When The Cat’s…

…away, the mice will play.

For the past couple of days, some of our company’s key folks, my department leadership and our Industrial Engineer have been away at a seminar/work session about a piece of our business software. They finished up this morning with the afternoon being earmarked for a round of golf as a fun wrap up of the event. So, a little before lunch, one of our our fabrication engineers received a text from the IE (the tall guy on the left) with the following photo attached:
Golfers

While those in the photo would tell you that the picture was meant as an indicator that their work was done and their smiles signified that much was accomplished. Those of us stuck at work covering for them, thought it more than likely that it was meant as a neener-neener. The Fab Engineer, myself and the CNC Programer (Hi Mark!) decided that this deserved some return fire. Our first plan involved standing outside on the back lawn of the plant in similar poses, but couldn’t come up with a work related substitute for the golf club. Our second idea was to get the cleaning person to open our boss’s (the guy in the middle above) office and we could all put our feet up on his desk. Or playing cards. Then the ideas started flowing. We could use the Engineering Conference Room. Put something up on the TV like we were watching ESPN. Hey put their photo on the screen. Here is what we came up with:
Sports Center

The playing cards came from Google. I grabbed large sized images of ace-high straight flushes in three different suits off the net, printed them out and then trimmed them down for us to hold. I didn’t think to print out the back of a five card hand, so in the large original photo you can see that I’m holding my cards so everyone can see my hand. In this low resolution image it looks like the back of a deck of cards because the clubs printed out in a blue-ish tint. The money on the table is real.

The Emperor’s Triumphant Return

Picked up the Miata from Panic Motorsports today. Drove all the way home and then later back out for a Kroger run and it never stumbled once. I am now learning to use the clutch like a normal person again.

The fix, a used set of spark plug wires…

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1304

Oh, No!

Today’s brief Orphan Black update:

Subj: [Clone Club] Season 3 in Jeopardy!

All,

Tatiana Maslany was injured in an auto accident in the early morning hours Tuesday. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Ms. Maslany was a passenger in a white Ferrari belonging to Justin Bieber that left the road just outside Mr. Bieber’s gated community in north Los Angeles County. Mr. Bieber was uninjured, but Ms. Maslany was air lifted to USC Medical Center with serious injuries. – News Story

Brian

Tomorrow I’ll sent out a “real” Clone Club email.

Opening Day Part I

A beer company and an ex-ballplayer attempted to turn baseball’s opening day into National Holiday recently. Donna and I both thought, “Great, another holiday we won’t get off.” And it turns out about 100,000 internet crazies were for it, but getting anything actually done required Congress, so it didn’t happen.

And, even if today had become a holiday there would have been no celebration here in Dunbarton Oaks, as the FRS lost their first game of the season to the Baltimore Orioles 2-1, thereby laying claim to last place in the division…

Dunkin Donuts saved the day though, they gave anyone who asked, a free small iced coffee in Tennessee, Virginia, Northwest Florida, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas all day on March 31. Apparently South Carolina wanted to play along too, because I got one on the way home from work. I can even get another free small iced coffee tomorrow, but we will have to drive a little further to get it, as it is only being offered in northeast Ohio.

Opening Day Part II

Barack and Michelle are at the White Sox baseball game, sitting in the first row with the Secret Service seated directly behind them. One of the Secret Service agents leans forward and says something to the President. Barack stares at the agent, looks at Michelle, looks back at the agent, and shakes his head.

The agent then says “Mr. President, it was a request from the team owner who is a big campaign contributor, and the fans will love it!” So, Barack shrugs and says “Well, if it will help my poll numbers.” He gets up, grabs Michelle by her collar and the seat of her pants and drops her right over the wall into the field.

She gets up kicking, screaming & swearing. The crowd goes wild; cheering, applauding, and high-fiveing. Barack is bowing and smiling, and leans over to the agent and says “You were right, I would have never believed that!” Noticing the agent has gone totally pale, Barack asks what was wrong.

The agent replies “Sir, I said, they want you to throw out the first ………PITCH!!!”

That Time Of Year

Yesterday was supposed to be a rainy day with thunderstorms. So much so that they postponed the final leg of Aiken’s Triple Crown, the polo game, from Saturday until today, Sunday. In the morning it rained a bit, but by mid afternoon the predicted thunder had not materialized.

After it seemed all the rain had passed I decided to wash the Purple Whale to clean off the road grime and dead bugs from our trip to Florida a couple weeks ago. After washing and drying the car I carried the floor mats inside and vacuumed them off, it took less than 5 minutes, but by the time I opened the first door to put them in the car a fine dusting of pine pollen had already accumulated on the surface of the car. It’s that time of year.

Around dark last night we went out and did our weekly grocery shopping. While we were in the store a brief shower must have come through. Nice.

I went out this morning to get the Sunday paper, if you live in a pine infested area you know what I saw, the car looked like it had the measles, there were nice round circles of yellow all over. Sigh.

This afternoon I gave the Whale a brushing off with the California Duster. I got rid of most of the spots and it is not perfect, but I feel a little better. At least until we get in the car to drive home from work tomorrow.

My New Wallpaper

They had a little get together this morning for the retiring Kathy. There was cake and coffee and a last chance to give her a hug and/or say goodbye. As usual, someone was taking photos to immortalize the event. I came in slightly late to the party and was tossed together with my old boss so as to not have to be photographed all lonely like.

Later once they had passed around the link to location of the photos on the network my old boss walked by my cube and said, “That’s my new wallpaper.” I replied that I wouldn’t make it mine because it looked like I had someone’s head growing out of my left shoulder. He said, “Airbrush him out.” “Why don’t I just get rid of all the background and stick us on the beach with tropical drinks in our hands,” I said. “Fine,” he said, “Just be sure to put a little umbrella in mine.”

So, if you haven’t already accidentally done it, hover your mouse over the top image to see my new wallpaper.