5.13.2008
training day
Greetings from Dallas, Texas. A coworker and I are here for the week to learn about income tax preparation software. It's the second trip we've taken this year - we spent a few days in San Diego in January learning about property tax preparation software.
I have a few observations about training classes. Or more specifically, the training class attendant archetypes. These people in my class are identical to the people who showed up to my San Diego course, and I have reason to believe they show up each and every day in training classes across the nation.
First we have Pointless Question Guy. His hand shoots into the air every three or four minutes, followed by a question about some small detail the trainer just gave. The detail doesn't matter, his question doesn't matter, and you can see pain and annoyance under the trainer's forced smile knowing that she's going to have to derail her lesson yet again to answer his stupid question. He wasted a total of 45 minutes of class time this morning.
And then there's Over Your Head Tangent Guy. He will latch on to something the trainer says, and then go into a topic that is far beyond anything we're learning in this class. Often times, this topic is incredibly specific to something he's encountered in his own job but that the rest of the class will never see. I can't tell whether he is trying to show off his intelligence or he just signed up for the wrong course.
Finally, there's The Trainer. She's actually very nice and I have nothing bad to say about her, but all trainers begin their course with what they call "housekeeping items." This is mandatory vocabulary for all trainers in every class. "Housekeeping items" include the locations of the break room and bathrooms.
Oh and I'm getting sick again, just like I did in San Diego. That's the other training class constant.
5.08.2008
self appointed food critic
I work in a large office in Downtown Orlando, and while my office is only a mile from my home, I frequently eat lunch at one of the many local restaurants. When I have a good dining experience, I always want to share it with my co-workers. So starting today, I've appointed myself to the position of "Payday Food Critic." I'm a dork.
Here is the email I sent to some of my coworkers today after lunch:
Name: Panchero's Mexican GrillI think I'm going to send one every payday (every two weeks). Because if being a nerd who shares his food opinions with coworkers who probably don't care is wrong, I don't want to be right.
Location: Church Street Marketplace behind the SunTrust Building
Price: I had a big burrito and drink for under $8. I assume tacos or quesadillas would cost less.
It's a Tex-Mex taco/burrito walk-up-and-order restaurant very similar to Moe's & Chipotle. And while I've eaten both Moe's & Chipotle more times than I care to admit, the Panchero's burrito I ate for lunch today was comparable (maybe even better) to anything I've had from either of them. And bonus - you don't have to drive there for lunch (like I do to Moe's or Chipotle far too often).
The Panchero's folks press your tortilla while you're ordering, so it's guaranteed fresh. Then once all the ingredients are down, they mix them up so they are spread evenly throughout the burrito. I can't tell you how many times I've taken a big bite out of my Chipotle burrito only to get a mouthful of tortilla and lettuce.
Plus the atmosphere is lively, unlike that snoresville that is the Cool Blue Burrito stand in the Solaire building across the street. My apologies if any of you enjoy or own stock in that place, but I've tried it a few times and it's as boring as all get-out. I had lunch there one day last week and almost fell asleep face-down in my bland burrito.
So if you're in the mood for a quick, inexpensive Tex-Mex lunch, I recommend Panchero's. If you're suffering from insomnia and craving a taste-free taco, Cool Blue is the place for you.
