Facebook, man!! The last time I visited Amy she was working for Google and now, well, now she's working away at Facebook. And both of them are beyond belief. I mean, I'd consider coming out of retirement to work in one of these places.
Fun Facts: Facebook is an online social networking service headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It's website was launched on February 4, 2004, by Mark Zuckerberg with his Harvard College roommates and fellow students, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes.
The founders had initially limited the website's membership to Harvard students, but later expanded it to colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy League, and Stanford University. It gradually added support for students at various other universities and later to high-school students. Since 2006, anyone who is at least 13 years old was allowed to become a registered user of the website, though the age requirement may be higher depending on applicable local laws.
The name comes from the face book directories often given to American university students.
There it is!! 1 Hacker Way.
I never associated the 'Hacker' name with Facebook but Ol' Mark does.
And I wasn't about to argue. Hey, I'm getting a free lunch so I'll agree to most anything.
Oh, and if I haven't said this before, Thank you, Mark. It's really nice of you to let guys like me in to enjoy my favorite kind of lunch - free.
But first, I had to log myself in and then identify who was sponsoring me. That meant picking out Amy's name and then sending her a note to come and get me!!
Fortunately, I had Quinnie the Pooh with me and she showed me where to go. Building 14. Hahaha, seems I could have gone in Building 10, where Amy works. But, hey, we got in so I figure it was a win-win for me.
Once I had my badge, I was in!! Oh, and my escort, too.
They have some strict rules about who can come in and what they can take pictures of. As I learned. Gotta stay with your escort and, be a little careful about where you point the camera.
Hahaha, I can understand the need for security however, when I consider how much tech stuff I could steal I have to laugh. I'm still trying to figure out my stupid phone!!
But, I respect their concerns and so I asked before I shot.
This was shortly after we had to give up our walk because Quinnifer had a small melt down. She still wasn't feeling the Ol' Papa. I was OK to walk with but no hand-holding or sitting next to me. Gosh, she's only four but already acting like a teenager!!
Haha, she'll come to love me. Who wouldn't!?!
I wonder where she was when I caught this picture.
And, while we were waiting, there was a little time for watching some TV.
And taking some pictures.
One of the lamp shades.
Ah, what the heck, I like it.
Now I want you to understand that I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Facebook.
I was constantly astounded at the all the perks (?) these folks have working here at Facebook (FB). What at kick it was just to be there and see all the kings they have for their employees.
First off, they've made an effort to give them a nice place to work. They've made a huge effort to make the place pleasant and even whimsical. They even put a two-lane highway down the center of the complex. Hahaha, no cars, but a lot of people and a couple of bikes.
This is the barbecue restaurant. And it's all free!!!
Hahaha, I was like a kid in a toy store.
Down the way, down where the red and white canopies are? That's the Ice Cream Parlor. More on this later.
Another side of the barbecue joint.
Lunch time it gets pretty busy. Ah, ratz, I'm trying to remember what that building with the colorful border is for.
It's tough. They've got restaurants, arcades, dentists, doctors, an atm, a post office and, well, there's a counseling center where you can get help finding a home or, whatever. It's a kick in the pants!! Hahaha, if I got a job there I'd work until I die. Which, given all the free food I would be privy to, wouldn't be all that long after I started work.
A-MAZ-ING!!!
The pink door? That's the entry way to the Pop-Up Shop. They invite vendors in to sell their wares, whatever they might be.
And plenty of places to relax. If you don't like the adirondack chair bare, there's bins with cushions for you to use.
Un.Be.Liv.Able!!!
Quinnita posed for a picture in 'jessie, the pacer'.
'jessie the pacer was used as a promotion for the launch of #instagram.
They drove this pacer across the Nation in two weeks and chronicled their adventures on Instagram.
And now you can have your picture taken with jessie...and posted on FB.
Yeah, it's a giant screen and they do show movies here in the quad.
Oh, look at the ground...kind of looks like a maze laid out on the ground in gray and while. Let's take a look at it from a different angle via our old friend, Google...
Thanks, Google Maps. Here's a view from above.
They do like that term, 'Hack'.
But Ol' Smilin' Jack was feeling a bit peckish and so off we went to one of the many restaurants they have there.
Uh, Mmmmmmmmmm.....
Quinnlisheous has been there before and knew exactly what she wanted.
Bread and cheese. Here she is making a cheese sandwich in which you wrap a piece of cheese between a piece of cheese and...enjoy.
Me? I opted for some turkey, roast beef and some cheese and prosciutto.
Ahhhhh, Nirvana!!
Plus you get DCs and whatever else you might want to drink. I went back for Round Two and followed Quinnuine's lead...I went for the cheese and bread.
Hahaha, I don't know what these were set up for but Quinnevive sure enough did.
She made herself right at home.
It's a tough life, right!?!
This is the entrance to the restaurant we ate in.
They don't half-step around FB.
Amy asked me which one I liked best that I visited, Google or FB. My first response was a slight tip to Google simply because it was less crowded.
Amy pointed out that it was less crowded because it is a much larger 'campus'. She's right. I have since changed my mind.
FB is the better of the two Fantasylands!!
Hands down!!
Here's the burger joint we ate at on my third visit to FB.
Polish Sausage and Onion Rings. Hahaha, they had burgers and milkshakes and fries and, ah, you get the idea.
See the brightly colored building to the right of the Burger Shack?
Yeah, that's right. It's an arcade.
IT'S AN ARCADE, BRAH!!!
Yeah, that's right. They've got an arcade there with all kinds of games. I was immediately drawn to the FREE pinball machines.
Specifically, to this one.
And, evidently, I am pretty damn good at it!!
They wouldn't rig the machines to let you rack up great scores, would they?
Ah, who cares, I rocked!!
And, true to my roots, I looked small, too. Hahaha, again, I don't know what this is but, heck, it was photogenic.
Don't get the idea this was a small place. There's around 6,000 folks working there. Along with Amy.
We did go up a flight of stairs to get an overview of the quad.
And here it is. Can you see the word "Hack?"
Who wouldn't want to work here!?!
Plus, Quinnelope was feeling better and gave me another pose.
Sunny Quinn!!
Hahaha, I was on a roll. Here she is with a lego board.
Did I mention this was a fun place to work?
And then Amy showed me the giant chess set.
Somehow I don't think too ham people have used this set.
Quinntastic was trying to move one of the pawns and that ol' boy that was frozen with rust. Each of the pieces is set on wheels but, if you leave your toys outside well, the weather will get them.
And on the other side of the walkway was this...a modernistic "Tree House".
Yeah, they've got a small park-like area with a modular playhouse set in the middle of it and a lot of comfortable, and colorful, chairs.
My two girls!
Understandably, I was hesitant to go up into the modular Tree House. Hahaha, I'd already hurt myself so I felt there was no need to tempt the fates again.
Nice bike, eh? They've got them stuck all over the campus. Just come out, find one and hop on.
It's a playground!!
Looking small.
Then we went into the FB Store.
T-shirts, magnets, pins, hats and all kinds of other stuff.
Plus this snow-globe.
I almost bought this one. Haha, I could be a 'Hacker".
OK, there's no way I could be a "Hacker".
OK, let's go to the Ice Cream Shoppe!!
Oh!! My!! Gosh!!
It's all free!!
Yogurt, ice cream, whatever!!
And I got some Salted Peanut Caramel with mint chips.
It wuz good!!
It put a smile on both our faces!!
Then Quinnerva showed me some of her graffiti.
What a fun place to work!!
Amy particularly liked the sideways gravity room.
They set this up just for picture-taking.
Looks like the girls are just lying on the grass and watch the clouds float by, right!?!
Hahaha, fooled you!!
Turn the pictures sideways and you can see that she's just standing and leaning against a grass-covered wall.
A beautiful day to be a FBer.
Oh, and they have a massage parlor there, too.
Course, like the doctor and the dentist, you have to pay for this but, Hey!! It's there, right!!
I just smiled and shook my head.
They've got a tram service to run you to and from your car.
But, parking is at a premium there. Course if you get there anytime before 0900 you've got your pick of spots. It's a great place to work but, they're not a bunch of morning people there, evidently.
Even the paint schemes of the buildings are whimsical.
OK, let's skip ahead and this is my second visit to FB. This time I went for something a bit more ordinary...a Polish Sausage and Onion Rings.
Fun and tasty!!
Amy got a grilled chicken with cheese.
I was so hungry, I forgot to get a picture before I ate my dawg.
A view of the open lunch area. Nice day, eh!?!
I was working my magic and got this picture with Quinn and Maximillion.
Then I thought why not move the chair and make the picture a little better.
Haha, missed one.
Believe me, I was seriously thinking of coming out of retirement just to get a job at FB. Hahaha, shut up. I know I couldn't get a tech job there. I was think security or, even, food.
I'm thinking about it.
Also believe me when I say if I lived near Menlo Park, I'd be joining Amy for lunch often. Oh, and breakfast. Mmmmmmm, all you can eat bacon. Definitely for breakfast, too.
It's good. I got to spend some great time with a couple of my Grandkids and Amy and Kristi plus I got to putz around California.
Life is good.
Hooah!!
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