face it, hot guys get hot girls, and when you're a young strapping lad you care about that immensely. Not however, I'm pissed that these ugly mothers get the same kind of attention for being purposefully ugly! When is it going to be the fat guys turn? That's all I'm asking.
In more serious news, I have started working again. It's a completely different environment from Best Buy, but it's not bad. The funny thing is that they need me here almost more than Best Buy needed me, and that definitely appeals to my megalomaniac side. In reality it's still hard to know if I did the right thing, but it's nice being close to family and friends in Milwaukee again. Still feels a little weird to be living here, but I think I'll get used to it. If not then I've got 353 days until I can be a Best Buy employee again...Just saying...
Thursday, February 12, 2009
The Last Day
Well, it's my last day at Best Buy. It's a bittersweet moment for me. I have really enjoyed my time here, and I feel like I could have done a lot more for this company. However, it is time to move on. The last couple of days I have been tormenting myself wondering if I've made the right decision. You can never really know until after the decision is made, but today it feels different. It feels like the right thing to have done. Maybe it's just my nature, but I feel like I've done everything I can for this place and can now fully commit myself to my new adventure. So, watch out Milwaukee, I'm back!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Baseball can suck it
Seriously, who didn't see this coming? A-rod, the biggest star in major league Baseball used steroids to enhance his performance. No kidding. And the big question on everyones mind is will it tarnish his legacy? Or will his admitting he used them save him and allow him to be entered into the Hall of fame. First off, yes he admitted to using steroids, AFTER Palmero outed him for it. If he would have made the trip to New York and then said well I was using steroids in Texas, but then still played well. I might have forgiven him. But years after the fact and only after someone else called him out on it...that doesn't mean squat.
And honestly, as far as I'm concerned Baseball should be disbanded and reformed under a new format with salary caps and strict drug tests. These athletes forget that they are heroes to young kids and they make it seem like it's OK to cheat, and then once your caught to expect forgiveness without any consequences. If it's illegal and he's admitted to it, put him in jail. Would you treat any one else differently if they admitted to their guilt? No you wouldn't. You might give a lesser sentence, but you wouldn't let them off the hook completely. It's bull.
Anyway, I love to play baseball and even to watch it. But, professional Baseball has been without a soul for a long time. If any sport ever needed to re-invent itself, it's baseball.
And honestly, as far as I'm concerned Baseball should be disbanded and reformed under a new format with salary caps and strict drug tests. These athletes forget that they are heroes to young kids and they make it seem like it's OK to cheat, and then once your caught to expect forgiveness without any consequences. If it's illegal and he's admitted to it, put him in jail. Would you treat any one else differently if they admitted to their guilt? No you wouldn't. You might give a lesser sentence, but you wouldn't let them off the hook completely. It's bull.
Anyway, I love to play baseball and even to watch it. But, professional Baseball has been without a soul for a long time. If any sport ever needed to re-invent itself, it's baseball.
Last minute details
Good morning everyone,
I'm into my third to last day of work at Best Buy. Leaving a job is always a bit stressful, but this one is rougher than most for me. I'm so into everything that's going on with the Best Buy Mobile group. I want to know what's going on with every little part of it, and I want to help with everything I can. It's so tough to let go of some of the things I have been doing. I'm excited for the new opportunity, but it's just hard to let go of something you've put so much work into. Especially when everyone is telling you that they will probably call you for help in about 6 months time when they foresee things taking off. I guess we'll see what happens, but I wouldn't mind doing a little consulting work for them.
On the other side of things, the apartment is mostly packed up. there are still a few essentials to gather up, but mostly it's all done and waiting to be loaded onto a truck. The one thing that's been more of a pain in the butt than anything else though...moving the Direct TV. They say it's easy (and free), but it's only easy if you have a house and are not encumbered by an apartment complex that has it's own dedicated service provider. I could tell you the whole long story, but really it's annoying and stupid, all you need to know is that Direct TV can stick it where the Sun doesn't shine.
Some days I feel like we should just walk away from everything and live "off the grid" somewhere in Montana. And then I remember that I like things like heat, running water, and people. So I carry on. Seriously though, if your entire industry is built on customer service, shouldn't you care? Just a little?
I'm into my third to last day of work at Best Buy. Leaving a job is always a bit stressful, but this one is rougher than most for me. I'm so into everything that's going on with the Best Buy Mobile group. I want to know what's going on with every little part of it, and I want to help with everything I can. It's so tough to let go of some of the things I have been doing. I'm excited for the new opportunity, but it's just hard to let go of something you've put so much work into. Especially when everyone is telling you that they will probably call you for help in about 6 months time when they foresee things taking off. I guess we'll see what happens, but I wouldn't mind doing a little consulting work for them.
On the other side of things, the apartment is mostly packed up. there are still a few essentials to gather up, but mostly it's all done and waiting to be loaded onto a truck. The one thing that's been more of a pain in the butt than anything else though...moving the Direct TV. They say it's easy (and free), but it's only easy if you have a house and are not encumbered by an apartment complex that has it's own dedicated service provider. I could tell you the whole long story, but really it's annoying and stupid, all you need to know is that Direct TV can stick it where the Sun doesn't shine.
Some days I feel like we should just walk away from everything and live "off the grid" somewhere in Montana. And then I remember that I like things like heat, running water, and people. So I carry on. Seriously though, if your entire industry is built on customer service, shouldn't you care? Just a little?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The Breakfast Blues
Last night on my way home from work, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few items to carry me through my remaining two weeks of work. However, when I woke up this morning and went to the kitchen for breakfast I realized, to my horror, that I had forgotten some key items. Like anything for breakfast! I had focused so clearly on lunch and dinner options that there was literally nothing I could have for breakfast. Now, I know what you are all thinking, well just eat regular food for breakfast. For me, that's not a great option. I LOVE breakfast food: eggs, cereal, pancakes, hell even toast!
So, what's a breakfast lover to do? Obviously I had to go to the 24-hour Cub Foods and get some breakfast items. Once those eggs were scrambling on the stove, all was right with my world. But it does leave me to wonder...what the hell was I thinking?
So, what's a breakfast lover to do? Obviously I had to go to the 24-hour Cub Foods and get some breakfast items. Once those eggs were scrambling on the stove, all was right with my world. But it does leave me to wonder...what the hell was I thinking?
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
What a mess...
Moving is stressful. It is one of those universal things that everybody knows. And like all of those other things that everybody knows, I think it wont affect me. And, as usual, it does. Apartment hunting for a nice, clean, affordable place is just damn hard. And I know what you're thinking, it can't be that hard, well it is. We've looked all over the metro Milwaukee area and the problem? Nothing is convenient, affordable, and in a nice area. There are lots of GREAT places to live, but they're either too far away from one of our jobs, or too much money. Seriously, in the current economic environment, what kind of apartment complex can justify $1,200/month for a 2 bedroom apartment in Milwaukee?
Anyway, we're getting closer to a decent place to live, but what a mess trying to figure it all out. I feel like it may have been better for us to just store our stuff in a storage place until we can buy a house. The one problem with that is that we have no home for our kitties. Ah well, we'll get there in the end.
In other complaints, why is it that people resist positive change so much? I work with someone who has a VERY inefficient system for storing important information. For each individual project she has to enter information into an excel form and save it out to a network. This doesn't sound too bad except that when you want to compare multiple projects you need to pull each of the forms and toggle back and forth. This is inconvenient when you're looking at two or three, but try it for 40! It's just not fun.
So, I presented her with an opportunity to put it into a database. I would create the form, database, and any query that she'd need to run to make her life much easier. She pretty much ran away screaming, this is how we do it! Honestly!?!?! You don't have to do any work, it will pretty much be the exact same thing as far as you are concerned, AND it will make you look better. BUT, you're not interested.
You know what? Fine, I'm leaving in a couple of weeks and I could care less if being inefficient will make you look bad in front of a company that is trying to become more efficient and is considering laying more people off....
I'm just saying....
Anyway, we're getting closer to a decent place to live, but what a mess trying to figure it all out. I feel like it may have been better for us to just store our stuff in a storage place until we can buy a house. The one problem with that is that we have no home for our kitties. Ah well, we'll get there in the end.
In other complaints, why is it that people resist positive change so much? I work with someone who has a VERY inefficient system for storing important information. For each individual project she has to enter information into an excel form and save it out to a network. This doesn't sound too bad except that when you want to compare multiple projects you need to pull each of the forms and toggle back and forth. This is inconvenient when you're looking at two or three, but try it for 40! It's just not fun.
So, I presented her with an opportunity to put it into a database. I would create the form, database, and any query that she'd need to run to make her life much easier. She pretty much ran away screaming, this is how we do it! Honestly!?!?! You don't have to do any work, it will pretty much be the exact same thing as far as you are concerned, AND it will make you look better. BUT, you're not interested.
You know what? Fine, I'm leaving in a couple of weeks and I could care less if being inefficient will make you look bad in front of a company that is trying to become more efficient and is considering laying more people off....
I'm just saying....
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Day 1
Today is the first day for me in Minneapolis sans Jill. So far, I've had a mixed morning. It started off OK, I was able to make as much noise as I wanted without worrying about waking Jill up, including brewing a pot of coffee with fresh ground beans. On the down side, I had no one to kiss good bye and write a little note to...
next, I got to park in the garage spot (although it is the warmest day of the winter so far), the down side....that coffee I made, I spilled all over the inside of the car and on my pants. So, so far we're looking at a 50/50 day, which is about what I expected.
Aso today I decided that I would listen to one of my CD's on the way to work today. I searched through my cd case and pulled out an oldie: Offspring. I haven't listened to that CD in years, but I still remember every word to every song on that CD, how weird is that? Anyway, it made the comute rather enjoyable this morning as people decided they couldn't drive in such warm temperatures! Silly people.
next, I got to park in the garage spot (although it is the warmest day of the winter so far), the down side....that coffee I made, I spilled all over the inside of the car and on my pants. So, so far we're looking at a 50/50 day, which is about what I expected.
Aso today I decided that I would listen to one of my CD's on the way to work today. I searched through my cd case and pulled out an oldie: Offspring. I haven't listened to that CD in years, but I still remember every word to every song on that CD, how weird is that? Anyway, it made the comute rather enjoyable this morning as people decided they couldn't drive in such warm temperatures! Silly people.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Cold...this isn't cold, It's hell
Good morning everyone,
For those of you who don't live in Minneapolis, let me say...you lucky bastards! This morning at 7:30 the temperature had dropped to -16, with a wind chill of -35. Now, I'm definitely not a baby when it comes to cold, but when you're afraid that your car door is going to fall off if you close it to hard....that is just too cold.
As I sit at my desk and watch the sun rise, I'm hoping that the sunshine will help. It is pretty amazing how sunny this winter has been. In Ann Arbor, almost every single day in the winter was overcast and dreary, 25 degrees warmer, but dreary. I definitely have to give props to the people who have lived here their whole life, but also to those who live even further north. You Canadians must certainly be a tough brew...or crazy.
Anyway, onto current events. For those of you who don't know, I have elected to take Best Buy's offer of separation and move back to the Milwaukee area. I have been offered and accepted a job working for a small planning and design construction firm located in the third ward of Milwaukee. I'm really excited, but sad at the same time. I have greatly enjoyed my time here with Best Buy, and will not completely rule out working for them again in the future. However, I would like to be in one place for longer than a year, so that is definitely a more long term prospect.
Well, now that my fingers are no longer icicles, and the sun is full risen, I am going to start working. Take care everyone, and stay warm!
For those of you who don't live in Minneapolis, let me say...you lucky bastards! This morning at 7:30 the temperature had dropped to -16, with a wind chill of -35. Now, I'm definitely not a baby when it comes to cold, but when you're afraid that your car door is going to fall off if you close it to hard....that is just too cold.
As I sit at my desk and watch the sun rise, I'm hoping that the sunshine will help. It is pretty amazing how sunny this winter has been. In Ann Arbor, almost every single day in the winter was overcast and dreary, 25 degrees warmer, but dreary. I definitely have to give props to the people who have lived here their whole life, but also to those who live even further north. You Canadians must certainly be a tough brew...or crazy.
Anyway, onto current events. For those of you who don't know, I have elected to take Best Buy's offer of separation and move back to the Milwaukee area. I have been offered and accepted a job working for a small planning and design construction firm located in the third ward of Milwaukee. I'm really excited, but sad at the same time. I have greatly enjoyed my time here with Best Buy, and will not completely rule out working for them again in the future. However, I would like to be in one place for longer than a year, so that is definitely a more long term prospect.
Well, now that my fingers are no longer icicles, and the sun is full risen, I am going to start working. Take care everyone, and stay warm!
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