Winter Driving Courtesy

Last night I made a trip to the airport to pick up my sister-in-law. The part I dreaded about the trip was the winter weather that we have had the past few days. I don't like driving in the snow, especially when there are other people driving in snow. Luckily, last night there was only one stretch of the highway that had visible snow on the road. I took note of some things as I was driving that really bug me about driving in the winter, particularly when other drivers do, or don't do, them. It annoys me when:

1. Drivers don't knock off those huge ice chunks behind their wheels (see picture below). - First of all, those things look disgusting. Secondly, when you are driving down the freeway at 55 miles per hour on an icy road and you hit a pot hole those big chunks fall off. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY. This leaves anywhere from one to four basketball-sized hunks of black/brown ice right in front of the Altima behind you. You may say, but if it's an SUV behind me, it's no big deal. However you would be wrong because eventually there will be an Altima behind you. And that Altima will have to either swerve out of the way (not a great idea on a crowded icy freeway) or hold its breath and hope the ice doesn't knock its exhaust pipe off. So next time you go to drive your car, kick those sick chunks of crap off of your wheel wells. Or park next to me, because I kick them off of cars I walk past too.


2. Drivers only scrape a basketball-sized hole in the ice on their windshield, like this guy. - I really don't get this one. There is absolutely no way the driver of a car like that can see anything but a round patch of pavement directly in front of their hood. I mean, they don't even scrape any off of the driver's window to look beside them. My guess is that they think their defroster will get rid of all of the ice during their 10 minute drive to wherever. But when the ice is thick and covered in snow, it doesn't. I walk to school for the most part during the winter. I see these cars drive by all the time and I stay as far away from them as possible.

3. Drivers don't scrape the snow and ice off of their whole car. This one specifically refers to when they are driving on the freeway. In the morning to drive 5 minutes on surface streets to school, I don't care about this one. But if you're going to drive on the freeway, I think you should clear the snow and packed ice off of your whole vehicle. Why? Because going 65 miles per hour, it all blows off anyway, on the car right behind you. Ice on your hood and roof also fall off, right in front of the Altima behind you. Mostly though, it's just a nuisance, making whoever is driving behind them use their wipers even though it's not snowing outside.

On a side note, I want to give thanks to the many plow drivers on the streets. Whoever you are, you do an excellent job, at least in Utah, of keeping the roads clear of snow. That job must really stink. You have to drive all night and all day back and forth over the same roads cleaning off asphalt that you already plowed 4 times. Kind of like cleaning up after children. You guys have my respect. Plow on, my friends.

New Summer Project

Well, since Shanna and I still don’t have a TV, I am forced to find things to occupy my time after I get home from work in the evenings.  Until about 6:30 or so, I think it has become my job to entertain and feed Calvin because Shanna does that all day.  After he goes to bed though, I have a few hours where I can sit around or do something. 

We found some old rusted bikes here at the place we’re staying, and I pulled a few into the garage to see how much work they would need to fix.  They are the really cool old Schwinn cruiser style bikes.  Both are very cool.  I was going to fix up this one.

However, as I tried to take it all apart, I ran into some difficulty because a rusty bolt head broke off while the bolt was still in the hole.  I tried to drill it out, but to no avail.  Actually, I may know how to fix it now, but I’ve moved on to another bike.

The one I’m going to fix now is pictured below.

This is a pretty old Schwinn Black Phantom.  It’s got a really cool front suspension with shock absorber, a front fender with a switch on light (which may or may not work right now), a sweet chain guard, and a really cool curvaceous frame.  Here’s a better picture of the frame’s curves.

It’s missing some parts because it’s supposed to look like this.

You will notice that the one I found is missing the tank on the frame, the light cover, the seat, the chain, and the wheels(It’s actually only missing the front wheel).

Anyway, right now it’s just a hunk of rust, so I’ve been removing the rust and trying to get the bike all taken apart, which I finally succeeded in doing this evening.  Believe it or not, I had it all disassembled before today except for the part shown below.

This part holds the handlebar stem on to the front fork.  Unfortunately, this morning when I tried to take it off, it was rusted to the headset.  I pulled and hammered on the bike trying to get it off, but to no avail.  Of course I didn’t want to break anything though, so I was trying to be careful and forceful at the same time.

I read all of the information I could online about getting it out and tried the advice.  I went to a bike shop and asked one of the old mechanics how to get an old Schwinn stem out of the headset.  He said to use some Liquid Wrench which would penetrate the rust and allow me to get it loose. I don’t have any of that, so I used vinegar instead, which I read would work.  I also posted on a bike website asking for help.  Someone gave me a pointer and it worked like a charm.  5 hours after the vinegar was applied, I twisted the parts apart(And the tip I got online said I would need to wait overnight).

So anyway.  Hopefully by the end of the summer I have a cool old cruising bicycle that I can ride around Provo in the fall.  I hope you all have been following the Tour de France that started last week.  Armstrong is around 19th place, and Schleck is around 5th I think. 

RC Airplane Demo

Hey everybody. You might want to watch this movie that shows my airplane all assembled and working because who knows what will happen when I go out and fly it for the first time. Maybe I'll have Shanna capture video of my first flight and then put it up here.

Two things about the video:

1. The plane is a whole lot louder in person than it is on video.

2. Sorry about the creepy smile at the end of the video.

Bird Watching

The house here in Idaho provides us with the chance to see some pretty birds.  For example, today we were looking out the window when we saw about 3 or 4 western tanagers.  Of course we didn’t know that’s what they were until we watched them for a while and then looked up what they were on the internet.  (The internet is so smart!)  If you’re wondering what a western tanager is, see below. This is not to be confused with the western teenager, which is shown here. (Although this specimen looks like she may be no more than a western tweenager)

This place also has an abundance of red-winged blackbirds, which look really neat when they zoom past your car.

Hopefully we’ll see some more neat birds before the summer is over.

Book Review - 1776

Yesterday I finished reading the book 1776 by David McCullough, which you could probably guess is about the year 1776.  I really enjoyed the book.  At first I thought that it would focus on all of the events that were taking place  in the midst of the American Revolution and development of the country.  But to my surprise, and enjoyment, the book focused only on the military trials, struggles, and successes of the Continental Army and General George Washington throughout the calendar year (and a little bit more) of 1776.  I thought it funny that the Declaration of Independence (which obviously took place in 1776) is only talked about on 2 or 3 pages out of 300.  The book picks up late in the year 1775 after the Boston Massacre, The Battle of Bunker Hill, and a few other minor skirmishes. 

One thing that I liked about this book was the information that was gleaned from personal accounts and letters written by Washington, top Generals on both sides of the war, and civilians.  I personally didn’t know about 90% of the content of this book.  The battle of Dorchester Heights, the battle of Long Island and New York, the battle of Trenton were all things I had either never learned, or long since forgotten.  Yet these events are very fascinating and are important parts of our nation’s history.  Many of the patriotic stories that we have heard since childhood come from this period and these events.

The book also sheds light not only on Washington’s strengths, but his weaknesses.  It highlights how close to complete failure the Revolution almost was.  I thought that the year 1776 would have been a very successful year for the United States, but in fact, militarily, aside from a few glimmers of hope it was hugely unsuccessful and things were looking very grim.  Washington’s indecisiveness cost the Army valuable positions, resources, and soldiers.  However, his humility, dignity, and patriotism also inspired the troops to persevere to the end.

The reason I picked up this book was because I had heard (through the grapevine) that it was good and I was interested in learning a bit more about the founding and establishment of the United States.  I thought this book was great, although I will have to read another book to get a little bit more about the non-military founding fathers who were merely mentioned in passing throughout this book.  Great book.  I recommend it.

Potty Emergency

 

(Everyone remembers this classic episode, right?)

This is a true story, though parts of it may or may not have been embellished to make it better. 

I finally got to go in to work today for the first time.  I haven’t been allowed to go in because Korea hasn’t completed and returned my criminal background check yet for this employment with the Department of Energy at Idaho National Laboratories.  They filed a waiver for me which came through last week allowing me to start today.  So being my first day, they sat all of the new hires down in a conference room and pelted us with PowerPoint slides about anything and everything relating to our new employer.

In the back of the room, there were snacks including muffins, coffee, water, and some fruits.  After an hour or so, I got up and poured myself a glass of water.  It was really good chilled water.  The cup wasn’t large, it probably held only about 8 oz. or so.  After about 30 minutes we had a scheduled break and I was dying to use the bathroom.  So I ran in there and relieved myself. 

Since the water was so good, on my way back to my seat, I refilled my cup with some more water and drank it.  Pretty soon it was lunch time and I was on my way out to the car to get my lunch that was stowed in the trunk.  On the way, I realized that I had to go use the restroom again.  It was probably about an hour after my second cup of water, but since I was on lunch and I didn’t really have a way back into the facility until shortly before 1, I decided to hold it. 

I went to a nearby LDS church and ate lunch in the parking lot and on the bleachers by the baseball field adjacent to the parking lot.  The urge had left me and I turned on a sports talk show that I enjoy listening to.  At the end of the show, I took a swig from a water bottle that was in the car and remembered my need to use the bathroom.  Luckily it was almost 1, so somebody would be at the doors to let me in since I didn’t have my ID card yet. 

I drove maybe a little faster than normal to the building and hurried myself through the parking lot and into the building.  Immediately, I made a beeline for the urinal.  (I bet you thought that I wasn’t going to make it in time, or I was going to have an accident, didn’t you?) After using the bathroom, the lady in charge told me and another kid there that all of the training computers were being used and we would be taken down the hall to do some other paperwork, and then we would switch places with the others.

Well, we went down the hall and proceeded to fill out paperwork.  After completing about 5 different forms, we were taken into an onsite medical facility where they took our height, weight, and had us read the lines on the posters to check our eyes.  Then they called me back and produced a urine cup explaining that I needed to give them a sample to be drug tested.  I was a bit embarrassed, and told the lady, I don’t think I can go because I had just gone maybe 6 minutes ago.  She said she just needed a little so give it a try. 

I took the cup into the bathroom.  I was worried because I really had no desire or urge at all to use the bathroom.  (This is the real emergency) I stood there in the bathroom trying to will myself to go, but I couldn’t.  I was thinking of waterfalls, sprinklers, pouring water, anything to trigger the urge.  But I was pretty empty.  I thought I may have to sit in the office for a while before producing the required amount.  Luckily, just as I thought I would give up, success!

I took the cup back to the lady praying that it was enough.  It was below the line she told me I had to fill it to, but as she poured it into the vial, we saw it fill it up perfectly.  I mentioned to the lady that if I had known about needing the urine, I would’ve been able to wait to use the bathroom so that I was sure to have enough.  She told me that if I knew, then it wouldn’t have been a random test.    So, Cheers to my amazing body that was able to produce the exact amount of waste needed on the spot and in a pressure situation.  Definitely not your typical potty emergency.

Recent Acquisition

A little over a week ago, I got my graduation present in the mail. Well, I guess I purchased it with some money that I was given for graduation (Thanks again Mom, Dad, and Grandma Hansen). The item I purchased is a remote controlled airplane. It is a replica of a F-86 Sabre made of EPO (Expanded PolyOlefin) foam which is powered by an electric motor which blows air through a duct running the length of the airplane. The plane came in a box and it was completely in pieces. Luckily, I've built a lot of models in my youth, so it's very simple to piece together. The trouble is finding a glue that will hold it properly.

Online, I have found countless threads talking about the benefits and drawbacks to almost every glue. I purchased a glue that should work (basically it is just super glue). The trouble I'm having is figuring out the best method for applying and curing the glue. Since I have no idea of the best way, I am just doing it the best I can and hoping that the wings don't fall off mid-flight.

Here are some pictures of the process.

1. Had to glue on the tail stabilizers/elevators
2. Had to attach the push rods to the control horns and the control horns to the elevators.
3. Had to attach the wing assembly to the fuselage.5. Still remaining to do: Attach the vertical stabilizer, attach the bombs to the wings, build battery charger, install the battery, go have some fun flying it. (This is more like what it will finally look like)

Along with the new plane, I had to get a more intense transmitter. This is a 4 channel transmitter which means it can control the throttle, elevators, ailerons, and rudder
More to come as I get more done.

Book Review - Artemis Fowl

I was hoping that this book would last a little longer than it did. I borrowed it from Rob and Lindsey for this summer since our internet usage will be a bit more limited than normal and I needed some things to entertain me besides watching stuff online. Well, I pulled the book out of its box on Sunday or Monday and I’m done with it now. Luckily I also borrowed this book’s sequel from Rob and Lindsey.

Rob warned me that the writing was a little bit elementary, and it was. But that didn’t distract from the entertaining story. I guess the juvenile quality of this book contributed to the speed with which I moved through the book.

The book is about a 12 year old named Artemis Fowl who is a genius and hatches schemes to earn money and gain power and influence. He kidnaps a fairy in hopes of extracting a large gold ransom from the fairy civilization.

I thought the story was very creative, bringing fairy tale stories to life. The most entertaining part of the book to me was how the author explained and gave evidence of the reality of Dwarfs, Goblins, Fairies, and Trolls. He attributes natural phenomenon with these fictitious civilizations.

All in all, a good, entertaining read. I give it a rating of 3 out of 4.

One More Day

Only one more day before I graduate from college with a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. Only one more night (tonight) before my last presentation for an undergraduate class. Maybe I should be sleeping so that I'm rested for my very important presentation? Nah!

Instead I am up listening to the Suns game. They are destroying Portland right now. I may be drowsy tomorrow in my final, but just hearing Al McCoy put the game "In the Deep Freeze" makes it all worth it. The other part that makes it worth it is that Shanna let me stay up and listen to it, which means that she won't be mad at me for making her go to bed alone.

I must say, I'm pretty lucky that Shanna lets me watch/participate in as many sports as she does. She's awesome! and she got a new haircut today that looks really good.

Sorry, boring post. If you want something interesting to read, click here.

Family History

Have you guys seen that new show on TV that's called "Who Do You Think You Are?" I watched one episode of it and I thought that it was pretty cool. If you haven't, it's a show that takes some major celebrities (Emmett Smith, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, etc)I'm and tracks their family history back in time. The reason they use celebrities I'm sure is to get viewers to watch, but to me the cool part wasn't that there were celebrities, but the fact that the celebrities were actually getting excited learning about their ancestors. It kind of reminded me that I should be doing the same.

Recently, my dad gave me a copy of his dad's personal history because I kept asking him for it. I have already read some of it, most of it actually, and I am enjoying re-reading it now. I find it really interesting to read about how his life was similar to mine and the many ways in which it was much different. My Grandma Hansen sent me a thick stack of papers that details many of my ancestors going back well into the 1800's. This was also very interesting, and it was enlightening to read about the trials, joys, and hardships that were experienced in a time without any of the nice luxuries that we have today. I'm glad to have all of these in my possession.

I find many stories in these histories to be very amusing and enlightening. One story that I read tonight in my Grandpa Selin's history was particularly interesting, though it wasn't about him. In the chapter he wrote about his brother, he mentions a time when his brother was on night guard in the Army. He took a grenade and pulled the pin. He then passed the live grenade off to the person who relieved him at his post. The grenade served to keep him and the next man awake and alert while on guard duty, owing to their great desire and attention to not set off the pin-less grenade. Then as grandpa often does, he relates the story to a gospel principle.

I'm grateful for all of my faithful ancestors and the things that I can learn from them.