Snow Day!

Its been a busy week, so I will catch everyone up !! The week began with “Snow Storm 2010”…

First, let me say to my friends that live in cold weather places… keep your comments to yourself about how our snow storm isn’t really a storm. It was AWESOME and unlike any weather we get here.. Don’t take that away from us. :o)

The weather men had been forecasting snow for this week. However, if you have spent any time in Texas, you know to take the weather man’s word for what it is… a whole bunch of variables put together to figure out what may or may not actually happen. We have a saying, “If you don’t like the weather in Texas, stick around a bit, it will change.” This is so true. (Two days prior to the snow day, it had been a beautiful day in the 70’s.) So, when my favorite weather man, Jim Spencer, was saying we could as much as 2 inches of snow in the Austin Metro area, I just smiled and went on my life. I have this adoration for Jim because he has been an Austin weather man for as long as I can remember. Also because he gets so excited about the weather… you can tell he lives for this stuff.

Tuesday morning arrived and it was C-O-L-D. As I got into my car to go to work, it was sleeting- heavily.

I made it to work carefully and settled in for the day. As the day progressed, I appreciated my window cube so much because this beautiful, soft white stuff fell from the sky for almost two hours straight. I felt like I was inside a snow globe. We were all like kids at an amusement park. A few of us ran outside and let the snowflakes land on our tongues. We snapped pictures and marveled over it all… snow in Texas. Not “flurries” but actual snow. Some of the snowflakes were the size of golf balls and the snow actually stuck on the ground. Snow makes the most beautiful sound as it falls and hits the trees and ground. Like tiny little footsteps. I just stood there, eyes closed, listening to the snow find it way down.

I wish these pictures did it justice. I took some video from my window and in our parking lot but it just doesn’t come across.

As the day went on, schools began to close early and my co-workers with kids started leaving. Even though the office was quiet, it was hard to concentrate on work. There was a show happening outside my window that continued on and off all day. At lunch, I went to the gym for my usual work out. As I was on the treadmill, I watched out the window as some of our Engineers had a Lunchtime Snowball Fight in the parking lot. Snow brings out the kid in all of us.

Eventually I was told I could leave early since we expected even more snow around rush hour. If there is one thing that IS consistent about this area and winter weather… we don’t know how to drive in it. We aren’t equipped to handle it or educated in the ways of wintery roads. It is best to stay home. I took my time driving, stopped at my favorite Greek restaurant for some of their yummy Lemon Chicken Soup and went home. I worked a little bit remotely and then curled up on the couch to watch Jim Spencer prance around and talk about the snow totals. Parts of the Hill Country got 4 inches! And in true Texas fashion… it was a beautiful day in the mid-60’s the next day. We certainly enjoyed it while we had it though! My roommate even made us a snowman!

Granted he only stood about a foot high, but we will take it!

Scene of the crime...

So, today is a typical busy Saturday. Errands, dentist appointment, hair appointment, etc. While I was running around this morning, I had to pass the scene of the plane crash that happened earlier this week. It was really eerie. We have learned more about the pilot and we now know this wasn't an accident.

As with any investigation, details are still being sorted out. However, we know the name of the pilot and his motive. The morning of the crash, he posted a six-page "manifesto" online. It was a deluded and random rant that specifically mentioned the IRS. He apparently had been out of work and owed the IRS quite a bit of money. He ended the letter by telling the IRS that he was going to try something new and signed the letter, stating his year of death as 2010. He then set fire to his North Austin home (thankfully his wife and step-daughter weren't home), went to the Georgetown airport, got in his plane and headed to the Echelon office building in Northwest Austin. He specifically targeted the lower floors of the building where the IRS had offices. The rest we saw in living color. 

The good news is that those floors in the building were actual going through a remodel and were very sparsely occupied. What could have been a horrific tragedy with massive casualties, didn't turn out that way. Had his plane hit only one building South, full classrooms of a satellite location of St. Edward's University would have been destroyed. The bad news is that several people were injured and (other than the pilot) one person was killed. His desk was directly in the path of the plane. His few surrounding co-workers weren't at their desks for various different reasons at the moment of impact. The irony is that his job with the IRS was working out payment plans for those that can't afford their taxes owed.

You never think your city will have this kind of event happen. But then, we would still have the Twin Towers if these kinds of things didn't happen. You are never prepared for it. So, because of this, there is a morbid curiosity when it happens in your town. Since I am human, I was curious too. 

I was in the Gateway Shopping Center today and it sits directly across Hwy 183 for the crash site. As I drove by the area that provided the best view, I was amazed at how many people were out of their cars and staring at the building. I parked my car, grabbed my camera and joined the masses. (For you Austinites, I was in the parking lot for Marie Calendar's and Sushi Sake.) Here is what I could see...

You can see the point of impact. In fact, if you look close enough, you can see the plane wreckage.

 

Where I stood is where the plane would have flown directly over. It is believed he added extra fuel or something to make the explosion greater. 

Some people chatted with friends and fellow onlookers, others snapped pictures and the rest of us just stood there. 

Imagine... its 10am on a normal workday. You are just sitting at your desk, doing your job and then...

Friday night...

So, yesterday (Friday) would have been my 5th wedding anniversary but... it wasn't. So, rather than be upset about it alone, I went to Trudy's with some friends. At least when you are upset about something, it seems less important with queso, good friends and a Mojito (or eight).

Sally and Shaunna joined me and it was a nice evening of girl time. Shaunna is living the life of a VERY busy working mom of three. It was nice to catch up with her and her Mexican Martini was well deserved! Even though Sally and I live together, we rarely get time to just chill out together. So, overall, it was an enjoyable evening!! As we chatted about friends, I remembered that my friend Rodrick was in town. I sent him a text message and in true Rodrick fashion, he joined us 20 minutes later!!

Some of you know Rodrick, but those of you that don't... I have known him since high school and was part of the group I ran around with. Within that group, we had a little group of four that were inseparable....  My boyfriend, Joseph, was best friends with Rodrick. My best friend was Kitt and she was dating Rodrick. Did you follow that? :o) I have talked about this before in this blog entry and also in this entry. Our Senior year of high school, Rodrick shocked us all when he joined the Navy! He is still enlisted and has pursued a great medical career within the military. This has sent him all over the world with many years on Navy ships and in Japan. Because of this, we don't get to see him as often as we would like, so when he is home, we take advantage of it! I love Rodrick so much and he holds such a special place in my heart. He just makes me smile the minute he walks into a room. His creative mind and bizarre view on life makes him so unique. There will never be another Rodrick...

He is only here for a couple of weeks. Then his job will send him off again. He told us he will be in Japan again and be there for 2-3 years. I think I may have to take advantage of having a friend living in Japan and go on a trip! Wouldn't that be awesome???

Thank you Sally, Shaunna and Rodrick for making what could have been a very depressing night, a wonderful night of laughs.

Chaos in Austin...

Several of my out of town friends have been checking to see if I am anywhere near the madness happening in Austin right now. I am not and I am okay! For those of you who don't know what's happening, here is the current headline:

Small Plane Hits Echelon Building at Mopac & 183

 (From KXAN.com)

Can you believe it!?! Yes, it is true. That area isn't far from where I live and I work about 20 minutes from there. (We can see some of the smoke from our office, but that is it.) For those of you that are familiar with Austin, this building is near where 183, 360 and Mopac all come together. Not far from the Arboretum and Gateway. It is right by a church I attended for a long time- Grace Covenant. The building is in a very busy office complex that also houses some Federal offices (IRS, CIA and FBI).

This just happened a couple of hours ago, so the details are still being sorted out. Sadly though, the initial reports are that this may have been some sort of suicide mission. A local pilot set fire to his house in Georgetown and now can't be located. The plane was stolen from and took off from the Georgetown airport.

Here is the link to a video that shows the traffic and a shot of the building. 

For now, we will just wait and see what develops... and pray for those that work in that building.

The State of The Amycita Address...

Today marks a full week since my return to Texas and that I have been working in the Austin office. Many people have asked how I am doing, so I thought I would give an update!

Overall, I really like it. It is REALLY hard work that is very mentally taxing and challenging. I still have a TON to learn and it will be at least 6 - 9 months before I am comfortable. Since this was expected by everyone here, I get a lot of support. Psychologically, it is tough. Just when I think I get the hang of something, I find out I didn't do it completely right! However, with every mistake, I learn.

Being "alone" in the Austin office is very strange. Although there are other employees of ShoreTel around, since I am the only one doing what I do, I have little interaction with them. It is very, very quiet in my office. I am on a side of the building that isn't fully staffed yet and it will be a long time before it is. I am not accustomed this at all! I have always worked in places that have a lot of activity and chatter. I worried that this would be an issue for me, however, given my job duties, I think it will be a blessing. What I do is so complex and detail-oriented, I have to focus. I brought a radio and that helps a lot. So, although the atmosphere will be an adjustment, I like it. I work very well independently and really enjoy “calling my own shots” all day.

I am in constant contact with my team in Sunnyvale. We IM all day about happenings over there and I send questions whenever I have them. I have a webcam that sits on top of my monitor that allows us to video chat as well. In fact, on my first day here, I gave my team a video tour of my cube! It was really funny! Several of them crammed into a cube over there so they could see as I picked up my camera and showed them around my cube. Then they asked about people sitting around me. So, I held the camera over my cube walls and showed them!! I had only been here for a few hours, so I hadn’t even introduced myself to people yet. Soon my team was asking, “Who’s that over there?” I would tell them and they would say, “Hey, we’ve talked to him but we don’t know what he looks like! Bring him over!!” So, that is how I met the few people that sit around me. By calling them over to my cube, introducing myself and then introducing my team… on my computer screen! It was actually quite funny and a great way to meet people.

My office is really nice and located in a pretty area of Austin. Our building has 3 floors and we occupy the entire 2nd floor. We started out in one section but have slowly taken over leases in empty areas and when another tenant moved out. There is a lot of construction going on but it will be really nice when it is completed. Everyone is very friendly and the company does small things to support morale. Every Friday we have either bagels or breakfast tacos delivered. Every Wednesday there is fresh fruit. All soft drinks, fruit juice, energy drinks and Gatorade is free. Plus, our vending machines are set up so that everything costs just $0.25. It’s the little things folks!!! I like my cube. I have a coveted window seat so I see the sun every day! Right now I look at the parking garage but I am told that I am moving into a new section of office space that is being finished out. That area overlooks a hilly area with lots of trees. I hope that I get a window view there too!!

Our office building has a small gym on the first floor which is awesome! Not only do I not have to pay for a gym membership but it gives me something to do at lunch. I don’t really have co-workers to eat with so I go workout. It is just enough time for me to get a 30 minute work-out done and a quick shower. Then I heat up my lunch and just eat while I work. This is also a great mental break for me. It gets me away from my desk and allows me to recharge a bit. So, between working really hard every day, hitting the gym and the awesome white noise machine my parents bought me at Christmas… I am getting the best sleep of my entire life!!

Outside of work, I am doing great. I felt like a new person when I got home from California so I am working hard on maintaining my social life… a promise I made to myself. It has been fun to reconnect with friends and not be stuck on the couch all day. I am working hard on paying things off and catching up on my finances. I thought I was going to hug the payroll person in Sunnyvale when she brought me my first check!! And it felt great to finally call those creditors with good news for once and say, “Okay, let’s do this!” Also, Jason and I are getting some money back from the IRS because of the house. We agreed that all of it would go towards paying off some of our joint debt and that felt great too! I look forward to moving into my own place by this summer. I also hope to go on a few trips this year. Lots of good things ahead for 2010!

Holy Crepes!

Last weekend I met Kitt for a very unique brunch... it was very "Austin". Those of you that have been to Austin understand what I mean. The word "Austin" isn't just the proper name of our city... it is a way of life, a feeling and an uniqueness. With that being said, I introduce you to Flip Happy Crepes!

I realize it doesn't look like much. After all, it is just an Airstream trailer parked in a random South Austin lot and surrounded by picnic tables. However, what makes this special is the yummy goodness being created inside the trailer... crepes of every kind! Kitt and I shared a Three Cheese Crepe and a Pesto Chicken Crepe. While we enjoyed them both, the Pesto was by far the most interesting. Yum!

And, you can't have crepes without having a dessert! So, we split a Cinnamon Sugar Crepe with Cream Cheese Filling. To.Die.For.

There isn't a whole lot of ambiance other than some piped in French Jazz music. So, this allowed us time to chat and catch up on life. The biggest drawback to Flip Happy is the outdoor seating. Of course, the day we chose to meet it was SO cold!! We bundled up and joined the die-hards to enjoy our goodies. Those of you that know Kitt, know that she is cold just about all the time. It could be 100 degrees outside and she is inside freezing. She humored me by braving the frigid temperatures and I thank her for it!!!

As Kitt said, repeatedly, this would be a great place in the Spring. So, we have made a mental note to return again. In the Spring. Kitt- I heard you... In THE SPRING.

(By the way, Shaunna was supposed to join us too! Her little man didn't cooperate with sleep the night before, so she had to cancel. We miss you Shaunna! I will take a rain-check anytime for more crepes! Kitt probably will too... but she will wait until THE SPRING.)

Heart...

Well, it is my last night in CA. I went to dinner with a co-worker and had a great time. Then I returned to my hotel, packed and will soon go to bed. I am really ready to be home. I will admit there is something I will REALLY miss though... the daily maid service!!

Professionally, I have learned a lot during my trip. I still have a LONG way to go with my job, but that was expected. The plan is for me to return to Austin, get settled there and use what I have learned on my own. So, really, this is when the true test starts. It will really be a challenge and I am nervous, but ready to tackle it.

Here is my crazy team at my going away lunch....

Personally, I have learned a lot during my trip. I have learned that the Old Amy was still in there somewhere. I have also learned a lot about a new area of the country. You know the song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"? I can see where this came from. It is an amazing city with so much to see. Even though I immersed myself in exploration, I feel like I barely scratched the surface. However, when it comes right down to it, I know where I left my heart... Deep In The Heart of Texas.

A Walk in the Valley...

I had always heard of Silicon Valley but never really knew what it was. Having now "lived" in the area, I get it... it truly is a high-tech mecca. Every time I am in a cab or car, I pass by bulidings with names on them like Yahoo!, eBay, Symantec, Apple, Intel, Intuit and the list goes on and on... I read the other day that the Silicon Valley area is the third largest high-tech area in the US and I believe it!

My hotel is less than a half mile from my office and definitely within walking distance. Unfortunately, we have had a lot of rain so I have been relying in the shuttle and co-workers to cart me back and forth. However, when the weather cooperates, I like to walk. Today, I took my camera! I thought I would show you how many tech companies I pass in .4 miles...

  

Most of them I have never heard of, but for every Apple and Applied Materials, there are 100's of smaller companies doing their thing every day.

Here is my destination every day...

This Thursday, however, I will have a "first day" at work all over again. I will finally start work in the Austin office. I will meet all new people, find the restrooms, learn how to use their microwave and copier. I haven't even seen where my desk is located!