Day 6 in Arizona was more work. At the conclusion of the work day, we were bused out into the “middle of the desert” for a “western roundup” party. If you could get away from the cheeseball band that was lip syncing and playing to backing tracks, it was a… Read More »Arizona Day 6
At the end of Day 4 Jesse and I checked into the resort and begun the business of working. On Day 5 I put away my camera and did not do much of interest besides work. The resort we were staying at was on an Indian Reservation. The only attraction… Read More »Arizona Day 5
So I think I can be a little freer with the experience of house buying that I have been enduring. I guess the most important news is that I am officially going through the process of buying a house now. I would like to at least go through the process… Read More »The Ballad of House Buying: Part 1 The Surrogates
I got word on Friday that this week will be the last week of operation for the Varsity II Theater in Ames. The Cinemark Corporation had been wanting to close the theater down for quite some time, but they were stuck in a lease. Unfortunately for fans of thoughtful, intelligent… Read More »Goodbye, Old Friend
This is just a random image. I thought you might find it interesting and you might want something interesting after the story below. On Tuesday a few of us miners went to Pizza Pit for lunch because a new employee allegedly loved chicken wings, but as it turns out, he… Read More »Muskrat Carcass
From the Clare Boothe Luce Files: Monday was the annual Computer Mine Thanksgiving. The Mine brings in a healthy spread of food and the meal is supplemented in a potluck manner by various employees. In my time at the mine, I’ve never once contributed to a potluck. This is connected… Read More »No Good Deed…
As I look at the year that is rapidly approaching, it turns out that 2009 is going to be the Year of the Meeting. For starters, I will be the Marketing VP for the Ames Jaycees in 2009. That means two board meetings a month in addition to 2 membership… Read More »Mr. Meeting
The picture below is what greeted me on Thursday as I left the Computer Mine on my lunch break. In retrospect, I should have taken the time to take a decent picture. Rather this one out my car window while I was stopped at a stoplight.
Last week was National Customer Service Week. I don’t know if this is a real week that exists in the real world, but it is a pretty big deal at the Computer Mine. This year we got 75 dollars in gift certificates, a travel mug and a 4 port USB… Read More »Spoiled
Last year I won both of the Fantasy Football Leagues that I participate in. This week I finally got what was coming to me, a trophy for the tremendous accomplishment of winning the Fantasy Football League at work. A physical trophy. The trophy was given to me by League Commissioner… Read More »No More Mental Trophies
Sometimes I forget that I cut an impressive figure. Sometimes I forget that when you are 6’3 inches tall and are rippling with muscles, attitude and intensity to spare you can unintentionally strike fear in to the hearts of others. Back when I was running Campus it was not uncommon… Read More »Burden
Duff flooded a few hundred feet from the Computer Mine on Friday. The woods behind the Computer Mine flooded as well. I think all this water caused some of the animals from the woods to be a little more active near the building. Earlier this year I figured out that… Read More »More From Friday
It has been over a week since The Great Insult. I have yet to fully recover. To recap The Great Insult. It was during a break in the fast paced action of the Ames Jaycees Sandbox Fill. I was sitting in the backseat with Jamie. We had been getting along… Read More »Just Another Computer Guy
I’m not the type of person that grouses about their job all that much. That is mostly because I enjoy my job and I have only a modicum of responsibility. Plus for the most part, very few people can screw me over in my job. So the co-workers that I… Read More »A Couple Computer Mine Thoughts
Subscriptions It has come to my attention that some people would like to get e-mail notifications when this blog has been updated. I thought a rudimentary lesson in RSS Feeds a few months back would have quieted the clamor for e-mail subscriptions. It has not, so I am now offering… Read More »Cheese Subscription
There are a metric ton of people out there that think that I have an easy job. They believe this because I have told them that I have an easy job and it is a well documented fact that I don’t lie. However, yesterday I was unpacking a SCSI 29160… Read More »SCSI 29160
I spent my Thursday night engaged in Jaycee activities. It started at 6 PM with a new member orientation ran by Shannon and Charby. The highlight of this meeting was getting a new pen. My New Pen I have a reputation for being an elitist because I think Dan Brown… Read More »Thursday Night with Kountertop (Pt. 1)
Our bowling team has been making a bit of run as of late. Two weeks ago we won 21 of 24 points. Then last night we won 19 of 24 points. We’ve pushed our way all the way from nearly last place to 5th place. We might even be higher… Read More »Texture
The deer that live in the woods behind the computer mine have become braver in the last few days. Today I actually got a few pretty decent shots of one that was looking for food about 75 feet from the back door of the mine. The good news about this… Read More »Computer Mine Woods
Yesterday while I was slaving away in the Computer Mine, I came across something curious. While it is true that I frequently come across something curious in the Mine, this seemed to be a different kind of strange. When I get to come out of the darkness of the mine… Read More »The Lost Quarter
Saturday night was the Computer Mine Holiday Party. The Computer Mine is overly generous with the prizes that they give away at this party. I’m not sure there really is a need for these prizes after all they already give us quite a healthy Christmas present. This year I got… Read More »Even When You Win