Christmas day

We all went to my sister Megan's house for Christmas dinner, and boy did we have a blast! It's been a long time since I've laughed that much, and I was on a roll. I got a lot of milage out of my sister's 120 degree tree! Since it was an artificial one, she only built one side, and fastened the tree to the walls with string and thumbtacks. This saved her lots of room, which actually, was a stroke of genius, but I couldn't let my sister know that.... So I joked about how many more presents there seemed to be this year, while actually being 2/3rds less, and how she was saving on electricity, only using 1/3rd of the lights, etc.


I also called it her 4th Dimension tree, saying that the rest of it was in a quasi-dimensional state between our reality, and being shared with two other Megans in different planes of existance. Yeah, not many other people got that one, but my brother did! Just look at that shirt! It's got science geek written all over it! He's a typical Carter, rocks at the green pie pieces, but sucks at the orange.

Dad excitedly unwrapped his present, and couldn't WAIT to give it a try!

The funniest part of the day was when my sister, Kerry, relayed a story that our brother Shane told her about his son, David. Shane asked David what he wanted for Christmas, and David quickly replied, "A penguin." Shane asked if he was sure he wanted a penguin, that maybe he would like a truck or some other toy better. David thought for a moment, but decided to stick with the penguin. So Shane tried to dissuade David from his choice, and went into an elaborate story about how young David would have to travel many, many thousands of miles, first by bus, then by train, through harrowing weather, then by boat, across the mighty ocean, then by dogsled, mushing across the frozen ice, in search of his penguin, since they only live in the antarctic. Shane went on to say that such a trip would take many years, and that by the time David returned, he would be a grown man! Shane doubted that he would even recognize his own son, after such a long journey. Without a hitch, David replied, "Of course you would, dad. I would be the guy with the penguin."

Oh, man, does that make me laugh! It also reminds me of another David story. Not too long ago, David was really into trucks. He liked any kind of large machinery, and he knew all the construction vehicles, back-hoes, loaders, etc. One day, in the summer, Shane and Kristen were driving through town with David in the back seat. They came up on a construction site, where one of the foreman was lamenting about one of the trucks being late. He must have been on the handheld radio or something, but he said, quite loudly, "Where's the fucking truck?" David shot up excitedly, asking, "Dad, what is a fucking truck? I do not know what a fucking truck is. I know what a tow truck is, but not a fucking truck. Where is the fucking truck? I do not see it. I see a dump truck, but I do not know what a fucking truck is." Shane and Kristen were laughing too hard to speak.

Any story about the funny things kids say wouldn't be complete without my favorite Autumn story. This happened probably 15 years ago, since Autumn is going to be 19 soon. The song "No more tears" by Ozzy Osbourne was being played heavily on the airwaves. One night, we had a family poker party at my parents' house, and my sister came with Autumn. Some of us were drinking heavily, and eventually I ran out of beer. As I finished the last can of Budweiser, I sniffled, and sang "No more beers, beers, beers. No more beers, beers, beers" to the Ozzy tune. We all laughed, and soon the poker game wrapped up and everyone went home. The next day, mom and dad were watching Autumn. When I came downstairs (I still lived there at the time) Autumn was at the kitchen table coloring, and drinking out of her sippy-cup. As she swallowed the last bit of liquid, she slammed the cup down, and broke into song, "No more choca-milk, milk, milk. No more choca-milk, milk, milk"

Christmas

I've been pretty bummed out over the last week, so I wasn't really looking forward to the holiday season. That all changed yesterday, when I started hearing my favorite Christmas songs. I've got several favorites, each of which represents a certain time of my life.

Let There be Peace on Earth - I guess this isn't an "official" Christmas song, but I heard it the other day, and I found the words speeding their way up from the deep trenches of my memory to explode on my consciousness with feelings and images of my childhood. This is the song I sang at my First Communion! I still knew all the words! It was a weird feeling, but good weird.

Do You Hear What I Hear - This is one of my all-time favorite songs, but the Perry Como version is the best. It's another song from my childhood that I remember when mom would put a stack of LP's on the turntable, and we'd just go through them over and over, all day long. There were several good songs in that stack, but this has always been my favorite. I haven't heard the Perry Como version yet...I'm still hoping. Hah! The song just started on WDOK! It's not Perry, though. :-(

Father Christmas - This song, done by The Kinks, came out when I was in high school. The only time I ever hear it is on the classic rock station, once or twice a year, at Christmas. This is THE defining Christmas song for me. It's one of two that I need to hear every year, to be put in the Christmas spirit. I just heard it, for the first time this year, yesterday. Junior had not heard it before, but laughed along as he listened to the lyrics unfold. Christmas was that "" close to not happening for me.... Oh, and the rules are, I have to hear it on the radio, by chance. I can't buy it, or download it, or copy it. It's that magical.

Happy Xmas (War is over) - I just read that this song came out in 1971 as a protest to the Vietnam war. I remember it most from my college years, with the slight change in lyrics to read "And so this is Christmas, and another new year, let's pray for a good one, with plenty of beer!" It gained a lot of air time after John Lennon's death in 1980. Junior and I sang this just yesterday, in the truck!

White Christmas - This is the other song that I need to hear each year, validating that we're actually in the Christmas season. Of course, no one can sing it like Bing, though many try.

2000 Miles - I've liked this song since it came out, but it really sunk into my brain when I was in the Navy. A good friend of mine, Devon Bunch, was putting together a package for his new wife at Christmas. We were on a six-month WestPac (1986-87) cruise, and he missed her just an incredible amount. He wanted some suggestions for a tape he was making for her, so I suggested Bargain, by The Who, but he couldn't see the romantic side of that one. Then I played this song off the Learning to Crawl tape, and he loved it. We went on to make a short video of him dancing side by side with two other friends to the song I Can't Help Myself, aka "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch" by The Four Tops. Just imagine three white guys trying to dance like the Four Tops, snapping fingers, spinning around, fancy footwork in step, mostly....fortunately for all, I was the cameraman. Whenever I hear this song, I go back to that instant of my life, and, I swear, I can smell the sweet, oily steam of the catapults and the overpowering, acrid stench of jet exhaust.

Honorable Mentions: Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, by Bruce Springsteen. I Believe in Father Christmas, by Greg Lake, which has a beautiful melody, totally incongruent with the lyrics. Carol Of The Bells, preferably at night, while driving, looking at Christmas lights

Every Rose Has It's Thorn - This is a favorite Christmas song in a very convoluted way. It's not a Christmas song at all, obviously, but it reminds me of someone who, to this day and forever, holds a very special place in my heart. This was Rose's favorite song. She was a barmaid at a hole-in-the-wall joint we used to drink at, in Lemoore, Ca. when I was stationed there. On this date, in 1988, (My God, that's 20 years ago!!) on a last-minute whim, she invited me to a small Christmas party she was hosting for friends and family. I was a bit homesick, and felt depressed and lonely. She really had to talk me into going. I protested because I didn't know many people there; but she persevered and got me to climb in the truck with her and Bill. We had a few drinks, and some great food, then they started handing out presents. I sat quietly in the background, watching the gift-exchange that had been set up weeks before. Her children were there. Her friends from the bar, and from outside the bar were there. Rose would pick up a gift, read the name, pass it to that person, and we'd all cheer and applaud as they opened it. I felt awkward, and left out, but I participated in the cheering. Then, to my utter surprise, she called my name. I was dumbfounded. "How did you know that I was going to be here?", I asked. "Santa knows everything", she replied, with an air of what I can only describe as "duh". I unwrapped the paper to find this:



That was the single most gracious, generous, and unexpected gift ever bestowed upon me. To this day, I'm moved by her kindness and empathy. A Budweiser stein; still one of my most treasured gifts of all. That year, Rose demonstrated that the Christmas spirit is about sharing with friends and family, and even a stranger from a small town in Ohio.

How Browns' fans celebrate the Christmas season

Last Sunday, my friend Rick and I went downtown for a tailgate party before the Cleveland Browns game. As you can see, it was a beautiful day in Cleveland, down by the lake, with the wind chill of negative 25. Someone brought a Christmas tree, so we decorated it with empty beer cans. The beer was freezing in the cans as soon as we popped the top, so we had to drink fast...like the guy in the picture is demonstrating. I taught him everything he knows...btw.

Deneen had asked Rick and I to judge the annual chili cook-off held by a group of her Browns' fans friends (BFF's?). Deneen is the pretty one in the middle. Rick and I are the troll-like bookends. In the background is the USS Cod submarine.


Here's another shot of the USS Cod. Man, is that a tiny boat!

Let the chili tasting begin! There were half a dozen or so entries. This was the first contestant. His chili was very sweet. Not what I was expecting at all, but I really liked it. His came in second place for me. My first place pick was the most traditional American chili, which was spicy, with plenty of ground beef, lots of beans, and with a strong tomato background taste.. My third place choice was a traditional Mexican chili, made with ground beef, some pulled pork, and several different types of beans, but very little tomato. Two types had turkey rather than beef (good, but I'm a traditionalist), one entry left a pleasant hotness lingering after it was gone. This was Rick's first choice. Rick's third choice was a venison based chili. It was also good, but not the best.

Since Rick and I had different 1st and 3rd winners, but agreed on 2nd place, we chose him as the winner. Here the lovely Deneen is awarding the coveted trophy, which will no doubt sit in a box of Browns paraphernalia until next year's contest.

Dinner at Mom and Dad's

My younger sister (well, they are all younger, since I'm the oldest) Stacey came up from Florida for the weekend to let everyone see her new baby, Elizabeth, aka Elly. She brought her 2.5 year old, Molly too. So Mom cooked a real nice pot roast for everyone and we got to visit for awhile. Grandpa got the first honors.

Molly loved playing with Little Miss Dickel (named after Dad's favorite whiskey), but I'm not so sure LMD enjoyed being played with. She'd run away every chance she got.

Elly and I had a great time! It wasn't until after I'd been making faces and baby noises for 5 minutes that I noticed Stacey was recording... I've got to get that recording before it falls into the wrong hands!

Autumn and her boyfriend, Anthony stopped in too. Autumn made some Christmas cards for me this year which were just phenomenal! Thanks Aut!

Shelby is Autumn's younger sister. She was trying to show Molly how to play with the kitten with a string and Christmas ornament. Molly just wanted to hold the kitten, though.

One more goofy picture of me, with my new niece.

New toys at work update

Last month, I posted a picture of a sectionalizer box. As promised, here is the inside. This is a nice system! One of the sets of cables coming in from the left (bottom three) is the feeder. The other set of cables (top two) go out to a new building. Two more sets of cables can come in from the right side. The three vertical bars in the center are the buss. The cables are joined to the buss with horizontal "links". The links can be removed while the buss is energized, so a cable can be disconnected, without shutting down the other cables. I don't think that procedure is practiced any longer, due to safety concerns.

Our job was to install the third cable. The cable first gets terminated in a pot head, like the two above. We stuck the cable inside the box to get a measurement.

I'm sliding the pothead body over the cable.

After filling the pothead body with compound, it's ready to be bolted into the box.

Finished product! It's shiny.

My first 35kV solder-wipe termination!

Junior and I have started a new job, replacing old porcelain cable terminations with new ones.

This is our home for the next couple of weeks. This tent will keep the snow and rain out, but still provide ventilation through the center. It's also on wheels, so we'll be able to roll it down to the next set of terminations. The lines you see (disconnected, of course) carry 34.5 kV from the transformer secondary to another substation.


This is our first victim. The cable coming from the bottom is a single conductor (Phase C), with a lead tube around it. These cables are pressurized with nitrogen, to keep moisture out, and to provide an early warning of possible failure. If we find that a lot of nitrogen is being used, we know the cable is leaking. If the amount of nitrogen leaking out is excessive, we know that there is a problem, and it's possible that the cable will fail. The lead jacket gives excellent protection to the conductor, and allows us to solder-wipe joints together.


Junior uses a torch to melt the existing solder joint. I'm holding the pan to catch the drippings.


The old terminator came right off. What you see here is the stress cone.

I'm inserting a guide rod so the new terminator will sit properly over the existing cable.

The new one went right on. We plumbed it up, then tightened the bracket.

Here's that pot of molten lead again. My job was to ladle out the solder into a pan, and cool it to a mushy consistancy so that it was solid, but workable. As Junior needed it, I would pour a dollop of the solder onto his wiping pad, and he'd apply it to the joint where the terminator and the lead tube meet. That pot weighs about 30 lbs, full of lead.


After the joint is made, we cool it down rapidly with wet rags. We were too busy during the wiping process to take any pictures, so you just get to see the final product.



That was a lot of fun today! We're hoping that with practice, we'll decrease the time. The Bruiser was able to get two of these done in a 10 hour day, so that's our goal. For starters, though, we were happy to get one done in 8 hours, with no mistakes or injuries.

You never know what you'll learn at Mitchell's...

A night or so ago, I walked up to Mitchell's for a couple of beers. It's kinda funny, because I just wanted to go for a walk, but needed a destination, so thought I'd grab two beers, then come home and work on stripping paint. I was talking with a couple of guys next to me, while Andrea (totally made up name, you'll see why...) waited on us. Gus had had a great day perch fishing, We talked about politics and movies, and whether or not the Brown's would beat Buffalo. I was having fun, so I drank another beer, had a shot, then Andrea's shift ended and she joined us. She knew the one guy's name, and he introduced his friend, "Jim". She shook his hand, then said, "Wait, is your last name Hammersmith?" Jim said yes, and Andrea looked at me and said, "Oh my god! This is the guy I lost my virginity to!" I was caught off guard. If I had a been drinking my beer, I'd have sprayed it all over the bar. So, I did the only thing I could think of, "Hey man, high five!" SMACK. I told her it was a bit more information than we needed to know. We talked a little more, Jim had recognized Andrea immediately, but it was funny that she didn't recognize him right away. "You really must have made in impression on her!", I chided.

During the same evening, the other barmaid kept playing air guitar, so when I asked her if she played, she said she could play rhythm on an acoustic guitar. She's not in a band or anything, but she did tell me to look up her "Obama song" on YouTube. So, here it is. The first verse is pretty bad, but after that, well, it's still bad, but what the hell, she's having fun.

Running into old friends

One of many cool aspects of being a union electrician is that we often run into people we've worked with before, on other jobs, and/or for other companies. The first time I worked with Andy was over 10 years ago for a shop that is no longer around. I was an apprentice, and he was my journeyman/foreman. Several years later, I was foreman on a job at University Hospital and he helped me out as a worker. We've often worked together at the steel mills too. When I walked in the room for the first time for Call Henry, I saw him, Earl, Bobby, Tom G, Bruce, and Eddie; it was sort of like a family reunion. Working together over the years gives one a feeling of comraderie and brotherhood.


A couple of weeks ago, I worked with Andy on a cutover, and got to teach him a bit about HV splicing. He's a "splicer-in-training" for the shop and hands-on experience is always a good learning tool. Here he's shrinking down a Raychem motor lead termination kit for 2400V unshielded cables. I did the first three terminations, explaining what to look for, and showing him the proper technique of using the torch. He did the next three, then I finished the last three.

I couldn't have done a better job myself.

New toys at work

I've been getting started on some new types of high voltage work. In the past, I've done some lead cable work, but nothing like what I'll be doing soon at NASA, for Call Henry. I get to play with new toys! This is a solder pot. It's filled with molten solder that we used to tin the spun copper wiping sleeve of the termination. When I look at that, I think of Jearl Walker's The Flying Circus of Physics. When I was in high school, we watched a video of Jearl Walker explaining certain facts of physics, and demonstrating them. In one, he dipped his finger in water, then poked it in a pot of molten lead. He did the same thing with a cannister of liquid nitrogen. He was explaining how some people can walk across hot coals, barefoot. The intense heat causes the water to vaporize, forming a thin insulating layer between the molten lead, or hot coals and the person's skin. I don't remember how it worked with the liquid nitrogen, but it was similar. I bet Mr. Dria would be proud that I was actually paying attention way back then!

This is a sectionalizer box. Later, I'll post a picture of the insides. The cool thing is that I'll be terminating a cable installed in a pothead into one of these soon.

Here, I'm holding a stress cone that had been installed in one of the same type of terminations that we had to tin earlier. I don't know when we'll actually do those terminations, but I'm looking forward to it.

Happy Birthday Tess

Tess turned 91 on Friday. I had worked out a surprise party with "CR", one of the barmaids at Mitchell's. The plan was to take Tess out for dinner, like we usually do once a week, and have a few friends wish her a happy birthday. CR made this wonderful, and delicious cake for her. It turned out I had to work late, and we had to cancel the dinner, so I brought the cake over this morning. Tess was delighted!

Firebrand conversation at Mitchell's

Last night, I got into trouble with the barmaid ("JH"), and the woman I'd like to date ("CB"), who, incidentally, doesn't want to date me. The topic? Abortion.

It's just amazing that these interesting conversations always occur late at night, after too many beers and usually a couple of shots. That's too bad, because I enjoy debating these topics, including listening to the other person's views. I may not agree with them, but I think a healthy discourse helps to solidify one's own opinions, and you never know what might change your mind. The problem is that emotions run hot, and the friendly debate turns ugly.

I agree with JH and CB on many things. We're all voting for Barack Obama. We also agree on...hmmm, let me think here...what else do we agree on? The three of us agree on some things, the biggest that Obama would be a better president than McCain.

We were discussing politics, and smiling and all happy and in agreement as we tried to talk our friend into changing his vote from Bob Barr's Libertarian party, to Barack Obama. Then JH began whispering to CB, though not too quietly, that the fellow at the end of the bar was going to vote for John McCain, strictly to get Roe vs. Wade overturned. Her voice rose as she said "Some MAN is going to tell me what I can or can't do with my body!!" (Imagine her hands on her hips, and her head bobbing left to right as she spoke) Then I got involved, "Wait a minute. Why shouldn't the guy get a say in that? The child is his too." "Well he doesn't have to carry the child for nine, no, it's TEN months...", she said. "But what if the man wants to rear the child himself? Why shouldn't he get that chance?" I was going strong by now. "They want to outlaw abortion, even in the case of rape or incest!", she added. "Yes, but I'm not talking about that!", I replied, drawing closer to the fire. At this point, our very wise Libertarian friend left. CB also went out for a smoke, and I knew she was fuming. But I couldn't keep my damn mouth shut. JH and I went back and forth a little bit more, then, in the span of a second, I dug a 12 ft. deep grave (six feet is too shallow), jumped in, and pulled all the dirt on top of myself, by saying "Well then you should keep your legs shut!" I regretted it instantly. What I said was sort of what I meant, but not nearly as mean-spirited as the words I actually spoke. JH walked away. When she returned, she told me just how mean that was. I apologized, finished my beer, paid, and left.

The three of us had a similar conversation, gosh, last Saturday night, after many beers (think there's a pattern here?) That time, I buried myself when I asked them why women, considering the huge impact on their lives that a pregnancy could have, don't ensure using some form of birth control, or protection. To me, that's like a fireman going into a burning building without any equipment. Sure, he *might* come out unscathed, but he might not. Why take the chance? So CB drilled me with "Haven't you ever gotten caught up in the moment, and not used protection?" "Yes, of course I have, but I'm not the one who ends up raising the kid, so I would think it would be in the woman's best interest to have it." "Though I would be there for her, if that happened!", I hastily added (as if I still had a chance with her).

The ironic point is, I agree with RvW. There are several factors to consider. In my opinion, rape, incest, or to save the mother's life are valid reasons for abortion, and I'd go even futher, and say that instances of severe birth defects or severe mental retardation could warrent the operation. I think a woman should have a choice, but I also think that in the case of consensual sex, the man should have a say whether his child gets aborted too. I mean, it takes two to make a child. If she thinks enough of the man to let him into her body, then shouldn't his opinion count for something? I'm a firm believer in women's rights, but what about men's rights?

Abortion is killing. Sometimes, like war, killing is a necessary evil. But it should seen for what it is, not rationalized away by saying that the fetus isn't a child until birth. It should be avoided if at all possible, and there should be regret when it happens. If a person (man or woman) isn't mature enough to be responsible regarding sex, then they should keep their zippers zipped, or legs closed. Birth control should come before sex, not after.

That's what I was trying to say last night.

50 Years of NASA in Cleveland

Recently, Glenn Research Center (GRC) celebrated their 50th anniversary. See if you can find me in the picture. Hint: I'm not dressed like Waldo, but if I had known about the picture ahead of time.....



An observer with the right military background might notice the two S-3 Viking aircraft at the top of the picture. I don't know what their function is, though. During Hurricane Ike, there were several E-2 Hawkeye aircraft that came in for a day or two. They were deployed for weather monitoring as the hurricane came ashore.

I got to see them shipping some of the rocket sections for the Ares I-X one day. That seems like an interesting project, and one that is keeping jobs here at GRC.

If it wasn't for Wikipedia, my blog entries would me pretty damn boring!

Oh yeah, today is Tess's birthday. She's 91 today. I've got a little party planned for her for tomorrow at Mitchell's. Hopefully, I'll have some pictures to post from that.

My first 35kV splice and terminations

I spent the last couple of weeks working with Junior (not the same Junior I've posted about before) on some 35kV splices and terminations. This Junior is Dr. Bob's son. It's pretty cool to get to work with both of them. Junior and I went to 5 years of trade school together, then 2 years of High Voltage Splicing class. The splices were the easiest I've ever done, since they were at the perfect height, and in a large, warm, dry, clean room. I could get used to this sort of work! Here, Junior is chamfering the end of the insulation.


"Hey Shawn!" "Huh?" Yeah, he got a good stupid look out of me. I'm applying the yellow stress-relief mastick to the connector area of this splice. The two completed splices are hanging below.

This would be a great picture of me working on the terminations, if I had only looked up.

35kV cable is a bit bigger than what I've worked with in the past. The terminations are essentially the same, though there is much more exposed insulation (called tracking distance) on a 35kV cable termination than on a 15kV cable termination.

I'm very happy working at NASA. All of the guys there are pretty cool, and we do have a lot of fun busting each other's balls. One of these days, I'll get to work on some lead cables. That will be a new experience for me because, unlike the lead cables I've worked with before, these cables get "wiped", which means working with molten lead to fill in the joint between the cable jacket and the termination.

A sad day, indeed.

I read on /. that soon Opus will be no more. NPR has more info. I wonder myself where in the attic my old Opus plush doll might be found. He's probably playing with Hobbes.

Side note: I wonder how many morons got Opus tattoos.... When I was in the Navy, I knew a guy who got a Calvin tattoo. How often does he have to explain who Calvin is?

A pleasant autumn day

I went out to see my folks Sunday morning. We had breakfast in Wellington, then headed out to the farm. I love an early Sunday morning in farm country. The dew was sparkling off the fields, the air was crisp, I could even taste it.

During breakfast, we discussed the bailout (none of us like it!), and politics, and what everyone was up too. Dad and I shared a good chuckle when Shane's name came up because Dad can't talk politics with Shane without the two of them getting pissed off. Shane tends to dominate the conversation. I told Dad that I can't talk politics with Shane either, and we both have the same views! (I know you're gonna read this bro, and when you do, just imagine me sitting here, snickering) After breakfast, back at their house, I stood by the wood-burning stove, enjoying the fire I had recently started, and saw, on the 'fridge, where once was a picture of "W", there was now a picture of John McCain and Sarah Palin. I had to give dad a shot about that, and offered to get him a picture of Barak Obama.

We all walked out to see how the demolition of the grainery was coming. There isn't much left anymore. Mom and Neph have most of the wood either piled up neatly to save for firewood, or in a bonfire pile to burn one of these days. There were some concrete blocks, and some stone there still to be moved, but mom didn't want me to move them. I did pick up some nice stones for the front of my house. Mom kept trying to get me to take more of them, but I didn't want to load the truck down too much, or have to unload them when I got home. I did pick up two really nice ones for my front yard.

The rock in front must weigh 150 lbs. It was tough to get up into the truck. Now it's peacefully sitting there, not needing to be moved, zero inertia.

I sat for awhile with my dad, on the back porch, just enjoying the morning and chatting. I could hear the occasional train horn, the wind rustling the pre-autumn leaves, and Mom's cat purring deeply in my lap. It was very relaxing. Dad mentioned how he liked to sit there and think about all the projects he'd like to do. He mentioned that he could sit there for hours, thinking about the projects that he'd like to do....which sounded just like me. I can sit for an hour imagining just how Shelby's playhouse would look, what materials it would need, what tools, the roofing, and paint, and double-hung windows (two of them). I could spend another hour putting it together in my head, imagined weekends drifting past, trips to the hardware store, the smile on her face...and never get a damn thing done! (Hey bro, now I'm chuckling at myself)

Mom had copied a picture of Tina from this blog, and put it up on the family collage. She was disappointed when I told her that Tina and I had broken up, and that I was interested in a different woman. I didn't go into too much detail, because as of now, we're just friends, but who knows what the future holds.

I headed home to take Katie for a walk, then did some yard work, while the weather was nice. I ended up sitting in the back for a bit, and started a fire. I drank some apple cider with a shot of rum, while I cooked a couple of hot-dogs over the fire. Katie was laying on the ground next to me and I watched the stars come out. It was a nice end to a pleasant day.

Life is good!

I have been pretty busy lately. One of the greatest benefits of the new job is it's closeness to home. Driving 10 minutes to work gives me much more time for fun. Since we've had a week of incredible weather, I've been out on the bike more often. In fact, tomorrow I'll go pick up my new motorcycle jacket. It's Union Made in USA, which is nearly unbelieveable. Thanks Kip for that tip! I've got a couple of leather jackets already, but they aren't motorcycle jackets. The main difference being that a motorcycle jacket has a flap either under, or over, the zipper (some have both) that keeps wind from penetrating through the zipper. As the weather gets cooler, this becomes a huge difference. Tina just got a great buy on a Harley Davidson jacket (also Made in USA) at a second-hand store. Her's is $500 new, and she got it for $75!! I got her a helmet for her birthday, so maybe we'll get some riding in even in the fall. I'm considering getting chaps, or even leather pants, but that'll be next year.

I started going to the gym again, though I don't know if I'll keep the early morning (5 am) schedule, or move to an afternoon workout. NASA has a fitness center that I'm welcome to use also. Next Tuesday, I go in for a fitness test. I guess they want to make sure I won't keel over on the elliptical machine. I had to get a physical for work, and some blood tests to check lead and zinc levels in my body. Everything checked out ok, but both the nurse and doctor suggested I get my own doctor, and the nurse said I should have my eyes checked. Growing old sucks! I know I need reading glasses, because soon my arms won't be long enough for me to see what I'm doing.

Speaking of work, it's going great! For the last couple of weeks, I've been doing HV terminations. They are only 2400v unshielded terms, but NASA is very particular about how their work gets done, so it takes a little time. I really enjoy getting the time to do a top-notch job and not have the aggravations I had with the other company. I've got a few more days on this switchgear, then I'll start on a 34.5 kV job, with an old tradeschool classmate of mine. In fact, I was working with his father not too long ago. Bob Sr. is nicknamed Dr. Bob. Bob Jr. is nicknamed, well, Junior, but the guys at work extrapolated that to June Bug, and pretty much Bug, or The Bug has stuck. I think nicknames are great. BTW, my nickname is Shawn Two, since there is already a Sean on the job.

Katie is doing well, though I was pretty pissed at her today when she puked on the couch. Most of the time, I keep blankets on it, for protection, but I hadn't adjusted them recently and she found the one spot not covered. It's my fault for not taking her outside after she ate, or for keeping the couch covered. I've been taking her down to the Metroparks for walks and swims, though the water is starting to get cold. A couple of times I've also taken my neighbor, Tess. She'll be 91 on Halloween day. We walk a little, then she'll sit on a bench and watch the children playing, or the bikers, or joggers, or pretty much anyone while I take Katie for a short walk. She's what Bill F+11 would call "a pisser"! She's very frank and straightforward, and we talk about pretty much everything.


I haven't asked her what she thinks about the bailout of the financial industry though... I wonder what she'll say, with her knowledge of the Great Depression.

Yesterday, I played sand volleyball for the first time in 15 years. What a great time! It's a co-ed fall league that'll last 5 weeks, but we play two sets of 3 games each week. Everyone is close in age, so we were all tuckered out about the same, and I'm sure sore today. I was pleasantly surprised that I can still dig the ball out of the net and serve over the net. I'm looking forward to Wednesdays!

Scoring the ultimate job

Last week, due to pure dumb luck, I scored the ultimate electrician's job, here in the Cleveland area. I took a permanant call for Call Henry Inc, working at NASA Glenn Research Center. That's right NASA! Is that cool, or what?!


My job is with the High Voltage maintenance department, and it really IS high voltage. Their main feeders carry 138,000 Volts! The cable terminations I'll be repairing carry a mere 34,500 volts. Our job is to maintain the substations, perform scheduled maintenance, and complete repairs in order to keep NASA's power needs uninterrupted.

This is a picture of two types of cable. The piece on the left is of Unishield 500 kcmil copper conductor with a solid dielectric (insulation) rated for 15kV. It's one of the most common types of cable that I've worked with. The cable on the right is the 138 kV power cable. The insulation is the part between the shiny copper conductor in the center, and the black jacket. Quite a difference in insulation thickness between the two.

How did S. Africa beat us to this!

I like to stroll through Wikipedia from time to time to check out the picture of the day, read the daily facts, and history, and sometimes actually look something up.

Imagine my surprise when I saw this little fact regarding a holiday in South Africa! Jeeze, why couldn't we have come up with that?

This holiday "is started according to a design to solemnize women's independence and power in all facets of life, from their careers to their relationships to their own destiny." Now that's what I call rationalization!

Bravo, South Africa. Bravo.

Weekend Fun

In addition to visiting my friends, Jim and Kelly last weekend, I took Katie out to the park early Saturday morning for a stroll and a swim. I don't think she strolled a bit. It was like watching a 2 year old running everywhere she went. I gave her some off-leash time, and she behaved herself quite well.

Tina wanted some before and after pictures Saturday, when she got her hair cut. I like this picture, especially the red and green contrast. While she was getting her hair done, I took Tess up to Mitchell's Tavern for the prime rib dinner. One of these days, I'll get Tess on the back of my bike, and go for a nice ride through the metroparks. It's going to be sunny and warm tomorrow....


This picture was taken after her haircut. I know... you're all thinking: "Nice hooters!", and "Haircut?...she has hair? I didn't notice." I like her hair straight, but I don't know if it's worth sitting in a chair for 4 hours. Tina is going through a mid-life crisis right now. She'll be 45 in a few weeks, and she feels old. I'm not really concerned about growing old, so I can't comiserate with her. It's not like I'm an overflowing well of emotions anyway. In 100 years, we'll all be dead, so why worry about it.

This is absolutely the best picture of Katie I've ever taken. I had to post it. Besides, she gets jealous of Tina (and vice-versa), so I had to post 2 pictures of each of them to stay out of trouble. I will probably be in trouble with Tina anyway, for talking about her boobs. It's a daring life I lead...

The 5 year science project

My friend Jim (the wise fella who often posts sage advice as comments on this blog) has been working on a project for awhile. He's got it nearly complete, and far enough along to look good.


Yes, it's an arcade game. "Which one?" you ask. Why, it's all of them! With the magic of Linux, MAME, a soldering iron, and imagination, my friend has built the ultimate home arcade gaming experience!

Nice workmanship! It still needs a bit of tweaking, but we had fun playing old games last night. The graphics, the sound, the crappy animations. Ahhh. It was like being back in the 80's again.

There it was in the corner of the bar.
I tried to run, but I didn't get far.

BTW, this is the guy who wrote his first game for the Apple II + in Hex codes. For you non-computer geeks out there, that would be similar to cutting down a tree with a knife. It works, but takes a LOOONG time, and there are other, quicker, tools available, such as a compiler. OTOH, there is a wayyyy-cool factor there. I wrote programs in Assembly Language, and I thought that was hard. Writing out the progam in Hex is one step above using ones and zeros!