Hello ,
It has been a month since I last posted a blog and since I have finally had some time to be online and I finally got some free time. The project I was working on was on a technology magazine. Well in reality I only worked in a small part of the huge complex and super expensive piece of technology. If the thing was an entertainment center I would be responsible for the remote control. Not even the remote control I would have been responsible for the rubber holster for the remote control.
It was really cool to see something I designed and worked really hard on come to life and after a year or working on the parts on the computer. They became pieces of plastic , rubber , wires and screws. They passed the majority of testing and were sent to the people that would put it to good use. The good news I delivered , the bad news . I am on the shit list for the entire engineering department.
The product ran late for final testing and the hardware I had ordered was shaking out of place. I had forgotten to buy the screws with a nylo npatch so they would not back out. So when you put the unit on the shaker the screws would not fall out. Well when they put the units on the shakers. They turned into the most expensive plastic maracas (or baby rattle for those not familiar with maracas) ever designed. My boss ordered and picked up the new screws early on Monday morning.
You would think I would be able to re-test and ship out the product which was now running three days late. You would be wrong to think so. I sat there waiting for my boss after taking one of the plastic parts to the machine shop to get the broken screws out. When the ski turned dark and I saw the rain come in . The plant had a total power failure at 8:00 a.m. Monday morning. People started to talk about how they were going to go to a bar , to take the day off. People started to plan their day without power and work. I saw as the factory workers left the plant and started to think of what to do with a half a day. Then someone made a joke about my plastic maracas and inquired whether I had designed them that way intentionally.
Then my boss got there and without factory workers to take apart and reassemble my products . Well the entire able body engineering department and manufacturing engineers were roped into going 30 miles out to our sister facility and helping disassemble , repair and reassemble the units I had designed. One of the roughest days of my engineering career. Everyone was pissed , it was a hot day and what looked to be short day turned into a very long day.
So that Friday when everything after every unit had been shipped and things went back to normal. Two of the senior engineers were talking about what a mess it had been. Then I walked by and they reminded me of mistakes I had made and gave me design pointers.
Then one of them said " you know we are just giving you a hard time."
" I know , I still feel bad about the whole thing turning into a cluster-fuck."-said I sadly and apologetically
Then the other engineer said " Well so long as you learned something that is what really matters."
I know he was giving me a hard time and that I could not have predicted for the weather, power failure and over all crabbiness of my boss, but I did learn something and I hope to never repeat it again.
Oh in a better note. I hope see a ton of you guys at Wizard World Chicago 2011. I hope to see a bunch of SG's if you are going and you have managed to read this mess. I would to like to know if you are selling prints so I can buy one from you there.
I will catch you all later and maybe give you a better reading next update.
It has been a month since I last posted a blog and since I have finally had some time to be online and I finally got some free time. The project I was working on was on a technology magazine. Well in reality I only worked in a small part of the huge complex and super expensive piece of technology. If the thing was an entertainment center I would be responsible for the remote control. Not even the remote control I would have been responsible for the rubber holster for the remote control.
It was really cool to see something I designed and worked really hard on come to life and after a year or working on the parts on the computer. They became pieces of plastic , rubber , wires and screws. They passed the majority of testing and were sent to the people that would put it to good use. The good news I delivered , the bad news . I am on the shit list for the entire engineering department.
The product ran late for final testing and the hardware I had ordered was shaking out of place. I had forgotten to buy the screws with a nylo npatch so they would not back out. So when you put the unit on the shaker the screws would not fall out. Well when they put the units on the shakers. They turned into the most expensive plastic maracas (or baby rattle for those not familiar with maracas) ever designed. My boss ordered and picked up the new screws early on Monday morning.
You would think I would be able to re-test and ship out the product which was now running three days late. You would be wrong to think so. I sat there waiting for my boss after taking one of the plastic parts to the machine shop to get the broken screws out. When the ski turned dark and I saw the rain come in . The plant had a total power failure at 8:00 a.m. Monday morning. People started to talk about how they were going to go to a bar , to take the day off. People started to plan their day without power and work. I saw as the factory workers left the plant and started to think of what to do with a half a day. Then someone made a joke about my plastic maracas and inquired whether I had designed them that way intentionally.
Then my boss got there and without factory workers to take apart and reassemble my products . Well the entire able body engineering department and manufacturing engineers were roped into going 30 miles out to our sister facility and helping disassemble , repair and reassemble the units I had designed. One of the roughest days of my engineering career. Everyone was pissed , it was a hot day and what looked to be short day turned into a very long day.
So that Friday when everything after every unit had been shipped and things went back to normal. Two of the senior engineers were talking about what a mess it had been. Then I walked by and they reminded me of mistakes I had made and gave me design pointers.
Then one of them said " you know we are just giving you a hard time."
" I know , I still feel bad about the whole thing turning into a cluster-fuck."-said I sadly and apologetically
Then the other engineer said " Well so long as you learned something that is what really matters."
I know he was giving me a hard time and that I could not have predicted for the weather, power failure and over all crabbiness of my boss, but I did learn something and I hope to never repeat it again.
Oh in a better note. I hope see a ton of you guys at Wizard World Chicago 2011. I hope to see a bunch of SG's if you are going and you have managed to read this mess. I would to like to know if you are selling prints so I can buy one from you there.
I will catch you all later and maybe give you a better reading next update.
VIEW 3 of 3 COMMENTS
chrysis:
Oh, no! I assure you, you didn't "fuck up." I simply went through my friends list and cut about 1,500 people based on whether or not we really ever talked or interacted. My friends list was so full of people I couldn't keep track of, and I wanted a more core group of the ones I knew so that they wouldn't get lost in the shuffle. Unfamiliar faces went. But of course I can add you back. :]
jomni:
no I didn't see the burlesque tour with the hula hoop, but I wish I had. I think they are doing try outs for a new tour so fingers crossed they hit the FL area.