My family doesn't come to the Midwest often, but last week both Alicia and Courtney were, so I took the opportunities to see them. Alicia was in Minneapolis the weekend before last for a wedding, so Sarah and I diverted our plans to camp elsewhere that weekend to see her instead, and meet her new boyfriend Jeff. We were literally loaded up and driving out of town when she called. The 4.5 hour drive was worth it, and we had a good time exploring downtown Minneapolis, particularly The Butcher and The Boar German restaurant. I like impromptu adventures.
Court was in Des Moines for work for the first time since I've lived in Iowa. She was familiar with the area after she and Aaron lived in Oskaloosa, a town just south of Pella, their first married summer. Work also used to take her to Des Moines fairly often. Sarah and I met her for dinner after she flew in last Tuesday. She came down to Pella after work on Thursday, and we had a very nice Sarah-cooked dinner, drove around town, took pie to some friends who were out putting up hay on a very nice evening, and got the tour of my new place. I believe she approved.
I hope the time before Thanksgiving flies by so I can see them again soon!
My time as Enhancement Man turned out to be short-lived: another engineer was hired this week and will be joining me in Enhancement in early October. He's been in the manufacturing engineering department since the beginning of the year so I know him a little already. I think he'll fit in just fine.
9/10/14
I Am Enhancement Man
One topic I should have mentioned in the last post was that I am now a one-man team in Vermeer's Forage Product Enhancement Engineering group, which typically has two. Mr Jacob Limke was moved back to the baler group after two years in enhancement. I will be fending for myself at least until May when a new-hire will be brought on and trained by me, which may not be convenient if the season ramps up like it should that time of year. I counted today, and enhancement covers at least thirty models, including eight that were covered by a dedicated alliance engineer until a year ago. Despite the daunting work load, I have been assured that I will not be expected to do the work of two. Other groups may help with some of my responsibilities if things get too busy.
It's easier in a way because I know exactly what's going on with all of enhancement's issues. This is only the second week since the change, but it's manageable.
It's easier in a way because I know exactly what's going on with all of enhancement's issues. This is only the second week since the change, but it's manageable.
9/7/14
Portland, National Dealer Meetings, and the Eagles
I've had a very exciting ten days or so. I flew to Portland, Oregon on the 28th to join in on Scott Ervin's wedding festivities. Sarah was not able to come with me because she was in Vegas on a bachelorette party adventure. Scott is a good friend from the Bozeman days, and we were joined by a strong group of MSU alumni, many of whom I hadn't seen in a couple years. It still amazes me how much I can catch up with these old friends and it feels like it's been a few days since we've seen each other, not years. Congratulations Scott and Cheryl, and thank you for the honor of standing with you on your big day!
I had a blast seeing some of Portland, a one-of-a-kind city. My cousin Emily Torstveit and her husband Sven even met up with me for a couple hours. Our trip to a Korean-Hawaiian food truck just about made the trip worth it by itself. There are lots of reasons I need to go back to Portland, so hopefully it isn't long before I can get back.
Vermeer Forage held its National Dealer Meetings this past week. They are held every three years, so I hadn't been involved with one yet. My role was to drive trams of dealers to various events on Thursday afternoon and evening, and to drive a shuttle to the airport on Friday. Seeing the dealer reactions to multiple new product unveilings was very exciting. My dad was not able to attend due to being busy with second cutting and calving. All of the field demos went flawlessly, and the entire program went unbelievably smoothly as far as I could tell.
I had the opportunity to attend an Eagles concert last night in Des Moines with Sarah, her parents, and two sets of aunts and uncles. I'm pretty sure we were the youngest people there. To be perfectly honest, I went in knowing who the Eagles were, and knowing Hotel California, but not much beyond that. I got the feeling right away that the show was aimed at the demographic who had grown up with the band. Things picked up speed, however, and so did my interest. I was surprised how many of the songs I knew. Their musical talent is undeniable, with multiple harmonies and most band members playing multiple instruments well. It was quite an experience.
My biggest news at the moment is that I will be in the process of moving to an old farmhouse north of town soon. My roommate got married a month ago and moved to Des Moines. I was ready to move on from my current apartment in town some time ago, but it seemed best to wait until after Tyler was out and it was closer to the end of our lease. My friend, fellow engineer, and fellow dealer's son James Williams is leaving for North Carolina at the end of September, so his place was available. It's six miles straight north of Vermeer so the commute is easy. It's on 3/4 of an acre with a garage, a workshop, a 30x40 shed, and a party shed called "the Pavilion". It has a corn/wood pellet furnace which most people are confounded by, but I'm quite comfortable with. I am very excited to have a place with a little more room for projects and to have people over.
I had a blast seeing some of Portland, a one-of-a-kind city. My cousin Emily Torstveit and her husband Sven even met up with me for a couple hours. Our trip to a Korean-Hawaiian food truck just about made the trip worth it by itself. There are lots of reasons I need to go back to Portland, so hopefully it isn't long before I can get back.
Vermeer Forage held its National Dealer Meetings this past week. They are held every three years, so I hadn't been involved with one yet. My role was to drive trams of dealers to various events on Thursday afternoon and evening, and to drive a shuttle to the airport on Friday. Seeing the dealer reactions to multiple new product unveilings was very exciting. My dad was not able to attend due to being busy with second cutting and calving. All of the field demos went flawlessly, and the entire program went unbelievably smoothly as far as I could tell.
I had the opportunity to attend an Eagles concert last night in Des Moines with Sarah, her parents, and two sets of aunts and uncles. I'm pretty sure we were the youngest people there. To be perfectly honest, I went in knowing who the Eagles were, and knowing Hotel California, but not much beyond that. I got the feeling right away that the show was aimed at the demographic who had grown up with the band. Things picked up speed, however, and so did my interest. I was surprised how many of the songs I knew. Their musical talent is undeniable, with multiple harmonies and most band members playing multiple instruments well. It was quite an experience.
My biggest news at the moment is that I will be in the process of moving to an old farmhouse north of town soon. My roommate got married a month ago and moved to Des Moines. I was ready to move on from my current apartment in town some time ago, but it seemed best to wait until after Tyler was out and it was closer to the end of our lease. My friend, fellow engineer, and fellow dealer's son James Williams is leaving for North Carolina at the end of September, so his place was available. It's six miles straight north of Vermeer so the commute is easy. It's on 3/4 of an acre with a garage, a workshop, a 30x40 shed, and a party shed called "the Pavilion". It has a corn/wood pellet furnace which most people are confounded by, but I'm quite comfortable with. I am very excited to have a place with a little more room for projects and to have people over.
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