Merge Memories

I was back in Milwaukee yesterday afternoon. I had to go back to my office for some safety training. We moved into a new complex just off of 70th and Greenfield. Oddly enough directly across the hall from my new office with URS is the world headquarters for Merge Technologies, my former employer. So after my training I stopped in. I knew there office was there, and I told Steve that I would stop by when I got the chance. Steve is a long time friend of my older brother, Jon. I have known Steve since I was in 8th grade. The first time I met Steve, he had been out to a Halloween costume party with Jon. They came back to my parent's house. I had been watching TV up in my bedroom and was half asleep. Steve was dressed up as a cavewoman. He just came walking into my bedroom and scared the crap out of me because one, I didn't know who he was, and two and more importantly, I didn't know what he was.
Yesterday was the first time in 8 years I had set foot in the Merge offices. As you may or may not know, I was let go after 3 years of faithful service due to company downsizing. Looking back, Merge was a great job for me. I started out building computers, and ended up traveling around the world. It was a great time in my life, I had just bought my house, and I had roommates that I was out partying with all the time, and I was traveling a ton. I don't regret that job at all. But I am also happy with the course that my life has taken me. I don't think I could be more content with my life right now.
Steve gave me a tour of the facilities, I was able to see a number of that I used to work with. Here is Steve in his office. Apparently he is a very important person. While on the tour of Merge, Steve pulled out these two hand carts.
As you can see, I left my mark on this cart. Steve's memory is a bit better than mine. He informed me that way back when I started at Merge in the manufacturing department, we ordered these two hand carts. And then Steve and I had a race to see which of us could put our cart together first. I am sure we would both claim that we won. But it was funny to see that memories of me are still left behind.
Seeing my name on that cart got me to wondering, how many of the computers that I installed are still in use. I know that I used to leave my business card behind, taped to every computer I installed with my number to call for service issues. It would be pretty crazy to be in a hospital and see that.
Here are some pictures that I dug up from my days with Merge when I was in the service department doing on call support. My cubicle was just a mess back then.
If you can believe it, this how I used to go to work. Tie-dye shirt , baseball hat and basketball shorts. I do know that shortly after I left the company they instituted a dress code. I believe it used to be on Thursdays we would have Service Department Team Meetings at 7:00 a.m. I would always forget,and they would call me at home in bed on my cell phone at 7:10 a.m. I lived so close to the office, that I would be there by 7:15, with lines from my pillow still on my face.

There were a lot of good times at Merge. It was when I bought my truck and house. It was when I saw the world. And while my departure was a bit bitter, I still look back as those days being some of the most fun and exciting times of my life.