The Continuing Adventures of Flat Scalzi (Part I)

Hi folks -- first off, everyone wish Mr. Blogger Scalzi a happy birthday. Which today is. Many happy returns. (Returns after 30 years will receive store credit.)

[PAUSE FOR RIOTOUS LAUGHTER, FRENZIED APPLAUSE]

In a convenient coincidence, John's two-dimensional alter ego, Flat Scalzi, arrived in the mail yesterday. It's part of his continuing adventure around the country, which you can follow along in this here blog.

Being a gracious host (well, a host, anyway), I took him on a tour of campus. Here are a few highlights:

Here's Flat Scalzi at the weekly Journals meeting. Note the spiffy Running Man he's sporting.

The weekly Journals meeting is a teleconference with the rest of the team in Mountain View, California. The three folks with the laptops also happen to be some of our team's bloggers -- from left to right, we've got UI Designer Holly (second row), Technical Project Manager Yoel and Tech Manager John.

Moving on, we were struck by some familiar iconography on a pylon:

Both are free-standing thanks to included bases.

We headed over to my section of cubicles -- here's a banner that distinguishes our row from the rest:

Flat Scalzi in Community Row. He's standing on a magnet.

We skipped my desk, since if I put Flat Scalzi on my desk, we might never find him again. However, we did meet up with a friend:

"Hey, nice t-shirt you've got there."

On the way over to Headquarters, we looked at the displays in the connecting hallway, which features an AOL timeline:

Flat Scalzi in 1996. That's a pic of Princess Di.

Hrm, maybe this is a better spot, since this was about the time of real Scalzi at AOL:

Flat Scalzi in 1995.

A little further along, we passed the map of the Western hemisphere that has AOL locations marked on it:

Flat Scalzi, astride North America.

We then paused to take in the AOL Mission Statement:

"Telephone? Is that the thing with the curly wire?"

So, that's Part I of Flat Scalzi's visit to the AOL Dulles Campus. Stay tuned for Parts II and III later today.

As a reminder, you still have time to get your Blog Six-Pack Pick -- the official deadline is 5pm today, though since I'll be featuring them in smaller batches over the next few days, I won't be super strict on it.

However, I do want to note for some of you folks that it's a Six-Pack of blogs, not a case. We've got some real binge bloggers. Or blogoholics. Something.

Thanks -- Joe

Tags: AOL Journals, Flat Scalzi, Scalzi