Day 7- Time really flies!

Let me tell you about my morning! This morning I had to leave early with Mom because my car was still in the shop. So, we left on time and she decided to go the way I usually go because she was going to drop me off early and then come back and pick me up at the end of the day. Since she had to wait for me yesterday, I didn't want to make her have to wait for me again today and she was getting out earlier than I would anyway, so it just worked out to have her have the car.

Everything was going great. The route I take to get to Hunt Valley is pretty direct, so it was all fine until we got behind this farm equipment. Naturally, thinking our slowed pace was because of the tractor, we commented on how we hoped he would pull off soon. I mean, really, I have never understood why tractors think it's okay to drive at rush our when people in cars are trying to get to work. But I digress...

So we blamed the tractor for about three minutes until we came to a complete stop. Glancing ahead of us (which was, admittedly, difficult because of said tractor) we suddenly realized that the tractor was the least of our problems. In front of us stretched a long line of brake lights, all at a standstill. Excellent.

At this point in our drive, we were committed to taking this route. Unlike on our normal route, we didn't know any other variations on this one to get us there faster. We were stuck. The reality of our situation sunk in slowly. Mom was worried about getting to work on time. I was hoping I'd get to work early to help Breanne with some of the stuff we were trying to do for our Pinterest project. It was not good.

We sat. We inched forward. We sat some more. We inched forward again. The next thirty minutes passed like this. I am not kidding when I tell you we were beyond frustrated. But there's something sobering about seeing car hoods completely obliterated from a high-velocity impact. The accident that had caused the back up looked pretty bad. I always feel sorry for the people involved when you see a thing like that. It really makes you realize how little your problems are. A delay? That's nothing. Two people were in an accident this morning. That's the kind of thing that really matters. And I hope they're alright.

Putting that behind us, we drove on to McCormick. Mom drove me up to the front doors so I could see if they were open. And then things got interesting.

So, the first set of doors were open. I walked through and tested the second set of doors. (these are the ones that lead to the inside of the building...you know, the ones that actually matter.) I tugged on the doors, but they were locked. I tugged again, you know, just to see if maybe they'd been stuck the first time I tried. Bad idea.

The second time I pulled on the doors, I set off some kind of alarm and the entry way was filled with this annoying (and mildly embarrassing) buzzing sound. A little red light began to flash next to the door. I didn't dare move. At first I was horrified! What had I done?! Surely I was all over the security cameras at this point. They probably thought I was trying to break in and steal secret spice recipes or something. I could imagine the police being called and a big scene ensuing all because I had tried to get to work early! What was I going to tell my coworkers?

But then I had a great idea. If the alarms were going off, then surely, the security guard would have to come and investigate the situation. They wouldn't want something really bad to happen, right? So they'd have to arrive shortly.

Wrong. I waited a little longer. Still no one. What was I supposed to do now? Mom was still waiting outside in the car because she didn't want to leave until she knew I had gotten in. So I walked out and told her what was going on. But she was short on time (because she had to be at school soon) and couldn't hang around for that much longer. I was running out of options.

Luckily, as I was explaining what was happening, an actual McCormick employee approached the building. This was my big chance! I talked to Mom until the woman got close enough to the building, when I bid my mom farewell and followed this woman inside.

"I wonder what that beeping noise was about." She said to me as we walked through the front lobby. "I have no idea! That's so weird, though." I replied without hesitation.

I was just glad to be inside the building.

Once I walked up to the sensory department, I acted like everything was completely normal. There was really no need to relive the embarrassment of setting off the security alarm. And besides, there was baking to be done!

Breanne and I made the first of our two Pinterest-inspired desserts that we will give out during our presentation. This morning we made the Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies. And let me tell you, these were...oh so good. They have to be the chocolatey-ist, most  gooey and wonderful cookies ever!

Look at 'em baking...so sweet!

They were easy and super fast. Literally, they took 10 minutes to bake. If you're interested, here is the link to the recipe. 

http://www.divine-baking.com/2011/04/deep-dark-chocolate-cookies.html

Although the directions were pretty thorough, we made a few modifications. We ended up making them smaller (which was good because you could really only handle that much chocolate in a small package). And we decided that we would take them off of the pan a little earlier next time so they wouldn't stick as much. But honestly, nothing could detract from the awesome end result. 

Please make them. You will not be sorry.  Just make sure you have plenty of milk nearby! :)

After the cookies were finished, we started working on the blueberry cream cheese bars, but the groceries hadn't come in yet with most of the things we needed, so we were only able to assemble the graham cracker crust. That will be waiting for us tomorrow when we get in.

At nine we left for the TIC building for the days' focus groups. These groups weren't quite as exciting as last week's, but I still really enjoyed it. I got to take pictures of the spices the consumers brought in, as well as a final activity that they did with product labels. There were four sessions, each about an hour and 15 minutes each, so we worked all day.

Lunch today was ordered by Kevin. I'm not sure what his official title is, but he takes care of everything we need when we're in the TIC building. We had a taco bar from Qdoba, and it was actually really yummy! While we were getting lunch, Kevin and I were talking and I found out that he had gone to a local boy's private school. This really is a small world.

There's something to be said about making connections with people. Some of my favorite people I've met at McCormick have been because we've been able to bond over a shared experience or interest. It's really helped me to acclimate to my new environment, and is definitely something I will keep in mind for the future. The more willing you are to open up and talk to people, the easier it is to find a niche to yourself.

The McCormick employees that sat "behind the scenes" with us were hilarious today! Debra is definitely one of my favorites, but you can tell they all work together often and they were cracking jokes and laughing like they'd all grown up together or something.

One thing I learned today is that if someone says a product would be good for camping, you should probably stop your work right there. It's "the kiss of death," as Debra put it. This is because camping is a great idea to many people, but few people actually carry out their camping dreams. So hearing this is not good. Who knew? I learn so much every day. It's amazing!

On another note, I feel like I'm really getting the hang of choosing the right clothes to wear in the morning. I even found a skirt in my closet today that I'd never worn before but that was perfect for work! Of course, I get the knack of it two days before I have to leave.... :(

So, just two more days left. I cannot believe how fast this whole project has gone. I don't like to think too far ahead because doing that forces me to think about the crazy week we'll have next week, what with the Senior Project Luncheon (I think I'm making a prezi for that), Prom, graduation parties.....it's all a little overwhelming. So let's not think about that just yet.

For those of you who have been reading since the beginning, I thank you for your continued support! Just two more posts to go!

Sleep tight.