Today was one of those days I had to step back and think about the series of events that led me to where I happened to be standing. I flew to Miami, Oklahoma this morning on Vermeer's newest corporate jet, an Embraer Phenom 100 with Luke Mushitz (bale processor engineer), Jim Richardson (service tech), and Phil Egging (non-baler product manager). We went to an open house at the ag division's largest dealer, Eubanks Equipment, in Welch. 500-some people attended. The other Vermeer folks and I visited with customers about Vermeer equipment. It was a productive day, and I learned about the area and some details about equipment from chatting and listening. Getting down to Oklahoma by 8 and back by 3:30 also blew my mind; driving down there takes seven hours.
This trip came about when Seth Schreur offered a spot on the jet to any member of the mower group. Mike and Travis couldn't go, so Eric and I flipped for it and I won. Sorry mom, but it wasn't like I was hand-picked by a bunch of executives.
On regular workdays, I'm lately bouncing between my desk, the engineering shop on the other end of plant 2, and the plant 1 Lely mower conditioner bay where the mowers I'm working on are being made ready for delivery to our dealers. A walk from there to my desk to the shop can take more than ten minutes, so I've been putting on the miles.
Aside from work, I've been keeping busy trying to learn a little Spanish, getting outside when southern Iowa's finicky spring allows it, braiding a parachute cord mecate, and of course spending time with Sarah. I got my first day riding last week with Jesse Munk, and his incoming string of horses that need time promises more entertainment. The mecate's a project I got hooked on thanks to Tyler Schiferl, who happens to be a rawhide braider. Googling 'mecate' may answer some questions. Rawhide and parachute cord braiding are not the most popular hobbies out there, and I got curious about them when I found out Tyler braids. We'll have to see if my first project turns out well at all, which should be done in another week, I hope.
On regular days I'm still mostly doing odds-and-ends and clean-up work for the new mowers. There's a strong chance I'll be out on the road a ton this summer setting up a large portion of the twenty machines spread across the country and checking in on them throughout the season. I love going down the road, but I'll probably be wishing for the jet at some point.
4/3/13
Another round of Florida testing, Montana for Easter
Fifteen days on the road is a lot. The mower group sent two mowers to Florida for testing this year, and I spent the week before last with them. I flew to Orlando two weeks ago with Kent Thoreson and Ryan Walker, a baler engineer and the baler technician I traveled round the country with this time last year on the mower campaign. We met another Vermeer baler guy and two engineers from Lely working on other projects but staying in the same area for dinner on the 18th. They left the next evening. The southeastern states' territory manager and a newer territory rep also met us for a couple days, so I was never short of company.
I was occupied throughout the week entirely by mechanical work and didn't cut a single acre due to rain, then fear of more rain, then more actual rain late in the week. This was frustrating to say the least, but that's how it goes. I did manage a decent sunburn and thus a good start to my annual farmers' tan. I'd have felt absolutely worthless had I not had the wrench-turning to do. About the only positive result of the week was that the next guy to go down from Pella could literally just jump in the tractors and go.
Kent and Walker are always good to be on the road with; we told hundreds of stories and had many a laugh throughout the week. Kent is a couple years younger than me and is a farmer from Minnesota. Walker is the handiest, most mechanically inclined grizzly bear there ever was. He was also the primary influence on my decision to grow a beard last year.
Kent and I took in the Ocala rodeo the Saturday night I was there. Anyone from the west might raise an eyebrow or turn up their nose to the idea of a rodeo that far east, but it was actually pretty professional and respectable. It should be for how many horses are in that part of the country.
After my frustratingly unproductive week, I flew back to Des Moines alone. I had a few hours on Monday and all of Tuesday in the office, then my girlfriend Sarah and I got on a plane to Montana. My sisters and I decided a few weeks ago that Easter would be a good time to go home and visit, so we all made it happen. Only the girls came up from Arizona; no Aaron or Brian (Licia's boyfriend).
Sarah had been to Montana on family trips, but only as far west as the Beartooths. We caught the 6am flight out of Des Moines and got to Bozeman by 9:20, so the day was ours. My aunt Chris picked us up, then graciously loaned us a car to tour around. Sarah's first taste of Bozeman culture came downtown at the Cateye Cafe. The day continued with a drive to the base of Bridger and a walk around MSU. Chris and Jim joined us for dinner at a Thai restaurant downtown. We headed toward the ranch a roundabout way, via Norris for a soak and Pony for Moscow Mules.
Court and I showed her around downtown Helena the next day, after stopping to visit with my Grandma. I played in a session at Riley's, which sadly had been my first since playing there over Christmas. Dad and I made a trip to Belgrade Friday to get supplies for his next project, stopping at Churchill on the way to inspect the ranch's new Massey Ferguson 7465 tractor.
We did lots of exploring around the ranch in the splendid 50-60 degree weather. Sarah is a small town girl, so most everything ranch-related was new to her, but she was willing to learn about anything I had to show her. She loves the mountains.
Though we did lots of walking about and exploring, the focus of the trip was on spending time with my parents, sisters, niece, aunt, uncle, and most importantly my 88-year-old Grandma, who has had a trying few months but is bouncing back better than anyone ever expected. We all went to Mackenzie River for lunch on Saturday, and after finishing her water, Grandma ate her slice of lemon in one bite. I told her, jokingly of course, that we already knew she's tougher than the rest of us and didn't need to prove anything.
It was a great trip back to a rare, early and pleasant Montana spring-time. This time around, I didn't worry quite so much about getting round to see every person I could. I focused on what I'd gone there for, and had a lady to show around my end of the world on our first adventure.
I was occupied throughout the week entirely by mechanical work and didn't cut a single acre due to rain, then fear of more rain, then more actual rain late in the week. This was frustrating to say the least, but that's how it goes. I did manage a decent sunburn and thus a good start to my annual farmers' tan. I'd have felt absolutely worthless had I not had the wrench-turning to do. About the only positive result of the week was that the next guy to go down from Pella could literally just jump in the tractors and go.
Kent and Walker are always good to be on the road with; we told hundreds of stories and had many a laugh throughout the week. Kent is a couple years younger than me and is a farmer from Minnesota. Walker is the handiest, most mechanically inclined grizzly bear there ever was. He was also the primary influence on my decision to grow a beard last year.
Kent and I took in the Ocala rodeo the Saturday night I was there. Anyone from the west might raise an eyebrow or turn up their nose to the idea of a rodeo that far east, but it was actually pretty professional and respectable. It should be for how many horses are in that part of the country.
After my frustratingly unproductive week, I flew back to Des Moines alone. I had a few hours on Monday and all of Tuesday in the office, then my girlfriend Sarah and I got on a plane to Montana. My sisters and I decided a few weeks ago that Easter would be a good time to go home and visit, so we all made it happen. Only the girls came up from Arizona; no Aaron or Brian (Licia's boyfriend).
Sarah had been to Montana on family trips, but only as far west as the Beartooths. We caught the 6am flight out of Des Moines and got to Bozeman by 9:20, so the day was ours. My aunt Chris picked us up, then graciously loaned us a car to tour around. Sarah's first taste of Bozeman culture came downtown at the Cateye Cafe. The day continued with a drive to the base of Bridger and a walk around MSU. Chris and Jim joined us for dinner at a Thai restaurant downtown. We headed toward the ranch a roundabout way, via Norris for a soak and Pony for Moscow Mules.
Court and I showed her around downtown Helena the next day, after stopping to visit with my Grandma. I played in a session at Riley's, which sadly had been my first since playing there over Christmas. Dad and I made a trip to Belgrade Friday to get supplies for his next project, stopping at Churchill on the way to inspect the ranch's new Massey Ferguson 7465 tractor.
We did lots of exploring around the ranch in the splendid 50-60 degree weather. Sarah is a small town girl, so most everything ranch-related was new to her, but she was willing to learn about anything I had to show her. She loves the mountains.
Though we did lots of walking about and exploring, the focus of the trip was on spending time with my parents, sisters, niece, aunt, uncle, and most importantly my 88-year-old Grandma, who has had a trying few months but is bouncing back better than anyone ever expected. We all went to Mackenzie River for lunch on Saturday, and after finishing her water, Grandma ate her slice of lemon in one bite. I told her, jokingly of course, that we already knew she's tougher than the rest of us and didn't need to prove anything.
It was a great trip back to a rare, early and pleasant Montana spring-time. This time around, I didn't worry quite so much about getting round to see every person I could. I focused on what I'd gone there for, and had a lady to show around my end of the world on our first adventure.
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