Afternoon Drip

normanhuelsman.com

2007-12-01T14:44:00.000-05:00

I've started normanhuelsman.com and that is my regular blog site. So I won't be updating the afternoon drip unless I suddenly get a lot of time on my hands.

This was my first blog and I'm greatful to it.

Dear Post-Gazette

2007-09-13T10:35:00.000-04:00

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07256/817051-28.stm

Dear Tim,

I was glad to see someone from Pittsburgh reporting on Bacn today. The story has traveled around the globe and it is nice to get a little hometown coverage. So thanks for picking up the story.

I do have a few concerns about your decision to interview people from outside of Pittsburgh. There were over 250 people in attendance at PodCamp and not one of them was mentioned in the article. Certainly some of the local people who coined the phrase would have been interesting to your readers. As well as the fact that the people you did interview talked about phones, spam and identity theft. I really think you missed an opportunity to celebrate the fact that Pittsburgh is influencing the world in a major way.

I also wanted to let you know that you missed an opportunity to praise the folks locally for being ahead of the curve. Many of them have communicated to me this morning about the article and their disappointment is quite noticeable. Let me remind you that these are the people who overnight had the world talking about Bacn.

- Norm

Showing off Afternoon Drip

2007-08-08T15:33:00.000-04:00

Here with a coworker talking about starting a blog.

Break In

2007-07-23T12:21:00.000-04:00

This morning I was woken by the sound of crashing dishes in the sink. Normally the non-regulated movements of my roommates would lead me to expect the washing of dishes in the early am. But as it were I didn't sense their presence. So after multiple crashes I got up to discover that squirrels had broken through the screen to enter our kitchen. Normally I would have reached for the box of Honey Nut Crunch but I was not my usually friendly self at such an early hour. Luckily when the pair heard my footsteps the quickly exited out the window.

The thing that bothers me most is that once I closed the window they were more than happy to get right up close and see if they could get back in. Even when I was standing right there tapping the window in hope to scare them away. At first I was concerned that there was a third somewhere in the place but I didn't hear or see another. I don't know what special squirrel treat is in my kitchen but my advise to you is beware the squirrel master.

All of this before any coffee was enough excitement for me. I did manage to get a quick snapshot.

Computers are the future.

2007-07-18T11:54:00.000-04:00

Indeed the people who build this machine would agree that in a few years we would all have computers in our homes. Too bad they never imagined we would all be carrying tiny computers in our pockets. What I wonder most is what that giant wheel is for? I mean seriously it looks like something the Skipper should be using while Gilligan is trying to read the print-out.

Late drip

2007-07-05T17:07:00.000-04:00

I didn't get to the pot until 4:30 today. First one of day too.

I spent the afternoon meeting with folks about a new initiative we have with the Sci Fi channel. It is a good deal but not everyone is on board right off. The people who were most excited were the folks who are probably already fans of the network. I'm now trying to get caught up on everything I need to get caught up on but my mind is scattered at the moment. I'm hoping the drip will get me back into shape.

little bit of this little bit of dat

2007-06-04T14:34:00.000-04:00

Mixing the decaf with the strong stuff this afternoon. This week is gearing up to be a busy one. I'm looking forward to getting a lot done so I'm gald I'm in the mood.

Hungry

2007-05-30T17:11:00.000-04:00

I'm hungrily scarfing Fritos in an attempt to make up for the fact that I didn't stick with my decaf only in the afternoon policy. Although i was not in my normal routine. I had an afternoon starbucks while coming back from Ikea. Yes i was shopping during work hours, and for work to boot. The reasons aren't important but I have concluded that drive up starbucks take considerably longer than fast food and you don't even get that happy coffee purchase feeling. Now in retrospect i should have gotten a frap because I don't' even like the starbucks house blend. While suffering from caffeine induced hunger i made a bolt for the snack machine.

Really it is time to go home i don't want a cup of 5pm sludge.

Decaf Day 2

2007-05-23T15:14:00.000-04:00

So I'm at super low energy today. I could barely keep focus over a lunch meeting. And I have meetings this evening. I am going to need to start doing something different in the routine.

But I'm sticking to decaf in the PM. At least my energy level won't spike any more than it already is.

Afternoon D

2007-05-22T15:28:00.000-04:00

I've decided to switch to afternoon decaf. All the caffeine in the PM really is brining me down. So in an effort to get healthy I'm making the switch.

It seems to be helping too. This afternoon I'm filling out the form for CA's design competition. I'm crossing my fingers that our viewbook will get in this year. The previous book was recognized for illustration and I want the design to get some props.

Co worker drip

2007-05-11T14:20:00.000-04:00

Upgrading to to Macbook Pro!

Digital Drop

2007-03-27T15:11:00.000-04:00

Eyes bulging from spending too much time in front of the screen, I finally have a complete email collection. Thats right all the major media outlets now have an inbox nice and empty for me. Yahoo was the last to get me, and I did hold out as long as I could. But yahoo groups needed me to get an email to see what people I know are up to. Staying organized now means having more than ever. Especially when it comes to user names and passwords. Honestly I can't even remember how i log into blogger. I just try my complex combinations of password/usernames until somehow the gates are unlocked. Maybe in heaven we'll just have one email, one inbox, one user name, and since its heaven... no passwords.

my wayward drip-drop

2007-03-14T14:46:00.000-04:00

So dispite my best intentions and lack of efforts I can't seem to make it to blogger once a day to record my sometimes multiple afternoon drips. Shame on me.

Today feel thin and transperent. I stayed extreemly late at the office to basically accomplish nothing but make a few scans and start a twitter account. I know if I can't blog why would I go twitter. Well no harm in trying is my motto.

http://twitter.com/MrDirby

it has already been a long week

2007-03-06T15:10:00.000-05:00

There is an office supplies (or shipping) commercial where the guy in the office is always shouting about how busy he is. Yelling "CANT TALK" or "BUSY BUSY BUSY." I'm afraid this is what i have become. running around a small confined space yelling about expense reports and really doing no work at all, ever. i'm just wondering how long I can hold out until eventual burnout and deep psychotic irrationality.

I'm sure my coworkers think I'm snobby and self-centered, I honestly don't know the last time I had a conversation with someone at work that was outside of a task or need. I did find myself talking to a plant the other day... OK I lied I was actually talking to the copier. pleading and coaxing that it would dispense my documents qucikly and efficently.

so i'm drinking this drip out of a styrofoam cup in hopes that i'll be hospitalized and sent home on vacation.

OverRoasted

2007-02-28T15:14:00.000-05:00

Coming out of hibrenation today.

Out of respect to all the drips that I have drunk while not bogging, I'm going to take a long slurp for you all just now. . . . . . . .

Ahh.

IKEA

2006-03-28T17:44:00.000-05:00

Well today I was expecting to drip on the road while driving to ikea. Shopping during the work day, oh gosh you might say. No big deal when the boss is the one driving. But like I said I was expecting this to happen, but instead that trip was canceled and turned into a conference call and planning meeting. Too bad because I was looking forward to a Swedish slurp and meatballs.

ITS MONDAY

2006-03-27T15:30:00.000-05:00

OK so this weekend I bought my first motorcycle and now afternoon drips don't really do it for me today. This whole coffee at work thing is so dull when all I can think about is getting out on the open road. It is a bummer that I need to take a few weeks before I can really ride it and get out on the street.

But it is Monday and we have HUGE redesign project coming up and I am really excited about it.

Sharp Shooting Pain in my Ass

2006-03-22T16:50:00.000-05:00

Today's drip was slurped while hovering outside the presidents office. I was waiting to hear the solution as to how we were going to handle a current terror threat. While no one from my organization was in any immediate danger there were parts of our constituency who were greatly concerned with our proximity to the danger. It all turned out to be much adieu about nothing but city officials were not crying wolf. Dispite the eventual lack of danger I needed to abandon my cup halfway through to respond to the need for information. So now as I sit growing increasingly tired by the day. I probably would be ok right if I where able to finish that coffee.

Another Meeting Drip

2006-03-21T17:19:00.000-05:00

Well how many posts can remain fresh when they are grounded in an office. How many people can remain fresh when they are constantly grounded in an office. Which reminds me of days in grade school where being sent to the office was a bad thing. Now many of us spend our most wakeful hours hounding these infernal grounds. Maybe this is the secret to unlocking the evil of the corporate empire. hmm.

In Black

2006-03-20T20:27:00.000-05:00

Well today is a sad drip. As we are mourning with two separate colleagues who have lost loved ones recently. It has been an awful month in that way. The Ides of March are upon us and whoa to Ceasar if he is anywhere about.

Official Drip

2006-03-16T17:28:00.000-05:00

Today's drip splashed across town into the City-County Building for a meeting with the public works office. Where city planning for the all star game this summer is in full swing. There are a few good ideas up in the air as we plan to make this city artcentric. We'll probably have future drips in the official city-county building within the next few weeks. So I hope they keep that coffee pot happy.

as a dog

2006-03-14T14:37:00.000-05:00

No coffee for me today. I am out and down for the count. just earl gray and oj.

Bla

2006-03-13T15:05:00.000-05:00

This drip is coming to you from under the weather. I'm starting to get a spring cold. So this drip isn't doing much for me today. Although I must report on the best open house invitation ever. I just returned from the printer and the color comp is smoking. I think we'll have to get police at this event for crowd control.

Friday Funkytown

2006-03-10T15:11:00.000-05:00

Well finally I have a reader. At least that I'm aware of. Even my cubemates don't log in daily to get a fresh drop. Is it possible that I'm not the center of attention all the time. Well gosh. Even those people who somehow connect the dots and find that maybe I've based a character after them don't tune in to get the grinds.

Busy day today updating friends on mypsace and pacing around waiting for an ebay delivery (that isn't going to arrive until monday, double gosh). But I've got a meeting scheduled for next week with the mayors office and hopefully we'll finally get the ok to pave that park across the way and make a parking lot.

Paving the Yellow Brick Road

2006-03-09T15:27:00.000-05:00

Today we are listening to the boards of canada. A smooth song that i was lucky enough to also find as a ringtone for my cell phone. For me this drip today is a long time coming. Why. Well note to self if you take a day off in the middle of the week coming back on Thursday is like starting on a Monday. I've been distracted by getting things organized for the next few weekends. Both of which I'll be working, so for all you hardcore drip fans check in on sat.

sip slurp.

Tusday is like a Hampster Wheel

2006-03-07T15:58:00.001-05:00

Today's drip isn't very tasty. As a matter of fact it tasts like the rat poision that it really is. I drinking this drip while listening to fat boy slim beap and buzz in my ear. Which usually isn't much of a bad thing but hearing these repetative sounds over and over makes me feel like a drone doomed to complete the same little tasks over and over.

The Rabbit Hole

2006-03-03T14:40:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, if you work in an office with three plastic walls surrounding you, one can beging to envy alice in wonderland. I heart friday afternoon. umm ya, Scratch that. today is that friday that i can't stop staring at the clock because I have a jampacked fun weekend in the works. And while I've got some sweet plans; this friday is taking too long and then the weekend will go by too fast.

Oh man and this blog is supposed to be about coffee not ranting about your lame afternoon. Well i'm slurping a cup as i type... yep. it's an afternoon drip.

Cheers to the weekend.

The Best Open House Invitation EVER!

2006-03-02T15:23:00.000-05:00

Today's drip accompanies the completion the best open house invitation ever. I've attached this photo to give you a little taste of what we're dealing with.
Also today I'm kicking back with some old school music from my high school days. A few singles from Korn's follow the leader album. In my day this was the stuff you hid from your parents and played for grandma to cause a stir.

Well back to he grind stone.

Get the blog out.

2006-03-02T10:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the drip made a splash into the national. Our national marketing conference call that is. What a better way to enjoy a call about blogging than to bring your other reason for blogging.

Cruise Control

2006-02-28T16:32:00.000-05:00

Today I'm creating the best open house invitation ever! Needed a cup in the afternoon to lock it down.

Carve it out

2006-02-27T14:43:00.000-05:00

Todays drip comes a little early. Due to a constant intake of morning coffee, and snowboarding the night beofe. Today I am sore and slow. Good thing we're busier that all heck around here. Keeps me from thinking about it. I've hit a midpoint in my day where i can go in any direction. It seems as though I'm torn between design and project management. Hmm. Gonna clean off my desk and see which pile is larger.

sip sip.

The CSS Debocle

2006-02-23T16:00:00.000-05:00

If you find yourself in a technology tug of war between a creative type with a big ego and techie type with an eye for the compatible. Do what I do, get yourself an afternoon drip. Because when you dip into a drip; it doesn't matter whose issues are on the technology table.

As a matter of fact it maybe possible to forget that you are once again locked in a room with the boss and another member of the creative team. Without being to presumptous I will say that you can make a nice little stratigic plan to solve all of these issues. Even when you feel the struggle's strangle hold get into a deathgrip.

Be warned that any successful planning, or as i may refer to as outmanuvering, will require every drop of that drip and then some. As for me it will require another trip the pot for a cup of five o'clock sludge.

Never stop.

Salvaging an Open House

2006-02-21T17:24:00.000-05:00

This afternoon my drip had the pleasure of sitting in on a creative think tank whose goal was to restructure the open house event. While the drip sat snugly on the desk my mind was spinning various scenarios about. In the end we arrived on a delicious new system. But alas the drip wasn't as satisfying due to a slow decline in temperature. Also this drip was sabotaged by an after lunch cup who accompanying a satisfying meal eliminated a serious need for an afternoon drip.

good day.

monday drip

2006-02-20T21:31:00.000-05:00

Todays drip comes to us following a steady day of productivity. Yes thats right i've been successful all day. In fact this is one of those rare mondays where things are going well and the drip is almost unessecary. We are expanding our promotional plans and the visual communication has taken on a strength in consistancy and focus. So lets all do a blogger knock on wood as I say nothing can stop us now.

Floor-to-Floor

2006-02-17T16:46:00.000-05:00

This drip is brought to you by old time coffee.
"Remember when you drink old time, its always a good time!"

So my drip today accompanied me to the 2nd floor where i had to say farewell to a coworker who is transfering to the deep south. It was a tearful goodbye until she said, "well that was good but it time for you to be moving along now." So i quickly departed for a chance to work over the guy in the corner office. We agreed to spend money on some ads but when we looked at the budget all we had money for was the message at the top of this blog. So i'm not sure what kind of an inqury this will generate, but i know that i'll be having a good time every day at 3pm.

so long.

With the Boss

2006-02-16T16:19:00.000-05:00

Today's drip comes to you live from my boss's office. Following a conference call that usually sucks any type of life right out of a body. Now, we are making purchases for an upcoming exhibit at the history center. A project that will undoubtedly be the nexus of future afternoon drips. I'm realizing that at this moment i'm trapped in this office and if i consume this drip to quickly i'll have the much needed energy boost. But all maybe for naught as i sit here while we peruse ebay and amazon.com.

I wonder if i dip into the drip twice in the afternoon does that call for two visits to blogger?

Today's coffee run

2006-02-15T15:21:00.000-05:00

So everyday around 3-4 pm I make a trip to the company coffee pot. A little ritual I like to call afternoon coffee. As many of us know afternoon coffee is an essential part of everyday. Especially if there maybe an afternoon conference call or meeting that may leave you less than enthusiastic. Afternoon drip is an attempt to record the need for afternoon coffee. Perhaps helping me break the habit or perhaps provide a little escape for my mind as sit down and enjoy those first few sips.

Today's drip follows a series of meetings that started early in the day and have run back to back to back. I was unable to accomplish anything I set out to do this morning because my attention was pulled away from completing actual job tasks. This cup finds me amongst a renewal letter from communication arts, a letter to design for h.s. teachers and the task of organizing a list of entries for a local poster design competition. I have philip glass playing in my headphones and my drip has reached optimized drinking temperature.

Enjoy.