Penn State

My roommate and fellow BD MDP'er (Andy) and I just got back from recruiting for new engineers at Penn State. Just so all you Nebraska folk can rest easy, Beaver Stadium is not NEAR as good looking as Memorial stadium - just looks like scaffolding and concrete. So, we definitely win in the "monument" category... but as noted by Amber - "Ours doesn't produce the same result" - that result of course being winning.

But Penn State showed good form and brought some great engineering candidates - so, interviews were pretty fun today. I'd like to pretend that I'm all "tough cop" in interviews, but really, I like to see the candidates do well -- it's just such a relief when you get someone in there who has experience and actually knows what they're talking about. Otherwise, it's like... well, you know when someone is talking and they have some phlegm in their throat but they don't notice it and they just keep on talking and you start clearing your throat for them? Interviewing a bad candidate feels like that... except instead of trying to clear phlegm out of their throats, you're trying to will them into having some good answers. It hasn't worked yet - so I'll just invite good candidates to the interviews from here on out.

Worky work

Well now that my boss granted my wish of more work and more responsibility, I'm steadily falling behind. Ahhh shucks - all the travel blocks out time that could be used to get work done... so I'm in for some more time management classes from the school of hard knocks.

Late day at work... and come to think of it, starting two weeks ago, I started a streak of 5 weeks in a row of travel. Baltimore - Puerto Rico - State College, PA (this week for recruiting and interviewing)- Miami - Baltimore. Sheesh - a Baltimore sandwich.

Okay - I'm not going to go on like I actually have something to say today... just complaining a bit :)

Rainy Bummer

Shoot - I was hoping to test out my tender kneecap out in the Appalachians this morning - but it's raining cats and dogs. Oh well, guess I get another day of rest... though, honestly, it's probably the best thing - cuz I tried running last night and only lasted about a mile before my knee tightened up so bad I had to stop. Man - I would have sucked at football - you can't tell me you don't get your kneecaps smashed at least once a game... and here I am debilitated. I guess that and my melon-head. I would have looked like a scampering match-stick.

New Stuff

Wow - it sure is good to be back on the continent.

Hmmm - now I'll just settle myself down on this cold, rainy night and share a good, simple blog with my homeland buddies. Really, if that's all I accomplish on this Friday night, I'll be more than happy.

So, I have to be honest - I love new things, new people, new places... but this week I've just really run dry. There's just nothing like the tried and true relationships with family and friends who have walked through tough times and deep pizzle with you. I mean it's cool exploring - but at a point, I've begun to realize that when I meet new people and see new places, they're just normal people and normal places. The difference is, they're not my people and my places. They have their own families, concerns, aspirations...

I guess I might just be making the jump from college to real life. Y'know in college, everyone is up for making a new friend. But now, people are getting settled - they like the way things are and they aren't so keen on having someone new come in and change stuff.

And that's fine, I guess - I can't blame 'em. It's just become more difficult to navigate, especially when people find out that I'm hear for a year and then gone again in June.

And having Amber go back home on Tuesday was a pretty big shock to my system. It's a pretty big jump from phone-relationship to face-to-face... then back to phone again.

Okay - mopey mope mopester is going to go take a shower and get ready to go to Outback steakhouse with my roomies. Nothing like the down under to pick up one's spirits!

Bamma Ramma

Man - I wish I could keep Amber here forever - and that's not just cuz she looks great and says nice things to me. She's just a blessing to have around - I wish she didn't have to leave today!

So, I'm off tomorrow with a 7 a.m. flight to Puerto Rico - suit-and-tie-and all! I'll be cutting it pretty close... grabbing a rental car from the airport, picking up a coworker and then driving for the first time down to Cayey - just in time to catch the Grand Opening! Should be some big wigs there too - like the Governor of Puerto Rico and the CEO of our company! So I'm wearing my paisley tie to impress them... hope it works.

Okay - gotta be up in 5 hrs so I'm off!

Survivors

Well, a couple bloody feet, a bruised kneecap and some sore feet later, Bamma and I made it back to Hackensack! Phew - NYC is fast and furious, but we stayed in long enough for a sweet cruise on a yacht, good times with friends, and another trip to Central Park to laugh at all the free spirits. (I'll never get tired of the roller skate dancers club)

Next: It's the great outdoors and some hiking stories to come!

The Balt

So, just chillin in Baltimore - got one more day of meetings and then AMBER COMES HERE!!! I'm so excited! She flies in like 30 minutes after my train arrives in Newark, so I'm having my driver take me to the airport to pick her up and then we'll go back to the ol' apartment in style! (Well, when I say "my" driver, I mean the limo service that picks me up, and when I say "limo" I mean A Lincoln Towncar)

So - before then, I'm gonna go hit the Hunt Valley Marriott gym and get my HUGENESS on!

TTFN

Another day another dollar

Today was pretty slow at work - but it was pretty nice...

Went runnin - and... well, that's about it.

Talk to ya later! :)

Music and New Zealand

Wow - so today was a rush! It started off with a long drive to Long Island to lead worship for a new church. Real small = 20 people. But boy did we get hoppin! The pastor is real cool too, so I might play again in a couple months. Another cool twist was that I met a couple high school fellas who really seemed to be on the right track. I talked with them a while and they wanted me to come to their high school and play Christian music for them - He said to me, "Yah man - that was ill." Which, I've heard, means that I was really good.

Dang - am I that old that I don't know the cool slang anymore? What happened to "tubular" and "bodacious?" Where are you my sweet "radical" and "fly?" What has this world come to that terms that once described your degree of infirmity have now lost all meaning and descended to the level of SLANG. C'mon - like we needed another word for "cool."

Anyway - tangent. These kids were killer - so, I told him to check it out with his school administration and if it works, then STELLAR - if not, then that's just a bummer. Ahhhh, but I digress.

THEN I went to the Journey (my church) for a worship arts team meeting - and I met Michael from New Zealand. He just moved here to play rugby and he gets to stay for like another 9 weeks. So, a few of us bandies (that's a member of a band) took him to get some wings at a nearby sports bar, talked football, and he unpacked the wonder of rugby to all us American-folk. I really hope we get to hang out another one of these weekends - really cool chap!

Hikin' it!

So, turns out my roommate Conor likes hiking too! So we got up early this morning, hit the trails and romped through the woods all morning long. Got some great pics, fresh air, and we castled. That's right, I said castled. It's a new past-time of mine where we go on hikes, minding our own business and then suddenly happen upon the ruins of a castle! Boy oh boy is it fun!

Today's castling adventure was in the Ramapo forest area, and we literally saw three stone buildings that had to have been at least a couple hundred years old (welcome to Aaron's world of archeology). One thing I didn't know about castles was that they have no roofs, they're filled with litter, and they are painted (rather poorly) with what appeared to be graffiti. We derived from the hieroglyphics that "Tony" hearted "Nina" and that "Jimmy" had been there. So, I plan on castling again sometime soon!

Oooh Friday

Oh yah - so on Friday's at BD, we go on hikes. Real hikes. In the mountains. It was a wonderful discovery - maybe the coolest one yet about living near the mountains is that you can make a 4 minute drive to the nearest hiking trail and take the sweetest lunch break ever!

I joined the BD fitness program - and that's who put it on - and for many Fridays to come. And the guy who leads it is an ultra-marathoner (100 mile races - yah, I know - it takes "nuts" to a whole new level). So he convinced me to join his running team and now I getta go on Wednesday runs (5-6 milers) and do Friday hikes over my lunch breaks! Wooohooo!

...well, we'll see how long my boss lets this go on.

Anyha - I got all amped about being outdoorsey and promptly went to Trader Joes to buy healthy food and followed it up with a trip to CAMPMOR - and got trail maps, running shorts, hiking shorts, an emergency blanket, and some winter headgear. That's right - Aaron's learning to impulse buy.

And Amber's in for quite a hiking trip when she gets here! Booya!

Lame Lamity Lam-o

Alright - so I'm calling off my blogfast. Too long is too long.
That would be sweet if I had deliberately fasted from blogging for some spiritual-humanitarian reason, but I must confess - this is not how I do.

That is right, spaz-o that I am, I lost interest in blogging just as I lose interest in most things 4 months from beginning. So, consider this my second wind. Endorphins... kicking... in... BOOOYAH! I'm back!

So - My Amber is coming to town very soon - next Thursday - 8 days and counting! We are gonna hit the town, catch the 'skers game with UNL friends in NYC, bounce off all the buildings, hit the woods and hike it up, all in one weekend! So, needless to say, I am VERY excited to have my little Amber here!

On the work side of things, I met my very first man-bear today. My co-worker and I drove 2 hrs. down to Swedesboro, NJ to plan an expansion to their DC (distribution center) and in walks a man-bear. At least, I think it was a bear... I mean man, I mean man-bear. I kid you not, big dude, lots of hair and the most deep-set eyes and high cheekbones. I think he said his name was Bill but that he preferred to be called "Buddy" - and so he is... Buddy the Bear. And as is customary with the man-bear species, you generally don't let them know that you have given them nicknames, because the other perk of being a man-bear is that they can rip you limb from limb at the slightest whim. (That would be limb-from-limb-at-whim ... it's a UFC cage fighting term - I'm not sure if you all know, but I've decided to become a cage fighter recently and I plan on retiring from my illustrious career a whopping 4 months into it.)

Ooh, speaking of cage-fighting, I've been training a lot on what will become my "staple" move. I'll dance around the Octagon a bunch, leave my guard down and brutally punish the opponent's fists with a barrage of face-butts. Of course, I run the risk of concussion and brain hemorrhages, but how well will those guys be able to punch after I break their fists? Hm? Yah - And what would a UFC fighter be without a nickname --> I'll be "Aaaaaaaaaaaron 'butt-face' Daaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyvissssssss!" Wa - wait a second! Wait a second!!!- that's 'Face-Butt' Davis - FACE-BUTT DAVIS!!! GAAHHHHHHHHH! The perils of having the word "butt" in your title.

It's alright, I'll change my title every 4 months.