Protocall, what protocall?

Every third week in January our test and measurement equipment must be calibrated. Most of the equipment is inspected in house by a third party and is only tied up for one day. The few instruments that require specialized equipment must be sent out.

This practice was dictated by a government agency a few years ago when we received a multi-assembly contract for a device that flies on the USAF C130 and NOAA P3 "Hurricane Hunters'. This cal check is really in the company's best interest because it guarantees that we're not getting false data due to an equipment mafunction or drift.

SO it should be of no surprise to anyone when the equipment that has been scattered to the four corners of building is collected and this cal is performed.

Right...

One of the software geeks was looking for an AFG (arbitrary function generator - HOW DO YOU CALIBRATE SOMETHING THAT'S ARBITRARY?) today which was boxed up and ready for pickup. Well, one of our esteemed fearless leaders barks out this gem "Open the box, get it back here, if you need to use it we shouldn't let them disturbe our development. It's a courtesy afterall."

ugh?!

Me and My Blog

I am not a writer.
I am not a linguist.
I am not a programmer.
There will be errors on this blog in those areas.

I am an engineer who feels he's constantly designing the same things over and over but each product is slightly different. The same questions are asked and the same noncommittal answers are given.

I dabble in too many hobbies.

I like to ride my bikes.

My intention for this blog is not to entertain so much as it to inform and record some of the goings on in my life.

g

Silly Sick Kid

Imagine if you will, a 2 year old with a nasty cold, running nose, watery eyes and double ear infections. It's bedtime and she's been fighting you most of the way. You get her into her winter standard bedtime apparel (cloth diaper, tank top, and fleece footed PJs) You read a couple of stories to her in bed then turn the lights out (something else for her to complain about). You turn on the lullaby CD in the player and camp out in the chair designated the "guards' post". If you don't, she'll get out of her toddler bed and trash her room only waking herself up more.

It's difficult to discern an actual snore from the lumberjack working on a cord of firewood. Just when you think it's safe to get up and leave a head pops up (prairie dog style) over the "catch fence" scan for your position and recedes back. This little act goes on for nearly 12 songs. Finally you think she's asleep and get up to rescue your dear spouse who's been pinned down by the 7 month old who's starting with the same cold.

You get the boy down and asleep and think WOW that only took and hour and a half. Free and clear to head downstairs for a fun evening of CLEANUP. But first you let the dog out because he's got "that" look in his eye. The dog is taking forever and you hear some rustling coming over the baby monitor and some thumps on the floor. Now you are becoming increasingly agitated because you know she's up and about but the dog is taking so long you can't get upstairs fast enough to stop her from whatever she's doing.

Finally the dog comes back in and appears to say thanks. You were downstairs for less than five minutes and you race upstairs, get to her doorway, open the gate to her room and see the toy basket has moved and a strange, light colored, pile you don't remember from before. You look toward the middle of the room and what do you see? A completely naked 2 year old babbling at you (she does not really talk yet).

What do you do? You ask her why did you take off your clothes? To which she replies (shrug) ung
Then what do you do? You laugh your ass off.

g