An e-mail exchange between me and my boss after a meeting with a client at Microsoft:
Me: What is “WAC (K? CK?)-WAC” that J referred to today when he spoke of users accessing info?
I was back on the Microsoft campus today, and in fact right back to my ol' stompin' grounds on the West Campus. There are hundreds of buildings on the Microsoft campus, which essentially covers the city of Redmond (as well as parts of Bellevue, Seattle and other local cities), so to be doing business at almost the same exact location as where I used to work certainly defies the odds -- especially since I'm now working in a completely different line of business.
Even though I was back to familiar territory, everything looks very different than it did just a year ago. An entirely new complex of buildings went in -- seemingly overnight -- right next door to where I used to work, and now there's massive building going on right on the other side, and cranes occupy the skyline, seemingly as far as the eye can see! (If you look carefully, you can see the beautiful snowcapped Cascade Mountains in the background. )
The white car is a hybrid Microsoft shuttle car. You see them zipping all over Redmond, shuttling workers from meeting to meeting -- and all-day interviewers from manager to manager.
I'm liking my new job. I didn't really have any expectations going in, except that I wondered what it would be like to NOT work in education or media production. But other than learning about an entirely new business of which I previously knew absolutely nothing, I'm settling in quite comfortably. I like both my boss and the people I work with -- and that always makes a job far more enjoyable! I still have a lot to learn about the businesses we're dealing with, but the project management piece of it all feels familiar and comfortable, and I have a feeling the job will exceed my expectations.
Phew, eh?!
For the first time in a year, a real bona fide house cleaner is coming to our house tomorrow! And I already love her! She's from Germany and prides herself on her German fastidiousness -- which I can promise you I'll love too.
I am gonna love coming home tomorrow!
It was between doing this meme or filling out paperwork for my new insurance plan and updating the kids' FAFSA information.
Hey, it's Sunday and I'll do that other stuff later...
Instructions: For each of the following, search Google Images and post your favorite pic.
Where I grew up:
I had no idea, as I was growing up, what a unique time and place in history I was experiencing first-hand. My mom taught at Cal, my brother was arrested for helping to build People's Park, and the city practically shut down every fourth Friday in protest of the Vietnam War. Growing up in Berkeley in the 60's has shaped everything about me, from my unique form of teen rebellion (I became a straight-laced, goody-two-shoes teenager) to my life-long liberal politics and activist mindset.
Where I live now:
In the summer, these things are everywhere around here! Last summer, as we were having a barbecue on our deck, one floated right past us! I'd absolutely love -- and would be mortally terrified -- to ride in one! (Note to self: this might be a good thing for Tom and I to do for our upcoming 25th anniversary. Look into it!)
My favorite place:
Ruhpolding, a small town just a few miles from my mother's hometown of Traunstein in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps, is my favorite place on earth -- so far. I have yet to experience places like Greece and Croatia and Maldives and I desperately want to visit those place! (Note to self: buy a lottery ticket today.)
My name:
Yes, there was a Hurricane Carol (in August, 1954)! Sure, I could have chosen some schmaltzy Christmas Carol photo, but why would I do that when I could chose a hurricane that even had an accompanying storm surge?! Somehow that just works better for me.
My grandmother's name (or, in this case, my grandmothers' names):
Irmgard, the name on this house, was the name of my paternal grandmother whom I greatly admire, even though I never had the chance to meet her. Irmgard, a gentile, married my grandfather Carl, a Jew, in the early 1920s in Germany, having no idea what the future would bring to her family as World War II drew closer. In the period of ten years, my father's family went from being a wealthy, privileged German banker's family to not having enough to eat or a home for themselves (since refugees lived in every room of their home -- which I envision to look much like the home in the photo). My grandmother, who had begun to suffer from excruciating headaches, was well aware that she was the only reason that her Jewish husband and "mischling" children had not been taken away, and when she died of a brain tumor in 1944, all hell broke loose for my father, his siblings and his father. Eventually my father found his way out of a concentration camp (he didn't exactly escape, per se, but was "allowed to leave" from the warehouse he'd been helping to build when the warehouse owner was taken for smuggling silk stockings, cigarettes and chocolate), made his way home by traveling at night, found his childhood home, the one that looked like the picture, bombed and his father's body in the ruins. All this happened when he was only 16, making him a tragically young orphan. More of the story is here.
This photo came up when I searched Google images for "Mathilde," my mother's mother's name. I never met Mathilde but have always been told that she was quite the feisty, independent woman! In the 20's and 30's, she was one of Traunstein's business owners, running the city's big sports store. She was also quite a prominent athlete, and is wearing tennis clothes or a 20's style bathing suit or mountain climbing gear in many of the photos I've seen of her. Always the rule-breaker (my mom was definitely her daughter!), she died because she defied an air raid siren, insisting that she had to go into her garden to cut some lettuce. What a dummy.
My favorite food:
Mashed potatoes. Note to self: make these for dinner tonight.
My favorite drink:
Mmmmmmm... a fruit smoothie!
My favorite smell:
Plumeria. Hawaii. Plumeria permeating the air in Hawaii.
Both my relationship with this phone and with technology in general. When it's intuitive and streamlined and useful, I adore it; when it's a pain in the ass and confusing and grouchy, I hate it.
This phone and I will get along just fine, once we agree that I am boss, that I call the shots, and that changing, hiding, and deleting stuff willy-nilly is NOT funny.
I'm baaaaack -- for better or for worse.
I had a meeting at Microsoft yesterday, right back at my ol' stompin' grounds. In fact, it was at my favorite campus commisary, right across from my old office. I even contacted some of my favorite ex-co-workers, asking if they want to get together at the commissary Starbuck's, and it looks like we'll do that in the next week or so.
I have mixed feelings about being back. I've never been a Microsoft employee -- known as a "blue-badge" because the background of their ID card photo is blue. Instead, I was an "a-dash orange-badge CSG" back in 2006 (because my Microsoft e-mail address started with "a-", my ID photo was against an orange background, and the group of Microsoft freelancers I was part of is known as the "contingent staffing group").
I never thought I'd be back. Really, I didn't. And I'm not yet sure how I feel about it. I'm working with a completely different group at Microsoft now, one that has nothing to do with education or health (the focus of my previous career content), but I'm keeping an open mind. I might absolutely love it. For me, it really comes down to the people, the content, and the teams. If those are inspiring and positive, I'll love it. If not, I won't. Simple as that.
I have high hopes and an open mind. That's the best I can do right now. I'll let you know how it goes.
