Wooden Bowl by Jason Coleman — My co-worker made nice wooden bowls out of our cherry tree and was even kind enough to give one to us, even though that was completely unnecessary of him.
Month: August 2006
On A Break From Vacationing
Well, we made it back to Richmond late last night and were safely back at our jobs today. What was supposed to be a relaxing trip to Tennessee to help sort through some of Angela’s old things turned out to be a full on moving experience! We got most all of her parents’ things from the old house to the new one, though. This was in no small part due to the help of friends and family who came over to lend a lot of help. Jason Johnson and Kevin O’Mara earned more thanks than all of us could ever give them by showing up on very short notice and working very hard without complaint to move a lot of furniture. My mom and younger brother also spared some of their respective days off to come and lend a hand. Just knowing that you have people in your life that will help out like that really makes you realize how lucky you are. I know you heard it so much you probably thought it was a skipping record, but I just want to put in writing for all the internet to know: thank you all so much for your help. It meant so much to me, Angela, and my in-laws for you to put in hours of labor for us.
I learned something new about my wife that I honestly either didn’t know or just hadn’t been able to grasp what it meant until now. She owned more stuffed animals than a carnival ball toss booth. She wasn’t the kind of girl in college that kept them out on her bed during the day or anything, thank goodness. No, they had been hidden like Al Capone’s loot in the back of a never opened and thoroughly filled closet since she was a little girl. Upon rounding the corner one morning while carrying boxes, I saw what honestly made my draw drop: shelves from floor to ceiling of stuffed animals. There were Care Bears, My Little Pony, Cabbage Patch Dolls and Pound Puppies. She even had a stuffed Pac Man (although apparently my wife had completely forgotten the waka-waka Pac Man sound effect as she clearly demonstrated to me…). It was amazing. Sadly, no real photographic evidence was made of just how much stuff was stuffed on those shelves since there was too much sweating and cursing going on at the moment to make me want to find the camera. However, it was really an amazing sight.
While I had really hoped to get a lot more done at the new house in the way of lighting, fixtures, and arranging, most of the time in Cookeville was spent just hauling stuff. Dave and I did manage to get at least one ceiling fan installed in a guest bedroom (which will be known as the Angela suite for now on), but not without some trouble. We quickly got the old light fixture down and the new one up in it’s place, but in my haste I didn’t do a very good job of providing a solid wiring connection. In the process of getting the fan in place, one or both of the wires came loose and the fan of course then couldn’t work on an open circuit. Grumbling, Dave and I took it down and I got a good, sound connection at both wires. Hoping to be sure that this was just my poor wiring skills and not some sort of more difficult problem with wiring elsewhere or the fan itself, I decided to test the fan before actually getting everything put back together. There’s a reason that step is left out of the instructions. While the fan was hanging by the temporary hook which allows for some working room to connect wires, I flipped the switch. Well, an un-weighted fan gets to top speed very quickly and the mass of the fan motor pull the hook off of the ceiling mount in an instant. The motor weighed enough to pull itself free of even my now very substantial wire splice and came speeding straight down onto the bed below. While a very old mattress, there was plenty of bounce to pop the motor back up into the air and off of the bed onto the (very) hardwood floor below. The fan was moving a fairly good clip and the delicate brass metal and plastic relays stood little chance of surviving impact. In front of my brother and mom and in the span of about a second I went from triumphant electrical problem solver to a rather embarrassed brother, son, husband, and engineer. After a fairly short silence, Dave’s roaring laughter made us all feel a little bit better about just how hilarious what we had just watched was.
We quickly went over to Lowe’s and bought an identical fan and had the second up and working in less than ten minutes after getting back to the house. The lesson here: just wire it right in the first place and don’t try and test things in what are obviously stupid ways. Wait, that’s not even a lesson; that’s just plain common sense. Something that I would really regret having misplaced that afternoon were it not for just how really entertaining it was to watch that fan motor take flight.
The bad news after this trip, other than just how tired and sore Angela and I both are, was that we didn’t get to see my big brother or my Dad and his wife, Susan, at all. Unfortunately, there just wasn’t time for us to get to do a lot of the things we really wanted to during this trip because what had to be done took a lot of time. Anyway, we’ll have all that much more to enjoy come the Christmas holiday season and it sure was good to have the Dyers moved. I know their going to enjoy their new home and we’ll enjoy getting to visit.
On The Move
Well, first, I honestly feel like I owe the world an apology for not writing more. It has been insanely busy the past week at work for a variety of reasons I’m not going to go into, mainly becuase I’m not at work now and I don’t want to think about it. I’ve got some free time and I’m going to spend it writing about other things.
Last weekend, Angela and I took a short trip to Nag’s Head, NC to spend with some friends of ours. We left after our long run on Saturday morning and it was an insanely long drive to get over there for some reason, but gave us a chance to see how we liked our Escape on some longer trips. Well, we couldn’t be happier. The beach was fun, although I did manage to lose two pairs of sunglasses in as many days. This was due partly to the fact that I can’t seem to learn that wearing sunglasses in the ocean might be a bad idea and also the fact that the Atlantic was being particularly chopping and ferocious that weekend. Oddly enough, I managed to hang onto them even when I fell off of Ross’s Honda watercraft twice in a row.
Sunday was a frenzied drive back to Richmond to make it just in time to pick the dogs up from doggie Summer Camp at Holiday Barn (yes, there really is such a thing and yes we paid $30 for them to get to play in activities with other dogs). It’s always nice to get away for the weekend, but of course we were exhausted on Monday morning. Turns out, this was a bad week to be exhausted for (I know I said above I wasn’t going to get into it, but breifly&hellip). My office manager (and the Richmond branch’s head structural engineer) was on vacation all week and when there’s only three of us engineers, it increases the work load of the others when one of us takes off. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just the way things are when you work for a small company. That coupled with a few unexpected project-related suprises this week made for some frantic days. Anyway, I had worked enough extra I was able to leave early yesterday to begin our trip for this weekend.
Last night we drove down to Cookeville, TN to help Angela’s parents move across town to a smaller one-story house just north of TTU. We just came back from checking the home out and meeting the neighbors (who happen to be some old family friends of the Dyer’s), and it’s really terriffic. Now the reason we’re here is so that Angela can go through all her old things and decide what needs to go back to Richmond, what goes to the new house, and what gets tossed out. I’m favoring the last option for most items, but it’s not my call. Anyway, we’re also here for some muscle, and I’d like to put out a APB to all our friends here in town for some help in that manner. In return, you’ll recieve some beer, dinner, and the love and adoration of us. Who could ever need more?
Oh, also, Angela and I are still on our training schedule and we’re planning a 10-miler for Sunday morning. We’ll start out at Derryberry Hall at 7:30 am if any of you fast-footed folks are interested in going the distance (or even just 3 miles of it) with us. We’ve planned a nice route that will provide some good hills, but also three nice little breaks for sports drinks and snacks (yes, we run like it’s a party). Anyway, we’d love to have anyone who’s interested come out for a good run (rain or shine). We’ll be running only about an average pace of around 12:00 min./ mile, so you’ll have no excuses for not being able to keep up.
Otherwise, we’ll be in town through Tuesday morning. We’d also like to go out Sunday evening (tentatively) for my 30th, if anyone’s up for that. We probably party more during runs than when we celebrate birthdays, so don’t expect anything too wild. We’d really just like an excuse to spend time with our friends and family, even if means lifting our feet for running, lifting furniture to move our parents, or lifting a beer for my 30th.
Macaca? Mohawk? Here’s the Big Hairy Deal
This week, after Sen. George Allen called his opponent’s staffer Macaca, a controversy brewed. What does the word mean? Is it demeaning? Or worse yet — French? But amid the apology and recriminations, a mystery has emerged regarding coiffure.
This week, after Sen. George Allen called his opponent’s staffer Macaca, a controversy brewed. What does the word mean? Is it demeaning? Or worse yet — French? But amid the apology and recriminations, a mystery has emerged regarding coiffure.
Amazon.com — Pioneering Click to Download
Having taught the world how to shop online, Amazon.com now finds the world shopping elsewhere on the internet. It is time to become a pioneer again
Having taught the world how to shop online, Amazon.com now finds the world shopping elsewhere on the internet. It is time to become a pioneer again
Oil and Water Mix and Un-Mix on Demand
Oil and water can for the first time be mixed and separated on demand thanks to a new, reversible surfactant.
Oil and water can for the first time be mixed and separated on demand thanks to a new, reversible surfactant.
Atomic Hopper Shows Promise for Nano Switching
A single cobalt atom has been made to hop back and forth between two positions in response to an electric current by US researchers. The technique could some day lead to the development of atomic switches for nanoscale devices.
A single cobalt atom has been made to hop back and forth between two positions in response to an electric current by US researchers. The technique could some day lead to the development of atomic switches for nanoscale devices.
Russian Mathematics Genius Shuns the Spotlight
The world of mathematics is in uproar over rumours that its most prestigious prize will be turned down next week by one of its brightest stars.
The world of mathematics is in uproar over rumours that its most prestigious prize will be turned down next week by one of its brightest stars.
Runner to Take on 50 Marathons in 50 Days
This fall, 43-year-old long distance runner [Dean Karnazes] will tackle one marathon a day for 50 consecutive days, running a total 1,310 miles (2,108.2 km) in 50 days. And for each 26.2‑mile (42.2 km) race, Karnazes and his family of four will travel to a different U.S. state.
This fall, 43-year-old long distance runner [Dean Karnazes] will tackle one marathon a day for 50 consecutive days, running a total 1,310 miles (2,108.2 km) in 50 days. And for each 26.2‑mile (42.2 km) race, Karnazes and his family of four will travel to a different U.S. state.
Democrats’ Stock Is Rising on K Street
Washington lobbying firms, trade associations and corporate offices are moving to hire more well-connected Democrats in response to rising prospects that the opposition party will wrest control of at least one chamber of Congress from Republicans in the November elections.
Washington lobbying firms, trade associations and corporate offices are moving to hire more well-connected Democrats in response to rising prospects that the opposition party will wrest control of at least one chamber of Congress from Republicans in the November elections.