So I've been putting in my hours at a small engineering company in Minneapolis. The company makes finite element analysis software in-house. Basically the software divides two objects, a cutting tool and the workpiece (item being cut) into the a collection of pyramidal shapes of varying sizes. The aim is for each element to be as large as possible yet contain the data needed.
The pic above (snagged off Google Images, nothing to do with me) shows what I mean. If you can see, the lower front corner has a finer mesh. This would be the area of interest, such as the point of a cutting tool where the largest forces, temperature changes, and deformation occurs.
So basically I am 'customer support' at the company. I answer any email questions that I can. I also deal with sending out software licenses to customers and distributors around the world. It's kinda funny, there is not a single customer in MN. In fact, there are only a couple in the Midwest. Nearly all are in Japan.
There's about 25 people that work out of the office I am in. Anywhere from 5 to 20 are there in a given day, there's a whole lot of travel for much of the company. A couple of the engineers I work with go to Japan four times a year, two weeks each time. That's just a chunk of their travel, they are true road warriors.
So anyhow, it's definitely an interesting place to work. It's stressful, and there are a lot of lofty expectations. I interned at big companies that had too much "fat" at the company; I would find myself asking what people that sat across from me even did for their job, seeing as their conversations revolved around hunting, camping, their kids, etc. all day.
The company is a lot more relaxed then corporate America, too. Last Friday, an employee in finance brought a puke green blender in, trying to give it away. No one wanted it. Finally, the intern said he'd use it to blend biodiesel. A couple minutes later, the CEO walked by, saw the blender, and ordered one of the sales guys to go charge ice, Margarita mix, and a bottle of Cuervo on the company card. We were drinking Margaritas an hour later. There was also a 30-pack of Hamm's that was busted out.
Next Thursday I will be in Florida. The entire company plus guests are getting flown down to Orlando for a four-day weekend. I can't say I've ever got paid to lay in the sun and attend a couple happy hours. Of course there's a couple token meetings thrown in the mix, just to keep it businessy.
So with all the work I've been doing, biking has been going a bit by the wayside. I've been hitting the rollers a bit, 2-3 hours a week. That's been a stretch for me, I can't say I have much of a liking for them. I've sure learned a thing or two about bike fit on the rollers. Sitting stagnant sure can take its toll on you. Saddle issues have become very apparent as well.
I've been getting on the roads on the weekends a bit. I logged 275 miles in January, which isn't too bad considering it was below zero half the month. I've got a night ride or two in each weekend, along with a longer day ride. Those 275 miles felt like 500 when you account for my studded tires, extra layers, and bitter cold.
I am getting a bit jittery about TransIowa. I am definitely concerned about injuries that would endure a while... like semi-permanently numb hands from buzzing over gravel for 31 hours. Guess I just need to HTFU.
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