Innovations

The Summer Event

Diane Cooley

Summer 2006 gave us lots of sunshine and warm days. By September the rivers didn’t have much water flowing in them and we were ready for rain to replenish our stores of water – after all, what would Seattle be without lots of moisture. The week of September 18 began with clouds and impending rain. Unfortunately this was the week of the Annual Financial Management Summer Event scheduled for Wednesday. A time for all of us to celebrate together, to share our accomplishments, to visit with people from other departments in Financial Management, and maybe make some new friends.

The day dawned with clouds and rain, of course. A hot summer may have helped us forgot what rain was like; but, living in Seattle, you don’t let a few drops stop you from having fun. Departments had worked hard to prepare displays designed to illustrate some of their accomplishments. We knew that the RQT and EIT would be there to share our successes. And there would be food. (After all, there’s always food at a Financial Management event!) We donned our raincoats and made our way to the Physics/Astronomy courtyard to enjoy ourselves.

We crowded together under the covered area. We threw our names in the hat for door prizes. We picked up the quiz sheet and headed for the displays to find the answers. We snacked on cookies and nuts and other fun items. Yes, even the ice cream tasted good on a not-so-sunny day. We warmed up with coffee and tea. We talked to lots of people and generally had a good time. The only part missing was the music. (Unfortunately it was too wet for Norm and his band to play.)

This is an annual event and a great way to celebrate the previous year. Thanks to all the people who participated – either as a planner, worker, display designer, or guest. Great job and lots of fun, even in the damp weather.