We had a conversation tonight at the hot tub with a (multi-directional pun alert) pretty cool atmospheric scientist from North Carolina. We told him how we felt that our productivity went up by leaps and bounds when we left the -19 degree winter mornings of Northwest Indiana for the 62 degree afternoons of East Bay. He was surprised. He never thought about how the weather would dramatically affect someone’s day-to-day productivity.
There’s something in that moment that’s ironical.
As mentioned in past entries, -19 was the temperature along the Duneland lakeshore the day Katie first interviewed with CallidusCloud. In fairness, I’d never felt a day close to -19 air temperature back home before last winter. It certainly never happened three times in the same season. But it was the kind of cold that turns thriving areas into ghost towns by the end of the season. It was the kind of cold that made it easier to say, “yes,” to a cross-country trip and blind move to a place I hadn’t see in 31 years.
Such radical decisions brought about subtle, vital routine changes.
The days here in East Bay are pretty much the same: crisp in the morning, comfortable by mid day, cool and clear by bed time. There’s a gentle breeze that will let you know that sundown is approaching. It’s a breeze so consistent that a contingency of kite flyers who regularly gather in the park across the street. They plant their big kites in the ground like conquest flags, let them fly around high in the sky, and spend the time trying out new designs.
The BART pretty much runs on schedule. It’s a mile and a half down the road. One can take any of the trains that leave in 15-minute intervals to the Embarcadero, hop a trolley and hit Seal Island all in under an hour.
The dogs get three walks a day, never less than a half mile per trip.
The gym is on the other side of the building. It never fails to forget to give me excuses not to go.
In a couple months, Katie’s employers will be moving to the offices across the street from the south end of our complex. 12 minute walk, pending on the traffic light.
It’s been a great groove.
The simple things we hope to never take for granted.
During a phone call yesterday I was asked what I valued most in my career. I said, “collaboration.” I described it similar to the energy one can feel when a live band hits their peak groove during a jam session in a concert. The synergy between the band mates, their instruments, their creation, the crowd, the venue and the occasion, when it all tunes “to a natural E,” (thank you, John & Paul), it unearths a spot of bliss & prayer at the intersection of Ecstasy & Zen.
My favorite working environments are at that intersection. That was when livemercial was Livemercial (intended capitalization differences).
Those moments are now easier to create when surrounded by sunny days, a beautiful lady, a lime tree named Trevor, and a lack of need to be concerned about the weather and morning commute.
I guess even atmospheric scientists from North Carolina can overlook such things.
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