Kole Egbert: “Frizz didn’t fall into the water, but he did slide down the muddy hill on his backside…”

Click the enlarge.

Our field surveyors get lots of opportunities to get wet, but this wasn’t one of them for Craig “Frizz” Frilling. If it looks like he’s standing in the water in the photo, look again… he’s not! Official career score – Frizz: 1, Water: 364.

Surveying in the field isn’t just about collecting data—it’s about collecting experiences. And if you were to follow Frizz or the other Choice One surveyors, you know they have a bingo card full of “experiences”:

• Truck stuck in mud
• Honked at by a passing car
• Caught on Google Earth
• Wore earplugs to drown out cicadas
• Sunburn in March
• Curious Dog
• Burrito recommendation from a stranger
• Chased by a goose
• Played Marco Polo in the woods to find coworkers
• Dodged lawn sprinklers
• Starred in “feature” film

Bingo? For sure—but we’re pretty certain Frizz is working toward a cover-all. Frizz didn’t fall in this time, but the mud made sure he didn’t leave clean. Slid down a hill? Check. Almost fell in? Check. Got the shot? Always.

Jeff Puthoff: “I’m a fan of your fan.”

With the first warmer weeks of spring came unexpected warmer days in Choice One’s Sidney office as one of the building’s AC units went on the fritz. To keep a little air moving, Kyle Siegrist brought a fan from home that invited comments from passersby, which Kyle then exhibited on the fan. Not only did Jeff Puthoff make his pun-intended dad joke, but Brian Barhorst allegedly commented, “I’m Kyle’s biggest fan.”  We’ll not remark on the legitimacy of that statement.

The temporary lack of AC in the office this week made many of us older Choice Oners reminisce about the days of yore, before AC was in every building and when some of us had less gray hair. Tales of the olden times have been recalled all week, like all the hand-cramping that used to happen during Christmas card signing, how there was a time we didn’t realize we could drink coffee after lunch, and, of course, how Jeff Puthoff used to have a mullet.

Thankfully, the AC has been fixed and generally, everyone is back to being cold. With the AC on, we can stop being ‘fans’ of the good old days. Kyle, however, will continue his usual role as the office comedian, fan or no fan.

Inquiring Mindsets: “What emojis would you assign to various Choice Oners?”

Lori Werling, City of Sidney: “I’m not taking a picture with that snake.”

At last week’s Choice One’s Sidney Charity Cup, brave adventurers gathered to conquer the jungle of competition—all for a great cause. Yet one “fearless” explorer, the City of Sidney’s Lori Werling (pictured, left), was ready for an emergency exit when she encountered several deadly (okay, rubber) snakes during the event.

Lori, a self-proclaimed ophidiophobe (fancy for “nope, nope, nope”), almost abandoned the temple ruins rather than pose with a slithery impostor. But despite the risk of such a perilous encounter, a whole jungle’s worth of you showed up to support the Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association and Ronald McDonald House Charities. Because of your generosity, the event raised $6,990 for the two causes, and we couldn’t be more grateful!

The night saw a fierce competition that exposed the most accurate snake tossers (not at Lori) to be the Village of Russia (Mark Shappie, Alex Seger, and Choice One’s Kyle Siegrist and Derek Luersman), who claimed the competition’s top prize. Congrats to our victorious explorers, and thanks to everyone who braved the wild to support MVDSA and RMHC! Finally, special thanks to Lori, who, despite her fears, turned a potentially slithery situation into a moment of courage and camaraderie, making our jungle adventure even more memorable.

Kari Meyer: “Ryan Bruns, you must have had the hiccups a lot as a kid.”

What superstition or old wives’ tale were you told as a kid that stuck? For Choice One Graphic Designer Kari Meyer, it was “When you hiccup, it means you are growing.” Indeed, if that notion is true, it’s clear that Project Manager Ryan Bruns has done a lot more hiccupping than Kari!

Kari’s not alone in the superstitions she was told as a kid. Casey Reichert’s parents told her that “If you turn on the dome light in your car while driving, you’ll get arrested.” Both Brittany Clinehens and Kaye Borchers were told “Don’t pout, or a bird is going to poop on your lip.” A suspiciously specific threat—one that suggests someone, somewhere, learned this lesson the hard way. Many of us were told to eat carrots to improve our eyesight and/or an apple a day will keep the doctor away. But let’s be honest—that one didn’t stick, since many of us enjoy coffee, doughnuts, pizza, and cheese on a more regular basis than carrots and apples.

Superstitions and old wives’ tales may not always hold up to scientific scrutiny, but they sure make for some entertaining childhood logic. Whether it’s the fear of rogue birds or being put in jail for mild car lighting violations, these little myths shaped us into the totally rational adults we are today. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we need to pick the seeds out of our watermelon so one doesn’t grow in our bellies…

Ryan Lefeld: “At least she didn’t send you a cactus.”

This week was site designer Jeff Kunk’s birthday. If you’ve read these Mindsets over the years, the photo may look familiar—each year, Jeff’s wife Nicole sends him flowers for his birthday. She always asks for a “manly arrangement” to be sent to Choice One to honor Jeff’s birthday, and the rest of us don’t miss the opportunity to give Jeff a hard time about all the attention.

Choice Oners have come to expect this yearly delivery for Jeff. Like many things at Choice One, the birthday bouquet has become a delightful tradition. Indeed, it is not unlike annually telling Jeff Puthoff he’s old, Kaye taking awkward photos, or holding a Skyline coney eating contest (albeit with less cheese).

Jeff Kunk takes this yearly ribbing in stride—indeed, sometimes it’s nice to be celebrated, and we’re pretty sure that Jeff Kunk’s grin (not to mention Mike Francis’s joy in the background) justifies the tradition by providing office-wide enjoyment. Thanks for a tradition that triggers big smiles, Nicole—and for not sending something as cactus-sharp as the birthday banter!