I Need A Nomex Jumpsuit?
I'm pleased to report that I managed to sleep my way out of the grip of the creeping crud which was attempting to take over my lungs earlier this week and managed to get back to work yesterday and put in a full day with a reasonable level of concentration and clarity.
When I first arrived in Tulsa about a month ago I really hadn't considered certain issues relating to the dangers of working in and around equipment in oil refineries.
Oh sure, I've spent most of my professional career working around hot dangerous stuff like steam boilers in paper mills, power plants, chemical plants, and other industrial facilities, but virtually ZERO time around places containing high pressure hot fluids which are FLAMMABLE.
Thus the realization of the realities of working in a refinery.
At work yesterday we wandered over to the warehouse in our complex where they stored the "safety gear" and when I left the building I had in my possession a hard hat, two kinds of safety glasses, gloves, and finally...
a Nomex jump suit...
...made out of the same material NASCAR drivers and Air Force Fighter Pilots wear when doing their jobs.
A fire proof suit of clothes.
When I told my buddy Rusty about the new clothes he quipped that I could have probably used such attire several times before in my life.
Episodes dealing with an ex-wife and a former business partner come to mind come to think.
So any way...the beginning of my second month (first full time month) of employment as "Lead Structural Engineer" finds me busy with training and processing a light work load as I settle into the position, and on that note it's time to get back to some productive work looking at fun things like National Engineering Design Code issues I'm dealing with this week.
Regards Y'all...
Friday, November 18, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
New Frames
Finishing Year's Old Products
I'm in the process of coming back up to speed after spending part of a week recovering from the results of what I call the effects of "burning the candle at both ends."
This moving stuff has taken it's toll on me...getting everything into boxes and back out of boxes...and then some sort of malady grabbed me on the airplane or somewhere in Houston and I'm just now able to stay awake long enough to get something done.
Late yesterday the girls convinced me come out of the house...getting out of my PJ's and putting on clothes and shoes and wandering over to Hobby Lobby to look at some stuff they needed for decorating, and in the process I took some original pen and ink drawings and some watercolors I had done a few years ago and in the end I found myself committing to buying a bunch of frames and matts for about a half dozen things to hang on the wall here in the new house.
I think that it's really cool to have art work hanging on the wall which originated in my mind and was produced by my hand.
I guess I'll go now and get ready to head back to work and try to catch up with everyone and get some drawings out the door.
Regards Y'all...
I'm in the process of coming back up to speed after spending part of a week recovering from the results of what I call the effects of "burning the candle at both ends."
This moving stuff has taken it's toll on me...getting everything into boxes and back out of boxes...and then some sort of malady grabbed me on the airplane or somewhere in Houston and I'm just now able to stay awake long enough to get something done.
Late yesterday the girls convinced me come out of the house...getting out of my PJ's and putting on clothes and shoes and wandering over to Hobby Lobby to look at some stuff they needed for decorating, and in the process I took some original pen and ink drawings and some watercolors I had done a few years ago and in the end I found myself committing to buying a bunch of frames and matts for about a half dozen things to hang on the wall here in the new house.
I think that it's really cool to have art work hanging on the wall which originated in my mind and was produced by my hand.
I guess I'll go now and get ready to head back to work and try to catch up with everyone and get some drawings out the door.
Regards Y'all...
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Public Appearences Yield Fun Maladies
Creeping Crud Won't Come Or Go Completely...
One thing I know I'm going to miss about living and working at home most of the time in the recent past was the lack of contact I managed to have with the "General Public."
Sure, I went out to the stores and to bars and restaurants a number of times a week and we traveled a little--usually compressed into a few weeks at a time several times each year--but now my new current lifestyle and work situation requires I get up every day and go to an office, and spending at least eight hours of my time outside my primary residence five days a week has apparently already taken it's toll to a degree.
When I came back from Houston last Thursday night I felt fine after sitting in a classroom and on an airplane with several people that were noticeably hacking and coughing a bit.
Saturday and Sunday I dutifully continued my month long push through the process of moving and getting things into and out of boxes, and then finally Monday morning I had to admit I had something going on in my chest and if I didn't slow down and rest a little I was going to end up at the doctor's office...something I haven't had the time to find one of yet here in Tulsa.
I finally ran home from the office mid morning yesterday after another false start after going in to my desk to check e-mail and gather up my computer and some job files, and then I proceeded to come home and sleep most of the day under the influence of Robitussin, get up in time to go to dinner, and then I slept from 8 PM to 5 AM last night...
...another NINE HOURS.
Since I usually can't sleep more than four to six hours in a row since I turned the age of about 40, I actually wish I could distill whatever is in being sick into a formula I could take which would allow me to sleep just a precious 8 hours each and every night.
Fortunately my work load is rather low right now since I'm still in training mode, and everyone but me is out of the office this week in meetings and sales calls, so I'm not on the critical path for ANYTHING and I can lounge around here in my pajamas consuming a few medical leave days and get back up to full speed before things get moving again.
All of that said, it's time to collect my thoughts, take another dose ofsleeping syrup Robitussin and lay back down for a while.
If you don't hear from me within 24 hours...someone please call 911...
One thing I know I'm going to miss about living and working at home most of the time in the recent past was the lack of contact I managed to have with the "General Public."
Sure, I went out to the stores and to bars and restaurants a number of times a week and we traveled a little--usually compressed into a few weeks at a time several times each year--but now my new current lifestyle and work situation requires I get up every day and go to an office, and spending at least eight hours of my time outside my primary residence five days a week has apparently already taken it's toll to a degree.
When I came back from Houston last Thursday night I felt fine after sitting in a classroom and on an airplane with several people that were noticeably hacking and coughing a bit.
Saturday and Sunday I dutifully continued my month long push through the process of moving and getting things into and out of boxes, and then finally Monday morning I had to admit I had something going on in my chest and if I didn't slow down and rest a little I was going to end up at the doctor's office...something I haven't had the time to find one of yet here in Tulsa.
I finally ran home from the office mid morning yesterday after another false start after going in to my desk to check e-mail and gather up my computer and some job files, and then I proceeded to come home and sleep most of the day under the influence of Robitussin, get up in time to go to dinner, and then I slept from 8 PM to 5 AM last night...
...another NINE HOURS.
Since I usually can't sleep more than four to six hours in a row since I turned the age of about 40, I actually wish I could distill whatever is in being sick into a formula I could take which would allow me to sleep just a precious 8 hours each and every night.
Fortunately my work load is rather low right now since I'm still in training mode, and everyone but me is out of the office this week in meetings and sales calls, so I'm not on the critical path for ANYTHING and I can lounge around here in my pajamas consuming a few medical leave days and get back up to full speed before things get moving again.
All of that said, it's time to collect my thoughts, take another dose of
If you don't hear from me within 24 hours...someone please call 911...
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Off To A Bumpy Start With Our ISP
Please Tell Me Cox Communications Isn't Just Like Comcast...
So most of my long time blog readers will probably remember I had a love/hate relationship with Comcast Cable over the past ten years or so beginning in Atlanta, then later on St. Simons Island and finally ending this month in Knoxville when we turned off the signal and headed west.
When we arrived here with our stuff almost the very first thing I did was crawl around in the floor while the movers were unpacking the truck connecting up a Television and the cable modem to make sure we had a good working signal.
We did.
But then we slowly noticed that the Internet speed here more or less totally SUCKS, and what is really weird is that I let the Cox Communications sales guy talk me into getting the "super duper warp speed" Internet because it was free until the end of the year and if I wanted to I could step back to standard cable January 1st if I wanted.
Right now if it gets any slower and I stepped back I'd be going to two Dixie cups and a length of string I guess.
Any way, we drove downtown on Sunday to turn over the keys to my temporary condo housing and when we left about 2:30 PM we had Internet and Cable, and we came back about 4 PM guess what?
No Cable...
And NO INTERNET!
Out friend Ski said that she noticed a Cox Communications truck outside on the street, and after doing a little calling we discovered that-after over a week of service--THAT THE IDIOTS HAD COME BY AND DISCONNECTED OUR SERVICE BECAUSE THEY HAD AN OPEN WORK ORDER TELLING THEM TO TURN IT OFF FROM THE PREVIOUS TENANT.
On Sunday afternoon.
And then guess what?
Since it was LATE on Sunday afternoon, they couldn't get back around to turn our service back ON...
the service which had been working just for 8 days...
UNTIL MONDAY MORNING.
Fortunately they were here a little after 8 AM so I was the only one suffering withdrawal symptoms from the lack of information.
Any way, that's my excuse for the silence here on the blog...that and being busy as heck unpacking and now fighting off a little bit of a cold or other form of creeping crud.
Time to get some reading and other stuff done...Regards Y'all...
So most of my long time blog readers will probably remember I had a love/hate relationship with Comcast Cable over the past ten years or so beginning in Atlanta, then later on St. Simons Island and finally ending this month in Knoxville when we turned off the signal and headed west.
When we arrived here with our stuff almost the very first thing I did was crawl around in the floor while the movers were unpacking the truck connecting up a Television and the cable modem to make sure we had a good working signal.
We did.
But then we slowly noticed that the Internet speed here more or less totally SUCKS, and what is really weird is that I let the Cox Communications sales guy talk me into getting the "super duper warp speed" Internet because it was free until the end of the year and if I wanted to I could step back to standard cable January 1st if I wanted.
Right now if it gets any slower and I stepped back I'd be going to two Dixie cups and a length of string I guess.
Any way, we drove downtown on Sunday to turn over the keys to my temporary condo housing and when we left about 2:30 PM we had Internet and Cable, and we came back about 4 PM guess what?
No Cable...
And NO INTERNET!
Out friend Ski said that she noticed a Cox Communications truck outside on the street, and after doing a little calling we discovered that-after over a week of service--THAT THE IDIOTS HAD COME BY AND DISCONNECTED OUR SERVICE BECAUSE THEY HAD AN OPEN WORK ORDER TELLING THEM TO TURN IT OFF FROM THE PREVIOUS TENANT.
On Sunday afternoon.
And then guess what?
Since it was LATE on Sunday afternoon, they couldn't get back around to turn our service back ON...
the service which had been working just for 8 days...
UNTIL MONDAY MORNING.
Fortunately they were here a little after 8 AM so I was the only one suffering withdrawal symptoms from the lack of information.
Any way, that's my excuse for the silence here on the blog...that and being busy as heck unpacking and now fighting off a little bit of a cold or other form of creeping crud.
Time to get some reading and other stuff done...Regards Y'all...
Sunday, November 13, 2011
My Day Off On A Ladder
Putting In Brighter Bulbs...
A couple of things finally hit me yesterday--a Saturday--when many if not MOST working people were taking a day off from their jobs.
I personally didn't have the opportunity to enjoy any such luxury because I still have about half of my possessions sitting in boxes in my office and garage, and there's a nearly infinite number of other things needing doing around here as we settle into our new home in Oklahoma and they (the things needing doing) are not going to get done all by themselves.
My first realization was this:
WE HAVE FOUR TOILETS IN THIS HOUSE.
Seriously, I had been confused for a while because the real estate ad said "three bathrooms"...but when the dust settled and I walked around and counted toilets...each of the three bedrooms had dedicated bathrooms, and then there's a half bath off of the kitchen in the hallway leading to the garage so the actual total is FOUR toilets.
FOUR TOILETS.
After living for five years in a house with only a full bath and one half, it's sort of interesting being able to just turn around, take a few steps, and take care of business without having to plan the event and have a map and make a trip across the property to accommodate my physical needs.
And Pat's already begun the process of buying a new assortment of lovely decorative toilet brushes with integral holding containers...
...so each toilet has it's owntoothbrush brush residing nearby for cleaning purposes.
The next revelation came in regard to the CEILING HEIGHT in this house...or more specifically... the realities of accessing the ceilings most 9' and some 10' and 12' high in different spaces and...
all having things like ceiling fans and recessed can lights which will need maintenance in the coming weeks and months.
The project at hand yesterday was to replace all of the 65 watt bulbs in the ceiling can lights in the living room, kitchen, and master bathroom with higher wattage bulbs and install dimmer switches.
Problem was, I had a 20' extension ladder only good for leaning up against stuff while climbing, and then I had a little 5' A-frame step ladder which was just asking me to climb it to it's top so I could fall off and break my neck or leg.
So of course a trip to Home Depot was in order, and then after returning home I had to haul my butt up and down my new 8' step ladder about fifteen or twenty times, and then I got to wander out to the breaker panel out in the garage and find out that things were actually pretty well labeled so I could turn off the electrical power to various circuits in order to install dimmers...
and at the end of the day I was tired but had avoided electrocution.
All and all a good productive day I'd say...and now it's time to plan the next Home Depot trip for Sunday, and try to spend the day with my feet on the ground instead of up on a ladder rung if possible.
Hope you all have a LOVELY SUNDAY...Y'all...
A couple of things finally hit me yesterday--a Saturday--when many if not MOST working people were taking a day off from their jobs.
I personally didn't have the opportunity to enjoy any such luxury because I still have about half of my possessions sitting in boxes in my office and garage, and there's a nearly infinite number of other things needing doing around here as we settle into our new home in Oklahoma and they (the things needing doing) are not going to get done all by themselves.
My first realization was this:
WE HAVE FOUR TOILETS IN THIS HOUSE.
Seriously, I had been confused for a while because the real estate ad said "three bathrooms"...but when the dust settled and I walked around and counted toilets...each of the three bedrooms had dedicated bathrooms, and then there's a half bath off of the kitchen in the hallway leading to the garage so the actual total is FOUR toilets.
FOUR TOILETS.
After living for five years in a house with only a full bath and one half, it's sort of interesting being able to just turn around, take a few steps, and take care of business without having to plan the event and have a map and make a trip across the property to accommodate my physical needs.
And Pat's already begun the process of buying a new assortment of lovely decorative toilet brushes with integral holding containers...
...so each toilet has it's own
The next revelation came in regard to the CEILING HEIGHT in this house...or more specifically... the realities of accessing the ceilings most 9' and some 10' and 12' high in different spaces and...
all having things like ceiling fans and recessed can lights which will need maintenance in the coming weeks and months.
The project at hand yesterday was to replace all of the 65 watt bulbs in the ceiling can lights in the living room, kitchen, and master bathroom with higher wattage bulbs and install dimmer switches.
Problem was, I had a 20' extension ladder only good for leaning up against stuff while climbing, and then I had a little 5' A-frame step ladder which was just asking me to climb it to it's top so I could fall off and break my neck or leg.
So of course a trip to Home Depot was in order, and then after returning home I had to haul my butt up and down my new 8' step ladder about fifteen or twenty times, and then I got to wander out to the breaker panel out in the garage and find out that things were actually pretty well labeled so I could turn off the electrical power to various circuits in order to install dimmers...
and at the end of the day I was tired but had avoided electrocution.
All and all a good productive day I'd say...and now it's time to plan the next Home Depot trip for Sunday, and try to spend the day with my feet on the ground instead of up on a ladder rung if possible.
Hope you all have a LOVELY SUNDAY...Y'all...
