Oh man, would this be a retro-metal throw back day? Queensryche! Remember them? Popular back in the day of Van Halen, Judas Priest and the Scorps. Well, we'll just have to see if parking with the bus is all that we imagine it to be...

Sony Online Entertainment - Seattle

Spent a day with the Sony Online Entertainment Seattle studio Creative Director for the MMO game The Agency TM. By the way, MMO means massively multiplayer online game. Sony Online Entertainment is a testosterone-fueled environment with a sprinkling of chicks. Concept art of mercenaries and spies fills the halls along with a Ducai motorcycle from The Matrix and a purple ping pong table. With dimly lit cubicles and guys in jeans, combat fatigues and lots of black, meetings were super efficient and standing. No one sat down. They kept things moving and were very serious. It was 24/7 gaming, so if you're not up on the latest and greatest in assassination plots or all-out assaults, check your fanny pack at the door. Every game nuance is analyzed from length and complexity of missions to issues with lighting and bugs. Aside from my time with The Agency, I spent the day testing the Beta for new tween targted 3D virtual world game, Free Realms TM, to launch a bit later this spring. It didn't feel like work, but was part of the job! All I can say is that I couldn't get the Robgoblins out of the pig pen. But, as a non-gamer, they said my feedback was invaluable! Check out the Free Realms website where you too can sign up to be a Beta tester! www.freerealms.com

Heebie Jeebies Funeral Home

Yikes! This was a crazy, creepy day. No place I would want to work. Ever. But people do. I was expecting to walk into the place and have it all dark and, oooh, so scary. But it seemed pretty normal. At first. It was light and bright in there and looked like an office. I met with the funeral director and went through his typical day. He explained every little detail, because I wanted to know every tiny thing. I knew NOTHING about this stuff. And now I do. Then spent a pretty interesting lunch with him over bbq around the corner. Lots of silly stories and gross ones too. I guess these guys gotta keep funny to be sane? Then after lunch was the freaky tour of the whole place and process. Yowza! Not something I ever want to see again. I will try and block it from my mind. Not the career for me. Learn detes in the book...