Relief From the Road

Well, I think I need to catch my faithful readers up with my new status at WSM, and potentially other places as well. 

I am currently working from home.  Or at least I will be working home more, as I have negotiated a new arrangement with WSM.  Like I did before when I worked for BRUKS, I have committed to traveling to Salem about 1 week a month, or as needed for important meetings, etc., but will be able to tele-commute.  I have set up something called GoToMeeting.com on my computer where I can initiate meetings, use video conferencing and share what I am working on over the internet, etc., with my coworkers thereby creating a virtual meeting from here in my office in Snohomish.  It works pretty well, actually. 

I can do this with anyone, so if you have a few minutes and want to try it out, go to www.gotomeeting.com, download the free software it takes to run on your machine (I think it can work with , and call me using the phone.  I will start a meeting and give you the number you need to enter and we will be able to have a face to face meeting, using the internet for all 3 media: voice, visual conferencing, and I will be able to share what I have on my computer.  It is actually really cool.  You can also share what you have on your device, too, if you like.  As the administrator I have the ability to share controls from my setup.

In the meantime I am pursuing a couple of other options, as well.  Tomorrow I meet with the people of WSU Extension here in Everett to talk about their program in the area of growing Poplar trees as a feedstock for a liquid fuels production project.  WSU and UW each have received a grant to study the feasibility of making this conversion process work and become viable in the marketplace.  Since I am up to my ears in the biomass and biofuels space generally it makes sense that we at least talk about it together.  I think it will be fun day.   Check out the site at www.hardwoodbiofuels.org 

Today my phone has been very busy with customers calling and me getting caught up on project issues.  It always turns out that planning anything results in everything else happening at the same time.  I'm sure tomorrow will be full of potential interruptions, but rolling with the flow is what it is all about.