a mini-TechniColor

What's that giant thing obstructing the skyline and backdrop of our picture?

Hey Webs - I promise promise promise I'll work on the Paris post. But it will probably be back when I'm stateside. Which, by the way, is in less than 48 hours!

Oh, how angsty I get when  there are simultaneously endings and beginnings. Which is somewhat of a problem, as beginnings and endings typically come hand-in-hand. I'm so sad to be leaving Deutschland, and even more forlorn, truth be told, by leaving such a wonderful co-op. I worked with wonderful people, and the project I was given for my short time here has been right up my alley [a systems engineering alley]. 

My other rotations were educational, but this rotation struck home. I have been planning a subassembly for our plant over in Amurica, and it has been so interesting and fun and a wonderful opportunity. I got to use some of my studies, as well as learn a whole lot more about how true assembly planning works - incorporating process planning, logistics, materials; looking at layout after layout, design concepts, etc. I was disappointed when I had to turn Puerto Rico down three months ago, but I can honestly say that I would gladly do it again. This rotation was invaluable and absolutely incredible. And now it's over. 

BUT. I am so happy to be going back to school. [...i know, i know] I think it's going to be another "challenging" [read: get-by-by-the-seat-of-my-pants] semester, but I am really looking forward to a couple of my classes. Namely automated manufacturing. And rock climbing. 

And I'm looking forward to a lovely autumn, some nice barbecue, and a plethora of sweet tea. [Did she just use plethora on her blog? Is this girl going for nerd of the year or what?]

Anyways - unrelated - some cool stuff I've seen recently:

source

Can this be real?? Click above to read the full story - quite the vacation photo. 

source?? via tastefully offensive

The Destructive Culture of Pretty Pink Princesses

What do you think ? Is it all that?

moss ring by Sylwia Calus via colossal

Can you tell I'm missing the TechniColor posts?

Have a sweet and lovely weekend, everyone.

Tomorrow I'm finally headed off to see the Cinderella Castle.

Sunday, I come home <3.

-bRob

What I'm Doing Here

Ok, I have no real reason to post. This will be the absolute most pathetic post you've ever read, and this blog has seen some pretty pathetic posts.

Whatevs.
It's my blog, I do what I want.
Get out my way. [Don't, I like that you're here reading my nonsense]


My boss took me on a mini-tour of Marienplatz the other day, and since then I've been trying to go back. There's a Viktuellmarkt, where you can buy freshly pressed juices (among other things of course, like organic vegetables. But I don't eat those. Vegetables.) - I am jonesing for some of the lemonade/mango/orange juice. Oh, you bet I'll take pictures, and then I want you to leave me a comment letting me know how jealous you are.

Also there is the Alter Peter, and for only 1,50 you can climb to the very top of the .. steeple? I think it's a church. Anyways - I was planning on going to Marienplatz and being a megaTourist but yesterday I left my money in a coworker's car, and today I had to stay late for a conference call.


That's right. I just became important.

Ok, I was there to halfway kind of help translate. Except both parties knew some amount of english/german. So really, I was just there to kind of mediate or something. But it was fun because I haven't really been able to contribute all week so I've just been harassing my coworkers and asking them to help me figure out how to get to Baden-Wuertemburg this weekend.

It turns out if you wait until the last minute to buy your train ticket, it's almost 100 euros. So they showed me this website where you can sign up to ride with someone else already going for super cheap. Don't worry, those of you with maternal instincts - I found another Fraulein with whom I could ride.

Anyways - are any of you actually wondering what it is I do as a co-op????

You sure are.

When I worked at the plant in South Carolina, I was what we [in the biz - yukyukyuk] call a process planner. Essentially, my department was responsible for writing and coming up with a lot of the processes the associates use to build our cars. Now this sounds like it might be a one-time thing, but in reality, we end up working with the assembly line a lot - integrating new processes, fixing problems [missing tools, process isn't ergonomically sound, etc], preparing for changes in content, etc. When working at the plant, keeping the line running is of the highest priority. When the line stops, no one is happy. That means overtime for someone later. Process planners are always busy finding ways to improve the line and fix things that aren't working so well. And being at the mercy of the assembly line means being extremely flexible.

Now I'm over here at the R&D center, doing things from more of a design perspective. It's been kind of a shock, attending every single meeting and conference call. At the plant, sometimes planners have to skip meetings because the line and its needs take precedence. But from a design perspective, planning for a future product requires meetings and conference calls, and the stress of a moving, breathing assembly line is not a concern.

I haven't received any new projects to work on as yet, but I am super excited about this rotation of my co-op. When one is at the plant, one sees the design once it's handed over, but now I get to see its creation! My coworkers are making big decisions about integrating an entirely new automobile into our current line, the changes to the process, the new tooling and fixtures, and lineside planning. Manufacturing is really kind of exciting, I think.
Especially on this end of it.

Anyways.

I'm visiting my dear and sweet exchange student, this chica, this weekend:

We will have a bangin' good time, and I will post incredible pictures, because I am an amazing photographer and my camera's zoom is too large for me to fit my finger over the lens.

So maybe next post will be photoriffic.

thanks for reading, readers.

-bRob

Schmoozefests

                                                                                       Good MORNING InterWebs -

    Yesterday I went and got my schmooze on at an endowment dinner for the College of Engineering. When I arrived, I was in a fussy, whiny mood. I walked into the reception and, of course, was one of three girls in a sea of boys. All I could think about was how I didn't like wearing pantyhose, talking to people I don't know is awkward, and I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. I HATE schmoozing and wine-ing and dining and small talking, mostly.   But then, once dinner began, we got to hear more about our scholarship donors. These people who, in times of economic crisis, gave even more because they wanted to help. These benefactors who have such a great love for this school and believe in its work and its students would give and entrust their own money to future engineers. How blessed I am! I realized, as I sat there nibbling on my mozzarella [but NOT the tomatoes], that I had been a colossal brat. If these people are willing to "invest" in me, as the keynote speaker mentioned, then for goodness' sake, I will show them gratitude! 

{DIGRESSION: Pictured above is what I wore. I know I've mentioned my mustard wool skirt about five times (here, and here), so I thought I'd take a picture for you.  Even if I do look incrediAwkward. }  

       And once I saw how great an honor this dinner was, it started to get fun. Afterwards, I got the head of my department to introduce me to the Dean of the College of Engineering! Are. You. Kidding. Me. 

    I talked to the Dean about mojitos, working hard and playing harder, women in engineering, and...well, Webs, I'll let you in on a little secret. One of my opportunities, the one I'm really praying about, is near and dear to the Dean's heart. Still praying and hoping that everything works out (Phil 4:6)

Also - he wanted me to look up this youtube video: Beethoven's fifth set to salsa music. ENJOY - per the dean of the college of engineering! wuttttt.

---------------------------------------------------

AND, to continue the series on encouragement:

This is a postcard I found in Germany about four years ago. It is the very first thing I tape/hang/post around my room whenever I go somewhere - I love it. 

"Keine ist so wie du"

No one is like you.

Someone scribbled this on a telephone pole in Germany. Romantic that I am, I find it intriguing.  I sit there and think about unrequited love and how some lonely heartbroken boy thought of a beautiful girl and wrote her a telephone-pole love note because he missed her so so much....or something to that effect.  Of course, I once had a friend tell me that perhaps I misunderstood and maybe it really says, "No one likes you." I promise you, that isn't what it says.

No one is like you.

-bRob