Oliver the Engineer…Exhibits & PowerPoints

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you seriously didn’t do anything else instead of sitting in front of the computer looking at the same thing over and over again?  I think it would be safe to assume that everyone has been there one time or another.  This was my week or weeks, 2 weeks to be exact that I sat in front of the computer screens to work on a powerpoint presentation.  Yes I said powerpoint presentation.  And yes, I’ve been working on it for the last two weeks.

Engineering

Example of the kind of work I do.

This journey all started a couple of weeks ago when I was ask to make an exhibit for work. Exhibits are the diagrams, maps, and visuals that I create for my project.  As a civil engineer, I design freeways and sometimes the way we talk a lot of people do not understand so we have to create a visual for it, so we can communicate our sometimes complicated project to the “common person.”  My goal always is produce something that everyone will get once they study it.  However that is not always the case at least in my situation.  So when I was ask to create another “exhibit” I started asking question if I could improve upon the design and look of it.  I should have known that this was a pandora’s box of revisions to come but more on that later.

So I was given the current exhibit and boy was it in rough shape, the colors of pink and blue on an outdated aerial photos and out of date information was not going to fly and on top of that confused everyone.  So being the maker of exhibits, I took upon myself to organized it.  That was my first mistake.

I begin with first asking my boss what he wanted to communicate to with the exhibit.  And the answer in a nutshell was, everything and you only have a day or two to do it.  “HOLY CRAP!  Really?!” I thought to myself.  Okay, I can do it.  Second mistake.  This will end up with a, “WHAT where you thinking?!”

So after a 10 minute conversation of questions, bounced ideas, and repeated statements, I started to make the exhibit.  First step, track down all of the information that I needed.  Easy enough, right?  Not exactly.  So we needed to present information on our proposed Right of Way purchase for my project, I searched and found it and then about an hour later while I started making the adjustments to present, I get word that things are going to change and that they won’t know for about a day or two.  But on top that I still had to go ahead and continue with what I’m doing.  And there is no problem with that except for the fact that the information that was being researched would affect everything that I was working on which would mean that I would have to start all over again.  And then, not to add more things to the already tall order, I get another request to make these exhibits that i’m creating and put them in a powerpoint presentation.  Okay I thought.  Third mistake.

So when i was tasked to do the powerpoint along side the exhibits, I was told that it was in good shape and would take no more than 15 minutes to work on.  And just like the exhibit before, it would require some major revisions.  By they time was I working on the powerpoint it had already gone through 5 people and I would think it would be exactly what my department wanted.  Wrong!  What I was given was a powerpoint created by 5 people.  So everything was different, nothing was cohesive, and things didn’t match.  So what’s a guy to do in this situation.  I think most people would just throw their hands up in the air and just say it couldn’t be done.  But did I do that?!  No, I thought, easy enough.  Forth mistake.

Okay, if you are reading this, I pretty sure you are thinking, dude didn’t you see the red flags from the start?!  The answer was yes.  Yes I did see the red flags however who was going to do it.  I knew that eventually it would come to me and come to me at the last minute.  I just thought at this point, I might was well get a head start on it now that I have the opportunity.  Yet another mistake.

Oliver just doesn’t learn.  And at this point we are just one day one and as I mention this took two weeks to create.  So basically in a nutshell this happen basically almost everyday for the last couple of weeks.  So I’ll spare you the vent, rant, and head shakes and I’ll fast forward you to two days ago.

So after working on this for the last week and some days, I was tired of looking at the same presentation and exhibits.  From the color changes, to can we do this, can we do that, is this possible, how long will that take, to the word ANIMATION, I was about 90% done.  When finally we receive feedback from our headquarters on the presentation.  And boy was it a lot of comments but mainly it was one of those, isn’t this the way we had it before and we are going to do it that way?!  Yup, it sure was.  So what’s a guy to do.  Concede? Nope, start from scratch and declare that you are going to do it your way and just take over it.  And address the comments, all the comments.

And today, I finally got to the 99% I’m proud to say.  I have one more task to complete and i shouldn’t take me more than 30 minutes to complete.  So there is light at the end of the road.  LOL!  Pun was intended there.  Or at least I thought one would be.  So by Monday morning at 9am, everything should be done and completed!  Hopefully!

Here’s some takeaways from this:

  1. Always look at the POSITIVE side of a situation.
  2. Be prepared to tackle any task necessary.
  3. Sometimes you just have to let things go and let lessons be learned.  Keep quiet.
  4. Small victories over time will lead to a BIG VICTORY!
  5. When you find the thing that you LOVE to do, everything and I mean EVERYTHING is worth it.  So find what it is you love do and work will not seem like work.  🙂

Today is the Day

Today is the day that I decided that I will begin this blog again.  I declared to the world, well at least to my Facebook friends and audience, that I was going to embark on this journey of writing and sharing my thoughts and daily happenings with you all.  This will be a journey with no paved path, rather I will make and pave one as I go.  There is no directions per se about this blog other than I will reflect on the happenings in my life.  Consider this as an live journal where you can see what I’m thinking at a certain times and moments.

I have set myself to post at minimum 3 times a week.  I honestly did this because I didn’t want to over commit myself and not post as often.  Rather I have given myself a buffer to take a break from the day to day of posting.  I applaud all those that could write and post everyday.  You guys are simply awesome.  I just know myself at this point I just don’t have the time or more honestly I just don’t feel like it sometimes.  This is just something I will have to work through as a go.  I know I have the ability to do something on a daily basis.  I’ve done a Photo 365 a while back.  However also deep down I know that it has been 3 years since I’ve done such a task.

With that I have started my journey and embarked on this trek of discovery, documentation, and sharing with you all.  As I sit here writing this I feel like Doogie Howser, on the closing credits of the show as he types in he’s old school 1980s computer there’s a voice overlay.  Just imagine it.

Oliver the Blogger…and starting up again

Today, I make the commitment to begin writing and sharing my thoughts and days with the world. Time and time again, I have heard from friends that they actually enjoy and like seeing my post that I did. Hearing this always makes me go, REALLY?! You actually read what I put out there and like it. Wow, I didn’t even know. So I’m going to commit the following;

– I will post here at least 3 times a week. Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Although I could post more than the promised 3.

– I will improve and update the following: about, foodie, and traveler section.

Due September 5th.

– I will add a “bookworm” page that I will write and review books I have read or listen too lately.

Due August 29.

This will be a living document where I will share with you all the crazy things that I do in my life from A to Z.

Please if you are reading let me know your thoughts and feedback. Accountability is key, if you can help keep me accountable that will be greatly appreciated.

Photo courtesy of Armosa Studio. http://armosastudios.com

Oliver the Shy Guy and the Unconventional Race

It is about 4 weeks since the World Domination Summit that i’m writing this. I’m still feeling the vibes and thinking about that amazing weekend in Portland, Oregon. This would be the second year that I attended WDS. I was excited and prepared to just have a good time, learn, meet new people, and hang out with anyone and have some adventure! But unknown to me it would be THAT plus more. This is the weekend where I finally broke out of my shell of shyness and take on the world. And a weekend that I WILL NEVER FORGET!!!

Unconventional Race

The top three finishers in the Unconventional Race; me (left), Christy Moe Marek (center), Nazrin Murphie (right).

It all began the week of WDS. They just released the WDS.fm site, I remembered this fondly from last year. I knew that there would be a race just like last year and I was curious what challenges they had for us in store this year. I remembered, during last year’s race I finished 37th overall, so I wanted to see if I could improve upon that.

So I started looking at the task;

  • Finish your WDS profile
  • Set a goal for your visit and share it
  • Take a picture of yourself with one of this year’s speaker’s books.

Upon seeing these, I thought, “easy enough”, then there was task like;

  • Record a video about why you’re excited about WDS
  • Take a picture with a pilot on your journey to Portland
  • Write and record a WDS song
  • Steal a metal airline spoon (must show airline logo)

And seeing this, I honestly thought: Oh crap!!! Really?!!! I don’t know about this! Literally fear stuck me. But after a few minutes of thinking about it, i decided, what’s the worst that can happen with doing each of these task. I knew that I had to do these task in order for me to do better this year but also just to have fun. From last year, I fondly remembered the fun and excitement of competing in the race. But in the back of my head there still was the thought of holy crap, will I look stupid, will I sound weird?

So I decided to do what I could do. I told myself do what I could do and see where it goes. I started with the easy task. Now fast forward… to getting through the easy stuff, now to tackling the harder task.

First on the list – Flying to Portland: Take a picture with a Flight Attendant!

Unconventional Race Task

I took a picture with our Southwest Flight Attendant!

Then take a picture with a Pilot.

Unconventional Race Task

Take a picture with a pilot on your journey to Portland. (3 points)

Taking these two photos took a little bit of courage for me to undertake. The reason being, I don’t usually just “do” things like this. I’m usually the guy, that will just not do it because I think it will burden the person and get the “no” response. And the thought of rejection, made me scared to even try. But I’m glad that I did and I had my great friend Randy along with me to help me get these two things done!

Randy and later my buddy Joe, whom I met last year, was a big part of helping me get through a lot of the task. They both encouraged, supported, and just made it fun to undertake all these tasks.

Unconventional Race

My great friends Joe Turner (left) and Randy Fleet (right) that helped me greatly during the race. Photo by: Ryan Berg http://ryanscreativeuniverse.com

That was one of the things that I was so appreciative and humbled by during the race.  It was the help and encouragement of everyone involved along the way. There was more than a handful of people that helped along the way. I always felt weird telling them that I was in the top three during the race and then upon hearing that they wanted to just help keep me there. Everyone always ask, what I can I do help?! And for me that was something new.  For me the thought of people that I just met, wanting to help me just like that, was truly a humbling experience. It was with this that I found the courage to the following two task.

Task #3: Write and record a WDS song.

Task #4: Sing a song about WDS to a stranger

Another awesome thing that I learned from the race is that you just have to go for it! And this following task made that happen for me.

This was the first time I rode a mechanical bull. It was a ton of fun and I couldn’t have seen myself riding one. But the unconventional race task provided me an opportunity to do such a thing.  And having a great crew of San Diego WDS peeps cheering me along helped too!  It was tasks like this that made me get out of my shell and see where it would go.

DRAMATIC PAUSE!

But just when I thought it was almost complete.  In true Reality TV fashion, there was a final task!  “A Final Task?!” I thought after receiving the phone call from Nicky.  “A Limerick in front of EVERYONE?!”  I was struck with fear, excitement, nervousness, and everything imaginable.  After collecting myself; I told my friends Randy and Joe, that I had do the limerick and recite it in front of everyone.

The challenge first was write the Limerick.  I haven’t wrote one since elementary school but I had to write one or something like it NOW and with only two hours to spare.  And just like that, I had some the greatest friends to help me out.  And this was the Limerick or something like a limerick.

There was once a very shy guy.

Who was scared to even try.

He ran through the hall.

Wearing not much at all.

Now’s he’s go the courage to say HI!

Photo courtesy of Armosa Studio. http://armosastudios.com

Photo courtesy of Armosa Studio. http://armosastudios.com
Photo courtesy of Armosa Studios. http://armosastudios.com

Photo courtesy of Armosa Studios. http://armosastudios.com

Standing up in front everyone was seriously, just a WOW!  Very humbling.

The race was truly one of those little surprises that you undertake just for the fun of it and in the end you learn and grow more as a person. Here’s a few lessons that I learned from the race that I think a lot of people can relate too.

1. Just ASK
2. Just do it.
3. Friends will ALWAYS be there to support you no matter what.
4. When opportunities present themselves take them and have an adventure.
5. Challenges and tasks are there to let you explore, learn, and grow.
6. Making friends is as easy as, asking; “How are you? Can I buy you a coffee?”
7. The end goal is not as important as the journey.
8. Plan accordingly but be flexible.
9. Work Hard and stay humble.
10. ALWAYS HAVE FUN!!!