My new office

I grabbed a lunch break, which consisted of a hike to the cafeteria in the north building of the Summit Technology Campus, where I work.  The food is actually decent.  I got a pork chop, greens, cornbread, and a milk for $3.95.  Not bad.  I've been working in this new office for two weeks now, and I'm just getting settled in.  It took them two weeks to procure my laptop, because they've been focused on moving into the new location here, plus the people who make these things happen have been taking vacation days.  Consequently, I've been getting work done via face to face meetings and using my personal email account and my personal laptop.  The first week, I did very little except read documents and watch some training presentations on CD and attend briefings to get up to speed on the project in which I'll be participating.  There are still moving boxes sitting around, and a bit of freight related to the project, too.  The first couple of days they were still painting the restrooms in our area, so we had to take a hike to the next nearest public restrooms. . . down a very long hallway, then a left and down the longest hallway I've ever seen.  I think I saw a hallway almost this long at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, and someone mentioned that the Denver airport might have a longer one, but I seriously doubt it.  This one wins on length to width ratio, hands down.  For the doubters, I've included a satellite pic of the building, and a pic of this ridiculous hallway, which runs the length of it.  Restroom breaks required advance planning.

Random phonecam items

It's my lunch break at work, and I'm clearing old images off of my phone.  So, I posted some interesting ones here.  They include a pic of one of those security Nazis who zoom around the Sprint campus on Segway scooters, the Christmas tree at Crown Center, some images from a family outing to a hibachi restaurant, and so forth.

James Brown died.

Such a great Christmas is ruined, and this tired old techno song is finally true.  James Brown is dead of pneumonia.  I'm grateful that I got to see him in concert at the River Market a few years ago, and it was a lively show, indeed.  His music flavored the funk and was sampled by rap  artists, and I can honestly say I grew up listening to his style of music.  I only wish he was making new material in recent years.

That out of the way, I had a great Christmas with the family.  I finally did go Christmas shopping on Saturday.  And I think I've caught up on sleep. 

First day at the new job

After some driving around and a pit stop at McDonald's to freshen up, I arrived at the location and called the new boss to be escorted past the security guard, who did not have a badge for me.  I got to choose a cube out of a group of empty ones.  I grabbed one which looked secluded enough to provide some privacy, yet close to the break room.  Since this is everyone's first day in this new location, there are Fry-Wagner moving boxes stacked everywhere and people carrying their personal microwaves and minifridges into their new home away from home. I'm waiting for the boss man to print some new hire docs for me to fill out, and introducing myself around as people filter in and search for the boxes which contain their things.  Based on the interesting cubicle decor and banter, this is going to be much more interesting than the Sprint NOCC.

Sprint Corporation parting shots

And I stopped to take a few pictures of the sprawling Overland Park headquarters of the Sprint Nextel Corporation, to which I may never return after Tuesday.  This image will serve as a reminder of that both wonderful and horrible place.  I had hoped to catch a picture of campus security in their Nazi jackets and bicycle helmets zipping around the cubicle farms on their Segway scooters.  Sunday is a good day for that, because the place is desolate outside the network operations center in building 6550.  No employees to run over, so they can go full speed.  I almost caught a picture of one as he zipped down toward the fitness center, but he disappeared behind a row of columns before I got the button pressed.

Gearing up for a crazy week.

Well, Christmas shopping just isn't going to happen this year.  I don't have the time or the money available.  It's finals week at school, plus I'll be working two full-time jobs on Monday and Tuesday.  In addition, I'm resolved to study after/during work at least eight hours total for my final exam, which is scheduled for Wednesday evening.  Then, I'm getting ready to host the family for Christmas.  They arrive Friday.  That precludes any weight lifting and hockey this week, I suppose.  I hope to still get at least four hours of sleep each day, by any means necessary.  After Tuesday, I will be back to a normal daytime work schedule and have the evenings free again.  Once I finish my final exam on Wednesday night, I'll get a full night of rest for once.  I think it might feel like a vacation.

Lutzie sent me a link to a great hockey video.  This guy is amazing in the stickhandling preview video. 

mms://media15.cqservers.com/skinnerhockey/stickhandling.wmv

http://icws222w4.myicontrol.com/icws222w4/index.cfm?ID=6020BB03-5274-4124-BC775360699B6628

 

 

Baby harvest

They're curing nerve conditions in the Ukraine, but they're paying women to get pregant, then harvesting the babies at 8 weeks for the stem cells to facilitate the cures.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6171083.stm  It seems like a new form of prostitution to me.

Brr.

It's chilly today.  The sun is going to have to work hard to warm it up to the predicted 38 degree high.  I'm not planning to do anything outside, anyway, but the furnace is working overtime.  I can't wait to see the gas bill.  I mean, yes I can!

I quit my job at Sprint and accepted a contract to work in Dallas for the next few months.  The milder weather there will be welcome, as will the additional cash I'll be making.  This is the job I was looking for in July or so.  <sigh>  I'm glad it finally came along!  I'll be a technical lead for a network project at sites in Dallas, Kansas City, and Chicago.  This is right up my alley.  Because of the travel involved, I'll have to take my classes online for the next couple of terms.  I'm excited to be using my core competencies once again.

It was a little bit difficult to quit my job at Sprint.  If I didn't like the people I was working with so much, it would be significantly easier. I consider a few of them friends, though.  I'll certainly be staying in touch.

Bueno me baby!

Okay, so they opened a Pancho's in Blue Springs, and I've made the trip out there a couple of times for some fast and delicious Mexican food.  It's a shade closer to home than the one in downtown KC.  Now, I've discovered that they opened a Taco Bueno in Belton a couple of months ago, and there's a brand new one in Blue Springs.  If anyone else from Oklahoma who misses Bueno! would like to go with, I intend to make a trip, possibly to the Belton location, this week.

http://www.tacobueno.com/tb-locations.pdf

 

First Snow / Fall 2006

Here are some snow pics from this morning.  I also took some pics of the sun shining through the ice on the inside of the windows of the back room, which is not heated.