Adventures of NaDave: Dave Germany: 15-21 (a week of work...finally)

My third Tuesday at adidas started off with details of my first work project. Only I found out it was a short timeline, and there would be a meeting on Friday morning to go over my results. I had 72 hrs to complete my first test as an adidas Engineer. As I walked out of work, I noticed a line of manikins wearing American sports gear. And one was wearing maize'n blue! I could get used to this :)

Wednesday & Thursday were long, intense days. But this was better than trying to get visas & bank accounts. As Thursday closed, I was ready for my meeting on Friday.

Also, on Thursday night, the USA men's soccer team played Germany. It was an International Friendly match played nearby in Cologne. It was televised, so I watched the whole game, cheering for the visitors! It was a great way to relax before my Friday meeting. And the best part, the USA scored a late goal to win 2-1.

On Friday, I had my first work presentation. I was pleased with how it went, but it seemed like a mixed bag from my boss. But overall he was happy with my work, and he setup a Monday conference with the adidas team in Portland, USA. While things were moving quickly, I couldn't complain. Ending up inPortland would be ideal, and so getting myself exposure to them so quickly would be a great opportunity.

I came home, and planned out my Saturday. I needed to get out of my "apartment". After my Herzo pool experience, my coworkers told me about an outdoor 50 meter pool 10km south of town. I decided I would bike there, and then onto a bike shop, and make a loop home. At least I had my bike for freedom, and no longer needed to rely on buses.

On Saturday, I was up early to try and avoid a crowded pool. The GPS took me on a few dirt paths, but I eventually got to the Veitsbad. The pool was nice, but again, no lane lines. After an hour of more slalom swimming, I climbed out and headed for the bike shop. I cruised through little towns and fields, and came up on the massive shop. I had never seen such a selection. People were even slowly testing out bikes on the shop floor! I grabbed a much needed bike pump, but knew I'd be back for more. I then headed into Erlangen to find the mobile phone store as l needed to put money on my plan. The shop had someone that spoke English, so she helped me through it, and I was all set. When I got home, it was 30+ miles total!

On Sunday, I decided to hop on my bike again. I planned out a 25 mile ride across the east and north of town. Again exploring around the area. I rolled from "dorf" to "dorf", passing other runners and cyclists as well. The sports company presence was apparent, with others getting their exercise on a Sunday as well.

I closed out the weekend with some prep work for Monday, and also video chats with loved ones. Time to tackle Week 4 at adidas...and another week on the floor.