Bad-Bad Yesterday

I tell you. Yesterday almost advanced my retirement date. The Lab has an analytical instrument that will work fine for days and days at a time and then without a moments warning just bang, in the crapper.  I worked all day yesterday to find a small (read near microscopic) blockage at a control valve. I swear I had done just about everything to that ( read religion challenging) machine when I found the block.  Not really a block, just an intermittent interference, which made diagnosis of the problem really really hard.
Oh well, I have today off and even though it is to cold to go out and play. I am going to have a better attitude and clean on the basement.
Thanks for letting me unload.

Martin Luther King Day

Today is an off day for me, so no worries. Sarah gets up soon so my day with her will begin. I only have to work 3 days this week as I get Friday off on my 9 day rotation.  I really like this schedule. The  snow from last week is melting as it should reach 46 today.  I think I will make jewelry today. The muse is on me and I want to burn up the last of the O2 so I can get a new tank on Friday.  I will try to post some of the beads if any come out nice enough.  I am still working out the bracelet concept with a leather base, but the closures at the ends elude me.  The ones I have tried so far just look clunky.  I'll figure it out eventually.  By the way my bullet lube problems seem to be solved as I made a support that just holds the very nose of the bullet upright so that the molten lube can surround the base and lube groove gets filled. After cooling I push them out with a dowl and my drill press.  Lots of support and good mechanicial advantage.  Then it is just off to the sizer and ta-da I'm done.

After the range

Had a real good day at the range.  Tuned in the 308 a little more.  Got it down to 2 inch groups at 100 yards.  I am going to try to do some photos tomorrow and see how that goes. Every day is closer to retirement and I think that I can do this.  I've been working since I was 16 and I was worried about how I would fill my days.  Now I wonder if I will have enough time for all  the stuff I want to do. I'll see you tomorrow.

A Warm Friday in January

Today I am off. (9 day schedule).  I am planning to go out to unload some 308's at the gun club. The weather is supposed to be near 60 today as it was yesterday. I am looking forward to it. Yesterday was a much better day at the lab as I got the instrument back up and re-tweaked for calculations and print out so I am happy about that. Got to see Molly's new blog entry. Can't believe how really cute the children are. I think Molly & Ben are doing a great job with them.
My next task is to learn how to put up pictures into this blog. I may play around with the backgrounds etc.  I think that the idea is to have fun.  If my calculations are correct I have 144 more days till retirement.

Day two at Black Rock

This was day two back at work after vacation.  All was great till the power failed just after noon and wiped out the operating system for my analyzer.  We got it reloaded but it still needs a lot of tweeking. I guess I'll never catch a break.

Back to work or off to purgatory

Well I went back to work today.  Not much fun left.  I counted earlier and I think there are 147 days left. It is less than 5 months.  Seems like a long time but one day at a time.  Oh well could be worse.  I had Monday off for the Holiday and Friday is my scheduled day off so in reality I only have to work 2 more days this week.  I think that on Friday since it is supposed to be over 50 degrees and I can't count on that much this time of year. I will go to the range and send some lead into the berms.  I have some handloads that I want to unload and the best way is through the rifle.  I'll let you know how that works out.

The Children Come To Visit

The children were here after Christmas and until New Years Eve.  We had a really good time. Caught up on all the little details that aren't conducive to email or quick phone calls. I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with Ben.  When Molly calls he is usually at work but this time I got to spend some quality time with him.
As a fun thing to do one afternoon I went with Ben and Henry to the Military Museum up at the National Guard camp.  Henry is mad for tanks and they have a few.  He runs everywhere. I don't know how much is sinking in but he has a really good time.  We stopped over at Lincoln's tomb but I don't know how much of that imprinted on Henry. I wanted to give him a topic if his friends asked what he did over vacation.  I bet he will respond with "I went to see Nana and Poppy", which really isn't bad.  Oh well I can honestly say that I really miss them all. Having Molly and Ben here is really great, and I would welcome them anytime but the real bonus is the children.  Each of them is developing into individuals.  I am fascinated by the process.  Emmett is much more facile with his speech.  He used to  hesitate prior to getting a word out and now they just flow.  What an amazing process. Then there is Henry who has enough energy to solve any shortage that may occur.  He never seems to tire.  I get tired just watching him bound from one thing to another. These two act a bookends for Bridget who is so much like her mother it is scary.  I see Molly in Bridget all the time. There is Molly in Emmett and Henry but I think it is modified by the "y" chromosome.  I would have loved to see Ben as a child.  I think that Emmett got most of Ben.  Henry sometimes reminds me of me.  As to Bridget, what can I say.  She is just so special.  One evening near the end of the visit she had a blanket and came up to me, threw the blanket on my lap and announced, "snuggle time", climbed up and proceeded to do just that.
Bridget thinks Poppy is here to A) brush her hair B) provide candy and C) fulfill any wishes for cartoons on TV. Not a bad job as jobs come.
I hope that they get to come back in warmer weather.  We can have tons of fun outside.
I think that things will get a lot looser when I retire at the end of May and don't have to schedule around work. We will see how that develops.