$300,000 in a zip lock bag

So today we went to visit a supplier in Buffalo (NY) who specializes in industrial precious metal refining.  I was literally within arms reach of buckets and buckets of solid gold, silver, platinum, etc. worth almost $100 million at any one time.  It was insane because they would be in these old buckets, pallets, etc. waiting to be processed and there would be gold scraps and dust on the floor probably worth more than $100k at any given time.  To see how heavy it was, they just randomly told me to pick up a 350 oz zip lock bag of scraps ....just industrial metal scrap mind you, just industrial metal scrap....

It's just funny how you see all this security at jewelry store and you come to a factory like this and they treat it likes its nothing...now leaving the factory is another thing since they have aiport type security at the front...but I mean..we all know how unreliable airport security is...

Meetings

LOL this is what my schedule for tomorrow looks like (on top of doing project work at the desk):

I think I'm going to skip all 8 meetings and go straight to happy hour....

Rochester, NY

Just found out that I'll be living/working in Rochester, NY in two months (from November, 07 - July, 08).  I haven't even lived in a place where there's 1 inch of snow a year, let alone like 15 feet in a month...

I'll be working as a manufacturing engineer for a blood diagnostics company of J&J's.  The company was once owned by Kodak because it makes diagnostic film. 

All I gotta say is...I'll be out of my comfort zone for a few months....

Currently in Juarez, Mexico....

No I wish I was on vacation, but I'm just on business...  It's a border town next to El Paso, TX.  Pretty big border community with a population of 2.2 million (approx. the population of LA).  Food here is great, but suspect as my stomach has been a little upset for the last 3 days.  I am trying to practice my Spanish a little while I'm here, but it's so broken because I haven't used it since 10th grade.  Some of the other people want to check out the nightlife so I guess I'm heading out in 15 mins...let's hope I don't get shot...especially since I have get up at 6:45 tomorrow for work...

"Work like you don't need money, dance like no one is watching...

...and love like you've never been hurt."

As this saying goes, I've had a chance to do two of the the last three in the past few weeks.  Work hasn't really been work when you get to do the things you want to do, learn the things you want to learn, and most importantly when you get to see those who you want to see.  Literally, the paycheck is an afterthought. 

This past Saturday, was a special day and among many things I got to dance like no one is watching.  You can dance like you are nobody to the world when you're dancing with the one who means the world to you.

But how do you truly open up your heart to love like you've never been hurt when its already hurting in the first place?  When every time you muster enough courage to venture, just with the tip of your toe, into that deceptively inviting pile of white throws and pillows only to find a live wire of skeletons and shadows underneath zapping you back into reality.  And you just hold your shattered spirits high in hopes that the next time it won't sting so bad and maybe even one day, the treachery will disappear.  Now faced with this, how can you open up your heart and dive headfirst into it without fearing that it will end up ripping your heart right out of you?

It does hurt, at times a lot, and I hope that in the end, it will make everything that much sweeter.