…Or Is It?
I was out in the field recently when one of my co-workers pointed behind me and asked, “What kind of cloud is that?”
I turned around, looked into the sky and replied, “A rabbit… or maybe a dragon. I’m a Field Engineer, not a meteorologist!”
It got me thinking. I can vaguely recall having the ability to lie on my back in the grass for hours, seeing a countless variety of ever-changing shapes and objects in the clouds. Having no thoughts of… well anything, and no regret over the fact that at that moment I was being completely and utterly unproductive. Where did it go? No wait, when did it go? Did it slowly fade away, or was there just one moment, one morning when I woke up and was… different, too busy with adult responsibilities to find pleasure in such a simple relaxing activity?
I probably spend even more time gazing into the clouds lately than I ever did before, only now I’m standing in a swamp with mud well over the ankles of my steel-toed boots. Every article of clothing, even my safety vest, is so drenched with sweat that I can’t keep anything in my pockets that isn’t waterproof. And I don’t see fuzzy animals, only the potential for rain. The pessimistic side of my brain is always calculating the possible impact to the schedule and increased cost of the project if those clouds also bring lightning. Rain without lightning is more of a good news/bad news scenario, the good news being that we can work through the rain while the bad news is… that we can work through the rain. The optimistic side occasionally interrupts, saying things like, “At least it’ll cool down a little bit.” Thoughts like that are all too brief as I am quick to remember how it feels after the rain. Isn’t humidity fun?
Cloud watching wasn’t the only casualty lost during the battle of my adolescence, let’s not forget snow. Snow used to be awesome, with a capital AWE! There was nothing better than the feeling I’d get, looking out the window, to see that the world had magically changed overnight, covered by a thick, soft, white blanket. If only modern science could capture that sensation. Forget “buying the world a Coke”, pass a bottle of that around! You would have so much world peace going on it would make you nauseous.
As a kid, I could play in the snow for hours on end. One winter, a buddy and I built a… well we thought of it as some kind of snow fort but it was more like a very small igloo. It was basically a short wall, over which we secured a blue, plastic wading pool (for structural support, of course) turned upside down, with snow packed on top. We carved out little nooks inside where we could stash sandwich bags filled with the last of the Halloween score. And we could hang out in there all day without a care in the world. But all of that would soon change with the acquisition of the much desired Driver’s License.
I have a very different relationship with snow these days, let’s just say… we’re not speaking to each other. For example, a few years ago we built a job in the Denver area. My company’s portion of the work was supposed to take place during the fall, which was lovely by the way. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, it was pushed to the cold, dead heart of the fourth snowiest winter on record for the region. Imagine my delight, the very joy in my heart as I stood in the parking lot trying to get a diesel F350 started up at 5:30 each morning while the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit could be counted on one hand. And then there’s the snowy freeway commute… I have a thing about driving on a frozen road. It’s a long story involving an attempt on my life by the state of Kansas one January night.
That’s right, Kansas, I said it. Don’t play dumb with me, I have a witness.
I won’t bore you with all the details of Level B Hazmat protective gear, supplied air respirators and such. To be blunt, it was already a complicated and dangerous project, only made more difficult by the wintery conditions. In the end, it was an experience I am proud to have been a key part of and would willingly take on the challenge of future projects of a similar nature. I just don’t choose recreational activities for myself that involve snow anymore, not just because of one project or one terrifying luge across I-70 in the dark (no Kansas, I will not let it go), but because it appealed to me less and less the more I had to drive in it, shovel it, etc.. Skiers and snowboarders rejoice, there’s one less individual crowding the slopes.
The Big Question…
Basically, what I want to know is if my younger self (armed with an impressive imagination and possessing the ability to find enjoyment in almost any situation) would be ashamed to meet the man I’ve become. Have I grown to fit his/my definition of a “boring adult”? Maybe not. Truth be told, an observant person who has seen me both as a child sitting on the floor with a bucket of Legos, and as a grown man completely absorbed in a spreadsheet or CAD drawing, would probably be astonished at the similarities. No, really! I love building a new spreadsheet or CAD drawing.
And as a grown, (semi-)responsible man of 30 years, my favorite meal is without a doubt, grilled-cheese sandwiches with hot tomato soup for dunking, just like mom and grandma used to make for me. And I don’t think that will ever change. If I ever did meet myself as a child, I can take comfort in knowing we could totally bond over a melty plate of those bad boys! I actually burned myself a couple of weeks ago trying to satisfy the craving. I was so absorbed in flipping a sandwich over with the spatula in my left hand, that I grabbed the edge of the skillet between the thumb and forefinger of my right (you know, for leverage). It was a Thursday evening and, as more proof that there is hope for me yet, before I could even reach the sink to run my hand under some water, my thoughts were already focused solely on how this may affect the weekend’s anticipated video gaming.
I suppose my younger self might not find me to be such a stick in the mud after all. I may not gaze at the clouds anymore, but I can stare with that same innocent wonder and amazement into an aquarium or a thunderstorm. I can still crack a joke or otherwise find some reason to laugh during a trying situation. And, most importantly, every time I sit down to take off my work boots after a long day on the jobsite a little voice in my head sings, “Won’t you be my neighbor?”
Thanks for stopping by! Come back soon to find out why “It’s a War Zone Out There!”
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Yeah… I’m Still Here…
Still alive, still kicking, and still in New Orleans
It is now July, which means I’ve been working here in the “Big Easy” for 12 months. I’ve seen New Orleans through all four seasons and every major holiday, with the exception of Christmas and New Years (which were spent in California with my wonderful wife). I’ve lived among the “Who Dats” through football season and Mardi Gras. I’ve been stuck or redirected at road closures due to countless parades that have no apparent purpose.
It also means I’ve been living on the road for 14 months, reducing my entire Louisville experience to little more than a pit-stop. Half-way through the third construction project in the area, making this a 4-game road trip (including Kentucky), I am more than ready to sleep in my own bed and spend quality time with my wife without having to operate out of a suitcase. I am thrilled at the possibility of being able to commute on my motorcycle and lounge in my man cave once again.
With one more month to go before my dream becomes reality, I have a confession to make. I have a very strong love/hate relationship with New Orleans. On the one hand I hate being in New Orleans, but on the other hand I love leaving New Orleans. Unfortunately, to fully experience the exquisite joy of leaving New Orleans, you first have to be there. I could write extensively concerning my feelings about the region, but in the off-chance that someone who lives here just happens to stumble upon my blog… I wouldn’t want to cause any hurt feelings. I know what it’s like to be in the room where others were speaking ill of my home, where I grew up, the backdrop of so many childhood memories. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody. Just so we’re clear, I’m fully aware that my opinions are just that, my opinions. I’m open to the possibility that the people who are from here may very well see something that I don’t see. It may just come down to personal taste. Maybe (likely, I think) the characteristics of where we grew up have nothing to do with it, and the fondness we hold dear for the specific locale is simply what we associate with those formative and individually sacred experiences.
What I’ve Been Up To…
You probably think I’ve conquered dozens of different games since last we met, racking up hundreds of trophies and making a serious dent in my sizeable backlog, don’t you? It has been 5 months since my last post, after all. Actually, apart from the remakes of “The Secret of Monkey Island” and “Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge” (which took all of a weekend, combined), I’ve mainly been working on only one game… “Demon’s Souls”.
If you didn’t just get goose bumps after reading that, you are obviously not familiar with the game. And chances are pretty good that if you are familiar with the game, you are tempted to say, “Don’t tell me you actually finished Demon’s Souls?!”
Surprisingly, there is nothing taken away by the fact that there is little to no music throughout the entire game, a design choice that would be disastrous in almost any other project.
It took me almost 4 months to get all the trophies for this game, and yes, that is much longer than it should be. Let me explain, I learned long ago that I am incapable of playing more than one game at a time. I end up jumping from game to game, having a great time, but never finishing anything. When I would return to a game I had previously been working on, I completely forgot where I was and couldn’t even remember the controls. I would have to start all over. On top of that, Demon’s Souls beats on you at every opportunity. Coming home after 12 hours of sun, heat, equipment problems, etc. beating on me, all day long (if it was a particularly tough day) I would be physically, mentally and emotionally unable to even pick up the controller, knowing that Demon’s Souls only offered more beatings. So it’s not like I played the same game everyday for four months. I just knew it could only be counter productive to play anything else on those days I was unable to face the madness.
By way of disclaimer, I did not take the above pictures. They were collected from various places around the world wide internet webs. I thought about trying to capture some cool screenshots myself, but that would require taking the disc back out of the case, and that is forbidden.
Contrary to the popular belief held among many of my acquaintances, I do more than just play video games and drink Mt. Dew during my free time. I also drink Mt. Dew while reading books! In fact, during my absence from the blog I put my Nook e-reader to work as well, finishing both parts of Louisa Alcott’s “Little Women” (yes, I accurately predicted who both Amy and Jo would marry), Alan Jacobson’s “The 7th Victim”, Timothy Hallinan’s “A Nail Through the Heart” and devoured all 788 pages of George R. R. Martin’s “A Game of Thrones”. Additionally, I also completely re-read my hardcover copy of Christopher Paolini’s “Eldest” and thoroughly enjoyed the unabridged audiobook version of the brilliant David Baldacci’s “Split Second” (while making a trip into Texas for a meeting). As you can clearly see, I’m not nearly as predictable as some might think.
Hmm… that was quite a bit more lengthy than I intended. If I was more consistent with my posts, I wouldn’t have to spend so much time catching up. Rather than try your patience with a much longer post, I’ll go ahead and save the rest for next time. Keep an eye out for “Innocence Lost” in the coming days.
In closing, it came free with my Nook and is also a literary classic, so don’t hassle me. You know what I’m referring to. Thanks for stopping by!
Monday, February 7, 2011
I Love Video Games - Part 2
Welcome back! That was a nice little break and I think we’re ready to take another stab at this. Now where was I?
New Releases: Purchasing vs. Playing
Ah yes, my dilemma. I had previously mentioned that I often purchase newly released video games, but rarely play them. If you take this to mean that I consciously and regularly make the pilgrimage to a purveyor of game software and game software accessories, exchange hard-earned currency for the latest title I am very excited about, return to my cave and place it on a shelf alongside the others where it will sit for months before being called into service… you are catching on.
If you are still reading at this point, you are probably asking yourself, “Why?”, or possibly, “Are you mental?” I think we can all agree that the answer to both questions is… “42”, but that’s another topic for another day and I’m trying to keep this one from jumping the track. Stay with me now. Keep your eye on the person in front of you, we don’t want to lose anyone today. Use the buddy system if you have to. Moving on.
There are many smaller causes and minor distractions that contribute to the situation, but today we’ll be discussing the two primary, hyphenated culprits. I am a well-informed gamer with a full-time job.
…well-informed gamer…
I am a proud subscriber to one magazine and one magazine only, Game Informer. I actually have two paid subscriptions (Mrs. B’s idea). They recently started offering a digital version of the magazine, which meant that she would no longer have to mail each issue to me when I’m working away from home. It’s a good system, in theory, with one major flaw… internet access. You have to be on-line to read it and I can’t always count on having reliable internet access during the times that are convenient for me to browse the current issue. The nature of my work often puts me in the middle of nowhere, and I never know what resources will be available to me. Now, if it was made available as a download for off-line reading, then we’d really be cooking with gas.
If you’ve ever spent time in a GameStop, you are familiar with this magazine. Every time you go to buy or trade in an item, the nice sales person will ask you if you have a card (like almost every other business these days) and if you don’t, he/she will enlighten you to the benefits of signing up for one. They will politely respect your wishes should you decline, but make no mistake, you will engage in this dance at every visit. If you are anything like me, and pop in with any kind of regularity, you will likely sign up because whipping out the card is so much quicker and easier than going through the sales pitch over and over. I don’t want to give the wrong impression, it really does benefit the regular patron, but for me the best sales pitch is, “You won’t have to hear this sales pitch again.”
The meager fee for this card includes a one year subscription to Game Informer, the best video game publication on the face of the earth. With in-depth previews of upcoming titles (often a year away), well-written reviews reviews of new releases, opinion pieces by professionals in the industry and regular fun segments such as “Sacred Cow Barbeque” and the yearly April Fool’s “Game Infarcer”, each issue is an entertaining, informative and satisfying experience. What began as an occasional flip through the pages for something that catches my eye has since evolved into a monthly cover to cover feast. I have always found their reviews to be honest and helpful. Whenever I have purchased a game based on a review that indicated not only a product of quality, but also an experience that I would enjoy, I have never been disappointed.
The downside to all of this is that there are many more excellent games being made than I was previously aware of, certainly more than I have time to properly enjoy. This brings us to the second half of the equation.
…with a full-time job.
”Full-time” doesn’t really, properly define my schedule. If bed sizes were applicable, I could say I have a “queen-time” job, whereas an ER doctor might have a “king-time” job. It’s a relief that it’s not the case… a “part-size” bed would be like sleeping on an ottoman
and “queen-time” job sounds wrong for a whole host of reasons. Perhaps a different approach…
For those of you not relatively familiar with the construction world, allow me to shed some light. During actual construction of a project there is no such thing as a 40 hour week. It just doesn’t exist. Even a 10-hour day (at least in my experience) means something happened on-site, usually in the form of a severe thunderstorm or hurricane. When the rare 10-hour day happens, someone is bound to be heard asking, “What are you gonna do with the extra time?” And what about a 5-day work week? All together now…Long weekend! A 5-day week typically follows Labor Day… or Memorial Day… which should probably be listed first, as it is observed earlier in the year… but they are in alphabetical order at the moment… and we just lost the OCD group. The rest of you, follow me. They can catch up later.
Do you remember in math class when you had to solve the word problems? Try this one. If a traveling Field Engineer puts in… lets say 72 hours a week, plus commuting, eating and sleeping (I skimp a little here), showering (do not skimp here, trust me, the world thanks you), time with my wife (for the sake of argument we’ll call this a 30 minute phone call, she’s busy too) and a sprinkling of other miscellaneous free-time activities (favorite TV-shows, learning Japanese, etc.), how much time does that man have to enjoy his video games? Correct! Not enough! Gold star for all of you!
And so it goes. That new game I’m all excited about could be played immediately, but only at the expense of the back-log. If I ever get ambitious enough to post my own review of a game, rest assured, it will most likely be a game released at least 12 months ago.
Is there any hope to be found, any solution to the overabundance of awesome? Probably. But in all honesty, I’m enjoying the challenge. Game On, fellow cave dwellers… Game On!
In Closing
Since my last post I have completed the following:
Heavy Rain
Assassin’s Creed 2 (finished off DLC)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (100%)
Mini Ninjas (100%)
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (100% and DLC)
Prince of Persia (100% and DLC)
Hope to see you here again soon, thanks for stopping by. Oh, and if you know why the answer is “42”, you get an extra gold star!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
I Love Video Games – Part 1
It’s February again already?! I am really not attacking this whole blogging thing with any kind of regularity at all, am I? So much has happened, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and my beloved Philadelphia Eagles making a fleeing exit from this year’s post season.
I mentioned in my last post that I had just reached the wise old age of 30 (almost six months ago… ugh) and I have since had the opportunity to apply a portion of new found wisdom to my daily life. For example, Hamburger Helper. I have eaten Hamburger Helper countless times over the course of my life thus far, preparing it myself for probably half of that time. Whenever I would make Hamburger Helper, I would place all of the ingredients into the skillet in the order they appear in the directions found on the box. My task was then to thoroughly blend the ingredients together without making a mess of the stove, which is tricky as my skillet nearly runneth over. After three decades of this battle, the light bulb finally went off. Stir the water and sauce mix in a separate bowl first! It’s so simple!
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, however. Forever gone are the days when each bite is taken with anticipation, wondering if this is the bite containing a concentrated pocket of unmixed flavoring, hidden in the curve of a noodle. Oh well, I guess even wisdom has a price. Moving on.
Video Games
The first thing you should learn about me, relative to my video game habit, is that I rarely play new releases. This is of course inversely proportional to the frequency at which I buy new releases. You can easily imagine more than one dilemma resulting from this situation. If you can’t… then you’re not trying… or you have a brain cloud… just like Tom Hanks in Joe Versus the Volcano. Did you see it? It was great! Why is it that whenever anyone brings up one of the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movies, nobody mentions Joe Versus the Volcano? I suppose I can understand, I mean, they starred together in like 3 dozen movies after all. Of course, I had very little appreciation for it the first time. I saw it in the theater as a kid and most of the movie went right over my head, and I don’t think I even noticed that Meg Ryan played like three different characters. If you haven’t seen it, watch it. If you have seen it, it might be time for a refresher.
Hmmm… well this took an unexpected turn. Totally lost my train of thought. We should probably take a Mountain Dew break. I want everybody to regroup here in five, without the brain cloud.
I mentioned in my last post that I had just reached the wise old age of 30 (almost six months ago… ugh) and I have since had the opportunity to apply a portion of new found wisdom to my daily life. For example, Hamburger Helper. I have eaten Hamburger Helper countless times over the course of my life thus far, preparing it myself for probably half of that time. Whenever I would make Hamburger Helper, I would place all of the ingredients into the skillet in the order they appear in the directions found on the box. My task was then to thoroughly blend the ingredients together without making a mess of the stove, which is tricky as my skillet nearly runneth over. After three decades of this battle, the light bulb finally went off. Stir the water and sauce mix in a separate bowl first! It’s so simple!
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, however. Forever gone are the days when each bite is taken with anticipation, wondering if this is the bite containing a concentrated pocket of unmixed flavoring, hidden in the curve of a noodle. Oh well, I guess even wisdom has a price. Moving on.
Video Games
The first thing you should learn about me, relative to my video game habit, is that I rarely play new releases. This is of course inversely proportional to the frequency at which I buy new releases. You can easily imagine more than one dilemma resulting from this situation. If you can’t… then you’re not trying… or you have a brain cloud… just like Tom Hanks in Joe Versus the Volcano. Did you see it? It was great! Why is it that whenever anyone brings up one of the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movies, nobody mentions Joe Versus the Volcano? I suppose I can understand, I mean, they starred together in like 3 dozen movies after all. Of course, I had very little appreciation for it the first time. I saw it in the theater as a kid and most of the movie went right over my head, and I don’t think I even noticed that Meg Ryan played like three different characters. If you haven’t seen it, watch it. If you have seen it, it might be time for a refresher.
Hmmm… well this took an unexpected turn. Totally lost my train of thought. We should probably take a Mountain Dew break. I want everybody to regroup here in five, without the brain cloud.
Monday, August 23, 2010
What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?
Welcome back fellow cave dwellers! I know what you’re thinking, “Two posts in less than a week?” I’m just as surprised as you are. Perhaps I’m getting the hang of this “blogging” thing after all? Only time will tell.
When we last met I was telling you a bit about my time spent in “Louavull”, and now it’s time to get started on New Orleans. I’ve already been here for seven weeks, so I’m still playing catch-up.
It was my birthday last week, did you know that? That’s alright, it snuck up on me too. A couple weeks ago I flew back home to the Bay for the weekend and my wife, in league with our wonderful friends, threw me a surprise party. I won’t get into it too much here as the event has already been well chronicled by my too kind and loving wife. Check out the pictures on her blog. It was much better than I deserve, but then again, who among us is really deserving of a cake in the shape of Darth Vader’s helmet? An awesome time was had by all.
Yeah, it turns out I’m 30 now… not sure how I feel about that. At this point I guess it’s too late to start wondering what I’m going to be when I grow up, I’m already there.
I am definitely my father’s son in the truest sense. Although I have two younger brothers (and three younger sisters) and we all take after both of our parents in different ways, this apple certainly did not fall far from the paternal tree. Don’t get me wrong, I do have some traits in common with my mother, and I’m still my own man. Let’s just say, it can be pretty easy to see the relation. Our tastes in music, movies, humor and hobbies, not to mention personality traits can be so similar sometimes it’s scary, just ask Mrs. B. As Luke Skywalker would say, “I am a Field Engineer, like my father before me.” Okay, maybe he didn’t say it exactly like that, but it was pretty close.
As a kid, I looked forward to summer time just like everybody else. Long days, no school and big plans. But I also loved summer because occasionally I could go with my dad to work. I’d get to wear a gigantic hard hat and reflective vest and follow him around whatever construction site he was currently working on. Not only did I get a front row seat to watch the big machines push around earth and rock (show me one little boy who doesn’t smile at even a backhoe at work, I dare you), but I got an early impression of the camaraderie that exists in the industry between the individuals working on the same task or project. And it’s probably similar in many occupational fields, but there was always something about construction that struck me to my very core.
I clearly remember one particularly awesome experience, when my father was working on a new dam up in the mountains. Like many projects built away from residential areas, this job was ongoing around the clock. My father and I arrived at… well I can’t remember the time but it was early, early enough to still be dark on a summer morning. As we sat in his truck waiting for the day shift to start, I was mesmerized by the site on top of the dam. Even in the dark of night, the construction lighting brightened the work area like it was noon. In the distance I could see the dump trucks, loaders and dozers drive along the dam crest and park, their weary operators dismounting to shake hands and crack jokes in passing with the relieving shift. I never did understand why that memory stuck out so, but there you have it.
And it’s not like I always wanted to work in construction, mind you. I was a lot like my peers at that age, dreaming of being a professional athlete, astronaut or cowboy. Only now as I look back with what wisdom I’ve gained, can I see that those early experiences and my enthusiasm at the time have clearly telegraphed the course my life would take as I entered the adult world and the work force.
I love my job! That’s not to say that it doesn’t come with it’s own share of challenges and frustrations, but the rewarded feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment for overcoming those make all the difference. I have the pleasure of working with some fine individuals, and together we form a tight-knit (though quite diverse) family. The many ways in which each project differs from the next, the new people we meet and locations we experience all combine for a very exciting, fulfilling way to make a living.
However, we are here today to discuss one of the less important benefits of my work (I know, I take a while to get there don’t I?). The SWAG!
There is often a supplier or contractor who wants to take you out to lunch to talk business, which is always fun when you are on the road because the local guys know where the good food is. Then there are the hats and shirts, the bulk of construction swag. I have at home a large box full of t-shirts with logos for suppliers of every kind of construction material or service, and a shelf in the closet piled high with hats of the same. And occasionally, the suppliers and other contractors you do business show their appreciation in the form of tickets to sporting events. I’ve been to several San Francisco Giants games and have seen the 49ers play twice (it was nice to finally see my beloved Eagles in person for once).
The swag is not the reason I do what I do, nor is it the reason why I try so hard to do it right. The fact remains, it would be rude to refuse such gestures of gratitude, and I am a considerate and appreciative cave-man. So when someone says, “We’d like to take you guys to see the Saints/Texans pre-season game in the company suite,” you grit your teeth and politely accept. Just to be clear, you know I’m being a tad sarcastic here right? On the outside I’m playing it cool like I go to NFL games all the time and I’m quite accustomed to the luxury of watching from a suite, on the inside I’m pulling a Captain Morgan pose and declaring, “To the Superdome!”
Without my awesome photographer wife on hand for the event, my limited skills will have to suffice.
The Superdome is much more impressive than my pictures can convey. I can only guess at the potential intimidation a visiting team could experience, having to face the reigning Super Bowl Champions in such a pigskin cathedral.
I’ve always felt that the pre-season was more or less ignored by the sports fan community, I expected an indifferent attitude in light of the fact that it “didn’t really matter”.
I came away from this experience with a whole new respect for Saints fans. Two hours before kickoff, the Superdome was already surrounded by a mass of excited fans and the adjacent, newly built Champions Square was filling in nicely.
A likely combination of the excitement from last year’s triumph and the relief that football season is once again upon us had assured that everyone was present and encountered for. Some even making the trip from a galaxy far, far away!
If you’ve never had the opportunity to enjoy a sporting event from the comfort of a suite, I genuinely and sincerely hope that you get that chance soon. It’s something that everyone should get to experience at least once. I’ll walk you through it briefly, and bear in mind that your results may vary as I’m sure it’s different from stadium to stadium.
As we got off the elevator and walked down the hall to the suite, the first thing you notice is that there will be no getting up from the game to wade through a sea of fans in search of a bathroom, the suite has it’s own. Then there is a bar and food station surrounding a very comfortable sitting area, complete with multiple television screens. For those who drink, there was what appeared to be an endless supply of whatever your poison is. For me, sadly, there was no Mt. Dew. When I asked about that I was told in a very serious tone, “Oh, there’s no Pepsi products here.” I made do with Coke. Before the game even started I put away a very large chili-cheese dog and a plate of BBQ meatballs over steaming rice. Just before halftime I helped myself to a plate from the nacho bar. As much as I wanted to, I never did seem to find enough room for the pulled-pork sandwiches or the alfredo penne with shrimp. After the food area, you step down into the area with your seats and a fantastic view of the field.
The ‘Dome soon filled up and the New Orleans Saints won a decided victory over the Houston Texans in front of a packed house of screaming, cheering die-hards. As my Project Manager (left) said, “It was a most successful mission!”
For my Superintendent (center) and I (right, with the awesome belt buckle!), this was the first time we’ve seen a game from such accommodations and we all had a great time we won’t soon forget.
Thanks again for stopping by the cave, let’s do it again real soon.
From New Orleans, welcome back Football Season! We’ve missed you!
When we last met I was telling you a bit about my time spent in “Louavull”, and now it’s time to get started on New Orleans. I’ve already been here for seven weeks, so I’m still playing catch-up.
It was my birthday last week, did you know that? That’s alright, it snuck up on me too. A couple weeks ago I flew back home to the Bay for the weekend and my wife, in league with our wonderful friends, threw me a surprise party. I won’t get into it too much here as the event has already been well chronicled by my too kind and loving wife. Check out the pictures on her blog. It was much better than I deserve, but then again, who among us is really deserving of a cake in the shape of Darth Vader’s helmet? An awesome time was had by all.
Yeah, it turns out I’m 30 now… not sure how I feel about that. At this point I guess it’s too late to start wondering what I’m going to be when I grow up, I’m already there.
I am definitely my father’s son in the truest sense. Although I have two younger brothers (and three younger sisters) and we all take after both of our parents in different ways, this apple certainly did not fall far from the paternal tree. Don’t get me wrong, I do have some traits in common with my mother, and I’m still my own man. Let’s just say, it can be pretty easy to see the relation. Our tastes in music, movies, humor and hobbies, not to mention personality traits can be so similar sometimes it’s scary, just ask Mrs. B. As Luke Skywalker would say, “I am a Field Engineer, like my father before me.” Okay, maybe he didn’t say it exactly like that, but it was pretty close.
As a kid, I looked forward to summer time just like everybody else. Long days, no school and big plans. But I also loved summer because occasionally I could go with my dad to work. I’d get to wear a gigantic hard hat and reflective vest and follow him around whatever construction site he was currently working on. Not only did I get a front row seat to watch the big machines push around earth and rock (show me one little boy who doesn’t smile at even a backhoe at work, I dare you), but I got an early impression of the camaraderie that exists in the industry between the individuals working on the same task or project. And it’s probably similar in many occupational fields, but there was always something about construction that struck me to my very core.
I clearly remember one particularly awesome experience, when my father was working on a new dam up in the mountains. Like many projects built away from residential areas, this job was ongoing around the clock. My father and I arrived at… well I can’t remember the time but it was early, early enough to still be dark on a summer morning. As we sat in his truck waiting for the day shift to start, I was mesmerized by the site on top of the dam. Even in the dark of night, the construction lighting brightened the work area like it was noon. In the distance I could see the dump trucks, loaders and dozers drive along the dam crest and park, their weary operators dismounting to shake hands and crack jokes in passing with the relieving shift. I never did understand why that memory stuck out so, but there you have it.
And it’s not like I always wanted to work in construction, mind you. I was a lot like my peers at that age, dreaming of being a professional athlete, astronaut or cowboy. Only now as I look back with what wisdom I’ve gained, can I see that those early experiences and my enthusiasm at the time have clearly telegraphed the course my life would take as I entered the adult world and the work force.
I love my job! That’s not to say that it doesn’t come with it’s own share of challenges and frustrations, but the rewarded feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment for overcoming those make all the difference. I have the pleasure of working with some fine individuals, and together we form a tight-knit (though quite diverse) family. The many ways in which each project differs from the next, the new people we meet and locations we experience all combine for a very exciting, fulfilling way to make a living.
However, we are here today to discuss one of the less important benefits of my work (I know, I take a while to get there don’t I?). The SWAG!
There is often a supplier or contractor who wants to take you out to lunch to talk business, which is always fun when you are on the road because the local guys know where the good food is. Then there are the hats and shirts, the bulk of construction swag. I have at home a large box full of t-shirts with logos for suppliers of every kind of construction material or service, and a shelf in the closet piled high with hats of the same. And occasionally, the suppliers and other contractors you do business show their appreciation in the form of tickets to sporting events. I’ve been to several San Francisco Giants games and have seen the 49ers play twice (it was nice to finally see my beloved Eagles in person for once).
The swag is not the reason I do what I do, nor is it the reason why I try so hard to do it right. The fact remains, it would be rude to refuse such gestures of gratitude, and I am a considerate and appreciative cave-man. So when someone says, “We’d like to take you guys to see the Saints/Texans pre-season game in the company suite,” you grit your teeth and politely accept. Just to be clear, you know I’m being a tad sarcastic here right? On the outside I’m playing it cool like I go to NFL games all the time and I’m quite accustomed to the luxury of watching from a suite, on the inside I’m pulling a Captain Morgan pose and declaring, “To the Superdome!”
Without my awesome photographer wife on hand for the event, my limited skills will have to suffice.
The Superdome is much more impressive than my pictures can convey. I can only guess at the potential intimidation a visiting team could experience, having to face the reigning Super Bowl Champions in such a pigskin cathedral.
I’ve always felt that the pre-season was more or less ignored by the sports fan community, I expected an indifferent attitude in light of the fact that it “didn’t really matter”.
I came away from this experience with a whole new respect for Saints fans. Two hours before kickoff, the Superdome was already surrounded by a mass of excited fans and the adjacent, newly built Champions Square was filling in nicely. A likely combination of the excitement from last year’s triumph and the relief that football season is once again upon us had assured that everyone was present and encountered for. Some even making the trip from a galaxy far, far away!
If you’ve never had the opportunity to enjoy a sporting event from the comfort of a suite, I genuinely and sincerely hope that you get that chance soon. It’s something that everyone should get to experience at least once. I’ll walk you through it briefly, and bear in mind that your results may vary as I’m sure it’s different from stadium to stadium.
As we got off the elevator and walked down the hall to the suite, the first thing you notice is that there will be no getting up from the game to wade through a sea of fans in search of a bathroom, the suite has it’s own. Then there is a bar and food station surrounding a very comfortable sitting area, complete with multiple television screens. For those who drink, there was what appeared to be an endless supply of whatever your poison is. For me, sadly, there was no Mt. Dew. When I asked about that I was told in a very serious tone, “Oh, there’s no Pepsi products here.” I made do with Coke. Before the game even started I put away a very large chili-cheese dog and a plate of BBQ meatballs over steaming rice. Just before halftime I helped myself to a plate from the nacho bar. As much as I wanted to, I never did seem to find enough room for the pulled-pork sandwiches or the alfredo penne with shrimp. After the food area, you step down into the area with your seats and a fantastic view of the field. The ‘Dome soon filled up and the New Orleans Saints won a decided victory over the Houston Texans in front of a packed house of screaming, cheering die-hards. As my Project Manager (left) said, “It was a most successful mission!”
For my Superintendent (center) and I (right, with the awesome belt buckle!), this was the first time we’ve seen a game from such accommodations and we all had a great time we won’t soon forget.
Thanks again for stopping by the cave, let’s do it again real soon.
From New Orleans, welcome back Football Season! We’ve missed you!
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