Mariachi

We had our Fiesta event at our building today. I just missed the Mariachi. They finished playing their last song as I was parking. I did get to say Hi to one of my acquaintances from the group. I was still able to enjoy tacos and coffee, even though I am not a big coffee drinker.

Escape Games

, but it helps when thinking critically. This is the same reason that

Every now and then, I bring one of these up to ease my mind while at work. It might seem like a distraction, but this is the same reason that I have a Rubik's cube in my office. It helps me to think of creative ways to solve problems while not getting my mind off of problem solving.

USAA

I'm glad that I have two ATMs, one right in my parking lot and the other across the street. Both of these are with banks that I use. It is very convenient to have an ATM near where you work. It is even more convenient that these are bank that I bank with, since there are no service charges for members.

Company Laptop

As I was sitting in my office, I realized that I would be lost without my company laptop. I tend to do everything on it now. Since I'm always working, I do school work and navigate the web at the same time. I'm glad they assigned it to me the first day I started working.

RR Lamp

Last night I noticed that my rear right turn signal was out. This turn signal was going out a few weeks back, and I bought these lamps to replace it. Then, the light fixed itself. It was fixed for about three weeks and finally gave out last night. Today, I'm grateful that I bought these lamps so that I wouldn't have to stop anywhere this morning. I was able to fix it in minutes and be off to work.

Co-worker

Today, my co-worker became a full-time employee. I'm grateful that he came around to our company. He started as a contractor with many years of experience. We've helped each other a lot. I have been m how things work with our technology and where files are. He has taught me things that every programmer would know with experience, things I haven't had time to learn through my one year of experience.

Loteria

I am grateful that my wife bought this lottery ticket. It helped us out for just a few bucks. Sure, it could have been more, but we got more money than what it cost. I think we spent it on gas. Still, money well deserved.

New Project

I am grateful for this new project that we are about to start. Our lead developer came in from Colorado for this project. We had a few meeting and went out to lunch and for a drink. This is the only time that we really get to know each other. More importantly, I am grateful for the fact that I will still have a job for the next 5 months. Also, I'm thankful for my education and skills that help me keep it.

Antique

I'm glad that I took the time to stop and capture this image. I was leaving work and noticed it sitting in the parking lot. There probably aren't many of these around. I don't know a lot about cars, but I know that the owner of this one is probably very proud and knowledgeable about antiques such as this one.

Money

I went to deposit this money at the ATM this morning and the sun shined on it. I hadn't noticed that they changed the look of the 100 dollar bill. I usually use a card, so this is one of the rare times that I will actually have cash on my, much less a 100 dollar bill. I am grateful that I at least have this much to deposit and that it looked good going into the ATM.

Closed

Right now, I am really grateful for having had closed this ticket. This ticket was reopened three times. It is sometime frustrating to have a ticket that seems to be completed when there are little things that have not been attended to after extensive testing. In fact, I am grateful for having closed many other tickets. This is what my job is all about. But this ticket was a little frustrating since it was reopened so many times. I'm glad that I was able to finally get everything right with this issue. It wasn't that difficult, but I always try to close the ticket the first time. I am really grateful that I am able to move on to another issue.

Privacy

I am grateful that my employer respects us enough to realize that we work better when we are comfortable. For this reason, we have privacy panels all over the office. It is typical to go days without speaking to another employee. We give our best work in return.

Rubik's Cube

I'm glad someone invented this cube. Especially on a Monday, this cube makes the day go by faster and smoother. It also helps in turning my mind on for and find creative ways of solving problems, and it's right on my desk.

AEM

Every year my organization holds a corporate meeting. This is a way that the CEO uses to have everyone in the company to get together in the same place at the same time. My company has locations in California (Human Resources), Virginia (Headquarters), San Antonio (Home of the Department of Education development), and numerous remote locations throughout the United States. Every year, hints are given as to the whereabouts of the corporate meeting. This year, we will be without an essential part of the company, the face of the company. Lorie Koch was diagnosed with a disease that proved to be deadly. A lot of employees donated PTO so that she would not miss her paycheck. Over a year of PTO was accumulated. I was not able to donate PTO until I had completed a year. This year, I was planning on donating PTO. Laurie lost her fight today. I am very grateful that she was there to guide me through my first months at AEM. I wouldn't have made it this far without her. I was able to meet her during the last corporate meeting. I have no idea what she looked like, but I know she was one of the first to greet me as it was an overwhelming experience. So, she helped me through that as well. Someone is going to have to fill some big shoes at HR in California. By the way, her story was featured in this issue of the corporate newsletter, which came out just before her death. She will be missed this May.

Caffeine

Everyday, I actually grab a couple of Dr. Peppers every morning. They keep me going throughout the day and keep me relaxed and refreshed. I am grateful that my office actually has a fridge of sodas that we can have at any time. I know I have free cokes all day, but I'd rather keep that privilege and not waist them all in one week, So I buy my Dr. Peppers and if I ever need another, I can be rest assured that I can get one more if I need it. Thanks for amenities.

Entity Framework

Today, I am grateful that I know, at least somewhat, how this thing works. I probably went a few months without knowing what this thing was. I knew its name, and I knew what it looked like, but I didn't want to touch it. Today, I am grateful that I can try things with it, and I can actually get it to work for me. It makes my job just that much easier.

Employment

Since I graduated high school, I have not gone a year without being employed, so I am grateful for being employed. However, just like twins can be born in separate years, I was unemployed for eight months between April 2012 and February 2013. I used to work as a security guard. I never thought that there would be a prettier sight at work than looking over downtown from the top of a high-rise building at 3 am. This is a picture of the view out of my window at my office. A year ago, I landed a great job that I only thought I might get after five years in my field. I think this tops the many sleepless nights I’ve had working in the past.