MASCOT UPDATE
late night laze
how is it that i can lay on my couch yawning for 2 hours straight and as soon as i lay down in bed sleep is the furthest from my mind. myswell be somewhat productive even though the thought of how few hours i've slept in the past few days makes me cringe. think i'm gonna cut the afternoon soda out of my daily schedule. but really how can one pass up free soda pop at work?
today was my first real legit day at the job. no more NHO bootcamp. no more babysitting. i wandered into work at 8:03 AM. i was all fine and dandy making a mock website about how amazing i am, making a pie chart of my weekend activities until mohammed pinged me. 'diane what are you billing your hours to this week?' my heart started racing when i realized that i am now swimming solo in the scary world of consulting and i better get off this bench before my more frequent anxiety attacks start taxing my potential lifespan. so i met with my CAM and drafted all these awesome goals about who and what i want to be; any progress towards this direction is to not be discussed HORSE CART PEOPLE [thanks fessler]. in the afternoon i got a nifty little project to do. after talking big game about how easy it was going to be it only took me 20 minutes to realize that i know nothing. i cannot even determine if commerce done in canada would make a firm international or what the correct definition of a sub-brand could possibly be. let's hope tomorrow gets better.
on a more jovial note i did some second hand shopping with the lovely monica harvey on sunday. had a blast. bought 6 skirts and nothing else. keeps me from having to do laundry this week. i took her to, can you guess it, JOY's for lunch where we commenced to enter our third trimester of thai noodle baby. #9 Bai Tong you will always have my heart. after crawling home and playing family feud online for about 3 hours i hit downtown chi for some grouponing. brain and i went to see Friends With Benefits :-] the smiley face is referencing that i had a good time. as for the movie i would wait until it hits redbox. not bad but not amazingly good either. i wish we would have held out for smurfs 3D.
well i'm going to try and hit the hay. tomorrow i've gots post work plans so i have to get my beauty sleep now. thanks for listening!
This World Is Dearth
Finally done with my New Hire Orientation!! Yay dance around and keep dancing because I got my FIRST PAYCHECK!! Cue N'Sync 'Just Got Paid' and Rebecca Black's 'Friday'
On the flipside this means I must bid farewell to the days of my youth. No more mid day naps, no more Ellen, no more lunch cocktails. Wait who am I kidding I am a consultant I will still get lunch cocktails. And I don't have tv anyways so me and Ellen meet on twitter. And speaking of social media I have joined 4 sites this week alone! Hit me up on Yammer, Pinterest, Google +, amongst restarting this site. It is really useful though because half of my work focuses on understanding technologies, users, what touchpoints they engage, and how they connect and engage in sites. With so much free time in between training sessions eMarketer, after Forrester, after AdAge research articles were read. Learned some interesting things such as:
People are more likely to click through a video on a website on Wednesday
The day that Facebook experiences the most traffic is Thursday-plannning for the wknd
So our last day in NHO Bootcamp started with presentations to higher level managers and executive members. I presented on the Allstate Teen Driver....which by the way IS SOOOO COOL! They created a digital video format so teens can capture a live video or upload a video of them promising to engage in safe driving practices, which is then in turn approved by their parents and Allstate. Also there are some sweet games such as Street Sluth, Allstate Teen Great Race. Below is the link. If you want to waste some time and want to have a fun and cheesy time please click.
www.allstateteendriver.com/games/
If you are wondering what I would do at Acquity Group, this is a project that I could have been staffed on if I was here a year ago. However, given that the staffing manager is taking a week of vacation starting monday I am pretty sure I will be sitting the bench for at least the first two weeks. So CHICAGO 'pencil me in' as I like to say, I am gonna be in town.
I usually have to be super careful cause I LOVE making plans. And as of now most of my upcoming weekends are booked :-/ This next weekend I am coming home :-). The following [Aug 6-7] Lollapalooza with Nati. Then Becca might be coming the following weekend. The 20-21 is free but I feel like I have something. Then the next weekend is Milwaukee- YAY haven't seen Whitney in forever and the brother and wifey are coming too! Then it's Labor Day with the fam as usual out in boondocks Illinois. However this year will be special we've got a boat dinner cruise planned, my grandpa is turning 80, and I am two hours closer since I now live in Chicago :-o
I need to stop speaking about the future and tell y'all bout the last two nights. So my date went great. He took me to Feast out in Bucktown YUM! And all you need to know if were going out again this next Thursday too but my treat. As a noob to Chicago this is gonna be tough to pick something out- Clark Dog? Joy's Noodles [def an option lol]
Found out yesterday at work that my college buddy was leaving Acquity Group and it was his last day. Sad news for me for now I am a stray NH College kid. After work we went over to Jefferson Tap and had a happy hour with some pitchers of Stella. Needless to say I left with three new college buddies. I was so proud of myself though because I hate riding solo to meet up with people and I hate even more to go to an event where I don't know anyone really that well - makes networking a problem. But I went and had a great time and met a lot of people so props in my book. Afterwards I ran home and headed over to Duffy's to meet with the other new hires where we celebrates the end of bootcamp. $20 all you can eat and drink from 6-11. Let me specify for you readers that the all you can eat was loosely applied. When I visited there sad definition of a buffett they were three ribs and a scoop of mac n cheese. This bar was sooo fratty thought. However when I texted that to Nick autocorrect nicely changed it to this 'this place is so dearth'. Whatever that means? Later on in the evening Nick showed up [plently of interesting stories here but they best be told in first person] and Nati her boyfriend and her brother. We all headed out down the street to Matisse (love this place!) where we preceded to play Connect 4 and Jenga for the rest of the nite. Sounds lame but I actually had a great time. Love my friends.
Well anyways todays a new day and I must prepare. Cubs game in an hour!
miss meeeee?
sat in the same chair, in the same room, with the same people, looking at the same deck. FOR THE PAST 8 HOURS.
Good thing:
1) I enjoyed what we were going over.
2) The executive kitchen with the keurig and nice tasting coffee has access through this room.
3) The view of the Chicago skyline from the 22nd floor boardroom
4) We got free lunch from Potbellys
BUT WORK TALK IS BORING
sooo moving on- got to see my friend Kim +1 to my Chicago circle!!
While walking home from Ace to get a key cut Nick and I ran into two people on the streets. Yea we run this city...kk not really. We can't say "we run this city" until we go to Parrots per definition of Nick. But that was why I was meeting up with Kim. To give her a key to my Purdue apartment so she can get the table she bought off my roommate Leslie. When we got back to the house Nick goes "You should try out the key and see if it works." Sorry Nick but I feel that walking to West Lafayette (since I have no car or Zipcar account yet) would not have a nice ROI for how much my time sells for now.
But enough speak about today I have exciting news from last night's TRIVIA at Wild Goose. My team, and by my team I mean Rupert Murdoch's Ninja Wife team almost won!! We were first going into the second round, which came with an award of SocoLime shots. And let me be brief in describing this trivia but it was nothing of the sort I had ever seen before. First it was no question answer Trivia Pursuit. This was mind stumpers, rhyme time, riddle working, and hands-on activities trivia. Sadly we came in third....but nothing beats an amazing night of trivia with 80% of my friends from Chicago (aka 4 people; none of which follow my blog!).
Well anyways I best be singing off Miss Rolston here has a date tonight! And that's how the cookie crumbles Lakeview!
Another Day. Another Training Session
Day 8. Nothing is more exciting than learning about content migration. I know all you readers must be so jealous. Take note of my dual facing sarcasm; mocking my depressing follower count.
Last night me and some fellow Acquitians (AG employees) went to the ComedySportz DrekFest. Thinking I was in for a good laugh or two, boy was it a surprise when I didn't even chuckle once. Came to find out that the show for the night was the finals for worst 10 minute play ever written. The night wasn't a complete waste- WE FINALLY GOT INTERNET! No more wifi surfing and over consumption of coffee just to abuse the free internet at Starbucks and Caribou Coffee. I have as of yet to use it but given that our house is structured similarly to a bunker with no internet reception entering or leaving this is great news. Almost great enough to be posted on the GM media page that we just did a deep dive into for Adobe CQ demos.
Welp back to training! Over and out, keep it classy readers.
60657
I think I have a crush on my blog. Thank goodness Acquity Group's onboarding process included training on html since I have forgotten everything from this semester past. I've been working these past few weeks trying to tailor the template I downloaded to reflect me, myself, and I.
I now sit in the AG office- 22nd floor of Olgivie Transportation Center. Got to love the location since I'm such a foody and we sit atop a huge food court. However that's not what had me hooked. On my first visit into the office, I had a serene Devil Wears Prada moment. Not only did I have to use a badge to access the elevator lobby, but upon the opening of the elevator doors I was ushered through glass doors to an aped lobby from the movie set. Thank goodness the experience was sans Anna Wintour...I mean Miranda Priestly.
These were not the two reasons I took this job even though they rank highly on the list. But speaking on the subject I am so glad I did. My transition to Chicago has been seamless. I have a crazy energetic roommate you keeps me running for my sanity- love you Nick. Thanks to him, in the past two weeks I have come to be the sole caretaker (I know the fish is joint custody...but you have no case) of Frankie Muniz the beta and Flami the inflatable pink flamingo I found in my shower. But more on this topic later.
The workday is over and I am starving! Something about not moving fr 8 hours in a room set at a temperature of 55 makes me ravenous when the work bell tolls. I will return soon!
FOURTH
HAPPY 5th of JULY!!
Wow halfway through the summer. While sometimes I feel like the time has flown when I am sitting in my cube at work on Friday afternoons around 2:30 time has never crawled so slowly.
Work is going good. Since I am a PURDUE MIS student I was assigned a pretty sweet project. I have bimonthly meetings with the CIO and his Leadership Team. I get frustrated easily at work because our department is severely understaffed so I often lack direction and defined work goals. My manager has been in Natick about everyday since I have been here I feel horrible for her but she will be back Tuesday :] and she is super cool and funny. As for my other colleague one cube over...Svetlana boy does she add a dynamic personality to the cube farm. She is currently having an affair in her cube lol. As is her husband works as the CIO for another company and a BSC employee and her are doing the deed one cube over. The usual preteen giggles, spotted leaving the trails in the woods, caught red handed.... BSC such an exciting Corporate Experience.
But no for reals I am loving Minneapolis. I didn't know what to think of this place when I first moved here. The homeless people are so deranged I was slightly petrified of this city. This summer though is awesome. BSC helps by taking us to a new awesome place every week and footing the bill. Two weeks ago we went on a boat cruise along the Mississippi River. Buffet dinner and drinking tokens. Our managers came along. It was great to get to know some of my co-workers on a more personal level outside of work. For instance- Gary loves to bake (put in my request for an apple crisp pie) and he fishes! So next Friday our department is grilling out at his lake house, fishing, and enjoying pies!
This past Thursday all of us interns went the Twins Game. And traveled around the stadium with out $25 meal vouchers. I scored in on a chicken sandwich big surprise NOM! and two rum and diets from the rather flirtatious bartender in the Grill Ristorante. While I did not watch the game that much I saw a homer and cheered in a ridiculous manner for at least 5 minutes. It was a grand ole time. I met some new interns and hung out with the usual IS crew. Afterwards a big group of us went over to Drink and used our profit voucher money to float the bill for the rest of the night. Home at 1:30= worst day of work ever. The Friday before a holiday weekend, no sleep, and slightly hungover. It was a blast. I think I ran into the wall during lunch about three times.
As for our amazing IS lunches that happen everyday, there is too much to say. They are livesavers for giving me a break from the Dell stare. Ben with his kiddy lunch game of PBJ or ham and cheese, bumps on a log? Stupid antics. The cookie club that I am a proud and victorious member.
This weekend though has been a surprise. I had the option of going to Duluth, Summerfest, and down to Chi. I am soo indecisive I couldn't pick so I didn't and stayed here by default. Saturday morning I traveled out to Excelsior to meet with Anneliese for lunch. Had another chicken sandwich nom and a cocktail that got me buzzed more than it should have. Caught some grill time with the Page boys before heading to the Mall of America. Met up with Lori and her friend Jenn there walked around did some window shopping and gawked at the massiveness. Hugo the Creep Frog over at rainforest cafe, just playing with the weird flying slippery toys when who is breathing over our shoulder...
We headed to Canterbury shortly after....had a classic horsetrack day. Petted some ponies, had a beer, had a rum and diet. Put some money on the cute jockeys and watched them win :) Played some cards and people watched. Then stayed to watch the fireworks. Which thank you preteen for taking pictures of us during the fireworks. It wasn't creepy. It was a great time because I miss all my girls back home and they definitely filled that void. Afterwards I booked it home to meet up with Niraj and Timmy at Bario's a quick double shot and a blue moon. Headed over to First Avenue where I got kicked by Sean repeatedly, another double shot of Jager. Bounced from that scene and over to Seven where I hung out with the Pride Rock gang----met a man named Simba who can macro LIFE DOESN'T GET BETTER!!! Died laughing because from the rooftop we had a perfect view of a giant flatscreen billboard that was running advertisements for spaying cats and dogs.
Yesterday I slept in unto 10:30 and made my way over to the Farmer's Market to get some strawberries for the grill out and peruse the stalls. I want to go back to the market and get some fresh veggies and enjoy the lemonade and dogs. Came back downtown and a huge group of us headed over to 'beautiful' Powderhorn Park. Amazing afternoon. Had myself a hamburger some chips and dip, cookies and cream ice cream. And about two hours of soccer playtime. Running around playing my favorite sport :] After chilling for about 6 hours we headed back to Marquette and went to the roof for some fireworks. Coolest experience because we got a panoramic view of about 30 firework shows. We could see shows in the parks, downtown st. paul, the lakes. Just hanging out on the rooftop with good friends and some beers. Niraj, Timmy, and I went over to The Local afterwards and got some Gingers. Long day though so I headed in at 1:00
Today is lunch at Masa and then Toy Story 3! I love 3 day weekends :) work tomorrow please no haha
Peace out! Updates soon will be a visit from my mom and maybe some story drops from Kimmy's wedding last weekend- most amazing time of my life (stealing the words from Cindy Lauper myself)
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