So my buddy tells me one day that he's interviewing for some "job" at a start-up company. He told me all about it. He explained how the site was pretty inventive and in his own words, "pretty cool". He touted it as pre-IPO and had a bright future. This was almost a year ago, and every company was pre-IPO and had a bright future.

He was telling me this because he knew I was itching to find a career someplace in the internet industry. At the time I was involved in rubber band interviews with a not so start-up internet company, for the story's sake well call it...HaYoo. I read and watched on CNET TV countless stories on how much fun it was to work at the company I was interviewing with. Stories chronicled the loose, fostering work environment present. Walking around the building during my interview I passed employees draped in only shorts and beach sandals. At my first interview they even showed a 30-minute clip of highlights of the company and the employees. Sugarplums danced in my head with the thought of working at said company. So the whole time my buddy was ranting about this "job" at some start-up...my interest was close to nil. No disrespect intended of course, just the prospect of employment at HaYoo was exciting.

After some negotiating, things didn't work out with the company I was interviewing with. I was bummed. Back to the revolving carousel of company interviewing.

My good buddy calls me up again and tells me how much fun he's having at the new "job" at the company he was interviewing with. I was pleased for him and he invited me to interview too. I was cautious at first, but then he explained how he was allowed to wear his sneakers to work. Being a sneaker aficionado, "this company might be okay after all" I thought to myself.

I was intrigued. Then he said, "Plus, if I refer you and you get hired, then I get more shares!"

What a guy my buddy is.

The interviewing was pleasant and smooth. Soon enough my buddy had his shares. The first few days of work were a culture shock for moi. My tepidness disappeared quickly due to some genuinely nice co-workers. Being at work was actually pleasant. It was fun to come to work. Don't get me wrong; work was challenging, but it was fun.

My previous job before joining my buddy was a stinker. Mainly due to the evil boss I had. I hated my boss. Hate is a strong word. Hate is an ugly thing. My boss at that job made me a strong, ugly guy. Whatever that means. My new boss was the complete opposite. She was the Anti-Satan. She was patient, listened thoroughly, and actually cared about my comfort.

Then there was my mentor at work; for the sake of this story...lets call him Buddha. I'm convinced that he had the patience of a demigod. With all the questions I flooded him with, it's a wonder how I still roam the earth. A man with less patience would have surely murdered me swiftly.

The Anal Lady always relished at the fact that she could at any time whoop my a-s-s at ping-pong on any given day. I didn't mind; she was an awesome supervisor. Her deputy, we'll call her Alma for the sake of this story, was a great roommate. She sat at the desk next to mine. I relished at the fact that I could whoop her a-s-s at ping-pong and foosball on any given day.

Sweetmay always cracked me up. Anything he said was quotable. The 'one with many names' always had something "herbal" for me when I felt sick. She and I shared a creative spirit and tried not to take anything too seriously. She gave the best friendly clothed rubdowns when your feeling stressed too. Then there was that Monee guy that always threw miniature rubber balls at my desk at the most inappropriate time. There were more people, and as many memories. I started out at this company with one buddy, when i left...everybody was my buddy.

Then there was my buddy whose friendship I will forever appreciate. He was the one who afforded me the chance to meet all these individuals. He was the one who gave me a chance to work with these individuals. That damn Roheblius, I'll get him!

My experiences at this “job” are something I will remember for the rest of my life. In retrospect, I want to think of it more than a "job"...but an obsession. Not a single moment at this company did I regret not getting the "job" at HaYoo. To think I was so sad about that before...now I'm just sad that I'm going to miss all my buddies.


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