Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Week 11

Anyone who's transferred within a corporation is likely to understand that some of the first people you will meet, aside from supervisors, will be the geeks- the IT guys.  That's Brian, Corey, and Scott- I've spent a lot of time with these three since my first day at work in New York (yesterday.)  Corey, a tall, slender, professional looking fellow about my age, has been the go-to guy for network and most software bugs. 

Brian, the programmer, was a more quiet guy, but you could tell by the way his trembling fingers hovered over the keyboard that he's the type of guy who could write a program to simulate what who would would win if an army of Smurfs attacked a fire-breathing Oompa Loompa settlement in Iceland with boomerangs, and he could do it just for the fun of it.  Brian was the guy that fixed Corey's mistakes, but that was only necessary on one program.

The guy who directed Corey and Brian, Scott, didn't seem any older than they, but he had the big office with a nice desk.  He was a nice guy as well, but seemed to be celebrating St. Paddy's day one day too early- sitting at his station with a light green shirt, green mug, and a lava lamp on in front of him sending emerald green globs of goo up and down.

I met all three of the IT guys yesterday, as I was escorted from office to office by Linda, the engineering clerk and self-proclaimed 'mother hen' of the department-  I'm happy to be one of her many hatchlings, as she's ordering me a new chair along with a number of other goodies that the office I'm taking over could really use.  Linda is super-friendly and brimming with energy.  Judging by her perky, free-spirited attitude, and her nose stud, I can picture her fitting in really well at Woodstock in '69.  She has a pretty cool spoon collection hanging on a bulletin board in her office- many in the office have contributed to the display.

along the edge of the common area, at the heart of the building, lies the black oasis.  The elixer of early morning sanity pours forth from insulated tumblers kept full of hot coffee by none other than Sharon, also known as the coffee princess.  Sharon is lean and in her middle years, yet seems perpetually young- full of spunk, confident, and always with hearty laugh at her disposal.  She collects the dollar a week for the coffee fund, brews it masterfully, and keeps a small pot in her office for a special early afternoon brewing using more exotic beans, freshly ground rather than the standard fare for the mid morning communion. 

Remember in the Bible where Jesus turned water into wine and the guests asked why the host saved the best wine for last?  Well I guess people want to taste the good stuff before they get too drunk to enjoy it.  The opposite is true when it comes to coffee.   We might drink muddy water and not know the difference first thing in the morning if it has enough caffeine.  By the afternoon, though, our brains are humming right along and ready to slurp on a more complex and intriguing roast, blend, or variety.

So far, I haven't met a single person I don't like, and the office is probably the most laid-back I've ever worked in.  That can be good and bad- the hours are more flexible, but having people pop into my office and start shooting the breeze at random, on company time, can be a distraction as well- I'm used to a pretty hard-core Get-er'-done, productivity is everything mentality. . . . and we aren't getting paid to visit- I'd rather get a bonus for profitability than have to work overtime because everyone else is slacking.

It seems like one of the most common ways to welcome a newcomer there, is to talk about good places to eat in the area.  In just two days I've heard of a lot of restaurants.  The thing is, I don't eat out that much.  Even with my wife yet to join me in NY, I've been making my own suppers.  I was amazed to see how low prices are for fresh produce here!  I'm taking advantage of the fact and making super salads for dinner- tonight's was composed of the following: two kinds of lettuce, carrots, sweet peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, grape tomatoes, sesame sticks, almonds, avocado, a boiled egg, and greek dressing.  Yum!

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