As I sit checking my email and reading a handful of RSS feeds before facing my commute around the beltway, something occurs to me. I haven’t looked at my blog in quite some time. Over 6 months, according to the last post. So… I must have been busy! Yeah! Like in my last post, I talked about finding a new job.

Nope, same place. What can I say?, my boss is good at encouraging loyalty. On a higher note, there is some update. I’m in the process of applying for the “Future Technical Leaders” program through my company – a 3-year 3-rotation program intended to give those lucky few a broader scope of what we do. And, for the first time ever, the government has opened a req. for a new position. If all goes really well, then maybe I’ll be floating around the planet come 2012 or so.

I have dome some work on the house, although I haven’t taken any pictures of it, which I probably should since everyone around the office keeps asking. We recently put in a utility sink in the laundry room. Most will go “swell”, but when water would previously empty from the washing machine and suddenly bubble up into the kitchen sink, then installing this sink is an incredible boon.

The BMW, 9 months later, is still a dream to drive. It suffered a black eye over Thanksgiving break – a stray road cone was drifting back and forth across the highway (very windy) and zigged when I thought was zagging. As a result, it blew out the fog light on the driver side. Haven’t gotten it fixed ($$$), but not really a big deal. I am no longer an enthusiast,
but a complete believer.

Until next time…

So, as time goes by, and especially recently, my job is becoming increasingly unfocused.  No one seems to know what they’re supposed to be doing, including the customer.  As a result, I’ve had few tasks to handle and lots of time to spend surfing the internet (oddly enough, very little of this time has been spent here).  As I’ve surfed, I keep finding myself back to the same sites all the time.  Solar power.  Wind power.  Recycling technology.  Human-powered and other alternative transportation.

Maybe it’s time I look into a new line of work.  Or maybe the hour+ commute is finally getting to me.

arthur_seat_summit_small, originally uploaded by moret.

About a month ago, a couple of friends of mine decided to jump the pond, visit a heilan coo, and fence in a satellite World Cup. The fencing was mediocre on our parts – we both dropped out in the 32 even though we were perfectly capable of making the 4. Err… we’ll blame it on jet lag! Yeah, that’s it! Edinburgh, however, was absolutely gorgeous. I’m pretty sure that the 4 days of sunny weather they have each year all came together just to make us a little sad to leave.

Anyway, I may get to posting some other pictures later, as well as more on the trip.

Until then…

Recently replaced my ‘93 Ford Explorer with this pretty new (to me) ‘03 325xi. There is nothing that I can think of that I don’t like about this car. Before I bought it, my perception was that it would be a comfy ride, and a car I’ll still enjoy walking out to in 10 or 15 years. Now that I’ve driven it for a couple weeks, I’m becoming a “BMW Enthusiast” and a true believer. This is a wonderful car. Perfect size (for me anyway), excellent fit, finish, and function. I’ll most likely make posts about any mods I make on it. And no, I won’t put a spoiler on it… that’s just dumb.

*edit* – Looking back over the blog, apparently I did have a tiff.  Either way, this is still the most wonderful car I’ve ever owned.

We are Virginia Tech.

Ut Prosim.

Well, I appear to be doing a great job keeping this thing up to date. Apparently I didn’t quite live up to my intentions of writing things on the web. What should one write about that would really interest others anyway? If friends knew this site was here, it might make them ask me about whatever I post, but I’ll probably tell them before it makes it to electrons anyway.

On a lighter note, I got a new car! The 15 year old Ford Explorer finally decided to limit it’s working hours to those of the night. Now, if I drive it during the day, it overheats (water pump is blown). Instead of fixing it, we just decided to get a new car. And since I’ll have this car for another 15 years, I decided to get something I would enjoy walking out to every morning. Little did I know just how calming driving my 2003 BMW 325xi would be! My biggest tiff about the car is that fact that the trunk just barely fits my fencing bag. But, it does fit ever so slightly, so it’s all good.

If you’ve come across this post, thanks for reading. I’ll try to do better in the future, but based on past experience don’t hold your breath.

link
In a unanimous vote, New York has decreed the centuries-old derogatory term as off-limits. Apparently they just came to the conclusion that it may offend some people… The punishment? Nothing! How is that for meaningful legislation. On the other hand, it ranks right up there with the Congressional “we don’t like your plan” resolution that strictly wags their finger at Mr. Bush in a toothless waste of tax-payer money. Or for that matter, the recent VA law passed that makes it a crime for teenagers to talk on their cell phone while driving, but only if they’re pulled over for something else. Of course while they’re on the shoulder, they can get a third ticket for not wearing their seatbelt.

It’s amazing how quickly inane legislation makes it through government institutions. Try and balance the budget, or improve other government programs, you’ll have a fight on your hands that leads to stop-gap funding for things like everything. I guess I should at least be happy that we can come to the conclusion that being mean to others is wrong… not that we’ll punishment, but you should at least know it’s not nice.

I flew home recently for family matters. On the last leg of my flight down, I noticed the plane was nearly empty. Once everyone was on board, I walked up to the head stewardess.

me – “So, would it be ok if I grabbed one of the empty first-class seats to stretch my legs?”
her, quizically – “And exactly why should I let you move up to first class, and not the other 15 people on the jet?”
me – “Well,” slight pause, “because I thought to ask?”
her, smiling – “good enough”

Into the flight, after taking care of her steward duties, she came over and sat down next to me. She told me she had heard nearly every excuse imaginable, “I’m a frequent flyer”, “I had a bad experience with your airline before”, etc. The fact that I wanted to sit there ‘just because’ and didn’t present her with entitlements was novel to her.

As an aside, when she came by offering drinks, I declined anything beyond what I would have received in coach. I figure I paid for the right to a seat on the plane and coach-class sevice. Since I spent my karma on the seat, why chance it with the amenities.

So, here I am, months after I set this blog up, just to find it hasn’t gone and created its own life.  I guess I’ll try to start writing to it.  Was in Columbus this past weekend for a competition.  “Less than exceptional” would be putting it nicely.  It’s been a while since I went 1 & 5 in a pool (albeit with a -7 indicator).

I guess the good news is that I seem to have learned how to keep relaxed, meaning I never let myself get rattled when I was down.  Now all I have to do is learn to control my excitement so I have the gumption to actually exert energy to try and score a touch.

The next competition I’m likely to be in is the Mercury Cup in February… maybe I’ll actually make another post before then.

themes… side bars… widgets…

All these things I can do, all these things I can add and remove, all those things I don’t have control over!!!

Don’t be surprised if the page continues to change for the next few days, as I bounce through different look.