Friday, September 26, 2008

I'm going mini-golfing!

Well, thus ends my first week at Electronic Arts. I am happy to report that I am still employed. Since I last checked in with you, I have now been granted a name plate on my cubicle, and a Sims coffee mug with my name engraved on it. I guess that makes me official.

I have now dined extensively at the EA Cafe---the highlight, I think, being yesterday's chicken chipotle quesadilla--and am looking forward to more corporate sponsored sustenance next week. And while one can be happy about the extremely low prices found at the candy/chips machine, the danger, of course, is that the low price = more frequent visits to said machine. Today's purchase was a bit of a nightmare: "Blazin' Buffalo and Ranch" Doritos. Actually, they were kinda yummy, but the problem was that they were too spicy, so that necessitated a trip back to the machines so I could buy yet another 25 cent Diet Coke. This is how they get you.

Other than the culinary delights, my work week went well, I think. I mean, I wasn't told not to come back on Monday, though I suppose I could still get that email over the weekend. I still did manage to get lost a couple more times since my last blog post, and also a bit confused. The most notable example of the latter was when I kept pushing against a glass door that was refusing to open, only to be informed by the security person that that, in fact, was a wall, and not a door, and that I might want to stop pushing it, pretty much immediately.

I still can't really tell you what I'm working on yet, so I'm sorry about that. But I am definitely having fun, and am finding that if there is a bunch of stuff that I still need to get my head around, and that I can't much contribute to yet, there are other aspects that I'm feeling that I can, in fact, have an impact, and maybe not an entirely negative one. As far as first weeks go, I guess we'll call it a good one. I know it felt that way to me. Despite the late night jitters.

And now? Now I am off to play minigolf. Not that I am particularly into that activity. But this is what my friend Shawn Elliott has chosen to do for his going away party from Ziff Davis. And would I miss this party? No I would not. So as I power down my PC here at Electronic Arts, officially ending my first week in my new life, I am off to see another of my beloved colleagues heading off and out of the gaming press. I'm looking forward to seeing my old 1up pals again. I may be on the other side of the fence now, but the bond of those who once scrounged for spoons together never ends.

Happy Friday everyone!

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

bless you Jeff, glad you had a good week, good luck with the future :)

Anonymous said...

Excellent Jeff..keep up the good work...

Grant Gibson said...

Jeff, I love the blog! It is really cool to hear about the new job especially in comparison to Ziff. Keep it up.

Nate said...

Gratz on 1 week down, Jeff! Only 16 years and 51 more weeks to match Ziff.

Anonymous said...

always good to hear from you Jeff, keep it up!

Anonymous said...

Great blogs Jeff, can't wait to read more.

Unknown said...

Love the blog Jeff!!! Have fun and good luck on your career with EA man!!

Joril said...

Has the thought ever crossed your mind that you might bave been hired just to provide entertainment for EA employees?
I'm betting they'll be moving walls, doors and men's rooms around just to keep you guessing.
Is your cubicle on the "Escher Floor"?

Unknown said...

can i have your old job?

Dtrescott said...

sounds like a good first week..and bonus, they want you back for another week. :)

Michael Adamek said...

How appropriate that Shawn wants to mess around mini golfing. Just beware if he gives out candy as a "thank you" gift.

Christopher Miller said...

Though I miss your voice, Jeff, at least with this I don't have to miss your humor. Keep it up, man.

Slapshot said...

I hear Shawn cheats. Watch your back.

Anonymous said...

Are you in a position to start pimping random blog readers for job openings now?

Kellie @ Delightfully Ludicrous said...

Twenty five cents for a diet coke! Oh my god, I'm going to come work for your company! Sure as hell beats the $2.60 they charge from our machines.

Unknown said...

Congrats with successfully completing week one, Jeff!

Anonymous said...

rock on Jeff.

Anonymous said...

At this EA Cafe, are the meals provided for free?

Anthony said...

lol I get the image of you running into the glass over and over and over, maybe like a bee against a window until somebody nearly tackles you to make you stop. Good job on keeping up with the blog, Jeff! I wasn't sure you'd be able to do it, especially on your first week of work.

Anonymous said...

I think that after your successful first week you should enjoy a nice Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout.

Anonymous said...

hahah pushing on a wall .That made me laugh so hard. Hope you had fun mini golfing :)

Anonymous said...

Well, at least you weren't pushing a door that had to be pulled.

Congrats on a good first week. Even though you seem to feel like you're contributing much, I'm sure you'll find a place that no one else but Jeff Green can fill.

And then EA will be forever better.

JSD said...

Jeff, I'm lovin' this blog. Please post regularly. Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

You made it through your first week -whoo hoo! There should be an achievement for that.

Anonymous said...

Have fun golfing!

xpr said...

Chuff love, Jeff... Chuff love

Anonymous said...

I can't tell you what a relief it is to hear that someone else gets lost frequently and mistakes walls for doors. I thought I was the only one.

Bil said...

I'm proud of you, Jeff. I hope you have many years of success and fulfillment with your new career. Best of luck.

boop said...

Congrats Jeff! Pushing on a wall made me burst out laughing. Good luck next week and keep us up to date! :)

Anonymous said...

Remember to be nice to your testers! As a tester myself, I really enjoy a producer that is fun and enjoyable to work with. We may be the peons of the company but we still like fun!

Unknown said...

I love this blog, and I don't even like them!

Keep us informed on your state of confusion. Man, that's pure humor! :D

Anonymous said...

Spoon scounging is a lifetime bonding experience, Jeff. You're incredibly lucky to have worked with such awesome people over at 1up.

Anderson said...

I don't know why I like your blog, but I do.

Anonymous said...

I too sometimes mistake walls for doors.

Lovely blog btw!

Rune Lockhart said...

Ah! conquest of the first week is the best feeling...
the chip! OH GOD thats funny they get you every TIME.
remember... be the wall..learn to BEND the wall..
it is very nice to hear you call MR.Elliot "your Friend" i hope you guys keep in touch...95.7 Brodeo Prt.2???anyone??

Krakn said...

Cubicles? Name plates? Come back on Monday?

Man, you've really been whipped! I say you put a Cosmo Kramer, move into one of the spare offices, and start working on financial numbers based on no accounting experience at all. Show em who's boss!

Glad to hear things are working out. I'll give you a few months before I show up at the office saying, "Yeah, I'm here for the job? Yeah, Jeff Green told me to come."

Anonymous said...

Drunk mini-golfing?

John Rivett said...

You didn't have the double embarrassment of leaving a face print or nose oil on the glass wall did you? They may have to hang colorful art glass ornaments on the walls like they do to keep birds from flying into windows..

Glad your first week went well, stop eating Doritos, there made with Soylant Green.

Anonymous said...

stay away from those bags of chips lest you want to have saddlebags for your new bike.

also say hi to Shawn E. im guarantee im buying the game he works on.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, the iPhone comment from a couple blog posts back was complete foreshadowing.

Just think about the possibilities. Jeff can now blog while waiting in long lines and during red lights on the commute. Not to mention, he could set up a photo stream that auto publishes photos that he takes on the phone's camera.

Anonymous said...

Love the blog. I'm sure you rocked at min-golf

Anonymous said...

Oh!

Jeff isn't allowed to tell us what he's working on - I thought he was working on The Sims 3? Shawn Elliott isn't allowed to say either. Hmph.

You know, I've got a second cousin, a mechanical engineer, who works for the Canadian Military. He's presently working on half-track designs, and he freely talks about everything he does.

I mean, that's a bit odd, isn't it? A guy who designs vehicles for the military can talk about what he does, but two guys who work for gaming companies aren't permitted to do likewise?

No that is odd.

The truth is, this blog is starting to depress me a little. Everyone else is going off and designing games. Meanwhile, what did I do this week - I edited a book, to be published next spring, which details the walking trails of the North Shore mountains in Vancouver.

Vahe Isaganyan said...

Have fun mini golfing! Glad you had a good week at EA.

PS: I would do the same thing...constantly head over to the vending machines :)

Anonymous said...

You're a hero.

Anonymous said...

Jeff, these blogs are priceless....you've always had a tremendous sense of humor, and I'm glad to see it alive and well in the new job. I have always looked forward to your unique perspective on things, going back to all of your old CGW columns--but then I had to wait for a whole month to pass in between them. So here's one good thing to come out of all the recent changes: I look forward most every day to see what new and wacky things have happened in your part of the Empire! Thanks for years of enjoyment...and now thanks for these blogs....keep 'em comin'!!

Anonymous said...

get as many pictures of the mini-golfing up as you can. good luck on forging a new career for yourself at the big black hole in the center of the gameverse known as EA.

http://wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/215598/Jeff_Green

Anonymous said...

What does it mean: "America's watchdog on the Alaskan border?"

I don't get that?

The Chosen Win said...

1up is a very sad place with no Black Dragon and now there's no Shawn Elliot, who brought all sorts of awesome clowns into the mix with you guys. But, hey, at least you guys are doing good at your new places :)

dLindner said...

"So as I power down my PC here at Electronic Arts..."

Blogging @ work?!
Such a lucky guy :D

Hey, you never thought you'd have a fan in Uruguay!