Second Wind is Fabulous, Part Two

I am getting ready for my second day of work at Second Wind, a company I have worked for as a vendor for over 15 years. I am sharing an office with my boss, which serves me right because my employees used to share an office with me. Actually Susan is okay, although no one's going to believe I mean this because she'll be the first one reading this blog entry. In fact she has already accused me of an unspeakable employee practice (obsequious flattery).

My favorite Susan incident came a couple years ago when I was drastically late to a meeting, having been reached on my cell phone while at Chuck'e'Cheese. I walked into the conference room (avoiding the gazes of the five people who had been waiting for me) and helped myself to a hard candy. Susan's first words? "Bold move with the hard candy."

I am joining Second Wind as a marketing associate because, after 20 years as a self-employed graphic designer, I wanted to get more deeply involved with one company rather than, as it seemed, solving the same five or six problems for different companies.

I have loved wind power since before it was fashionable and one of my prized possessions is Paul Tsongas' 1980 book, "The Road From Here," inscribed by the author: "Thanks for all the youthful enthusiasm. Don't change!"

Second Wind seems to mesh with my "youthful enthusiasm." Although the company does not actually build wind farms, we support the industry by making it more efficient and, well, sustainable. Our equipment measures wind to determine the best places to locate wind farms and turbines, and, as Susan mentions below, our engineers provide technical advice about the siting of turbines and the appropriate tools to use for particular jobs. To the wind industry, we are like geologists who say "Drill here."

I enjoyed my first day, surrounded by a productive and congenial buzz of people working towards the same goals and by the jingling of Corvo's dog tags. Corvo is, as far as I know, the only non-human on our company payroll and is welcome throughout the office (although I think his fridge privileges are restricted). The office has an atmosphere of creativity, innovation, and respect and (in the absence of a snazzier "clincher" for this entry) I'm excited to be here!

Those pesky engineers!

In today's Boston Globe, the new turbine atop the roof of Boston City Hall was unveiled. The Menino administration selected a SkyStream 3.7 from Southwest Windpower. Whether the decision was based on Southwest Windpower's offer to donate the turbine, I do not know, but kudos to them for selecting a credible turbine.

I was amused to see that "engineers" (that's us!) were credited with deterring them for installing a utility-scale turbine. They listened! We're glad to take the rap, because to the average person, City Hall Plaza is wicked windy, the kind of place where you'd hope they could harness the wind because it's such a nuisance in every other way. To a wind engineer, it's a turbulent nightmare that you'd cringe at the idea of subjecting a turbine to.