Category Archives: Work

Still alive and kicking, Vegas style!

Posted on February 3, 2011 | 2 Comments

It’s been a while since I’ve posted. I’ve been busy with work, including a business trip to Vegas where I completely refrained from gambling. I did not, however, refrain from gorging myself. We had a dinner meeting at the buffet at M Hotel, a lone hotel about ten miles south of the strip.

They have these huge television screens that show Food Network.

First plate: prime rib, chile verde pork, various seafood, sausage and sauerkraut, and sushi. Sushi is the only disappointing thing on the plate, but that’s to be expected.

Second plate (carbs): spaghetti and (giant) meatball, roasted vegetables, paella, mashed potatoes, and mac n’ cheese. The meatball was delicious, made from the finest, fattiest ground beef I’m sure.

Plate three: oxtail and short ribs. Nothing special here but still good.

I’m not much of a dessert person, but I was away from home, so I decided to try some things.

Plate four: chocolate souffle, fruit and custard tart, cookies and cream, and creme brulee.

This isn’t going to be the best food you’ve tasted, but it’s pretty darn good for a buffet. It’s only twenty five bucks, and it comes with free beer and wine. Beer is limited to Pabst Blue Ribbon or their house brew. Their wine is house wine as well, but it’s included with the price of a meal so why not?

This was my breakfast the next morning. I had no problem skipping lunch for the week.

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Sick of Work

Posted on June 30, 2010 | Leave a comment

You know how some people have amazing jobs and when they describe them, you wonder how they can even call it work? I do not have one of those jobs.

This week I went up to Porterville, CA to do an energy audit of the Porterville Developmental Center. For those of you unfamiliar with what a developmental center is, it’s a nice way of saying, “sorta prison for crazy people.” Remember when we used to call things what they were and didn’t sugar coat them?

They have a section that is fenced off with thirty foot high fences they call “forensics.” This houses the residents that have committed a crime but are unfit to stand trial, or as one of the employees said, “Or they just have really good lawyers.” In here you stand with your chest out, look tough, and try not to make eye contact with anyone.

So while trying to avoid getting hit in the back of the head with a hammer by the residents, it was terribly hot. The weather up there was above 110F and to make matters worse, my particular portion of the energy survey involved the steam system. Steam is hot. You’re with me so far?

My entire body is covered from head to toe just from being there. Then I had to step into mechanical rooms, which are probably 120F from the heat radiating off of equipment and avoid burning myself. Finally were the steam tunnels, where steam was leaking like crazy and the temperature read above 140F. They offered an ice jacket and an “elephant hose” to blow outside air right on you while you’re down there. I suppose 110F air is better than the 140F air down there, but either way it’s miserable.

Just to throw a monkey wrench on the whole thing, I came down with the flu on the second day. My nose wouldn’t stop running, and I kept having to make frequent stops to the bathroom. That was just uncomfortable, but it’s work. I wasn’t the only one doing the survey, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to be the one to hold the job back.

Now I’m lying in bed, feeling like crap. My clothes are still wet from sweat from yesterday, smelling terrible I’m sure. At least I can take satisfaction in knowing that my work is done. Actually, I’d prefer to go with having done and incomplete or mediocre job and feel like a million  bucks.

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Play hard. Work even harder.

Posted on June 1, 2010 | Leave a comment

Saturday we decided to go hiking in the foothills of the mountains to look for some waterfall, where you can dive into the water. I had no idea there would be almost twenty of us hiking.

Here are at the beginning of our 3 mile round trip hike.

We’re following the leader, the leader, the leader… Unfortunately the different leaders we had took us the wrong way twice. It turned out to be an extreme hike, lasting 4.5 hours.

We thought this helicopter was for us, but they were air lifting someone else off the trails.

Two of the jumpers calculating their jump. Yes, there is water down there.

Larry, being extreme. He better tuck those arms in before he slams into the water and bruises his arms.

The next day we really wanted to get out so, we invited some friends over. Tender Greens was closed so we went to the same pizza joint we always go to had a few slices.

We were having a good time having some drinks when I got a phone call from work. The office flooded.

This is after the water came down from half an inch in the entire office.

Paper towels that did their job. They absorbed water. Unfortunately there was a lot more water.

A whole mess of power strips that got messed up in the water. You can see one actually shorted and caught on fire, but fortunately there was water to put it out.

We spent all day using steam cleaners to suck the water out of the carpet. Finally the professionals came in with the big guns. We’ve still got a lot of water in the floors and walls, and we found out our neighbors got a lot of water through the wall we share.

We moved some of the employees out to one of the dryer rooms. It’s a LAN party!

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Posted in Food, Photo, Work

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Too Much Cheesecake

Posted on April 16, 2010 | 1 Comment

Working with food manufacturers is great, but sometimes it gets too be too much when you visit too many companies that make similar products.

There’s an ice cream cheesecake in the freezer too.

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My New Office/Batcave

Posted on January 19, 2010 | 3 Comments

I was getting bogged down with work that I’m not even supposed to be doing in the office, so I moved myself away from the other employees. Yes those are all my computers.

Don’t call me a nerd or I’ll kick your ass…online.

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Posted in Geek, Work

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A question for employers out there.

Posted on January 6, 2010 | 1 Comment

There are a lot of lessons my dad has taught me in business. One lessons is, “You don’t reward loyalty by getting rid of people.” Another one being, “Money isn’t everything. People are important. Money just allows you to take care of people.”

The direction our company is heading is dictating that we automate a lot of processes in order to compete. Unfortunately that means certain positions will no longer be available. The tighter control on operations will allow further growth of the company, but sometimes these individuals are only cut out for was the job that was eliminated.

While the dollars aren’t everything, what do you do when certain individuals become a burden on the system that allows you to care for others?

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I’m Starving

Posted on January 4, 2010 | 2 Comments

I eat microwave meals when I am in the office. It’s the easiest thing for me since I get caught up in work and don’t always get to stop and eat at the same time each day. I buy whatever is on sale, whether it’s “diet” food or the standard fare. Here is one of the meals I bought recently.

Steak Tips Portabello: beef rib tips & portabello mushrooms in a burgundy win sauce with broccoli.

Sounds pretty appetizing, right? 160 calories! What is the point? There’s probably more calories in the cardboard box. I’m having a tough time even filing this post under the category Food.

Now I’m going to have to eat a second meal.

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It’s Like Vacation

Posted on November 13, 2009 | Leave a comment

I have spent the last seven out of nine nights in a hotel. The first four nights were in New York. That was fun. These last three were spent in the middle of California for work. I decided to treat it as a little vacation. During every vacation I try to get out of my comfort zone and do something I normally wouldn’t do, but it has particularly been tied to food. Eating adventurously is something I like to try.

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Taco Lengua a la izquierda. Taco Cabeza a la derecha. This was after I finished Taco Carnitas, Taco al Pastor, and Taco Chile Verde. All were delicious, washed down with a couple Modelos.

With delicious eats like this, I’m still glad to be coming home today.

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Anything to do in the middle of California?

Posted on November 9, 2009 | Leave a comment

Remember a couple years ago when I wrote this post about work? It resulted in this awesome work. It looks like I couldn’t get someone else to fill in for me for the work. I get to go back tomorrow night, probably for three days instead of two this time. It’s been just over two years since my last energy survey up there. Think there is more to do there now? If not, I know there’s at least Internet. Thank god for Internet, sweet giver of life.

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Posted in Travel, Work

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Late is Relative

Posted on July 22, 2009 | 4 Comments

I’ve been working at my current job for four years now. In the past four years, I have been on time to work about five times. On average I roll into work fifteen to thirty minutes late. Why have I not been fired yet? SOB, Son of the Boss.

This morning I rolled out of bed pretty late. It was so late that my mom was up and about already, which is unusual because of her drinking problem. (My mom’s retired, but my dad and I like to tell her she does nothing all day but hit the sauce.)

Me: “I’m so late right now.”
Mom: “You’re not late if you’re there before the boss.”
Me: “Is he still sleeping?”
Mom: “Yup.”

Enlightenment struck. Instead of trying to get to work on time, I should be making the boss late. Each night I will hide his keys and toothbrush. Some booby traps might help too, a snake pit or maybe a pipe organ made of human bones where the floor falls out from under you if you don’t play the correct notes.

And to think I’ve been doing it wrong all these years.

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