For once. Once in the last... four years?
I'm caught up on sleep.
And not in a "bleahh I woke up at 1 o'clock and feel like mush" way.
I woke up at 7, and even though I could've kept pushing snooze, I have remained alert and comfortable since then. It's not the empty overabundance of energy that caffeine gives, but there's no drowsiness lurking just below the surface, waiting to engulf me as soon as I stop moving.
Yesterday I got home at 6:30 from work. Mom and Dad were mostly finished with their dinner, so I said I would get mine separately in awhile. I laid down on the little couch in the family room.. and woke up at 9. Just enough to brush my teeth and move to the bigger couch.
So that's about 12 hours of sleep. And I was extremely hungry when I got to work.
I don't know what to make of this, except perhaps that it shows the difficulty of actually getting enough sleep. We'll see how it goes tomorrow morning...
--Clear Ambassador
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
>>SMACK<<
AWW MAAN!
Mitch blasts out of his seat and goes hopping around the room, while I collect another jack, slapped from under his nose yet again. Egyptian Rat Slap (and espresso) have reached the breaking point.. his remaining cards have gone airborne, but it makes no difference: my victory has become inexorable. His eyes are bright, and he can't help smiling at his own defeat... yet again... with three times as many cards dealt to himself as me.
Caleb got spanked too, though we had to split our game up between the Pierson's dining room table, the Hetrick's back patio, their living room, and the back seat of the minivan. He was dead set on beating me this time, and it was definitely a battle. The best part was probably the look on his face when another juicy pile of face cards was slapped.. swaggering bravado if he'd won, or a stunned stare if my hand had come down first.
Rat slap is a great game. It gets you empty of everything else in your mind, just zoned in on the cards.. teetering on the brink of the next one to show its face. It was a fun way to hang out with the Piersons (and it's also a good way to jack yourself up before a long drive).
Mad thanks to the Piersons yet again for letting me hang out. Times there always stand out from the roughage of the week :-)
--Clear Ambassador
Mitch blasts out of his seat and goes hopping around the room, while I collect another jack, slapped from under his nose yet again. Egyptian Rat Slap (and espresso) have reached the breaking point.. his remaining cards have gone airborne, but it makes no difference: my victory has become inexorable. His eyes are bright, and he can't help smiling at his own defeat... yet again... with three times as many cards dealt to himself as me.
Caleb got spanked too, though we had to split our game up between the Pierson's dining room table, the Hetrick's back patio, their living room, and the back seat of the minivan. He was dead set on beating me this time, and it was definitely a battle. The best part was probably the look on his face when another juicy pile of face cards was slapped.. swaggering bravado if he'd won, or a stunned stare if my hand had come down first.
Rat slap is a great game. It gets you empty of everything else in your mind, just zoned in on the cards.. teetering on the brink of the next one to show its face. It was a fun way to hang out with the Piersons (and it's also a good way to jack yourself up before a long drive).
Mad thanks to the Piersons yet again for letting me hang out. Times there always stand out from the roughage of the week :-)
--Clear Ambassador
Friday, September 21, 2007
Payloader Therapy
After enough hours slumped in the chair busying about with raw materials issues and duties, one needs to relieve one's pent up muscles and mind. Couches with beagles on them are in short supply at glass plants, and so are drum sets or electric guitars. But we do have a big payloader and lots of piles of glass :-)
Sunshine, hydraulics, mountains of glass... getting shaken around by forces ridiculously larger than you should be able to control... Therapetic I say. Therapetic!
I moved about 20 tons from D pad to 2nd level C pad. Which was barely noticeable on D pad, and didn't even make a change on C pad, which is bigger than 2 houses.
Plus I stacked up the transition cullet getting dumped on 2nd row E pad, and pushed up the contaminated cullet recently dumped on F pad.
Ahhh. The world is a better place, and my back stopped aching for a couple hours :-)
--CA
P.S. That picture isn't from our plant, but it's pretty dang close. Our payloader is cooler.
Sunshine, hydraulics, mountains of glass... getting shaken around by forces ridiculously larger than you should be able to control... Therapetic I say. Therapetic!
I moved about 20 tons from D pad to 2nd level C pad. Which was barely noticeable on D pad, and didn't even make a change on C pad, which is bigger than 2 houses.
Plus I stacked up the transition cullet getting dumped on 2nd row E pad, and pushed up the contaminated cullet recently dumped on F pad.
Ahhh. The world is a better place, and my back stopped aching for a couple hours :-)
--CA
P.S. That picture isn't from our plant, but it's pretty dang close. Our payloader is cooler.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
I love my boots!
It took a couple months to really break them in, but now it's like a day-long comfy foot hug :-) I would seriously leave them on for days if that wouldn't be weird and make changing pants impossible. Oh, and with steel toes, 2-inch heat-resistant soles, electro hazard protection, 0.4 kilograms of insulation and waterproofing, these are not the boots of a child. They are man boots.
Or moots, as I affectionatly call them.
Looks like I can add my recommendation of Red Wing boots to the thousands already out there. I don't know how, but they sure make 'em well! I regret not a cent of the $180 that brought me and my moots together :-P
--CA
Or moots, as I affectionatly call them.
Looks like I can add my recommendation of Red Wing boots to the thousands already out there. I don't know how, but they sure make 'em well! I regret not a cent of the $180 that brought me and my moots together :-P
--CA
~135
Miles for the round trip to Grove City.
I played guitar for a prayer & worship night with the Grove City Care Group (GCCG), which is now the GCSRCG, since Seth and Patrick are coming from Slippery Rock.
I calculated it out as I ruminated on the odometer on the way home: roughly 120 miles.. 30 miles to the gallon.. $2.75 per gallon... it was about an $11 gig. Which I say not because of my first thought, which was "What a dumb amount of money to spend for such a short thing." I say it for the thought that quickly swallowed that one up: What better to spend money on? What should I save it for? Restaurant food and gas station snacks? More CD's? Gas to go hang out with friends for my own benefit? How good it is to have *something* I can spend my money on that's of real value and service!
I'm not saying this is always my attitude, since if it was I think I would be a much more generous man whose bank statements would look a lot different. But it was a genuine thought, and a feeling I want to chase. A moment of conviction I want to nurture.
--CA
P.S. It took some more effort and grace, but I arrived at the same conclusion regarding my time as I wrestled with going to Fuse Saturday night instead of the Brad Paisley concert with Daniel, Justin & Co. Here is one thing I can do that's clearly of eternal value.. so dig it!
I played guitar for a prayer & worship night with the Grove City Care Group (GCCG), which is now the GCSRCG, since Seth and Patrick are coming from Slippery Rock.
I calculated it out as I ruminated on the odometer on the way home: roughly 120 miles.. 30 miles to the gallon.. $2.75 per gallon... it was about an $11 gig. Which I say not because of my first thought, which was "What a dumb amount of money to spend for such a short thing." I say it for the thought that quickly swallowed that one up: What better to spend money on? What should I save it for? Restaurant food and gas station snacks? More CD's? Gas to go hang out with friends for my own benefit? How good it is to have *something* I can spend my money on that's of real value and service!
I'm not saying this is always my attitude, since if it was I think I would be a much more generous man whose bank statements would look a lot different. But it was a genuine thought, and a feeling I want to chase. A moment of conviction I want to nurture.
--CA
P.S. It took some more effort and grace, but I arrived at the same conclusion regarding my time as I wrestled with going to Fuse Saturday night instead of the Brad Paisley concert with Daniel, Justin & Co. Here is one thing I can do that's clearly of eternal value.. so dig it!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Poems of Advice and Wisdom (i.e. my mind on sleeplessness)
Sleep will cloud my consciousness
Like wine the drunkard's thoughts.
I'll savor late-night memories
Yet wish I had them not.
Feign the man who hateth not
The art his hands and mind hath wrought.
Wouldst have them stand in line to see?
Then you must your own critic be.
Complaining
Woe the man who makes his life
Finding wrong instead of right.
Has the moment shown its cards?
Play them for whate'er they are!
Sad the man who finds too cool
Himself for splashing in a pool.
Hold you tightly to yourself?
Well, you'll be loved by no one else.
Look as children madly run
From one thing to the next begun.
Heedless rushing in to try,
Thoughtless but to ask you why.
Fail it twice but try again..
Separates the boys from men.
--CA
Like wine the drunkard's thoughts.
I'll savor late-night memories
Yet wish I had them not.
Feign the man who hateth not
The art his hands and mind hath wrought.
Wouldst have them stand in line to see?
Then you must your own critic be.
Complaining
Woe the man who makes his life
Finding wrong instead of right.
Has the moment shown its cards?
Play them for whate'er they are!
Sad the man who finds too cool
Himself for splashing in a pool.
Hold you tightly to yourself?
Well, you'll be loved by no one else.
Look as children madly run
From one thing to the next begun.
Heedless rushing in to try,
Thoughtless but to ask you why.
Fail it twice but try again..
Separates the boys from men.
--CA
Monday, September 17, 2007
Flashes
Now I know what it feels like to be an olympic track star winning the gold medal!
While walking in the crystal sunlight of this fresh autumn day,
past the piles of broken glass stacked like bales of glinting hay,
I noted beams of sunshine, caught and captured from the sky,
Flick'ring but a blinking moment, 'till another caught my eye.
Blade by blade, like an army firing freely on the field,
Shots of glass-reflected brightness showed me just how it must feel.
Scattered flashes from beside me, as I go passing by,
But this crowd shimmers silently, and I walk, instead of fly.
--CA
While walking in the crystal sunlight of this fresh autumn day,
past the piles of broken glass stacked like bales of glinting hay,
I noted beams of sunshine, caught and captured from the sky,
Flick'ring but a blinking moment, 'till another caught my eye.
Blade by blade, like an army firing freely on the field,
Shots of glass-reflected brightness showed me just how it must feel.
Scattered flashes from beside me, as I go passing by,
But this crowd shimmers silently, and I walk, instead of fly.
--CA
Thursday, September 13, 2007
In the style of Mikey Q
Whole lotta catchin' up:
Trips:
- Erie with UK in the motor home for Labor Day
- Pirates game --> Grove City --> Cleveland to hang with Charlie --> Akron --> home late Sunday night
- Akron second-to-last weekend of July for band practice. Half with Alex, and half with the original trilogy, since Alex was leaving
- Akron last weekend of July for Pure Boss concert at Brian's grad party
Visits:
- One big distended and extended blob of Akronites :-) Steve and Jon Detweiler here to do the roof. Allisons here for a weekend visit. Mike Hoffman here Sunday to help. Steve staying till Monday, then coming back Wednesday with Craig to finish, then coming back again Thursday afternoon for Kennywood
Good times:
- Kennywood with Betsy, Rachael and Steve-O! The *second* company picnic. First one got rained out. Though we still went and got free food. And did rides. And got a set of free tickets since the park closed early :-) Booyah!
- Fuel 'n' Fuddle: hit it up after Ritas and wandering around Pittsburgh Saturday night with the Allisons, etc. in tow.
- Pirate's game, Styx concert + fireworks, the Fuel 'n' Fuddle! Hoh hoh -- amaaazing! One of the shining highlights of the whole summer. The game was great - competitive, lots of action, and great people. Styx were great: kinda quiet, and not a lot of songs, but so seasoned and skilled that they rocked with winsome ease. Betsy got majorly into the concert, which was a lot of fun since I'm often the only super-vocal enjoyer of things. Fireworks dazzled us with their spectacle, and their volume! I truly liked Pittsburgh for the first real time. F'n'F capped off the night with great food and extended time to enjoy people.
- Recording "Sick as a Dog" with Stephen. He needs to move here!
- Steve Gole!
Work:
- No longer in the "new guy" phase
- Taking over raw materials from Jay
- Given responsibility for the batch house. Classic engineering: pursuing goals is like grasping oil with the hand. Hangs over you constantly. Easy to back burnerize, but critical to make efforts on, in order to demonstrate get-to-it-iveness, which is a key intangible in the work world.
- Brian--the only other process engineer--left. Leaving me, BT, unloaders, Bobby and Earl in the hot end office.
- Doing lots of unloading. Getting pretty good on the payloader.
- Finding myself at many classic work issues: stress, irritation, worried about getting noticed/getting credit, longer hours, poor communication. Augh! What am I becoming?
- Getting my jeans dirty most days. Yessss
- I am still a new guy, even if I'm past that phase. Now it takes more effort to get out and about, watch, ask, and learn. I know enough to make a comfortable rut for myself. *DUN DUN DUN*
- Boredom is now. no longer. an issue.
Home:
- New lappy. Frickin' iTunes still won't play videos. COMPUTERS!!! GAAGHH!! (Otherwise pretty spiffy, though)
- Dad doing house planning a ton (incl. right now)
- Stripey pants!!
- Not playing much consistently, but dinking around a bit. Recorded Dr.Pepper song, Sick as a Dog, and A Thousand Fair Admirers. Wrote the college song, which is probably my best song in many important ways, but haven't recorded it yet. Gotta do it justice. More chill with recording than perfectionistic. Getting better at guitar, and enjoying it. Electric >> acoustic. Drums = I suck, but Steve Gole plays my kinda stuff... WELL.
Church:
- Jeremy got College Night rolling for the year
- According to myself and a startlingly large number of independent commenters, I should be on electric as much as possible. Seems to add a lot to the sound. And I love it :-)
- Still benefitting from the Abe, Isaac and Jake sermons!
- Philippians series
- Fuse. Haven't been much recently.
- Ohiopyle camping trip! Tired as death Friday night, but Saturday made up for it. Hung out with Erin and Anna first half, then rode back. Absorbed a disproportionate number of injuries at Cuke Falls. Sober time up at the cross at J-ville.
Currently:
- Enamored with The Who. Literally can't get enough of "Let My Love Open the Door."
- About to order a slew of CD's, plus tri-tone gray All-Stars from amazon.com
- Bought some shows and movies on iTunes. Bug's Life is great!
- The lawn is spiffy from a good mow and a recent trim job
- On the upshot of another attempt at devotions and exercising. Iffy, but you just keep trying
- Baleveine Double Cask was fantabulous tonight, but in general not my style
- Daisy is still cute
- Chick-fil-A is still >>amazing<<
- Grovers back, but Daniel, Justin, Hezz, Rebekah Booher, Betsy and Rachael are all gone.
- How how how should I record "When You Were in Love?"
- Praying for grace to devote and exercise. I can only pray, and see what happens, and not let eyes stray to past history and mind decay to hopelessness.
Upcoming:
- Transition to Crystal Gray starting Saturday. Working Sunday, minus time for church. Yay, but boo, but overall yay
- Folks in for Brad Paisley concert this weekend
- Switchfoot/RelientK concert in November! Hoh hoh -- amaazing!
- Really want to be in Akron. Like it there. But I was hurtin' for the 'Burgh last weekend.
- I've been up way too late every night this weekend. Time to read some Biblio and end that trend. So much for exercising.
Arise, my soul, arise.
Shake off they guilty fears.
The bleeding sacrifice
On my behalf appears.
Before the throne my surety stands.
Before the throne my surety stands!
My name is written on His hands.
--Clear Ambassador
Trips:
- Erie with UK in the motor home for Labor Day
- Pirates game --> Grove City --> Cleveland to hang with Charlie --> Akron --> home late Sunday night
- Akron second-to-last weekend of July for band practice. Half with Alex, and half with the original trilogy, since Alex was leaving
- Akron last weekend of July for Pure Boss concert at Brian's grad party
Visits:
- One big distended and extended blob of Akronites :-) Steve and Jon Detweiler here to do the roof. Allisons here for a weekend visit. Mike Hoffman here Sunday to help. Steve staying till Monday, then coming back Wednesday with Craig to finish, then coming back again Thursday afternoon for Kennywood
Good times:
- Kennywood with Betsy, Rachael and Steve-O! The *second* company picnic. First one got rained out. Though we still went and got free food. And did rides. And got a set of free tickets since the park closed early :-) Booyah!
- Fuel 'n' Fuddle: hit it up after Ritas and wandering around Pittsburgh Saturday night with the Allisons, etc. in tow.
- Pirate's game, Styx concert + fireworks, the Fuel 'n' Fuddle! Hoh hoh -- amaaazing! One of the shining highlights of the whole summer. The game was great - competitive, lots of action, and great people. Styx were great: kinda quiet, and not a lot of songs, but so seasoned and skilled that they rocked with winsome ease. Betsy got majorly into the concert, which was a lot of fun since I'm often the only super-vocal enjoyer of things. Fireworks dazzled us with their spectacle, and their volume! I truly liked Pittsburgh for the first real time. F'n'F capped off the night with great food and extended time to enjoy people.
- Recording "Sick as a Dog" with Stephen. He needs to move here!
- Steve Gole!
Work:
- No longer in the "new guy" phase
- Taking over raw materials from Jay
- Given responsibility for the batch house. Classic engineering: pursuing goals is like grasping oil with the hand. Hangs over you constantly. Easy to back burnerize, but critical to make efforts on, in order to demonstrate get-to-it-iveness, which is a key intangible in the work world.
- Brian--the only other process engineer--left. Leaving me, BT, unloaders, Bobby and Earl in the hot end office.
- Doing lots of unloading. Getting pretty good on the payloader.
- Finding myself at many classic work issues: stress, irritation, worried about getting noticed/getting credit, longer hours, poor communication. Augh! What am I becoming?
- Getting my jeans dirty most days. Yessss
- I am still a new guy, even if I'm past that phase. Now it takes more effort to get out and about, watch, ask, and learn. I know enough to make a comfortable rut for myself. *DUN DUN DUN*
- Boredom is now. no longer. an issue.
Home:
- New lappy. Frickin' iTunes still won't play videos. COMPUTERS!!! GAAGHH!! (Otherwise pretty spiffy, though)
- Dad doing house planning a ton (incl. right now)
- Stripey pants!!
- Not playing much consistently, but dinking around a bit. Recorded Dr.Pepper song, Sick as a Dog, and A Thousand Fair Admirers. Wrote the college song, which is probably my best song in many important ways, but haven't recorded it yet. Gotta do it justice. More chill with recording than perfectionistic. Getting better at guitar, and enjoying it. Electric >> acoustic. Drums = I suck, but Steve Gole plays my kinda stuff... WELL.
Church:
- Jeremy got College Night rolling for the year
- According to myself and a startlingly large number of independent commenters, I should be on electric as much as possible. Seems to add a lot to the sound. And I love it :-)
- Still benefitting from the Abe, Isaac and Jake sermons!
- Philippians series
- Fuse. Haven't been much recently.
- Ohiopyle camping trip! Tired as death Friday night, but Saturday made up for it. Hung out with Erin and Anna first half, then rode back. Absorbed a disproportionate number of injuries at Cuke Falls. Sober time up at the cross at J-ville.
Currently:
- Enamored with The Who. Literally can't get enough of "Let My Love Open the Door."
- About to order a slew of CD's, plus tri-tone gray All-Stars from amazon.com
- Bought some shows and movies on iTunes. Bug's Life is great!
- The lawn is spiffy from a good mow and a recent trim job
- On the upshot of another attempt at devotions and exercising. Iffy, but you just keep trying
- Baleveine Double Cask was fantabulous tonight, but in general not my style
- Daisy is still cute
- Chick-fil-A is still >>amazing<<
- Grovers back, but Daniel, Justin, Hezz, Rebekah Booher, Betsy and Rachael are all gone.
- How how how should I record "When You Were in Love?"
- Praying for grace to devote and exercise. I can only pray, and see what happens, and not let eyes stray to past history and mind decay to hopelessness.
Upcoming:
- Transition to Crystal Gray starting Saturday. Working Sunday, minus time for church. Yay, but boo, but overall yay
- Folks in for Brad Paisley concert this weekend
- Switchfoot/RelientK concert in November! Hoh hoh -- amaazing!
- Really want to be in Akron. Like it there. But I was hurtin' for the 'Burgh last weekend.
- I've been up way too late every night this weekend. Time to read some Biblio and end that trend. So much for exercising.
Arise, my soul, arise.
Shake off they guilty fears.
The bleeding sacrifice
On my behalf appears.
Before the throne my surety stands.
Before the throne my surety stands!
My name is written on His hands.
--Clear Ambassador
Inspired and Informed
Mom's comment on Kayte's blog showed me clearly why I have trouble keeping my blog posts short: "She always seems to have a very clear idea of what she wants to say."
SOMEHOW, her sharply-written account of one aspect of her monumental first day of teaching carries more punch than 5000 words of rambling that would capture and preserve the weight of the details.
Because I tend to go so long, I have many times wanted to write about what's been going on but balked at the amount of time it always takes up once I get going.
Also, MikeQ-style posts are good for capturing more disparate details, but keeping it snappy and winsome. Yay Mike!
Lemme ruminate 'n' percolate on what I want to say. I'll be back shortly...
--Clear Ambassador
SOMEHOW, her sharply-written account of one aspect of her monumental first day of teaching carries more punch than 5000 words of rambling that would capture and preserve the weight of the details.
Because I tend to go so long, I have many times wanted to write about what's been going on but balked at the amount of time it always takes up once I get going.
Also, MikeQ-style posts are good for capturing more disparate details, but keeping it snappy and winsome. Yay Mike!
Lemme ruminate 'n' percolate on what I want to say. I'll be back shortly...
--Clear Ambassador
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