They Picked Me!!!

[susandennis]

Years ago when I was a regular full time employee at Microsoft, one of the funnest things to do was to be a user experience guinea pig.  Different groups would want to try out different things and call for volunteers.  I loved doing it.  I spent a whole day once, recording  reading and speaking for a voice recognition group.  They gave you stuff for doing it but, for the life of me now, I can't remember what. I just had a good time seeing new stuff, trying new stuff, giving my opinion.

I served on a user experience council for my beloved Homegrocer.Com until it died.  That really was fun. And they fed us - great food.

I have, over the years, signed up for these kinds of things anywhere and everywhere.  I have learned to limit myself to now only signing up for companies who run their own groups.  There are companies who do nothing but run focus groups and user experience groups.  I signed up with a couple and nearly daily got a form to fill out and never got picked. I suspect they are far more interested in the opinions of people half my age or younger. I don't get picked for the others either but I also don't get hassled every day.

Google sends me a 'you interested in this?' every once in a while.  All but once, I was totally up for it and available and I have never gotten picked... until today!!!!

Last week I got a questionnaire for a 90 minute deal at their Kirkland office.  Sounds like a phone thing maybe - you rarely know for sure going in.  I got called today.  Friday at 10 am.  YEAH!  I'm exited.

Swim today was good.  Nearly every Tuesday/Thursday, I swim in the medium lane because Slow Guy (who is real sweet but realllllly slow) swims in the easy lane.  He starts at 11 like i do but rarely goes longer than 20 minutes.  Then about quarter after 11, Kathy and Paul come in.  Kathy swims in Slow Guy's lane and Paul swims in mine.  I first met them on Saturdays at Meadowbrook.  They generally always come together and they take the aqua exercise class there on Saturdays and do laps on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  We are 'hi, how are you?' buddies.  They generally do 30 minutes of laps so, like everyone else, finish up before I do.

Today, after they got out, they waited til I got to the end of the pool and stopped me to ask if I'd be interested in going for coffee or lunch one day.  Sure!!

This is the third time this has happened to me with swim people and I just love it.  I meet so few people and meeting people who like swimming is just a bonus.  Can't wait to 'meet' them.  I google mapped their house - their address was on the contact card she left for me.  The street view shows they live in an absolutely charming 1920-30's brick house with a beautiful yard in a pretty classy neighborhood.  Interesting.

I hate my washer and dryer.  I really do. I wish one or the other would die and force me to replace it.  I want the kind I used to have.  When my attached stacked, el cheapo GE died, I got all fancy.  Giant front door washer stacked (but not a single unit like the other one) dryer.  The dryer takes 2 cycles to dry anything and the washer door is always a huge fight to close and, of course, you can't close it when it's not in use cause then it will grow mold and stink.  When they die, I'm going back to the el cheapo one piece unit.  These evil things will probably outlive me.

I am making pie crust cookies.  And I have Cool Whip icing to put on top of them when they cool.  

Comments

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

It's always the appliances that you would go, that won't. My life seems to be filled with fridges like that. One day I will have the fridge I want.

[susandennis]

Don't even get me started on refrigerators!

I decided last year that I hated my refrigerator so much I was not going to wait until it died. After exhaustive research by me and several frustrated salesmen, it was determined that my refrigerator of choice - freezer on top, water (and ice, if at all possible) in door that swings from right to left - does not exist. Seriously, no one makes it. One manufacturer makes one that has everything but it swings the wrong way.

I gave up.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

BUH? Most refrigerators have reversible doors! If you look up top, you'll see that they have a pair of sockets on either side (the "wrong" side is usually plugged up), specifically so that you can make the door swing left to right or right to left.

I think so, at least... but why would "several" frustrated salesmen not know if that really is true? One, sure, two, sure, but several?

Sigh. Reality sucks when it confuses my preconceptions.

[susandennis]

I do believe that plain doors reverse. However, doors with water/ice available on the outside of the door, only swing from left to right. And, actually, only one manufacturer makes a model that has front door delivery in a swing door at all.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Thank you - I'm proud that I knew the trivia about refrigerator dors and copped to the notion that there must be a limited supply of stupid refrigerator salespeople :-).

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

Congrats on getting picked!

[ljtourist.livejournal.com]

You might get a kick out of the (delightfully old-skool) forums at http://www.automaticwasher.org/. It's a whole bunch of people geeking out over washers, dryers, and dishwashers, reminiscing about how much better they used to be, and how to fix the perceived problems with the more modern designs. They might be able to help you out with either fixing what you've got or finding the right replacement. As with all forums, lurk a lot before you post. But I get the idea that you might enjoy killing some hours by reading their archives.

Ping me if you want more pointers or help with decoding some terminology. I'm not exactly a regular, but thanks to them I currently have about 5 different foreign laundry detergents that I'm demoing.

[susandennis]

Hey you! Good to 'see' you. This website is amazing. I had no idea. I just spent about a half hour reading through some of it and now I feel way better about what I currently have. :)

I LOVE the website design. It's about the best case of design reflecting content that I have ever seen. Thanks for the link!

[ljtourist.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It's good to be seen! :D

But, seriously, we should do brunch one of these days. We're almost 2 months overdue for a semi-annual meetup. Maybe the 16th?

And I'm so happy you liked the forum! Figured it might be just the ticket.

[susandennis]

The 16th would be perfect!!! I have it on my calendar and will be thinking of delicious options in case, when we get closer, you say 'so where shall we go?'.... of course, if you have a destination, it's just your car or mine.

Excellent!

[ljtourist.livejournal.com]

It's a date! I definitely don't have a place to go, so I would certainly appreciate your expertise! To give you a little direction, when I go for brunch I very much like to get an entree with both savory and sweet; so, something like an omelet with french toast. The more choices I have where I can get both, the better.

[susandennis]

Excellent direction. Thanks! I'll get a good list together.

[katbyte.livejournal.com]

Once a month I use a cup of bleach and one of those dishwasher tablet things and run them through the clean cycle. It keeps my front loader from stinking. Hope it helps.