Things I learned from my trip to Sou Cal

Things I learned from my trip to Southern California this month:

• Voice navigation systems are more patient then I am when my wife just turned 3 blocks too soon : "you have left the route, a new one is being created for you now"
• I should become a weatherman in San Diego: "75F with a chance of clouds, today, tomorrow, ..."
  
• I should always carry business card
  
• There are women who look like Christie Brinkley
  
• The difference between inbound vs outbound flows on the beach (the former makes for a very cool day at the beach in February).
  
• Surfers arrive at the beach @ 5:00 am
• Don't worry if you don't know the speed limit on the current road/hiway/freeway - just try to keep up to the locals!
  
• There's always somebody with a bigger truck
  
• You should always wear sunscreen
• People in San Diego really enjoy their city/climate/etc
• Nickelback isn't played every 15 min like it is on Alberta/Canadian radio stations
  

PS. That's My Stapler's wife would like to add the following statement :

$10 for parking ...
$500 for Aerosmith Concert floor seats next to the stage/catwalk...
$8 for a beer or cocktail ...
- being close enough to grope Stephen Tyler's thigh .... "priceless"

Last day

Today was my last day of my contract at a major Telecommunications Corporation in Western Canada. As is my tradition, I've created a list of memorable things about my stay that I may or may not miss.

This is not a top ten list as I'm sure I will add to it. Please feel free to comment or ask questions.

• RUDY ?

• Learning that you don't want to sit by people doing support while you're trying to do development (support people are on the phone more than Sheryl!)

• The conference call on-hold muzac

• Coke & candy machines leaving the premises

• *skermer* ¹
  

• Swiping my card when leaving/entering the building and hoping that the flashing blue light doesn’t go off
  
  
• Bugging Sharon to renew my security access

• My Cubicle in "The Toll Building" (there must be bylaw about being less than 10 paces away from a urinal)

• My Cubicle during EOP (window view overlooking the Hotel Mac & river valley !)

• My Cubicle on 11th (a verbal purge zone by the door away from everybody else)

-- Favorite Quotes --

"We embrace change"
- Major Telecommunications Company's motto

"Change is bad"
-- That's My Stapler

"Who on earth changed this?"
-- Developer coming back from honeymoon and looking at his code That's My Stapler modified

It's like the Framework team is painting a sky and the Environment team is trying very hard to build airplane, and testers are jumping off the cliff to catch the sky.
-- Anonymous @ Major Telecommunications Company

1 Cursed in the same tone as *newman* - Seinfeld's nemesis and proud U.S. Postal Worker. Associate in many of Kramer's get rich quick schemes.