What a word that is: Innovation. Dictionary.com defines "innovation" as something new or different introduced or introduction of new things or methods. In the technology world, innovation happens faster than one can blink. Something is always changing, being upgraded, being advanced, or being overshadowed. It's something that is one of the most beautiful things in this world.
I work in the MIS field and have a pretty rare opportunity to not only forecast innovation, but to be apart of it myself. It's actually something that I pride myself on, on a daily basis. One of the main functions of my job is a very tedious process that very badly needed to be innovated. Because of an enormous project we have going on right now, it involved this very tedious process so I decided to change it. I took simple methods we currently have in the MIS world and integrated it into the process which we currently integrate. I took a process that if written out on paper, would take up over two sheets and turned it into a simple 2 step process.
Working in a corporate world, however, it's very hard to get management to change the way things are done. Capitulation is something rarely seen in a Fortune 100 company. But when it does happen, and you are the one responsible, and it resonates in the tune of potentially millions of dollars saved, it's a beautiful and wonderful thing. And I am proud to say that I have successfully accomplished that this year, already. I took that two page process that took a ridiculous amount of time to complete and turned it into a process that takes mere minutes to complete. I love innovation.
Enough about my unbelievable accomplishments. What's going on party people?!? I haven't blogged in a while and I'm so sorry about that. I know you all check your RSS feeds daily, just waiting for the next installment of what is my blog. I have been balls to the wall for so long now that I've lost all concept of time. Last week was ridiculous! I drove from Louisville, KY to Chattanooga, TN to Nashville, TN. Thursday, I drove from Nashville, TN to Chattanooga. It doesn't really sound like a lot, but it was hell. I was so sick and tired of driving, I can't even begin to explain. But it was all for a good cause. See, my cousin is letting me use his furniture so I was moving it from Chattanooga to my apartment in Nashville. So, if you bastards ever come to visit me in Nashville (haha!), I'll actually have a place for you to sleep! Yippee!
I'm pretty much traveling non-stop these days. I'm in Chattanooga right now for work and will be in Greenville, South Carolina for two straight weeks starting Sunday. I really don't enjoy Greenville at all, so it's not something I'm looking forward to. However, it's easy money, baby!
My dad's birthday is this weekend and all of us kids (excluding two) went in and got him tickets to the Daytona 500. For some reason, he's a Nascar fan so this was something he really wanted. Furthermore, I used my accumulated rewards points with Marriott to get them a hotel room, so their trip will be virtually free, sans the gas to get there and back -- and food, obviously. He doesn't know about the free hotel yet so I really hope he and my mom like that. The Courtyard Marriott's are some of the nicest hotels I've stayed in and I booked them a king-sized bed, so they should be good to go. It was a hell of a time trying to get a hotel though! I had to go all the way to Jacksonville just to find an available room! Everything in Daytona and anywhere within an hour of Daytona is completely booked! Yikes!
My DVD collection continues to grow exponentially! I now have two entire bookshelves completely devoted to DVD's. I love it. I don't know why I've gotten into collecting movies so much lately, but it's become a real passion of mine.
I found out last week that a teacher I had in High School died. Honestly, he wasn't my favorite teacher ever, but he was just an extremely nice guy and I really thought a lot of him as a person, and to be dead at the young age of 48 is terribly sad for his family. I ran into him at Taco Bell about a year-and-a-half ago and regret now that I avoided him. I was told he died of a massive heart attack. If you're the praying type, keep Dan Baker and his family in your prayers.
Well, it's extremely late and I am extremely tired so I'm wrapping things up here. Take care everybody and keep on keepin' on.