Like Trying to Get Blood from a Stone

Today was DaGirl's third day of preschool. She did not want to go this morning and put up quite a fight. Once she was there all was well and had a good day.

DaMom had to wake DaGirl from her nap so we would get her to bed tonight. Who knew preschool was so tough?

After her nap DaGirl ran off with DaMom's keys while she was doing some dishes before dinner.

After dinner, when DaMom was about to leave for quilting class she asked DaGirl where her keys were. DaGirl's response "On the hook!"
Nope not there.
We scour the living room searching blindly for the keys to no avail.

DaGoof: Where are mommy's keys?
DaGirl: On the couch.
DaGoof: No they are not there. Where are mommy's keys?
DaGirl: On the couch.
DaGoof: No they are not there. Where are mommy's keys?
DaGirl: On the couch.
DaGoof: No they are not there. Where are mommy's keys?
DaGirl: Come wif me
DaGirl heads to the living room, I follow. She gets down on all fours and looks under the futon.
DaGirl: Keys aren't here? Where are mommy's keys? Take wif her?
DaGoof: No (shaking head)

Meanwhile DaBoy is heading up the stairs and I give chase.
DaGoof: Where are you going little buddy?
DaBoy: Mommy (and points up the stairs)
DaGoof: Mommy's not here.
DaBoy: kassss
DaGoof: Huh?
DaBoy runs to DaGirl's door and points inside and says "mommy" very enthusiastically.

I figure maybe he knows where the treasure is hidden so I search her room with no luck.

Back downstairs we go and search some more.
With kids in tow I search the living room again, the dining room, and the kitchen. When I open the cabinet door to the garbage DaGirl says "No daddy that's for garbage."

I give up and put DaKids to bed....and search some more....with no luck.

Was this DaGirl's ultimate attempt at getting out of school tomorrow or did DaBoy get a hold of them and relocate them to parts unknown?

Stay tuned until next time...

g

*EDIT*
It turns out DaBoy was right, the keys were in DaGirl's room. Tucked in between the seat cushions of her chair.

When we asked DaGirl this morning who put the keys there she replied with a shrug of the shoulders and "DaBoy".

When we asked DaBoy this morning if he put the keys there he replied with an emphatic head nod , "yes".

So it appears I should have followed the 16 month old more closely and saved an evening of searching.

The Fainting Bike

I did something tonight I have never done in 3500 miles of riding Broken Spoke. Something pretty dumb.

I typically ride along one stretch of road on the middle chain ring and tonight when I got to a small hill I realized I was still on the big ring. I click the shifter (brifter) and tick, tick ,tick. What the? (Sometimes when up shifting the chain will overshoot and fall off the big ring. Sometimes when downshifting the chain is slow to drop to the next ring. It's not an adjustment thing, it's just a finicky POS setup that sometimes has issues.) I look down and click the shifter again, tick, tick, tick and jump. The chain jumps clear off the small ring. Crap.

Now normally if the chain falls off I'd just stop the bike and fix it. Not tonight. I was being stubborn in trying to get the chain to shift and since the whole reason for wanting to down shift in the first place was the hill I was starting to climb, I didn't realize how fast I slowed down. And subsequently stopped....

I tried to get my feet unclipped quickly but couldn't; PLOP. Right on my left side in the middle of the road still clipped into the pedals. From a bystanders' point of view I must have looked like a fainting goat...or an idiot. I'm betting on the idiot analogy.

Finally the clips let go of my feet and I get up. I look over the bike, get the chain back on, and collect the one casualty in the whole fiasco, the front wheel reflector. I have no idea how that managed to shatter but but it did so in spectacular fashion.

There's something I haven't done since sometime in 2000 on the mountain bike only this time the only thing hurt was my pride.

g

Fire Station Open House

Today I took DaGirl to our fire station's open house. Needless to say she is my daughter and loved every minute of it.

g

Busy Weekend

How to wear out toddlers:

Step 1 - 10:30 showing of Sesame Street live.
Step 2 - Lunch out...with ice cream.

Step 3 - Go to park and play. While there scamper across the way to the horse rings and watch the horses exercise.

Step 4 - Allow them 1 half hour nap...OK they passed out in the car.

Step 5 - Take them and the dog for a three mile walk around the duck pond.

DaKids were a bit tired today...

g

Still Fixable?

From the "Good Design" file

Yes, there are somethings in this world that are still fixable. Take this keyboard for example. Had I known it was going to be as cheap and easy as it was to replace I would have done in a year ago. Less than $30 and fifteen minutes later we have the use of the L, Shift, Ctrl, F6, comma keys and the F8 key doesn't look like it's about to fall off.

Now about that check engine light...

g

The Perfect Job

What is the perfect Job?

...Besides the unobtainable occupation where I'm paid gobs of money to do whatever I want, whenever I want to do it....

So what do I think the criteria are for a perfect job:

1. It should cater to ones strengths but still offer a challenge to ones weaknesses.
2. It should be enjoyable. Happiness is key to everything in life. Mini-dramas are not required.
   
3. It should be dynamic. Constantly repeating the same tasks is just work.
4. It should be agreeable with your one's body to walk through the door.
5. It should have an employer who view's their employees as assets.
   

I am a Mechanical Engineer. I find sitting down and analyzing a structure the most god awful task on the planet. As a matter of fact, just about everything that was taught in college I find to be useless. I do not like deriving formulas or solving complicated math expressions. It is very rare for me to sing praise for engineering. In general I have had some crappy experiences in this field.

So, how does my present job compare to the ideals above?:

1. I am a hands on type of person. If it is broken I will fix it. (DaGirl thinks I am some kind of god.) If 10 pounds of stuff need to fit into a 5 pound bag, I will get it in there. I have been using 3d software for 10 years now and it has become an extension of my brain. I think in 3d. Diplomacy was a weakness but now I need to be diplomatic when receiving and presenting ideas.
   
2. Bringing a bizarre concept to life from a crazy PhD is satisfying. I start with some hair-brained scheme and turn it into a tangible product that the PhD's are amazed by. I don't have to deal with dramas set up by people who are looking to hide something from others. I am a department of one and operate mostly autonomously accomplishing my tasks in a timely manner.
   
3. Throughout a project I will conceive a plan, model it in CAD, check it in CAD, send out drawings for manufacturing, handle any manufacturing issues, receive the parts, test fit parts, modify parts as required (me and the mill), send parts off for finishing (plating, painting, etc.), receive parts from finishing, reassemble machined parts, pass the assembly over to an electrical technician for wiring and cabling, handle any of the technicians issues and once the system is operating and ready to ship I'll box it up and load it onto the truck. That is a dynamic position.
   
4. In the past, I have sleep-walked (or driven) to jobs and then been filled with dread as I opened the door, surprised that I was there already and loathing what lies ahead. In the last 4 1/2 years I've been here I have never had that sensation walking in the door. Sure there have been times when I'd rather be elsewhere but it's never been the job itself that has gotten me down or made me feel physically ill.
5. My employers can be flakes. They are PhD's who get wrapped up in their theories and coding. They have the vision but lack the contrast to see the true final picture. They rely on their employees to create all of the fine details they can not foresee and then covert them into a finished product. They may not always seem appreciative but they know why the product is going out the door and are generous with their compensation as a result. They want me to be happy and be stress free. They are more than willing to hire another ME of my choosing.
   

In the past I have been at places where my employers have:
...barely even noticed me.
...not allowed me to go beyond my department.
...required me to get permission to make a change to a drawing that I goofed up and no parts have been made yet.
...not allowed me to complete a task, always interrupting one job for another "more critical" one.
...generated stress and wanted it that way.

This job isn't always sunshine and roses but I guess I have found the perfect job...
for me...

g

Words and Phrases - Part II

Remember Words and Phrases? This one just phoned in from DaMom...

"...DaGirl was eating a cheese stick and left part of it on the table. I was in the kitchen and when I came around the corner there she was holding the dogs collar saying "Damm Dog, that's my cheeeese stik. You leave it alone"..."

I think we're up for parents of the year award, eh?

g