czochralski

czochalski @ 2009-11-22T21:52:00

2009-11-23T05:52:40Z

Had an absolutely amazing dinner with Ms Si at Visions Lounge in the top of the Renaissance Hotel @ 6th & Madison. The view and the ambiance were lovely. All seating is lounge chairs as opposed to wooden ones - and tres comfortable at that. It was very condusive to good conversation. They have a sweet happy hour(s) (4-7) with a bunch of very yummy sounding $2 appetizers. Am definitely going back. The truffle fries were sooo worth it!

Port, caramel and salt

2009-05-09T05:15:44Z

So, I've never drank much port. I've never really had the opportunity and when I did - I didn't know! I swear I didn't know what I was missing! Recently I've had the opportunity to try a few and the combo that really gets my taste buds excited is tawny port paired with salted caramel.

Nathan took me out tonight for a rather more extravegant date than is our usual (in a bid to save my sanity, but it was too late :D ), and lo! did they have chocolate truffle cake with a salted caramel sauce! And so I went for it and ordered a 20 year old tawny port and wow! it was like I would imagine drinking amber would be like if reality wasn't so pesky (yes I was that kid who stuck everything in my mouth) - smooth, caramel-y, honey, sweet-but-not-sweet, not too dry, not too fruity - complex, and with an inner glow like a piece of amber. I could spend all evening trying to describe it and not be able to.

In short I had the HP Lovecraft of ports. ;-)

I need to host an evening of Port, sea salt caramels, and my coup-de-grace, from-scratch butterscotch pudding. Oh.. and some other food would be ok too...

Man, I need to read more

2009-05-08T01:52:08Z

What author do you own the most books by?
Marion Zimmer Bradley

What book do you own the most copies of?
Learning Perl

Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
Nope.

What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
Conan

What book have you read the most times in your life?
probably DragonFlight by Anne McCaffery

What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
Anything that had horses in it

What is the worst book you've read in the past year?
Twilight

What is the best book you've read in the past year?
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

If you could force everyone to read one book, what would it be?
I really couldn't pick one book for everyone - it would have to depend.

Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature?
I really don't think they'd pick any of the stuff I like.

What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Lies of Locke Lamora - and I'd like Joss Whedon to do it. I think he could do justice to the characterization and the quick, decisive action.

What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
too late.

Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
Why can I never dream of Conan?

What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult?
Anything by LK Hamilton!

What is the most difficult book you've ever read and loved?
I've read a lot of difficult books and loved many books, but I'm not sure to what extent they've co-mingled. I generally don't love reading difficult books even if I perversely enjoy the sense of grim satisfaction at the end

What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you've seen?
I believe all the Shakespear I've seen is quite well-known.

Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
I like French philosophers and Russian history

Roth or Updike?
dunno

David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
I'm a fan of Amy Sedaris, but somehow I don't think that counts...

Austen or Eliot?
I don't know that I've read enough of either to compare

What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I have lots of gaps, and for the most part I don't care, but as a sci-fi fan I think I get the most crap over not reading the Lord of the Rings series. I still have a gift-wrapped set that has sat un-opened on my shelf for a longer thyme than I'll admit. In a more 'literary' vein - I feel I really ought to read much more by Oscar Wilde.

What is your favorite novel?
Black Beauty
The Three Musketeers
10,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Robinson Carusoe

Play?
I haven't seen that many, but I did really enjoy The Importance of Being Earnest

Poem?
The Raven

Essay?
hmm - I can't think of any

Short Story?
It's a short story in one of Andre Norton's Cat Fancy collections - about a husband and wife (who has alzheimer's) growing old and the effect of a cat that they bring into their lives. It's heartbreaking and full of hope and it's always stuck with me. However I cannot remember the name or the author.

Work of non-fiction?
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbera Tuchman
The Endurance: Shakleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition by Caroline Alexander

Graphic novel?
The Crow
Ghost in the Shell

Who is your favorite writer?
Lois McMaster Bujold, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Anne Bishop

Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
not gonna even type the name

What is your desert island book?
The most comprehensive survival guide I could find

1 hour and I mean it!

2009-05-07T03:20:38Z

Jessica and I have a goal - one day we'll get together after work for just an hour and then get home at a decent time.

We're still working on it... I think we just need to practice a few more times and I'm sure we'll get it.

Fortunately our husbands have no such illusions. :-)

I don't always like my job, but I really like what I do

2009-02-06T01:10:47Z

I was reflecting the other day that I'm really glad I do work in this biz. The job may seem stressful and thankless sometimes, but everyone I meet and work with is generally competent and has a few critical thinking skills. I do think that's because most people are in it because, for whatever reason, they get a kick out what they do. The money is decent, but not so decent you couldn't make more elsewhere and those people generally tend to get out.

It also helps that Megacorp Inc shared a thank you letter from a very polite passenger (on that plane that ditched in the river in NY) who wanted us to know that he appreciated the job we did on the Auxillary Power Unt that kicked in and kept the flight controls and communications operational after the engines went. Stuff like that really does make your day. I didn't personally work on it, but it was a great reminder that I do sincerely work with some world-class engineers in an industry that fascinates me, and that's not something to take for granted.

Reminder:

2009-01-19T01:40:18Z

So after a long day of work Wed, I needed to stop by the grocery store. Needed some veggies and yogurt and a couple other things. Didn't take long which was nice. It had been a long day and I was tired - the kind of tired where your head hurts and you feel like you have a headache but you don't. Fuzzy, beat-up tired. My feet hurt. I was really looking forward to going. home.

So of course I got in the long line and to top it off the lady in front of me had cart full of groceries and two little 'angels' (except the opposite of that), and a surprisingly well-behaved baby (couldn't have been related to the other two). The kids were of course running around, beating up on each other and knocking down evey display within 10 feet. The mom looked more tired than I felt and so when her card didn't go through I waited with amazing patience (for me). and waited.. and waited. Her card wasn't going through. Lines were backing up, the very young, inexperienced clerk was struggling. You see the lady didn't speak a word of english and she and the clerk were trying to figure out how to use the card, which turned out to be the modern equivalent of food stamps.

The lane next to me opened up and I finally decided to move over there. But I kept half an eye on the discussion over at the previous line. 2 more clerks came over, one after the other to try to figure things out. The second and more senior clerk regretfully told the lady 'no dinero' on the card and that she would have to leave her groceries. The woman just took a deep breath, nodded and started to gather her kids who had gotten really quiet the way kids do when they know something's wrong, but don't know what it is. Well, I was finally to the cashier and nearly home free, but somehow I just couldn't let her take those kids home with no groceries. I remembered the baby food and the bulk meat on the conveyor belt and I waved at the clerk and said "I'd like to get that". She looked at me and hadn't quite heard what I said, so I said it again a bit louder and she lit up and told the lady to wait. I moved my basket out of the way and scooted over there and paid for her groceries - $75. And I have to say after the lady and her kids thanked me and I saw the relief on her face as she pushed her cart out the door - well, my feet didn't really hurt so much any more and I forgot all about being tired. And then a very nice gentleman who saw what had happened let me in line in front of him, so I didn't have to wait in line a third time.

All I could think of was 'that lady got a freakin' lotta groceries for $75'. Her cart was seriously packed. I just spent that today and I didn't get a fraction of what she did. Yet she can't do the math on her card? So either she really didn't know her card was empty, she did know and was desperate, or I got taken advantage of, but I wouldn't do anything different.

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-06T05:12:24Z

1. Drink more water - I'm horrible about this. I hate water. But darn it - it's good for you and I ought to drink more of it.

2. Work out more consistently. I seems like I'm either 'on' and never miss or 'off' and can go for a month without a good workout. I have the time, just need to stop making the excuses.

3. Entertain more simply. Sure I find cooking relaxing and I absolutely adore coming up with new recipes, but I think go overboard and make some folks uncomfortable. So I ought to tone it down and make it simpler. Yep, right after this next time. Honest.

4. Stay in more. I haven't counted, but with the exception of the month of October we were out more nights than we were home just about every month this year. This really needs to slow down. I am such a 'planner' though and I have no problem finding things to do and people to see, so pretty soon we're out more than we're in. I do think we ought to have more quiet evenings at home. (big talk seeing as how I have every weekend fully booked til the 1st of Feb - *sigh* I'll keep working on this one)

5. Write in my LJ more. I really should be doing some quick blurbs on what we're up to and how things are going. I realize life goes by in such a blur that sometimes it's hard to remember one year to the next and I should keep more of a record.

I think that's enough for now.

I've got teh garden fever!

2008-02-13T19:52:55Z

And it's still winter darn it! I want to be out in my my garden right now! I get spring fever so bad right about this time of year. I'm sick of being cooped up, sick of the short days and want to go smell the dirt as it awakens for spring. I bought some spring bulbs (lilies, gladioli) and so this weekend we did a little cleanup on the front bed and I'm working out a planting plan. I'm thinking I'll actually get some gardening software so I can keep track of what I'm planting where and make note of how different things worked.

The previous owners had a bad habit of putting inappropriately-sized plants in poorly thought-out locations so there's going to be some digging to do. Sometimes I can make stuff like that work if it's just cosmetically jarring, but the CO spruce that is going to grow to 60' and is planted smack under the power line has got to go, as does the hydrangea planted 12" from the corner of the garage. I'm excited to see if my 2 little japanese maple cultivars did ok over the winter. This year they get bigger pots and maybe next year into the ground. This is also the year to take my black lace elderberry out of it's pot and find it a permanent home. Same with the walking stick tree. We also have a very mature rhodie being squeezed out by two mature Camelias that could use some translplanting. It'll be nice to get a head start on everything this year. Last year we were so focused on the interior after we bought the place that the garden was neglected til May. Tis very good to get the beds in shape while the ground is cool and moist. We did fall clean-up and mulching, but now we need to cut back and get the winter weeds. Almost time for the hard rose pruning and definitely time to cut back the pampas grass. I missed my garden!

I am not smart god-d@mnit!!!

2008-02-10T00:28:15Z

I work waaay too hard at not being stupid. This does not mean I'm 'smart'. I'm not. I realize it's a silly thing to b*tch about but I wish people would stop talking about how smart I (supposedly) am. It makes me extremely uncomfortable. If I were so d@mn smart I wouldn't make so many dumb mistakes.

Career meme

2007-09-15T06:37:58Z

Haven't seen a meme this widespread in ages - simply had to go see for myself.

1. Biomedical Engineer (interesting that this should be up there...)

2. Explosives Specialist (w00t!)

3. Electrical Engineer (honestly this should have been my major but by the time I started the classes I had so much comp sci that it just made more sense to stick with CENG)

4. Astronomer (boooring - all that knowledge and then what? what do you actually get to DO with it? Make almanacs for GPS manufacturers??)

5. Agricultural Engineer (once a farm girl, always one - never want to get too far away from my roots)

6. Electronics Engineering Tech (heh! Love it, but not my forte - all the techs shriek when I start ripping into cables and tear them out of my hands :-) "Don't touch that! You're an engineer - you'll break it!" )

7. Electrical Engineering Tech (splitting hairs here aren't we?)

8. Geologist (not even remotely interested except that the environment seems kewl)

9. Oceanographer (bleah, I get seasick and have a water phobia. I do like sushi though ;-) )

10. Environmental Engineer (this would have been tempting)

11. Chemical Engineer (this was more tempting though - still is)

12. Hydrologist / Hydrogeologist (nah)

13. Optical / Ophthalmic Lab Technician (heck no)

14. Cable Installer and Repairer (lol! I can see it now....)

15. Aerospace Engineer (could compete with Chem E for tempting-ness. Lovelovelove avionics - endlessly fascinating development environment)

16. Carpenter (Always enjoyed this, but my skills will probably never be more thanrudimentary. More of a handyman than a carpenter I guess)

17. Sheet Metal Worker (I've seen their hands - no way)

18. Actuary (thought pretty seriously about this - I've had enough math to sit the exams but I think it would be too theoretical for me. I adore math, but I love being able to apply math which is why I adore EE so much)

19. Tilesetter (I think doing this would appeal to the OCD freak in me just a little too much)

20. Welder (see carpentry)

21. Boilermaker (???)

22. Electrician (done enough to know I don't particularly care for it)

23. Automotive Painter (I did prep my 2nd car and I always helped friends with theirs - I'm too OCD to make a good living at it, and I take forever, but the jobs I did would be freakin' perfect)

24. Historian (been there, done that - hated working at Mcdonald's)

25. Glazier (hmmm, interesting - wonder what that involves)

26. Cabinetmaker (pretty much carpentry in my book)

27. Plumber (no - hell no. never-in-a-million-years)

28. Autobody Repairer (actually I think I could put my whole heart into this one too)

29. Pet Groomer (I'm actually fairly good at handling animals - it's that whole farm thing, but I'm not even remotely interested in grooming them all day every day)

30. Sign Maker (dunno what to make of that one)

31. Electronics Assembler (I think I'd go insane from teh boredom and be high from all the chemical fumes - there's a reason we want all tha asians to do this job - in asia)

32. Dental Lab Tech (no)

33. Jeweler (maybe)

34. Engineering Tech (see other techs)

35. Race Car Mechanic (awwwwww yeah!)

36. Heavy Equipment Mechanic (equally tempting actually)

37. Farm Equipment Mechanic (s'ok)

38. Aircraft Mechanic (w1nnar!)

39. Motorcycle Mechanic (meh)

40. Diesel Mechanic (s'ok)

Really though - quite accurate.

How many of us really get to do what we love? How many people wouldn't let the door hit them in the @ss if they won the big one? I consider myself fairly lucky. Oh I have plenty of days where my job is stressful and I don't love some of the things that come with it, but I adore my work - I get to solve interesting problems, work with lots of fun toys, have awesome, competent co-workers, we work great as a team, there is little in the way of politics or personal drama, and we have management I respect. How much more could you ask for?

New gym

2007-06-04T15:21:56Z

Well, I have moved to a new gym much closer to the new house (2 blks north of work actually). I made it irrevocable by going through the hassle of cancelling my old membership. Seriously - the place is almost 10 miles out of my way now that we've moved, so how realistic is it that I'll make it now that it's not just a brief jog south of the house? The new one is less than $10 more a month since I get the membership subsidized through work. However, I feel much trepidation about the new one - the old one was very utilitarian and no frills, the new one is just about as swanky and high-brow as you can get. They have lots of amenities (including valet parking and a full service spa) and a locker room that is twice as big as our house and nicer than most 5 star restaurants. I. Am. Intimidated.

So wierd... Another house

2007-05-21T16:59:26Z

So we move - a lot. For years I moved 2-3 times a year. During the last 5 years it's only been once a year or even once every two years (except for the unfortunate time we moved to Redmond when we moved twice in one year again and happily paid $1K for the privilege). But we move a lot. Only 2 years out of the past fifteen have I not moved once, twice or three times (even a couple years with 4). Up til we broke down and bought furniture a few years ago, I have always been ready to throw my belongings in a car and leave without looking back within 4-5 hours.

Sat we just moved into a house where we don't need to ever move again if we don't want to - for. the. rest. of. our. lives. I have never felt more conflicted. Is this how guys who can't commit feel when they find someone they could potentially settle down and be happy with? I am happy, but I was happy being a semi-nomad too. I'm not one of those who thinks a piece of land or a house somehow makes a home. I read stories of people who won't leave their homes in times of conflict of emergency (flooding for example) and I don't get it. Home is inside each one of us and I carry it with me wherever we live. Home is me and N loving each other and although the new house will be fine for that - I don't know if I feel that this is the momentous occasion that many of my friends seem to feel it is. Although it dedfinitely feels strange.

It's been awefully fun painting the whole place in COLOR! (and apt dwellers know what I'm talking about) That is without a doubt the best part of the whole home-owning thing :D

Grrrrr - work

2007-05-11T15:56:34Z

Well, war broke out on monday and I'm mopping up today. What a roller coaster this week has been. The second I get all my goals for the day finished I am getting the heck out of here! Last week it looked like this would be a quiet week filled with immersing myself in the aspects of the job that I really enjoy and I was very much looking forward to it. Unfortunately on monday I made a finding while I was reviewing a document that brought to light an issue that cause widespread pandemonium and a 2 week slip in the schedule.

What really gets me is that I and several members of my group had previously pointed out this particular risk and despite all our discussions and efforts to head of the situation, another particular group still managed to grab failure from the jaws of success. We work with this group and have to partner with them on various aspects of the project. I hate it because I feel like their babysitter. Honest-to-god you couldn't do this stuff maliciously because it would take incredible amounts of work and planning to time things just right to cause maximum schedule damage at the very moment we are about to make a delivery to our key customer. I am usually very calm, apolitical and solution-oriented when glitches occur - I drive towards the best possible resolution and let the managers play the blame-game, but this time I am just p*ssed.

I am so glad it's Friday.

House?

2007-01-24T17:44:49Z

Well - we are buying one. I never really thought we would, but we put an offer on one and it's been accepted. We got our inspection and made 1 repair request based on that. We've filled out papers for the mortgage company and the title company and all that remains (I believe) is to get homeowner's insurance. This feels really surreal. Moving seems like a good time to document all of our stuff for the insurance policy, but guess we could do it now. We have been realizing that, after years of a nomadic existance where all of our belongings fit into the trunks of our cars, we finally have stuff we care about that would be difficult to quickly replace if something were to happen to any of it. It's finally hitting me - OMG, we're buying a house and we have 'stuff'. Not too much though - we could still fit fairly easily in a 1 bdrm. The new place will have room for the exercise equipment though which isn't such a big deal to me since I started going to the gym, but N would miss it.

Speaking of going to the gym... I've been going very regularly since Sept. I work 6:30 to 3:30 so I can head to the gym on my way home. I've missed for holidays, weather and appts, but otherwise I'm generally there. Honestly - however did I get through the week before I started going? By the time I get outta work I am literally jonesin' for some exertion - I'm counting down the time in the afternoon until I can get out of there and go work out. I don't know how I coped before. Plus now I'm full of energy when I get home and don't just want to flop on the couch and listlessly surf the 'net all evening. I used to have a gym phobia and an inferiority complex about working out with all the 'beautiful people' (lol), but I'm so glad I got over it (admittedly I feel a little ridiculous about it now) and started going.

I. got. a. job. :o YAYAYAYAYAY!!!

2006-10-20T01:15:25Z

Doing what I want no less!!! I've been there for a week. It's in avionics again. Thus far it's been pretty much throw-a-bunch-of-technical-docs-at-the-new-girl-and-then-throw-her-at-a-big-unfamiliar-product-and-expect-her-to-hit-the-ground-running - *whew*! Good thing I like that sort of stuff. I don't know how I'd ever manage if someone wanted me to learn something slowly and methodically. Somehow things don't feel *right* unless I am trying to learn 3 things at once at breakneck speed with a big deadline coming up next week. A little stressful but I bring it on myself - I am irresistably attracted to huge messy, tight projects. My job description has changed twice already and I'm enjoying the heck out of myself. I love being thrown at different things with no warning - no. really. I do :-)

I get to do way more hardware than I ever thought anyone would let me do and they are tickled pink that I can handle SW too. And I am also getting nice big chunks of signals (gawd I'm rusty) and RF theory thrown at me. You run into some pretty funky situations around airports and nav beacons and I am studying nights to try to get the gist of the conversations going on around me. OTOH I have been itching to get into the RF and electromagnetic stuff and I will be getting terrific experience.

Oh yeah and I get a raise. Better not tell them I would have taken a pay cut for the chance to get my hands dirty in this area. :D

teh funn-ay is strong today!

2006-08-30T21:20:25Z

Question: how many paranoids does it take to change a lightblb?
Answer: WHO WANTS TO KNOW?

Q: How many zen masters does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Two, one to screw in the lightbulb and one not to screw in the lightbulb.

Q: How many psychiatrists does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: One, but the lightbulb has to want to change.

Q: How many programmers does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: None, it's a hardware problem.

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A mathematician, a physicist, and an engineer were all posed the same question. "If a man and a woman stand on opposites sides of a room and each minute move towards one another so that they are half as far away as they were a minute ago, when will they reach each other?" The mathematicians says, they will never reach each other. The physicist says, they will reach each other in an infinite amount of time. The engineer replies, in about ten minutes they'll be close enough for all practical purposes.

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A proton walks into a bar sobbing. Goes up to the bartender and orders a shot. The barkeep says "Hey buddy, what's your trouble?". Proton says "My electron left me today." Barkeep says "Are you sure it's gone for good?" Proton says "Yeah, I'm positive".

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Later on a neutron walks into the same bar, orders a beer and lays a fiver on the counter. The barkeep gives the fiver back to the neutron and says "For you, no charge."

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Three things to think about...
1. COWS
2. THE CONSTITUTION
3. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

COWS: Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that our government can track a cow born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she sleeps in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give them all a cow.

THE CONSTITUTION: They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it's worked for over 200 years and we're not using it anymore.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS: The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments in a courthouse. You cannot post "Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery" and "Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians - it creates a hostile work environment.

czochalski @ 2006-08-11T09:57:00

2006-08-11T16:58:20Z

I am so very excited! I have lost enough weight that I had to go have my little black dress taken in - w00t!

czochalski @ 2006-08-08T22:00:00

2006-08-09T05:05:01Z

I had a lovely dinner...

sirloin steak - med (meant to get it rarer, but oh well)
mushrooms - sautee'd in a bit of butter
chopped greek salad
glass of lovely red wine

The sirloin steak was interesting. I've been noticing that I am gravitating towards leaner cuts of meat and liking them more rare. It's the salty, almost bloody flavor that I'm craving and not overcooking it means it's tolerably tender. Tonight's steak was incredibly tender and yet was a very lean cut - made for a very satisfying dining experience :-)

Rockin' with Dokken

2006-07-30T04:22:14Z

I had the most surreal dream last night where I was in France watching Don Dokken sashay on stage in a shiney plether jacket and thigh-high boots. Then suddenly I was in my old hotel room (the first hotel in Paris I stayed at) and was looking at myself in the mirror and as I watched my hair grew grey. They greyer my hair got the older my face got until it was glistening white and then my face became young again and Nathan entered my dream and I grabbed his hand and we ran along the waterfront laughing and being silly. The only other thing I remember is that I was wearing a bright orange sari - weird.... Just had to note this since I don't usually remember my dreams. Now I have "Breaking the Chains" running through my head...

I need some WOW in my life

2006-07-20T17:16:34Z

It's going to be blazingly hot in Seattle today (maybe) - so I think I need to go peruse the University Bookstore for books on Fields and RF engineering principles (which I've been meaning to do) and get me some WOW. I am also realizing how much trig I have forgotten - Calculus sticks with me for some reason, but I tried to remember the Law of Sines yesterday and totally drew a blank other than a visualization of what it looks like on paper. Think I need to get out my Trig books and review - especially if I want to keep inching towards the EE space.

I've officially started applying for jobs - woot! I won't be able to sit the whole time, but I am hoping most employers will be understanding and allow me to set up a sit/stand situation. However I found an interesting validation position at a medical device manufacturer that might allow me a decent amount of movement in my day. There's a nondestructive test position at Boeing too (which is why it would be good to be refreshed on some EE principles and more familiar with fields). I've been doing so much software though I don't know if I'll be in the running, but I do have a decent amount of experience since I took the CMU through all the environmental and electrical testing (right up to lightning strikes) for the HW changes we had to do for the last project. The EMI labs were totally understaffed so I got to jump in and do quite a bit as opposed to sitting there twiddling my thumbs while a technician ran the test suite. It was a blast and I'd love to do more, but I can't tell if I had fun just because I enjoy learning new things or if I really liked the work. Dunno if I'd like it day in and day out....

At any rate I'm having lunch with my old boss tomorrow, so we'll see if he has any leads for me at HN.

Whew! Changes and more changes....

2006-07-12T18:03:14Z

Well - I sold the truck. I cried yesterday :-( I loved that truck and I'll miss it dearly. I have a new(er) '03 Toyota Rav4 that is a lovely little vehicle and fun to drive, but dammit it ain't no truck (it's a car and a rather 'girly' one at that)! I should be happy and count my blessings that we can afford for me to have my own comfortable vehicle and that the truck went to an owner who really likes it and isn't likely to abuse it.

I miss my truck :-(

It rode rougher than a buckboard, steered like a barge and sucked down gas faster than I can suck down bubble tea from WOW, but it was my baby.

Last Day - woot!

2006-02-03T16:14:11Z

So today is it! My last day at this job - I am alternately excited and scared, but by Wed of next week I'll probably be good and bored :D Ah well, considering the massive amounts of panic and drama that has ensued I just hope I get out of this what I hope to. Many issues that were simmering on the back burner have come to a head during the last week and that was good, but made things very hectic. I won - as usual ;-)

Interestingly enough this may be turn into more than I was expecting. Little background: I was in charge of our version control, bug tracking, and build process in addition to development, HW testing, customer interface, and program management for several legacy products. Well the version control and bug tracking is not uniform across the company or even this site. Our group, and specicifically me and another engineer, implemented and cusomtized a very sophisticated and powerful means of controling changes, enabling parallel development, dramatically improving security, enforcing process and sharing projects across globally distributed sites. In the last two months all groups at this site have met and the decision was made that any group looking to upgrade to a new version control system will use the one implemented by our group. This is a Big Deal(tm). VERY BIG. Not only that but there are high-level aerospace meetings going on now to make this decision for ALL of our aerospace division and 'my' system is one of the top candidates under consideration :O

Now that I'm no longer a resource for our group there are many groups interested in hiring me as a consultant to help them implement this. When I worked here they really couldn't get any of my time (our project schedule is such that my boss has received a promise from upper mangement that no resources may be diverted from our group for any reason). However now that I'm leaving they may actually have the opportunity to hire me full-time for as long as they need and several have expressed interest. Granted I can't do this immediately, but no one will be implementing for several months anyway. This leaves me something to consider - do I want to set myself up as a consultant and do this? It's really not that technical - mostly it's logistical issues that I am solving, and I really don't find those to be all that challenging and therefore not very interesting. However I do have a pretty unique skillset in this area and there might be great demand for it soon. Do I want to go back to grad school and work towards my masters in EE which I believe I love - but what if I get into it and find love has gone? I have more of a life now, what if I don't love the tough stuff like I used to? Or do I just rest, heal up and see if I can find another job in a few months? I will miss my financial independance dearly even though teh husband is happy to keep us going while I get better.

and another chapter comes to an end.....

2006-01-25T06:42:24Z

I have 1 1/2 wks left at Honeywell. The back pain has been bad enough that I really can't deal with full-time and this is not a part-time job. There is medical leave but that would mean my boss legally cannot hire someone to do the work that wouldn't be getting done in my absence. I'm not all that keen on what I've been doing and I don't like that the part of the job I dislike (process definition and implementation) has been getting all the attention and is literally exploding - so seems like a good thyme to get the heck outta dodge!

So, that's the short version - the long version is really boring unless you're my mother and were born to worry. Nothing makes you feel older than talking about 'my surgeries' - it's like reading my grandma's Christmas letter - gah!

My co-worker's reactions have been a gratifying mixture of panic and what I believe is genuine sorrow over my impending absence. The mixture of them trying to talk me out of it and looking at my income on my W2 did make me waver for a moment last night, but then I got in the car this morning (because it hurts too much to drive my truck) and whimpered all the way to work (as I've been doing for the past 3 months), so I'm pretty resolved. However, I may set myself up as a consultant and accept work on a short-term basis. I think that might work out rather well for both parties. Other groups have been wanting my time and my group is way short-staffed so this would allow other groups to hire me and my own group to hire me as-needed and I would be considered a 'resource' not a full-time head. I actually do have a really unique skillset that is going to be in high demand for the next couple years, expecially since the entire site is going to adopt the development toolset and process that I've customized and implmented over the past year and a half. And now there is a good chance that ALL of Aerospace (across the entire company) might adopt it :O It would be a pretty prestigious client to start off with. However I really don't know if I want to keep doing this - it's kinda thankless, crappy work and waay too close to management for my comfort.

Now seems like a great time to study for the GRE. As a Computer Engineer there is no subject test so I take either the EE or the Comp Sci subject test. I'm a bit closer to EE, but haven't had Fields, Thermo, Transmission Line theory or Power Systems. As for Comp Sci - I've only had the bare minimum and all other classes were in VLSI Design, Fabrication, VHDL, electronics, etc... all IC-related stuff. Needless to say either subject test will make me pay for loving VLSI design and fabrication. Ah well - it doesn't feel good to do well at something easy now does it?

I'm NOT interested in programming for a living, however IC design is more and more often being outsourced, so with an eye towards getting further into the HW the good areas to go into are communications (RF and Microwave) and Fields. We shall see - need to hit the Univ Bookstore and get some textbooks in those areas and see what I think. I am also terribly interested in BioStatistics - I adore parsing large data sets and oh what the data sets the bio-tech industry can come up with! Although you do need to be able to program your algorithm - it is not a programmer's mindset that is required to do this - it is a statisticians and a scientists. Much of interest here too! O'Reilly (of course) has a couple of books on this, so I may have to make a small investment in that area.

Interesting times! I will miss the financial security of my job and my excellent co-workers, but I'm excited to have a chance to study areas that interest and excite me :-)

Jen - this is mostly for you and posterity, so if you made it all the way to the end you deserve a beer on me the next time I make it down (which is a distinct possibility now that I will have time to travel).

czochalski @ 2006-01-05T20:50:00

2005-12-07T04:52:41Z

Snagged from l00p - definitely puts me in the mood to celebrate Chrismas in SD ;-)

Oh Great Cthulhu!

I have been an extremely diligent devotee this year.

In April, I burnt my copy of the Necronomicon (-75 points). Last week, I legally changed my name to Randolph Carter (-40 points). In January, I rammed a ship into you (sorry Cthulhu!) (-1000 points). In October, I exposed autonomic_pilot to soul-rending horrors (250 points). In December, I bombed a cultist gathering (-100 points). In March, I fed l00p to a Shoggoth (250 points).

In short, I have been very bad (-715 points) and deserve to have my body used as a host for one of your servitors.

Your humble and obedient servant,
czochalski

Submit your own plea to Cthulhu!

and while I'm snagging things - this was uber-fun too :-) (psst...does require sound)

a small sample of a slightly altered Christmas Carol

Merry Cristmas :D

Alas - no cobbler love

2005-12-06T20:17:41Z

I did not manage to get cobbler made. By the time we got home from the doctor's it was after 6:00 and hadn't started dinner yet. We made a new experiment; Cranberry-n-'stinky'-cheese - stuffed chicken :D

*Smash boneless, skinless chicken breasts until they are ~1/4 inch thick.
*Spread with Leslie's Sugar-free Vanilla/Almond cranberry sauce.
*Drop small pieces of 'stinky' cheese (Castellano I think) on them (~1 oz cheese).
*Roll into thirds.
*Bake for 1/2 hr at 400 until the house smells incredible.

The very small amount of strong, creamy cheese mixes well with, and mellow the cranberries. Without it, this recipe would be a bit too tart. Gorgonzola might work ok too. Next time I might add a few chopped pecans as well.

We had pasta with asparagus, carrots and peas tossed in a white wine sauce with butter, garlic and sun-dried tomatoe seasoning, but I think baby roasted potatoes with rosemary and brussel sprouts with the tarragon-butter sauce would have been a better accompanyment.

**********Sugar-free Vanilla/Almond Cranberry Sauce******************

1 bag cranberries
3/4 cup Sugar-free Almond Syrup (like the kind used in coffee shops - Cost Plus is a great place to find)
3/4 cup Sugar-free Vanilla Syrup
1/2 cup H2O
2 tsp vanilla extract

Add liquids to med saucepan and bring to boil. Add cranberries and return to boil, then lower temp until sauce is at low boil. Continue cooking at this temp, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until sauce has reached desired consistency. Remove from heat, pour into bowl and cool.

This sauce turned out beautifully and makes the house smell amazing!

I had already had a bad day, then sat in Dr's office for almost 2 hrs, then we made dinner, and I was done for :P Had a quiet night and did lots of surfing from the couch.

Tonight bookclub - which I will attempt to make short 'n sweet. The book was "In Her Shoes" which I had offhandedly denounced as a "girly book" - I have to sorta take it back. It WAS a girly book, but did not deserve the derisive tone I used.

Tomorrow: dinner with the girls at Jessica's - I'm stoked! I will be hosting a cookie exchange one of these nights, so I gotta get researching!