For our one year mark with the company, they flew us all out to HQ in Philadelphia.
Jon and I flew in at the same time (6/12), so we could drive together. Are you noticing a pattern? I hate driving on business trips. We got in, and Jon and I headed for lunch at Tony Luke's. (The week before that was Jarrett's food recommendation for me) Oh my word, it was a really good sandwich. I wish I could have eaten it all. Jon and I went to check into our rooms before going to Target. I forgot to pack my toothbrush and he wanted a new shirt. His shirt below is newly purchased from Target, and it looks good. #targetfan We had to be at HQ by 4pm, because Michael wanted to interview us for a recruitment video. I know, right? The last thing I want is to be in a recruitment video. #ilikeprivacy
When we all got there, we were put in a conference room. I still had tons of work to do, I had to get on my computer and do work while everyone was socializing. I had to make some calls, and Jarrett was all like "oh look, natasha's got phone swag" lol. All I wanted to do was sit and chat, but I had a lot to do with never enough time to do it. I did my interview where they taped me. I was so nervous. I tried to portray confidence and intelligence while mentally trying to keep still, not to twist my chair from side to side, and keep my hands from fidgeting. It was a difficult task. Then we went downstairs to the outside area. They had us sit around a table and just talk. It was pretty entertaining, because Jon, as usual, asked deep questions that no normal person would think of right off the bat. The worst was when they were off camera and we joked how we came into the program as 5 strangers but left as team or family or something equally cheesy. When the cameras started rolling again, Jon worked it into the conversation. We all started laughing. It was too cheesy to react seriously. We all got a picture, and we got one with Michael for our thank-you gift we had been planning.
We all then headed to a restaurant for dinner with Michael and the VP of HR. It was pretty fun. A little weird because we're all so close and the VP doesn't really know any of us personally, so it took a while for all of us to find a good rhythm. It also didn't help that someone kept bringing up the fact that they went to China; a sore subject for Lindsay and me, who wished to have had the opportunity to go to China. We said our goodbyes, and once the adults left we made plans to meet up again after changing our hotels.
We met up at a sports bar and grill. Everyone got some beer, but it turns out they wouldn't accept Jon's paper replacement lisence that they give you in Texas as a temp when you are getting a new license after you've lost yours. They guy wouldn't accept it, and it made Jon pretty mad. Jon made a little bit of a fuss, but we eventually convinced him to just go back to the hotel and grab his passport (because TSA also doesn't accept a paper form of ID) since we were planning on being there for a while. We all got some dessert to top off the night and it was amazing! Jon eventually came back and ordered two beers. The guy told him he was only allowed to order one at a time. Jon was mad. To help out, I ordered my first beer ever. When the guy carded me, he asked rudely "do you have your driver's license or do you need to go get a passport too?" I wanted to slap him. As soon as he brought out the beers, I moved mine directly in front on Jon. As a thank you, Jon paid for my pink lemonades for the rest of the night. Towards the end of the night, the hockey game was almost over and Jarrett didn't want to leave, which meant Lindsay had to stay behind. Luckily, Jon is much nicer and was like, "i'm ready when you're ready". We all stayed to see a little more of the game and then took off.
Thursday morning started off quite well. I went out for breakfast only to find Jon had been up a while and already eaten. Of course he has. We got to the office, and everyone when to the training except for me. I had a meeting for my freight project, that we scheduled because all my team was already going to be in Philly, so it was easier to just meet then. It was a good meeting with a lot of information, but I was excited to get back to everyone. We watched a video about personal responsibility which was highly amusing. The CEO came in to talk to us for a bit. Then we had time to do our own work, which was perfect because I had calls to make for one thing and a Friday 9am deadline on a different project.
By the time it was lunch, all the C-level execs were available, and I was able to introduce Lindsay to a lot of the people I'd already met where she hadn't had the opportunity. I saw my boss from Germany, Besty. She gave me a big hug and said "had I known you got in yesterday, I would of invited you both (me and lindsay) over for dinner at my house!" She is soooo sweet. So Lindsay and I sat with Besty, Addy, and my mentor, Vik. It was a good table, and we had a fun time chatting it up over some really good food. Honestly I wanted more, but I wanted to talk more than overeat. As lunch came to a close they had us stand up and introduce ourselves so everyone could get to know who we were. Jarrett started, and he gave so much detail about himself, Susan had to ask we shorten it a little. Lindsay went before me, and she explained how we worked together the first 2 rotations, so when it was my turn, I had barely anything to say. Add that to me hating tons of people staring at me, I made a joke "I've been working with Addy the past 6 months, and he liked me so much he decided to keep me around longer and put me on his team" There was laughter. I think it was the good kind, not the she's-crazy-so-we-need-to-laugh-so-she-doesn't-crack kind. After lunch it was time for our "team building" aka, site seeing. We peaced out of there.
First stop: Liberty Bell.
We all headed out expecting it was going to rain all afternoon. Instead it was a beautiful day the entire time. We did a walking tour and saw a lot of sights. Liberty Bell. Liberty Hall. Second Bank of the United States. Betsy Ross House. Elfreth's Alley. Christ's Church. The Library and other things. Then we went to the spy exhibit they had there. It was legit. Spies are cool. However, I'm pretty sure I would be a terrible spy. I get too antsy.
After walking around all afternoon, and the lack of proper walking shoes for Lindsay and I, we were hungry and our feet were hurting. We managed to get to dinner, and I was getting hangry. I was so hangry, I couldn't even act nice.
Can I just say: one of my biggest pet peeves is pretentious people. Those people who act all knowing, like they know you or know better than you, when they do not. Now, if you are smarter, more clever, or wiser than I am, I will readily admit it. I have lots of friends who I acknowledge their better-ness and bow to their advise and words of wisdom. But it is the people who act like they are better and are not, that make me mad. For example, when you are trying to tell *me* about Texas and Texans, and you've only been there a few times, you are out of line. If you've only been to one foreign country ever, and act like you're a world travelling genius with all the wisdom of the world, there is a reason I'm going to want to slap you in the face and tell you what a tool you are. If you keep telling me your opinion on everything, even when I don't care or didn't ask, and act like it is a God-given fact, then I'm going to have to use all my energy trying not to tell you off rather than pretend to be nice.
It was a fun dinner. We ended up playing a drinking game, where Jon had to drink for me if I lost. It turns out, I was pretty good at this game, but nevertheless, Jon was pretty drunk by the time we left dinner. It turns out Jon *really* likes to drink. Lindsay and Jarrett were staying the weekend in Philly and staying at Lindsay's uncle's house downtown. Jon and I decided to go over to their uncle's house to hang out before going out some more. It was our last night together, and we wanted to hang out a bit. Lindsay's Uncle's house is AMAZING! It's downtown, huge spiral staircase, and 4 stories with a basement. There is a 2-story library. I fell in love. We hung out there for a bit. Lindsay and I were laying on the bed upstairs talking while Jarrett was downstairs on the massage chair and Jon played the piano in the entrance area. Eventually Jarrett came in and laid on top of us. We were just chatting. Jarrett said that he was going to miss Lindsay when she left because she was his bestie (oh, we found out that our permanent locations were going to be in Chicago or Houston). Eventually Jon found his way upstairs too, and we all decided to go out again. Lindsay's uncle recommended a jazz bar nearby, so we hopped in the car and took off.
We got to the jazz bar and they made us go through the basement entrance. We all got our first drinks of the night. My shirley temple was on the house and we cheers-ed our drinks together when jon dropped his shot glass; it broke after spilling all over Lindsay. Not a good way to start the night. Jon was already pretty drunk. It turns out Jon is a pretty intense drunk. I dont think he means to be, but you really want him to just calm down a bit because he is unknowingly offending a lot of people. Jarrett on the other hand seems to age backwards and become very affectionate. He kept on asking for kisses on his cheeks all night, and it had to be both otherwise it's uneven. lol. we played Jenga with strangers. It also turned out that there was no jazz that night, but it was a comedy night. Some of them were funny. Some of them weren't. Most of them teased Jon and Jarrett because they were both getting really loud as the night progressed....and we were front row. The most awkward part was when a comedian asked Lindsay and I a question, which implied that we were hooking up with Jon and Jarrett. I dont think I will ever repeat the question for as long as I live, but needless to say I was blushing, and after what felt like a lifetime of awkwardness, i replied "we wouldn't know" Then the comedian started teasing them for being with us but not being with us. It was too much. Eventually, after a long night, the guys were super drunk, I was super tired, and I would be driving Jon and I back to the hotel tonight, all the while knowing I hadn't completed my work assignment for my 9am call in the morning and it was going on 2am.
Lindsay and I eventually got Jon and Jarrett out of the bar. On the drive back to Lindsay's uncle's place, it turns out everyone is hungry. Jarrett was trying to put in the name of a place he wanted to go, but he was too drunk to type coherent words into the GPS. Luckily there is a Wendy's on a corner, so we all piled out. We're eating, and everyone is staring at us because members of our party are pretty loud. We were about to leave when Jarrett looks at me very seriously and says "I have to tell you something very important". I'm chuckling and say "what is it?" He's taken aback my my lighthearted manner and says "no. i can't tell you. you're not ready". It so super dramatic, I tried so hard not to laugh. (I asked Jarrett about it later, and he has no recollection of it. He did say "when you're ready, you'll know" lol. thanks jarrett). Jon and I dropped off Lindsay and Jarrett, and we continued onto our hotel. I was so exhausted.
Friday morning, I woke up feeling terrible. I ended up waking up before my alarm and ended up throwing up in the bathroom. I felt like death. I went back to sleep, praying I would wake up feeling better. I managed to wake up at 8am and finish my assignment right in time for the conference call deadline. After the call I had to shower and go to the airport for my flight. When I got back to Houston, I was feeling mildly better but was unsure if I would be up for going to New Braunfels over the weekend with my girlfriends. Luckily two had to cancel last minute, so we all decided to reschedule. This was good because all I wanted to do the rest of the weekend was sleep because I had maybe 14 hours of sleep over the past 3 nights. It's always a party when we get together.
When we all got there, we were put in a conference room. I still had tons of work to do, I had to get on my computer and do work while everyone was socializing. I had to make some calls, and Jarrett was all like "oh look, natasha's got phone swag" lol. All I wanted to do was sit and chat, but I had a lot to do with never enough time to do it. I did my interview where they taped me. I was so nervous. I tried to portray confidence and intelligence while mentally trying to keep still, not to twist my chair from side to side, and keep my hands from fidgeting. It was a difficult task. Then we went downstairs to the outside area. They had us sit around a table and just talk. It was pretty entertaining, because Jon, as usual, asked deep questions that no normal person would think of right off the bat. The worst was when they were off camera and we joked how we came into the program as 5 strangers but left as team or family or something equally cheesy. When the cameras started rolling again, Jon worked it into the conversation. We all started laughing. It was too cheesy to react seriously. We all got a picture, and we got one with Michael for our thank-you gift we had been planning.
We met up at a sports bar and grill. Everyone got some beer, but it turns out they wouldn't accept Jon's paper replacement lisence that they give you in Texas as a temp when you are getting a new license after you've lost yours. They guy wouldn't accept it, and it made Jon pretty mad. Jon made a little bit of a fuss, but we eventually convinced him to just go back to the hotel and grab his passport (because TSA also doesn't accept a paper form of ID) since we were planning on being there for a while. We all got some dessert to top off the night and it was amazing! Jon eventually came back and ordered two beers. The guy told him he was only allowed to order one at a time. Jon was mad. To help out, I ordered my first beer ever. When the guy carded me, he asked rudely "do you have your driver's license or do you need to go get a passport too?" I wanted to slap him. As soon as he brought out the beers, I moved mine directly in front on Jon. As a thank you, Jon paid for my pink lemonades for the rest of the night. Towards the end of the night, the hockey game was almost over and Jarrett didn't want to leave, which meant Lindsay had to stay behind. Luckily, Jon is much nicer and was like, "i'm ready when you're ready". We all stayed to see a little more of the game and then took off.
Thursday morning started off quite well. I went out for breakfast only to find Jon had been up a while and already eaten. Of course he has. We got to the office, and everyone when to the training except for me. I had a meeting for my freight project, that we scheduled because all my team was already going to be in Philly, so it was easier to just meet then. It was a good meeting with a lot of information, but I was excited to get back to everyone. We watched a video about personal responsibility which was highly amusing. The CEO came in to talk to us for a bit. Then we had time to do our own work, which was perfect because I had calls to make for one thing and a Friday 9am deadline on a different project.
By the time it was lunch, all the C-level execs were available, and I was able to introduce Lindsay to a lot of the people I'd already met where she hadn't had the opportunity. I saw my boss from Germany, Besty. She gave me a big hug and said "had I known you got in yesterday, I would of invited you both (me and lindsay) over for dinner at my house!" She is soooo sweet. So Lindsay and I sat with Besty, Addy, and my mentor, Vik. It was a good table, and we had a fun time chatting it up over some really good food. Honestly I wanted more, but I wanted to talk more than overeat. As lunch came to a close they had us stand up and introduce ourselves so everyone could get to know who we were. Jarrett started, and he gave so much detail about himself, Susan had to ask we shorten it a little. Lindsay went before me, and she explained how we worked together the first 2 rotations, so when it was my turn, I had barely anything to say. Add that to me hating tons of people staring at me, I made a joke "I've been working with Addy the past 6 months, and he liked me so much he decided to keep me around longer and put me on his team" There was laughter. I think it was the good kind, not the she's-crazy-so-we-need-to-laugh-so-she-doesn't-crack kind. After lunch it was time for our "team building" aka, site seeing. We peaced out of there.
First stop: Liberty Bell.
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| twinkies |
Can I just say: one of my biggest pet peeves is pretentious people. Those people who act all knowing, like they know you or know better than you, when they do not. Now, if you are smarter, more clever, or wiser than I am, I will readily admit it. I have lots of friends who I acknowledge their better-ness and bow to their advise and words of wisdom. But it is the people who act like they are better and are not, that make me mad. For example, when you are trying to tell *me* about Texas and Texans, and you've only been there a few times, you are out of line. If you've only been to one foreign country ever, and act like you're a world travelling genius with all the wisdom of the world, there is a reason I'm going to want to slap you in the face and tell you what a tool you are. If you keep telling me your opinion on everything, even when I don't care or didn't ask, and act like it is a God-given fact, then I'm going to have to use all my energy trying not to tell you off rather than pretend to be nice.
It was a fun dinner. We ended up playing a drinking game, where Jon had to drink for me if I lost. It turns out, I was pretty good at this game, but nevertheless, Jon was pretty drunk by the time we left dinner. It turns out Jon *really* likes to drink. Lindsay and Jarrett were staying the weekend in Philly and staying at Lindsay's uncle's house downtown. Jon and I decided to go over to their uncle's house to hang out before going out some more. It was our last night together, and we wanted to hang out a bit. Lindsay's Uncle's house is AMAZING! It's downtown, huge spiral staircase, and 4 stories with a basement. There is a 2-story library. I fell in love. We hung out there for a bit. Lindsay and I were laying on the bed upstairs talking while Jarrett was downstairs on the massage chair and Jon played the piano in the entrance area. Eventually Jarrett came in and laid on top of us. We were just chatting. Jarrett said that he was going to miss Lindsay when she left because she was his bestie (oh, we found out that our permanent locations were going to be in Chicago or Houston). Eventually Jon found his way upstairs too, and we all decided to go out again. Lindsay's uncle recommended a jazz bar nearby, so we hopped in the car and took off.
We got to the jazz bar and they made us go through the basement entrance. We all got our first drinks of the night. My shirley temple was on the house and we cheers-ed our drinks together when jon dropped his shot glass; it broke after spilling all over Lindsay. Not a good way to start the night. Jon was already pretty drunk. It turns out Jon is a pretty intense drunk. I dont think he means to be, but you really want him to just calm down a bit because he is unknowingly offending a lot of people. Jarrett on the other hand seems to age backwards and become very affectionate. He kept on asking for kisses on his cheeks all night, and it had to be both otherwise it's uneven. lol. we played Jenga with strangers. It also turned out that there was no jazz that night, but it was a comedy night. Some of them were funny. Some of them weren't. Most of them teased Jon and Jarrett because they were both getting really loud as the night progressed....and we were front row. The most awkward part was when a comedian asked Lindsay and I a question, which implied that we were hooking up with Jon and Jarrett. I dont think I will ever repeat the question for as long as I live, but needless to say I was blushing, and after what felt like a lifetime of awkwardness, i replied "we wouldn't know" Then the comedian started teasing them for being with us but not being with us. It was too much. Eventually, after a long night, the guys were super drunk, I was super tired, and I would be driving Jon and I back to the hotel tonight, all the while knowing I hadn't completed my work assignment for my 9am call in the morning and it was going on 2am.
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| work hard. play hard. |
Friday morning, I woke up feeling terrible. I ended up waking up before my alarm and ended up throwing up in the bathroom. I felt like death. I went back to sleep, praying I would wake up feeling better. I managed to wake up at 8am and finish my assignment right in time for the conference call deadline. After the call I had to shower and go to the airport for my flight. When I got back to Houston, I was feeling mildly better but was unsure if I would be up for going to New Braunfels over the weekend with my girlfriends. Luckily two had to cancel last minute, so we all decided to reschedule. This was good because all I wanted to do the rest of the weekend was sleep because I had maybe 14 hours of sleep over the past 3 nights. It's always a party when we get together.
