Not Just Another Class

Today was the first day of our "Managing People in Technology Companies" class. It started out just like all the others...people trickling in just before 8:00AM yawning, talking, or stumbling around.

Here is a picture of the classroom (at the UW campus in Seattle) before everyone got there - just so you see what I usually look at for 9 hours on Saturdays.



The class got off to a grand start - this professor really knows what he is doing. We discussed many aspects of leadership until lunch at 12:45. Then the game began - yes, a game.


We had to get our team to the mountains, across the desert to mine gold. We had one camel that could carry 1000 lbs and $1,000 to do it with.


The team



The Map



The competition was fierce.



The pace was frantic.



We were ahead! Everyone was jealous.



But then disaster struck - we realized we barely had enough food to get home. We had almost given up hope. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Dan saved the day with a bold plan to go through the Tomb of the Kings. The weather was on our side and we made it home.




Others weren't as lucky. Ryan and John discuss exactly what happened to the yellow team...they died in the desert.




We came home with the least amount of gold, but we lived. Rob's team beat the overachievers and they were very proud. What better way to celebrate than Swedish fish?



Or - a custom made jelly bean combo by Janelle. We dared Aaron to eat it - he did.



Amir - "the Angster"



Lessons Learned:

• planning is essential
• additional knowledge can be well worth the time to gather
• having a camera handy is a good idea
• the opportunity cost of the seemingly "cheaper" route can actually make it the most expensive one
• listen to Dan
• don't assume that the most obvious resource problem is truly the most critical one
• don't volunteer to be the camel driver because they make you wear a silly hat (notice I didn't post pictures of me in the hat)
  
  
  

Today's sunrise over the back parking lot at Tolt.


OK - I really have been busy. Between researching and studying for my UW classes and trying to keep up with lessons, grading papers, emailing parents, and committee work I have not done much exciting.

Yesterday we ate brunch at The Longshoreman's Daughter in Freemont and walked around the Sunday market before I went back to researching China. Our group has to argue for Acer to not go into China to establish a manufacturing plant and an R&D lab. Requires a lot of extra research rather than just reading and analysing the case.

We went snowboarding last Sunday. It's a good thing we did because now all of the ski resorts are closed because there is no snow.

Avoid the loins

Did I mention that today was a big yearbook deadline? While doing final proofs tonight before hitting the submit button I found this little gem of a caption.


(Below)8th Grader _____
______had a nightmere
once when she was really
little that, a loin was chasing
her and she climbed on top
of a really tall rock and the
lion ate her biological mother.

Wow. I too would be deathly afraid it I were being chased by a loin.

For the record... I am Procrastinating

Is it really procrastination if you know you are doing it and still you go on? Perhaps I should invent a new name for this phenomena...how about...ok, I can't think of anything, but the exercise itself was engaging.

I had a whole list of things I wanted time to expound upon when I got out of the shower this morning. Now I can't remember any of them. I guess that means it really is time to get back to international business. Pitty that.

148 days later

There are exactly 148 days until I graduate from college for the fourth time. Yes, the fourth time. First there was the AA in English from Amarillo College - I didn't go to the ceremony. Then there was the BS in education/history from Texas Tech, I did go to that ceremony. It was quite thrilling, so much so that I don't remember much about it at all. Then there was the M.ED. in Curriculum and Instruction, didn't go to that ceremony. Now, the creme de la creme, the MS in Information Systems from UW. I WILL be celebrating this one. For all those who wish to attend, the ceremony is set for June 8th (as far as I know) at Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle.

I am highly over-educated. Now, I need a new job.

Round Ireland With a Fridge

Amazon.com: Books: Round Ireland With a Fridge:
I just finished this book and enjoyed it immensely. Read it!


"Have you ever made a drunken bet? Worse, still, have you eveer tried to win one? In attempting to hitchhike round Ireland wich a fridge, Tony Hawks did both, and his foolhardiness led him to one of the best experiences of his life. Joined by his trusty traveling companion-cum-domestic appliance, he made his way from Dublin to Donegal, from Sligo through Mayo, Galway, Clare, Kerry, Cork, Wexford, Wicklow--and back again to Dublin. In their month of madness, Tony and his fridge met a real prince, a bogus king, and the fridge got christened. They surfed together, entered a bachelor festival, and one of them had sex without the other knowing. And unexpectedly, the fridge itself became a momentary focus for the people of Ireland. An international bestseller, Round Ireland with a Fridge is a classic travel adventure in the tradition of Bill Bryson with a dash of Dave Barry."

Dry Run

We almost got to snowboard today...

Last night we spent about an hour and a half searching for all of our snow gear. While most of it had been in a storage crate, there were various pieces acattered about in closets and other containers down in the storage area in the parking garage. Since we didn't actually go snowboarding at all last season, it had been a while. John played dress up and put on all of his stuff (except his boots which he thought were in his board bag in the car). Darwin was quite scarred out of his wits.

This morning we woke up a bit late, got ready, dug the radios out of the storage garage, and headed out. We arrived at the transit stop in Sultan at 10:47. Just in time for the 11:00 bus to Stevens Pass. We proceeded to take our bags and boards out of the car and John noticed that his boots were not in the board bag like he thought. So, it being difficult to snowboard with no boots, we decided that this had been a good dress rehersal because we found all of the bugs and we got back in the car and went to lunch at Taco Del Mar.

We will try again tomorrow.

Draggin

It's really cold and I am having a hard time getting the kids to do anything. They are all brain dead after vacation. Just like me.

Sunday Outing

Yes, I am posting like crazy tonight because I have to go back to real life tomorrow and I won't have any more time. Remember to look at the other two postings I have for today!

We have been doing breakfast on Sundays with friends because it seems to be the only time most of us can get together. Today we took the ferry (walk-on) across to Bainbridge Island because Tiana had never been on the ferry. It was beautiful, but extremely cold. I sould have taken more photos, but it was cold.
Tiana and Jeremy


Trish enjoying her hot chocolate at The Streamliner Diner.


We discovered this place a LONG time ago when we came up to Seattle on vacation and really loved it. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good today. But we still had fun!


We went out on the docks to look at the anemones, tube worms, clams, etc...


Unfortunately, it was high tide so we couldn't see a lot of the more interesting stuff.


We stopped in for coffee at Pegasus Coffee. Did I mention it was COLD?


I am not sure where we are going next Sunday, but anyone in the area who wants to come along let me know!

New Years Celebration

New Year's Eve - as already mentioned, we stayed in.
Fireworks from our livingroom window.


We would really love to be able to see over the building across the street, but it was about $10,000 more per floor to buy up. Not worth it.


John is opening the champagne for mimosas. It scared the heck out of Darwin, as did the loud fireworks show - you could hear them from our place as well as see them.



New Year's Day - we ate blackeyed peas for good luck, and went to Starbucks, and wandered around Greenlake, and read a lot.



I liked the across the street neighbor's response to getting tagged (in red).






It was a lazy day.



But then we made tamales!

Tamales - An Illustrated Guide

Well...almost. I forgot to take pictures of the very beginning.
First, soak pinto beans overnight until thay are plump.


Second, make the green sauce and pull all of the meat off of a cooked chicken.




Third, cook the beans and then make refried beans. Turns out pictures of refried beans are not very apetizing.

Fourth, take the corn(roasted and cut off cob this summer) out of the freezer, cut roasted peppers and cheese into strips, soak the tamale wrappers in hot water.



Fifth, make the masa. Again, not so great looking in pictures.

Sixth, enlist the help of a loved one to roll out the masa onto the now pliable tamale wrappers. We actually use paper wrappers that are a uniform size and shape - much better than actual corn husks and so much easier to work with.




Seventh, fill tamales with good stuff and roll them up. Be careful not to put too much in there!


Eighth, put tamales in a steamer pan, open side up so the filling doesn't come out.


Ninth, steam tamales for 40 minutes. Clean up the mess while they are cooking.


Tenth, BE CAREFUL - Don't try and eat one right out of the pot! They have to cool down first. No picture here - I will leave it to your imagination to picture what happens when you try and bite into a VERY HOT cheese filled tamale.

Here is the basic recipe that we use. We also use refried beans, roasted pasilla peppers, roasted corn, and extra sharp white cheddar as filling. Oh - and I made a few with cream cheese and jalapeno jelly this time - really great. We tried a batch with Crisco and a batch with lard. They have the same consistency, but the ones with lard are so much more flavorful! They are not greasy like you would imagine them to be, just fluffy corn goodness.