Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Fire! Update.

FYI...

An article was in the paper today about the fire on the first page of "local-state". It stated Consumers was working on that pole earlier in the day. They think the fire started by a lightening strike but my Mom didn't see any lightening (I was in an inner room at the time it first occurred and she called me out). As soon as they got the fire report, they returned right away. Apparently, 3000 people were without power, not to mention Michigan Adventure Park and Howmet. Two sub-stations blew out from it with one being restored by about 5:30PM (not ours) and the other being restored about 8:30PM (ours - my boss emailed me this morning telling me the power wasn't on yet at the shop by 7PM last night). Today, all appeared normal except a rather blackened power pole (the ground is probably crispy but I can't see that from the shop).

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Fire!

Fire!



(Note I e-mailed to my boss.)


We had a little fire at the base of a power pole behind the bldg next door. It happened about 3:45PM - we heard some low booms and the power flickered on and off a few times, then off. I went to call 911 but our phones run on power so I called from my trac-phone. They'd already been called and they showed up about 4:05PM. The firemen waited for Consumers to show up and the power to be shut off before working on putting out the fire. All had left by 5PM, but when I left at 5:30 we still had no power - I couldn't even vacuum up the shop. Check out the pictures.

Colleen

Ooooooo! (Doesn't look like much but the base of the power pole on the right is aflame.)



Take that!

Thursday, May 25, 2006

A Day in the Life

Today, like most days, are filled up. I thought I'd share a day in my life - namely, today.

Like every morning, I start with coffee, the Bible, and prayer. I'm reading Psalms right now. Some days God really speaks to me through the Bible and/or prayer. Today He spoke to me about unity, my need to praise Him, His greatness, His judgement and compassion, and the worthlessness of idols. Then I get ready for the day. I'm in a hurry this morning, so cranberry raisin toast with cream cheese eaten on the drive to school is breakfast.

I park in the back parking lot today because they're doing construction in the front where I usually park. On clear days I just carry my books, but it looks like rain so I use my bookbag and bring along an umbrella, just in case. When I get to class, I spend some time talking with others there about what we're doing in class, how we're doing, where we work, and the weekend. One girl I really feel for. Her mom had her take four classes (14 credit hours), which normally is full-time. She also works 30 hrs/wk. In spring semester, the semester is half as long as normal, so her full-time school is double time plus she works. She's not doing too well needless to say. I pray for her. When class starts at 8AM, we go over problems from homework, then a lecture on the next section, 5 min. break, then continued lecture until 10AM, homework assignment and what'll be on the test next Tuesday. I meet the girl I mentioned earlier in the ladies room on the way out (unintentionally). I comment on how glad I am of a 3-day weekend - she agrees, she needs a break. (Before class she'd said she has to work all weekend.) Then I'm out the door and on the road again.

Normally I'd be going to work from here but today I have a physical. I don't want to go, but if I go, I won't have to come back for another year, Lord willing. I meet a lady in a wheelchair helped by a man (husband? brother? friend? I don't know) when entering the ladies room there. They seem to be awkward getting in the door so I offer that if they let me in first I can hold the door for her. They're grateful. She tells me she's had surgery on her hip twice now - that's why she's in the wheelchair. She comments that they don't think of everything for those who are handicapped. Once in the bathroom everything is ok. But the door to get in and out is near impossible to manage. So I commisserate and hold the door for her on the way out. In the waiting room, I read some of my assignment for math. Then I'm called in. After the exam, I have to make an appointment for a mammogram (Did you know that after 40 they require one every year? Yuck!) While the lady makes the appt. I continue reading my math. She gives me the appt. but never consulted with me before making it, so I'll have to call the hospital myself later and re-schedule it. Later. I'm off again.

Twenty minute drive to work. Collect mail. It's 11:30AM. I get lunch (crackers and cheese, salad, hard-boiled egg, and a banana with some chocolate sneaked in during the afternoon). While eating my lunch I check email and blogs, enter bills. Mom (who's working with me while Anna's gone) discovers a problem with the parts. I ask her to backtrack the parts and I'll cut the extra material off the plastic. I fax a late invoice payment notice to a company. Then out to the shop to cut plastic. I cut material for upcoming parts, trim the parts for Mom and give them back to her, cut more plastic. In the midst, I apply red tape to some parts for my Mom, pack parts to ship, do the paperwork, and set the boxes by the door for UPS to pick up later. Off and on during this time I email my boss on some pertinent items. Finally finished cutting plastic. I had to finish it before my Mom left because I can't use the machinery with nobody else there and I'm giving her tomorrow off. It's now 4PM and my Mom leaves. I clean up the shop vacuuming everything. (Plastic dust gets EVERYWHERE so I even have to vacuum myself off!) Then I check emails and blogs one more time while counting out black wire to make lights, pulling off the extra insulation on the ends. I crimp together wires and LEDs until 5:30PM. Time to go home.

Ten minutes to home. I pick up the newspaper on the way in, looking at the headlines, then grab the mail. Once in the house, Mom did a load of wash, so I put away my clothes. I read more in math for a few minutes, then dinner's ready. Chicken breast in mushroom soup sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and asparagus - a feast! Mmmmmm. After dinner, I clean off the table and put away the leftovers. Then back to math. I finish reading and start doing problems. Part-way through, my Mom's cousin Jean comes over (she lives two houses down from us) and chats with Mom. My brother Dan calls and we talk for a while about his allergies & I suggest a new allergy medicine. I ask him about this weekend (my sister is planning a Memorial Day get-together). Then I hand the phone over to my Mom, and talk with Jean awhile. My Mom hangs up and we three talk for a while. Then I head back to do more math. At 9PM I finish math - yeaaaa! I need to upgrade the operating system on my calculator. I start getting into that but I run into snags. . . I need to get new batteries and read up more on how to do it - my calc isn't doing what they say it should when downloading. Maybe I can get it tomorrow night. So at 9:45 I begin this post - it's been nearly a month since I last posted - wow!

When I finish here, I'll read a little from the Bible, pray, and go to bed with God being the last one I speak with before I fall asleep. Good-night.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

THe Joy of Discovery

I feel like a little kid.

Part of my math class is learning to use a graphing calculator. The book gives "how to" with two specific calculators, but I have a different one. When going through the examples in the book, three examples were giving me problems and not coming out right. This has been troubling me a couple of days now. Last night I was going through yet another example when the calculator told me "error; illegal implied multiply". Huh. What does that mean? After doing the same thing and getting the same answer at least 10 times, I began to see the light. "Illegal implied multiply"... was I implying to the calculator to multiply when it wanted to be sure that's what I wanted it to do by telling it specifically? I tried it. Eureeka!!! It worked! (Duh, math and specifics go together!) I checked the other examples I'd had problems with and specifically telling it to multiply caused those to come out right too! Yeahhhh!!! I feel like a little kid - all excited.

Thinking about it, sometimes when I imply things to people it causes trouble. If I don't say specifically what I mean, I may be misunderstood and the other person(s) respond in ways I don't expect. Sometimes I'm guilty of using implication to imply something that isn't true without actually lying, usually out of insecurity, guilt, or pride (like in the comments of my last post - I hope you all will forgive me). I think maybe less implication and more specifics will keep me honest and out of trouble. :)

Monday, May 01, 2006

School Days

Semester one is done...
Semester two is new,
And begins with review.