Beer and sewing

My most recent project has been... well, I think it needs a little background.

In real life, I'm a software engineer. Software engineers, in general, are big fans of beer, especially here in the northwest US where we have so many great microbreweries. In July 2006, before I joined my current company, there was a grand competition between the software (writes the code) and IT engineering (deploys the code and keeps it running in our data centers) teams. A competition to build the best mobile beer delivery system into a standard recycle bin. The contest was close. They both added a certain amount of decor to the basic container, one with a wood top and one with a foam top of our logo. Each had a sound system and held a 1/2 barrel keg. We still use them for parties.

Last year we were acquired by The Borg, but they could not crush our spirit! IT and software combined forces to challenge the Microsoft Display Advertising Platform team to a new competition. An even more ambitious one. Originally there was a limit of 43" on all dimensions, but it was removed at their request. Now the only mobility requirement is that each kegerator must be able to be moved into and out of the location at which it will be used.

A lot of people have poured their time and expertise into this, and it's pretty awesome. My small contribution, aside from hanging out and criticizing other people as they programmed, was to sew a cover for the gas bottles (CO2 is mixed with the beer to make it fizz), which are strapped to the outside of the thing. I sewed it on the new sewing machine (yay!) out of black awning canvas, and hand-embroidered our logo on. Pictures forthcoming in a couple of days, when the competition is over and we have DOMINATED!