Thursday, August 30, 2007

Roll Credits

"Cause

Two (two) heads (heads) are better than one
(woo hoo hoo)
It's double the pleasure babe
It's triple the fun
I said
Two (two) heads (heads) are better than one
(better than one)
It'll make you come undone
Two heads are better than one"

-Power Tool, end credits Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

At this time I have two days to get three installs. I don't think that it's going to happen frankly. So that means staying out here a little while longer to solidify that install total and insure my pay bump. This makes me unhappy, because I really wanted to be back on Saturday for the BYU vs. AZ game. They are also retiring Ty Detmer's jersey at halftime. So to both get my installs, catch the game, and take a quick breather, I found cheap last minute plane tickets on Orbitz. Roundtrip tickets and a rental car for two days will run me about $250. That'll also give me a chance to take as much time as I need to get my car checked out, pack, and drive back instead of rushing around like a chicken with it's head cut off. My flight arrives about 10am on Saturday and leaves about 11am on Monday. I decided to go with a rental car so I can be completely free to come and go and not force anybody to be my taxi service. So I hope some of you are available for hanging out after the game and on Sunday. See you soon.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Five Golden Rings! Bada da da...

Workdays: 5
Installs: 137
Average to finish: 1.6

Well, It may be five and a half work days, at which point the average to finish would be 1.4545455. Apparently noon on the 31 is the last scheduable slot. I also should have my car serviced before heading back, there is a maintenance required indicator on my dashboardand it has gone from green-yellow to orange, and in the last week or so, to red since being out here. Probably just needs an oil change as I've gone over 180,000 miles. I was kind of hoping to have the whole day on the 31st to take care of packing up and leaving to make it back for the 3:30pm Kickoff for the BYU vs. AZ game on September 1st. Now it'll be pushing it. Oi vei!

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Seven Swans a Swimming...

Workdays: 7
Installs: 133
Average to finish: 1.7142857

So I've been rather disgruntled about my time in Denver. Long hours, high expectations, not enough work, I could go on or a while. Anyways, I've been looking forward to the time I could leave the company behind. Last night the head technician who is in town starts talking to the other guy in my apartment about coming back as a lead tech next year. There are alot of incentives. The other guy feels even more strongly about not coming back than I do. Well, he starts thinking about it after hearing some of the details. And I think to myself, "Nothing can convince me to come back." But then I think about the incentives, and decide if they open an office in Philadelphia that I might think about coming back. Then I go to my first install today and it takes 10 hours. The sales guy told them it would take 1. I had to re-talk them into getting the system at one point. But I wasn't so sure that our system was better than theirs. But I did it because I need the install to make my goal before I leave. I didn't like that feeling at all. After talking things over with the head tech we found a way to make things better for them, but I still don't like that feeling that I had to re-sell the system when it wasn't going to be what they were lead to believe it was. Ick.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

...Four and Four Make Eight...

Workdays: 8
Installs: 132
Average to finish: 1.625

Monday, August 20, 2007

9...

Workdays: 9
Installs: 131
Average to finish: 1.5555556

Sunday, August 19, 2007

10...

Workdays: 10
Installs: 129
Average to finish: 1.6

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Editor's Note

The editor of Risin' and Shoutin' wishes to qualify a comment made in the August 14th post "I Am Seventeen Going On Sixteen..." The last sentence reads, "Though several have also spent the summer away, I can't wait to reconnect in a more personal way than just reading your blogs." While personal interaction is preferable to blog reading, it is the editor's desire to state that he is glad that so many dear friends choose to blog and comment on each others' posts. He only wishes more would follow suit as it has proven invaluble (In-famous is when you're MORE than famous!) to keeping up with such a wide spread group.

T-Minus Eleven Days and Counting

Due to popular demand, I'll be trying to post a countdown-countup everyday til I go home. Ok, ok, it was one suggestion, but I liked it, and I hope you do too.

Workdays remaining: 11
Installs to date: 127
Average # of installs per day to reach goal: 1.636363636363

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

I Am Seventeen Going On Sixteen...

do do di do di dooo...

Seventeen days and counting. I have seventeen days until my indentured servitude expires, and I become a free man once again. Well, actually my term is being measured by two sets of numbers, days and installs. I am so close to hitting 140 that I have decided to stay my full term or hit 145 installs, whatever comes second. I need to hit 140 for the next tier on the payscale. But I want to get a few more just to insure that I will get it. It could be possible that a few of my installs don't actually qualify, so instead of having 140 I end up with 137 or so and that would be a difference of approximately $2k. Thankfully, it's starting to look like I won't actually have to stay on for a few extra days to hit my goal. I have 15 workdays to get 24 more installs. If I can get three installs every two days I will be just under my goal. If I get 2 a day that'll put me comfortably at 150 or so. My renewed optimism is due to the fact that there are only 3 technicians left, and I have been scheduled out for two installs yesterday and today, which I hope will continue.

I would be very displeased if this job kept me from attending the BYU vs AZ game in Provo on September 1. I am eager to see BYU reload rather than rebuild for a change after a stellar season. In 1997, the year after BYU won more games in a season than any other team before or since ('96 record was 14-1), they went 6-5. In 2002, after going 12-2 n '01, they went 5-7. I would be thrilled to witness back-to-back double digit win seasons for the first time since '89-'90.

I would also really like to see all my friends back in Utah. It's been way too long. Though several have also spent the summer away, I can't wait to reconnect in a more personal way than just reading your blogs.