A: Incredibly sad.

http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/Dog-Mourns-at-Casket-of-Fallen-SEAL-128417358.html

S: Ah!  That’s so sad.  It’s like Where the Red Fern Grows or something, horribly tragic, but terribly wonderful at the same time.
A: I know, breaks my heart but it’s so sweet.

A: I am board to tears. :*(

S: I hate National…. Or is that the same thing?

A: Compared to what?!

S: Umm… compared to Steelcase.  So you know it’s serious.

A: ‘I see’ says the blind man.  I’ve only used National once I think.  The people are helpful and that’s about all that I know.

S: Mostly it’s just that the products I want to use (read: the ones the sales person specified) don’t exist.

A: Ha figures.  Isn’t that the way things go around here?

S: Basically always, yeah :)

I need a 2H storage cabinet in wood, with pulls that match the National antique brass pulls.  Fun, eh?

A: I’m not jealous.

S: Yeah.  Me neither.

I want to punch someone in the face.  But I’m not sure who to direct my ire towards.

A: Hey,

It’s Friday. :D

S: Yeah. :)  Isn’t it a great feeling?

A: It’s wonderful.  I hope the blue skies stay this weekend.

S: Well, not to be a Debbie Downer, but I think it’s supposed to rain tomorrow L

I think unless one of us gets held up at work today, D and I are going to drive out to the state fair tonight.

A: Ha it’s always going to rain isn’t it?

That’ll be fun!  We’re going either tomorrow or Sunday.  Both are probably going to be rainy.

S: Yeah, probably :)  Lucky you can still have fun in the rain, eh? 

I am so excited for state fair.  I love the food (don’t judge me too much if I come in on Monday having gained 5 lbs :) )!!

A: That is true.  Alaska would be a miserable place if you couldn’t have fun in the rain.

I love fair food too.  Giant turkey legs, funnel cakes corn fritters, etc.

S: Oh yum-you’re making me hungry!

Also, I almost just got pen in my eye.

Can we just call this week a wash already?

S: We’re so painfully close!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A: Ugh I know.  I just finished up with this bid for now.  Got 36 minutes to kill.  Ohh what to do.

Also

I Googled Presbyterian and apparently it comes from Calvinist tradition within Protestantism whatever that means to you.

S: It means something… not completely clear, but at least it’s something.

A: Well they always say something is better than nothing…

27 slow and painful minutes to go. 

S: It’s no wonder my computer freaks out so often—I just counted.  I have 10 separate programs open, but 17 separate windows.  And my two internet windows each have 5 tabs.

So maybe it deserves a little blue screen of death every now and then.

A: That’s insane.  Makes sense.  However I can’t make sense of my CET advanced graphic engine problems still.

Hey guess what?

We have a holiday weekend next weekend!

S: Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is it weird I want to throw a party in celebration of the coming day off of work?

A: Not so much.  I love days off.  Have I ever mentioned that before?

S: Probably.  But understandably so.

An Idea is born.

S: What a beautiful thing to say!  I don’t know if I’ve ever seen this message before…. Should I admit that?

A: Ha that’s awesome.  I can’t say that I’ve seen that either.  There always seems to be something CET doesn’t.

A: …Did you know Verizon was getting the iPhone???  Breaking News 6 months ago.
S: Hah!  I know right?!  And I don’t know how many more times I could say that they got it back in February.  I feel like G is a recap kind of guy.  He says what he’s going to say, then he says it, and then he reviews what he said.  Like a 3 paragraph essay in 6^th grade.
A: Oh totally.  Recap and repeat an uncomfortable amount of times.  I think it’s a generational thing.
S: Lather rinse repeat… as needed.  Phoebe sings that song in friends.
A: If we don’t publish this email we should at least make a blog of it.
S: That would be hilarious!  How would we do it though?  A post at a time?
A: Yes I would think so.  Or a day of emails at a time.
S: Ooh.  Better.  I like that.  Perfect Rainy day activity.
A: How I feel toward CET’s advanced graphic engine:

S: Hah!  I have to ask—what search terms did you use to find that?!
A: “how CET makes me feel”

Or

Graphic rendering creatures

S: Nice.

A: Rawr.

S: Have I ever mentioned that sometimes I’m an incredible idiot?(I feel like even when I’m being an idiot I at least need to be an incredible one)

So Jenny furniture has those sectional pieces right?  I was looking at them over and over again and could not figure out how to have a two-seater where both sides had arms… Luckily Steelcase has that image gallery for idiots like me.

End+End=Wow.

A: I can relate to that.  If you’re going to be stupid at something may as well just go all out.  (Not saying you’re stupid at anything, just a general comment)

What does a chi-wawa know about Mexican food?

S: So where do we want to have lunch today?
A: Well since I need to run home real quick it would have to be a 45 minute type of place.  Great harvest is always good.  There’s that deli in the university center, ummm yeah any other suggestions are welcome.
S: I want to go to Great Harvest and just get bread.  Is that bad?
A: No, that’s kind of what I was hoping you’d pick… I strategically left little options for you to choose for that reason.

S: Well you know me, I am all about creating a situation to my best advantage :)  Great Harvest it is.  But I don’t know if I even want a sandwich…..  I really might just get bread.
A: Youngest child syndrome.  Glad we understand each other. :)

Their bread is beyond delicious so I would not judge if you just got that.  When would you like to go?

A: Do you want me to run home first and put away my food and meet you there or do you want to just do it all together?

S: Um.  Just let me know when you leave your house and I’ll meet you at Great Harvest then.

A: Ok I’ll leave now!

S: Gah!  Now I have a case of the post-lunch nod-offs………………………………………………………………………………………….

(No, I did not fall asleep on the keyboard.)

A: Ha!  I get those just about every day!  

S: I know right?

Yikes.  I am just about ready to call this week a wash… again.  I’m just tired of weeks happening all the time!  Someone should really do something about that.  If I was in charge of CET…..

A: Yeah really.  If we could work weekends and have Monday through Friday off that would be great.  Keep in mind most businesses are closed Sunday anyway so really you’d just work on Saturdays. 

S: Or maybe just Mondays or something since they’re already miserable.  Even with the work week switched, I think I would still be categorically against working on Saturdays. 

A: That’s true.  I like it.  if you find a business that has that schedule with a salary and insurance let me know. 

S: Done and done.
A: I love how he explained multiple times about the project matrix downloads and then also sends an email explaining the same exact thing.

A: What in the world?  CET put a random blue box in my 3D view when I have nothing there in 2D or 3D.

S: Weird!  It looks like a ceiling box.
A: Proof you saw the Auroras :)

S: Hooray for proof!  It is beautiful isn’t it.
A: Yes!  Lucky you!

I’ve been print screening it up lately.  I think it adds to our book.

A: I almost feel like I’m wasting time here.  I barely have anything to work on and my in-laws are finally in.  I’m sure you can relate having your parents in.  Have they kept pretty busy while you’re at work?
S: Yeah.  They’ve done enough to enjoy the trip, but they’ve taken their time.  They say they’re enjoying just taking a break.  I’m considering leaving even earlier today if I can finish my projects in time.  I really want to take them to winner creek, but they think we won’t have time.
A: Sure you’ll have time!  Its light out until almost 11.  And Girdwood isn’t that far away.
S: That’s what I said!  I mean—I know they like to go to bed early, but jeez!
A: He totally took his earphones out to listen to what we were saying and put them back in just now.  I think he really wants to be included in our conversations but its hard with the generational gap sometimes.
S: It’s also probably hard to keep up considering 75% of our conversations happen through email.
A: Yes, that doesn’t help.  I can’t focus today.  Sad face.

Did you find out C’s (I’m sure I’m butchering the spelling of her name) favorite candy bar?

S: Close!  Well, I just took a stab and got her a snickers.  It was pretty entertaining though.  It pretty much went exactly like I was anticipating—which I always like. 

A: Yay fun!  At one point I did have it spelled right but I never go with my instinct, naturally.  Did you see D again last night?

S: You blue, you.

No, but he did do the cutest thing!  I got home super late at like 1:30, and there was something waiting for me on the doorstep.  He had left me a rose and a note that said, “Just wanted to remind you how wonderful and beautiful you are”.  How cute is that?!

A: Awh!  Can’t beat that!! ;)

S: I know right?

Do you by any chance know of some markerboard that would be nice and small that I could wall mount, or even put on wall channels?

A: Not off the top of my head.  There’s the Visual work tools stuff but that’s probably more complex than what you’re needing.  I think Answer has the marker board skins too but don’t know how it would wall mount…

S: For your I’ll-be-darned collection

C:  No, it would need to be a separate whiteboard.
S:  That’s I what I figured, but I thought you might know some install wizardry that I didn’t.

A: Hahaha!  So did the problem get resolved?
S: Sort of.  I just got a regular wall-mount whiteboard.  It’s not the size I wanted, but I guess it’s not terrible.

A: Saturday, in the park, I think it was the 4^th of July.
S: Does that mean you can hear my music?

A: Not all the time.  I heard that song and Only the Good Die Young. :)
S: Nice.  At least they were good songs :)  I got so used to only listening to Enya, that I forgot I needed to turn down my volume for everything else.

A: Hahaha oh I see that makes more sense!  I did enjoy those songs.  Only the Good Die Young reminds me of my two best friends and I dancing to it in front of our old dance studio late at night.  We’re such dorks, it’s great.  
I really want to leave.  Lucky you taking off soon! Perhaps you could sneak me out in your… purse?

S: … You might fit.  We could certainly try.

A: Think anyone would notice?

The mental image of that is sheer entertainment.

S: I know right?  Hah!  It would be quite the event, that’s for sure.

A: What I picture is me stepping foot first into your green purse.  After the first failed attempt I lay down on the purse and you proceed to pick up your purse, mostly covered by me, and grab the handles on either side of course.  You struggle vigorously to lift the purse with both handles and me in/on it.  Since that kind of worked you hobble to the door with me laying essentially flat like a board, red faced and bullets of sweat running down your face.  Success as we hit the sunlight and I scramble to my car. I peel out and head home into the sunlight while you straggle behind out of breath from the episode I just caused you.

A: I would prefer to not do color boards of that quantity for the next 6 months.

S: Actually, we don’t believe in the internet.  We find it lowers morale in a sadistically-great way.
S: PS.  I’m sorry you had to do a million color boards.  That is zero fun.
A: Haha!  Yes we are pretty dated here after all. 

What time are you planning on doing lunch?  I’m hungry now all of the sudden.  I don’t like that one of us has to be here now.  I think we all like the 1-2 break.

S: I know right?  It’s super frustrating.  If you’re hungry now I would just go.  I’ll be fine to wait until someone gets back.

A: Are you sure?  Gene usually doesn’t take a full lunch anyway unless he just goes home today.  But it sounds like he’s going to stick it out.

S: Yeah.  My body still can’t figure out that whole hungry/full thing.  So I’ll be fine to wait.

A: Thanks friend :)  I’ll take the next late shift if this happens again!

A: Not true!! It is a valid place for this support CET!

S: Hah!  Sorry… it’s not funny.  But it is at least a little bit ironic.  Also, I love the line confusion all over the image.  It’s like CET is very confused.

PS.  Please enjoy the paranoia “I don't believe it's a bug. I believe HTC Thailand has criminals administering their website.”

A: Yes well perhaps a restart is in order.  This week has been tough on it after all.  I’ll be nice for once and give CET the benefit of the doubt but I’m a realist and know what’s going to happen when I try it again.

What’s the paranoia referring to? 

S: I was looking up this whole Google chrome install interrupted thing.  Some people said it was a bug, and then this character (after telling his life story of course) pipes in with his racial profiling comment.

A: Oh I see. Too funny!  Do you think if we tried dl it on explorer that it would complete?

S: That is definitely a possibility.  I think I’m going to try it.

A: Holy 4:21pm!  Where did the afternoon go?  I like this. 

S: I know right?  Especially considering how slow my last two days were.

A: Seriously?!  I want to punch CET in the face right now.  This is the most fickle, retarded program I have ever worked in! Gah!

S: :( I’m sorry.  That is the worst.

A: Mellow dramatic of me?  I think not.

Okay, okay maybe so.

S: As you’re talking to the queen of “the worst”  and “punch it in the face”…. I think I am probably not going to judge in the mellow-drama department :)

A: I think our type thrive on mellow drama at appropriate times.

S: Agreed.  Although I’m sure my mother would argue that I like it at inappropriate times as well :)

A: Haha I bet.

Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnn :( :( :(
S: Mer.

I just want my parents to see pretty & sunny Alaska.  Am I really shooting for the moon here?

A: I’d like to hope they get at least one decent day.  It’s not like we live in Washington state or anything ;)

Sorry, I’m always used to referring to either Washington D.C. or Washington State being from the east side and all.

S: I know right?  And yet they have sunny and 75.  For the last two weeks, and supposedly the whole time they’re here.  Lame.

A: How ironic.

Boy for noticing 4:21, the past 39 minutes are moving extremely slow.  I shouldn’t have said anything.

It doesn’t help the fact that I have no motivation to work in CET since it’s not cooperating right now either.
S: Seriously.  Never point out the time again.  Apparently it doesn’t help.  Snipe.
You want to hear a sad story?

A: Absolutely I do.

S: In Anchorage, the record high for September 30 is 58’.  Plus, I was flipping through the other months, there was not a single record high in Anchorage above 83’.

S: “Is there a reason, code wise or other, my workstation could not be under the stairway?”

I’m going to call this Harry Potter Syndrome.

I love delusional clients.

A: What the client?!?  That’s hilarious.  We should keep a running tab on ridiculous client requests and publish a book when we’re finished.

S: I know right?  They also want a multi-functional area on steroids.  There is no way and I love it.

A: We all need a little crazy in our life from time to time.  Or in our case, weekly.

A: I’m not so sure they should put ‘CET Designer’ and ‘simplifies’ in one sentence.  

S: Hah!  What an oxymoron!

A: I’m always amazed on how many different writing utensils I get out every single day.

S: Hah!  It’s like we secretly have 80 arms and each one needs a writing implement.

A: Happy favorite day of the week!
S: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(count the exclamation points. that’s how excited I am)

S: Wow. He is just not a multi-tasker.  Must be a generational thing.

A: Wow I guess I haven’t been getting email notifications because I had like 5 emails I didn’t know about. 

Not a multi-tasker at all.  Also he calls a backpack and “knapsack”.

S: Yes!  Also he totally does the whole “Mondee” instead of Monday thing… and he says Warshington.. which just plain bothers me.
A: Oh he totally does say Mondee!  I just dismissed it in the past but it’s quite funny now that you bring it up.

Never liked people who add the “r” in words that do not have a “r” physically or phonetically.

S: I agrees.  I really just started to notice the other week.  My friends and I had been talking about how people in the baby boomer generation talk like that, so I’ve been listening for it, and now I can’t stop hearing it!  It’s everywhere!

A: What’s new with CET?

S: You get to go to Neocon!  That’s so exciting!  If I may ask, do you know how you were selected?  I’m just a naturally curious individual :)

A: I’ve been wanting to talk about it so bad!  But I wanted to wait for J to announce it.  I think I lucked out on this one because they are taking my roommate and she said she wouldn’t mind sharing a room with me which would save the cost of a plane ticket to bring someone from our design team.  I so wasn’t expecting it!  I will be in Seattle the day after you for the layover.

S: That’s so awesome!  I’m super excited for you—I expect to hear all about it!

A: Oh trust me you will!  I feel kind of awkward though because I’m feel like A and G are thinking why would they take me out of everyone.  I’m sure G will be the first to bring it up when he sees it.

S: Yeah… well……. He will probably do that.  Or he’ll just dwell on it for a super long time.  You deserve to go just as much as anyone else.  Not everything in life is about seniority.

A: That’s true and there is always next year hopefully and one of them will get to go.

Uh oh here he comes…

S: Speak of the…

A: Or you too if you’re still here of course!

S: Of course!  But frankly I don’t know if I will be.  I’m not too concerned :)

A: Yeah that’s why I didn’t mention it initially. :)

That wasn’t nearly as painful as I was expecting.  

S: It really wasn’t so bad.  And now you know all about the weather there.  Be prepared for more stories in the future.

A: I’ve only had .5 of billable hours today. :(

S: Counting today and yesterday, I have 0.  Holy yikes.

A: Let’s go harass K for the color board.  

My outlook has not been correcting as many things lately such as capitalizing names if I type too fast and miss the shift key.  I don’t like it.

S: Yes.  Let’s. 

S: Were you watching TV last night?  At all?  What about at the precise unspecified time and station that I am referring to?
A: Haha I know.  And I’m running around with my head cut off because J’s  client wants to order the product TOMORROW!  I just got this project Wednesday. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
S: Yikes!!!!!!  Well.  I’m bored out of my mind.  So if you need to double-team the project, feel free to make me your gopher.

S: Sorry.  I’ve become slightly unhinged.

A: It happens.  I’m becoming slightly neurotic as I work on this thing.  I see the light at the end of the tunnel but I’ll let you know if I need help!

S: Deal!  Good luck!

A: I think we should go to lunch tomorrow in lieu of payday.

S: In lieu of?  Doesn’t that mean instead of?  I think we should have lunch And payday.  But that’s just me :)

S: If you had to insert a “printer stand” into a room full of wood Walden, what would you use?  Hypothetically of course :)

A: Ha, I believe one of the wood lines has a printer stand, unfortunately I couldn’t tell you which one off the top of my head.  Or possibly one of the Turnstone desking lines has one as well.  I would check in the wood first.  Don’t know if that answered your question…………………………..

S: Yuck… it’s Norfolk.

A: Bleck.

S: So I was staring at my screen trying to figure out why it was wrong—when I realized that CET had closed itself and I had been using it.  Took me like 3 minutes to figure it out :)

A: Sometimes these things happen.  We just have to adapt and overcome office life and the challenges it throws at us.

S: I think you should become a motivational speaker.  Corporations across the country would schedule you to come and speak.

A: Yes perhaps I should.  I go with the “K.I.S.S.” motto from the office.  Keep it simple stupid.

S: Good.  I like it.  No sense in over-complicating things needlessly.

A: Yes, yes I agree.  You should join me in this motivational speaking gig.
S: Freaking sweet!  I am all that.  Those people make so much money.

S: Also.  All *about* that

A: Funny because  I didn’t even know the about was missing until you said anything.  My mind read it as there.
S: Apparently my fingers did too.

S: I am not a fan of Herman Miller.  That’s all.
A: It’s a somewhat sadistic system to put together.
S: You’re telling me :)  My goodness—they want me to use the Baker collection, which means we don’t have access to spec guides because they’re a HM supplier.  Yikes.
A: Ugh I strongly dislike projects like that.  It’s unfortunate but at the same time it’s something to do ;)

S: Fair enough :)

A: Is it bad that I spend half an hour in Paint when I don’t need to but what to?

S: Truth?  ……   But I certainly don’t have room to judge :)

Have you written your little resume-blurb yet?

A: Want to* 

Yes it was terrible but I did it.  I pretty much went off of Aurora’s and catered it to me.  Its shorter than Aurora’s though.  I generalized things like projects I worked on and just mentioned the programs that we work in here.  I really hate writing blurbs about myself when it comes to resumes.

S: I know right?  Mine is terrible.

A: Can’t be any worse than mine.

S: We’ll just have to agree to disagree.

A: I suppose so. 

Why does 5:00 seem so far away?

S: No kidding.  This days has been unforgivably long.  I blame it on eating my snack at 9am…

A: Yes early snacks and lunches can throw off the work day length.  Perhaps it’s the long daylight hours as well, never seem to know what time of the day it is.

S: This is true.  I’ll have to be smarter about my snacks from now on.  Unfortunately there is nothing I can do (nor want to do) about the sunshine.  I just freaking love that giant ball of gas.

A: It’s a pretty amazing thing.  You know what else is amazing?  The new Design Tex Steelcase Select Surface catalog.  Wonderful.  Fantastic.  Yellow.

S: I’m freaking in love with that too.  I also love how it’s yellow and not boring-mcborinton brown.

A: Nobody likes boring-mcborington anymore. 

I do wish CET had a toe kick component.

S: Ooh.  That would be nice.  Can we list all the things we wish CET had?  Cause I feel like that would be long.

A: It would be long but I think it’s worth a try. 

S: I want to be able to rotate the plans view.  Or at least be able to do it on the  paper space.

A: Yes that would be nice.  I want to choose which walls are invisible. 
S: I would love to be able to sneakily use it as a residential design tool.  Which means more homey things.

S: This made me happy.  That’s all.

A: I feel a little crazy when I start whispering to my computer.
S: Nah, you’re just bonding.  I often feel that computers are like plants.  They are sentient—they just don’t communicate in words.  They mostly respond to your feedback :)
A: And I suppose whispering is better than yelling.  

It is 3:30.

S: Cheers!

A: I love how we (design) all do the same thing yet every one of us has a different title.
S: I know right?  And is he for reals ‘lead designer’—because I thought that was A?
A: Ha his says “Senior Space Planner” on my phone list.  I’m just a plain old designer and you are a designer and space planner which is funny to me because we all do space planning.
S: Yeah—we all do exactly the same thing.  Except A.  Who is legit team leader.
A: Yep that’s pretty much what I feel as well.
S: I feel restless today.  What I wouldn’t give for a walking station.
A: Oh me too it would be awesome to have one.  Our office is not as ergonomic as some may think.
S: J was right the other day when he said we were a poster-child for sound-masking.  We’re also a poster child for a dated office in need of a renovation.
A: Agree and agree.  How come we don’t practice what we preach?

I just restarted my CET.  37 new extensions.  I see what you mean. :/

S: Also, we’ve been using this email for an entire month.  That’s pretty sweet.

A: Yes, yes we have.  Let’s see how long we can keep it going.

S: I feel really good about that.  I think our goal should be a year.  Basically I think we should keep it until the computer can’t handle it anymore :)

A: That’s risky.   I like it.

S: You know me… my middle name is risky.  Stephanie Risky Whiting.  In middle school they called me SWAT-team Stephanie.

A: Haha awesome.  Nothing beats a catastrophic failure of Microsoft Outlike like an ongoing email.

S: I wonder if it’s ever happened before?  Shouldn’t we get into Guinness with this?

A: I would hope so.  It’s got to get us somewhere.

S: Or maybe there is some kind of office Olympics.

A: Yes, office place Olympics.  Like in the show the Office and how they have the Olympics.  It would be funny if we could constantly mess with one of our co workers.  Like put their stapler in jello or lock up the pencil drawer.  Frustration to no end yet endless entertainment for us.

S: You have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to do that!  Or relocate all their furniture, or attach it to the ceiling… it would be the best!

A: Put their cell phone in the ceiling tiles and call it.

S: Faxes.  From themselves.  From the future.

A: Forgot about that one.  Such a great show. 

S: That was the first episode I ever saw.  It is forever ingrained in my memory.  Love season two still.

A: Yes, I own seasons 2-5.  I’ve gotten my money’s worth out of them.  My first episode was I believe the one about diversity, season one.  I was hooked after that. 

“I like the smell of bacon in the morning, so sue me”  Do you remember that episode?

S: Yes!  Oh, classic.  What a great show.  So many one-liners it’s impossible to quote them all.

A: It should be illegal in Alaska to go to work on perfectly sunny days.

S: For reals.  I want to enjoy it so bad.  But I guess it still isn’t super warm yet… maybe I’ll try and save my wistfulness for then :)

A: Interesting…

I may just turn into the Hulk if someone tried to take away our dual monitors.

S: I would fear for my mental stability.  I don’t know if I even want to contemplate the horrors of that situation.

A: Let’s just be thankful we don’t work for that company the “research” was done on.

A: About 6 hours to go..  Where do you want to go to lunch?
S: Hmm… difficult to say.  Something where I can get a smoothie?  They just sound so good right now.
A: Have you been to Middleway?  They have smoothies.  I don’t really know of any other place that does off the top of my head.  Suggestions?
S: I haven’t been to Middleway—but I hear it’s good.  You go there all the time right?
A: I do, its delish.
S: You want to talk about Gen y megamulti-tasking?  SIF-ing, uploading, g-chatting, texting, and emailing (multiple people) at the same time… what.
A: Haha impressive.  I’m rendering photos, emailing, editing documents and listening to music at the moment.
S: Nicely done!  I feel really good about being an accurate representation of my generation… especially when I read things like:

“This generation’s best and

brightest… possess significant strengths

in teamwork, technology skills, social

networking and multitasking. Millennials

were bred for achievement, and most

will work hard if the task is engaging and

promises a tangible payoff.”

Gen Y easily uses two monitors and keyboards, frequently checks with peers for feedback  and collaboration, shifts easily between focused work and other modes, and multi-tasks to unprecedented levels. This intense lifestyle is something they grew up with and now bring to the office

Comfortable working with and among others, Gen Y workers can focus their attention and activity with laser-like precision on a specific task. It’s not uncommon to see them working intently on a laptop or smart phone screen amid a chaotic work environment. They can settle quickly in a lounge chair or a corner of a project room, deploy ear buds, iPod, and a Zen-like focus to shut out distractions and get a job done.

Their lives have been packed schedules of school, sports, clubs, and other activities, with a frenetic pace unknown to earlier generations. Technology, mass media, and the Internet have forced this generation to manage an ongoing torrent of information and communication. As a result, speed, change, and uncertainty are normal for Gen Y, and multitasking has become a necessity to cope with relentless information and activity. These workers become restless and bored quickly, and are constantly looking for the next challenge.

Social networking (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) is like breathing for Gen Y. While Boomers have picked up on it and many now feel comfortable sending digital photos to a colleague for feedback, Gen Y has been checking in regularly with peers since high school. They keep a chat line open almost continuously.

I like that a lot better than “seem to be presenting a particular challenge to employers everywhere… a ‘diva’ generation: high maintenance, out for themselves, lacking  in loyalty, thinking only of the short term and their own place in it”

Duh.  We’re loyal if there’s a good reason.

A: Amen sister.

S: And do you love how he keeps bringing up that he doesn’t know what he’s going to do with multiple screens?

A: Ha!  I know right?  I’ll take his.

S: It’s from a 360 article.  Totally research.  And I feel really good about research that makes me feel good :)

http://360.steelcase.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/360_Issue55.pdf 

Basically my most favorite article ever.
A: I'm really not so fond of Google Chrome with pdf's.
S: Yeah, that's true.  It's harder to do things like save it.

A: What the truck.  This media:scape issue is stupid and annoying and I can’t see to fix it. :*( 

S: Did you try opening a new file and building it there (not copying it in)?

A: I updated the collaborative photos.

When would you like to go to lunch?  The usual, 12:30-45?

S: Sounds good to me.

A: http://organicoasis.com/menu/smoothies

S: That could be good.  Have you ever been here?

http://www.sisscafe.com/sandwiches.html 

A: I haven’t been to organic oasis but I’ve heard its really good from several people and have been wanting to try it.  I’ve had Sis’s catered when I worked at rim.  Do they have a restaurant or is it just to go?

S: They have a café as well as to go.

A: Haha that place is owned by one of my old co-workers husband.  I don’t care where we go.  Where do you prefer?  Let’s leave soon.  I’m hungry!

S: Totally Gen X… the rebels.

A: Haha so true!

A: I think I might die before these photos finish renderings.
S: Well... that would be unfortunate.

A: Figures..

S: In a sort of cruelly-ironic sort of way.
S: This afternoon wants to go home.
A: Agreed.  I’ve been sniffing peppermint oil to keep awake.  I know I’m strange. :)
S: Hey, whatever works.  I was chewing gum for a while—but it got past the point that I like chewing it.
A: Oh yeah I have gum too.  That should keep me occupied.  Glad its 3:30.

A: Sometimes I hear more than I want to.
S: Maybe we can train ourselves to be deaf…
A: Or selective hearing.
S: … I thought that was the same thing?
A: Today is my favorite workday.
S: Right now is my second favorite time on our favorite workday.
A: Oh it's a fabulous time.
A: Interesting.. Halo 3 (from the video game) came on my Pandora.
S: Intriguing… what station are you using?
A: Vitamin String Quartet.  I love them.  It usually has piano, quartets and symphonies playing remakes of today’s music – no words.
S: Sweet.  Apparently also video games.  Is the song any good?
A: Yes it pretty much sounds like a soundtrack to a movie.  Oh yeah and they play move scores occasionally too.
S: That sounds cool.  I love film scores.  I had a station once upon a time that was all scores, musicals, and Broadway.  And glee.  It was pretty sweet.
A: Oo I love Glee and all of those.  That would be a good station.
S: I thought so.  I think I typed in Glee as the artist.
Did you know we started this thread a week ago?
A: That's crazy! I didn't even realize.  We're creeping closer to that time..

A: So are we around 6% of the day left?

S: Excellent deduction!

A: Apparently my CET went to the dark side…

S: Geez… I hate it when Darth Vader is in charge of my color schemes.
A: Yes and don’t dare turn off the lights.

A: Haha.  Count the carpet interest and penguin walk.  I’ve had about 2 -3 additional interruptions today.
S: TOtally counts.   I’ve had another 2 today also!  He is on a roll!

S: He’s learning?
A: Learning -ish..
S: I’m cautiously optimistic.
A: That’s all we can be at this time.
S: I only had five pictures, and yet it feels the need to render 105… really now?

A: You know, I never understood that either…  it’s not cool by any means.

S: Did he just do a high heel impression?