|
SubscriptionsSites I Read
|
|
|
|
| Today, I started a new job. I'm now working at the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center in Monterey, California. Another new hire and I have been assigned to build a web application that will display maps showing ocean conditions. The US Navy will use our application to plan strategies for attacking the bad guys. | | |
| In February 2008, I began working for the Department of Defense in Monterey, California. When I tell people that I work for the Department of Defense, most of them presume that I'm doing something cool and top secret. But contrary to what people may believe, I do not spend my days playing with nuclear weapons or spying on the bad guys. Instead, I work in the healthcare department, where I sit in a nondescript cubicle and play with databases that contain health insurance information for people in the military. My job is to maintain code that automates the sending of healthcare junk mail. The problem with my job is that it’s about as exciting as it sounds. Everyday I sit in my cubicle, stare at some boring code that some guy who longer works here has written, and wonder how I ever ended up at this job. I look at the ocean through my office window and think to myself, “What has my existence come to?” I look at the other employees sitting at their desks and contemplate the absurdity of a universe where countless people voluntarily subject themselves to a meaningless grind. Everyday that went by, I hoped for something to happen, something that would end the pointlessness of it all. I dreamed of the possibility of getting laid off. I pictured my boss walking into my office and saying, “Dave, we no longer need you. Go home and never come back.” I even slowed my productivity to a crawl. In any given day, I was probably accomplishing about 15 minutes worth of work. But alas, despite my uselessness, they kept me around. And just to spite me, they increased my already inflated salary. But then something happened that inspired me. On Friday, August 29th, my friend at work was laid off. He cleaned out his desk and went home unemployed. Others may have felt bad for him, but I envied him. He had escaped this prison without bars, and now he had the opportunity to shape his existentialist existence into something beyond working in a healthcare department. Meanwhile, I remained. But not for long. On Thursday, September 4th, I walked into my boss’s office and resigned. “So you’re leaving us,” said my boss.
“That’s right,” I said.
“Well congratulations. That’s wonderful.”
“Thank you.”
“So when do you want to leave?”
“I’m flexible.”
“How about next Friday?”
“Sounds great.”
“Good. Then it’s done.” After walking out of my boss’s office, I left the building and biked home in the glorious September weather. That may have been one of the happiest bike rides of my life. For the first time in my existence, the universe made sense. | | |
| Jo created a personal website for us: 
djkeller.com
Here you can find our updates, photos, videos, and favorite links. | | |
| Jo and I wanted our wedding to be as simple as possible, but my stepmother wanted something fancy. As a compromise, Jo and I had a simple ceremony on the beach wearing bath robes while my stepmother prepared a fancy reception for us. The simple ceremony took place on July 5th in Monterey while the fancy reception was scheduled to take place on July 12th at my parents' house in Sacramento.
Knox, a friend from Rose-Hulman, flew from Boston to California to attend our wedding ceremony. It was his first time in California, and he desired a tour of the state while he was out here. Jo and I decided to grant his wish. His plan was to attend the ceremony on July 5th, travel around the state for a week, attend the reception on July 12th, and then fly back to Boston on July 13th.
The tour began with a trip around Monterey. It continued with the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, the Google headquarters, Pinnacles National Monument, zebras in front of Hearst Castle, elephant seals near San Simeon, Muir Woods, San Francisco, and a short drive down beautiful Highway 1 south of Monterey. We planned to have the finale in Yosemite.
Eric, another friend from Rose-Hulman, was scheduled to fly from Seattle to Sacramento on the evening of July 11th to attend the reception. The plan was to drive to Yosemite on July 10th, camp there, drive to Sacramento from the east on July 11th, and pick up Eric from the airport.
We spent the day in Yosemite and camped at Tioga Lake, a beautiful lake just outside the east entrance of the park. The next day, we packed up our things and continued on for the final stretch of the tour. Our first stop was Bodie, a ghost town east of the Sierras that was once a mining town. Next, we crossed into Nevada so Knox could tick off a new state. The plan was to spend a few hours in Reno before heading to Sacramento.
About ten miles north of Carson City, Knox and I noticed that it was rather hot in the car. The A/C was on low, so I cranked it up to full blast. However, this made no improvement.
"I can't sleep," said Jo, who had just woken up in the back seat. "It's too hot. Turn on the air."
"It's already on full blast," I said.
"Oh my god. Look at your temperature."
I became horrified when I noticed that the engine temperature was off the gauge. I immediately pulled off the highway and opened the hood. The radiator had run out of coolant.
We closed the hood and proceeded to drive to the nearest gas station with the heater on full blast. Less than a minute later, we noticed smoke coming from the hood. I pulled off the highway and coasted down a hill into a residential neighborhood. We stopped a pair of old ladies driving by, and Knox hitched a ride to the nearest gas station. Minutes later, he returned with a gallon of coolant.
We filled the radiator with coolant and waited half an hour for the engine to cool off. We then continued our drive with high hopes. At first, the temperature gauge was normal. But it was only a matter of minutes before it was off the chart again. I pulled off the highway and called Triple A.
A towing truck, along with a cab, took us and my car to a repair shop in downtown Carson City. Unfortunately, it was after five o'clock, so the shop was closed, along with every other repair shop in the city. We were stranded in Carson City for the night.
After getting a hotel room, I called Eric.
"Hello Eric," I said.
"What's up Dave," said Eric.
"So your flight arrives in Sacramento tonight."
"That's right. I'm at the airport right now waiting for my flight."
"Yeah. And we were going to pick you up. But my car broke down, and we're stranded in Carson City, Nevada."
"What!"
"Yeah. So I won't be able to pick you up. I'll have my parents pick you up. Hope you don't mind spending the night with strangers."
"Um."
"Sorry Eric. Hope I can make it to my own wedding reception tomorrow."
"It would probably be good if you show up."
"Yeah. Well, we're off to a casino. We're going to try to win a new car."
"Good luck with that."
I called my stepmother, and she agreed to pick up Eric. We then left the hotel room and ventured into downtown Carson City.
We quickly decided that Carson City was a pretty awful place. The population was roughly 50,000, and the entire city was pretty much composed of nondescript gas stations and big-box stores along a highway that ran straight through the city. In the center of town was the unappealing state capitol along with unattractive casinos with names like Cactus Jack. It was hard to spot a person under 50, and almost everybody we spoke with had a Southern accent, even though we were nowhere near the South. As for the weather, the air was hot and stale. Knox and I agreed that Carson City was nearly identical to Terre Haute, Indiana, home of Rose-Hulman.
The three of us ate dinner at a mediocre buffet within a casino. Afterward, we set out to gamble. Knox had never gambled at a casino, and we decided that it would be a good life experience for him. First, we stopped at some slot machines, but we couldn't figure out how to use them. Next, we suggested that he play blackjack, but after describing the hand signals for hitting and standing, he decided that blackjack was too stressful. After that, we suggested craps, but he found the rules overly complex. Finally, we settled down at some video poker machines.
After about 20 minutes of trying to successfully insert a dollar into the machine, Knox was dealt his first hand. He started off with three aces, failed to improve his hand, and won a few credits. After some cheering, he played again. This time he somehow stumbled his way to a full house and won a few more credits.
"You're a video poker master," I said.
"I guess so," said Knox.
He played one more hand, failed to get anything, and lost a credit.
"I think you should quit now," I said. "It will go only downhill from here."
Knox attempted to cash out, and the screen popped up a message telling him to talk to a cashier. I went over to the counter and told the casino employee that we wanted to cash out.
"You want to cash out for $10?" asked the employee with a laugh.
"Yeah. We want our $10."
After waiting around for several minutes, a cashier finally came to our machine and handed Knox a 10-dollar bill.
"Sorry for causing you so much trouble," said Knox, feeling slightly embarrassed for causing such a stir for a mere $10.
"That okay," said the cashier. "This is the way we have people cash out, so this is what we have to do."
The three of us left the casino feeling victorious. Jo and I spent the rest of the night congratulating Knox for winning $9.
The next morning, the repair shop opened, and a mechanic looked at my car. He told us that the radiator cap was broken, and that the car would be ready in an hour. While he worked on the car, we stopped at a Swiss restaurant for breakfast.
"Looks like we'll be leaving this town pretty soon," I said. "I hope to never return. I hate this town."
"I hate this town too," said Knox. "But I beat Carson City!" | | |
| It was Saturday, July 5th. We were playing Super Mario Galaxy when the clock struck 11:45 AM. "I think it's time to go," said Knox.
"But I'm right in the middle of a level," I said.
"Just pause it," said Psycho Paul.
"I'm sleepy," said Jo. "I want to go back to bed." I paused the game and put on my blue bath robe. Jo put on her pink bath robe. The four of us then hopped in my car and drove toward Marina State Beach. As we passed by the church, we saw the minister pulling out of the parking lot in his blue truck. I waved, and he pointed at us with a smile as he proceeded to follow us. Five minutes later, we arrived at the beach entrance where my parents were waiting. "So you guys were serious about the robes," said the minister.
"These guys are crazy," said my stepmother. The seven of us walked to the ocean and had a quick wedding ceremony. Afterward, we had a marvelous wedding meal at Denny's. 
| | |
|
