Clearing my stuff – an MMP give-away, sorta

But first, a little story.

In 1985, I was hired at the Naval Air Rework Facility (later renamed Naval Aviation Depot, and then Naval Air Depot) in Jacksonville FL as a mechanical engineer in the Plant Engineering division. My job was to design tooling, fixtures, and equipment needed to rework Navy aircraft and engines. It was a heck of a learning experience and a lot of fun, if frustrating at times.

In 1990, there was a reorganization, and Plant Engineering disappeared. The new Master Plan said we were all Process Engineers, our jobs being to make all processes go smoothly, but designing tooling, fixtures, and equipment… What a concept. :rolleyes: I got a new cubicle, a new boss, and a new bad attitude.

In 1991, there was yet another reorganization in conjunction with a RIF (Reduction In Force – mass layoffs) and at that point, someone looked at my records and saw that I was an Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineer by degree, so I was shipped across the street to work in the P-3 Branch as an Aerospace Structural Engineer. Yet another new boss, but this one I liked.

One of my first major projects was the modification of an old P-3A into a pseudo airliner for carrying a Navy Band and its instruments. The project leader on that adventure was Chuck. His cubicle was next to mine. He’d been a structural engineer for a lot of years. He was funny and smart and a very good mentor – I learned a lot from him.

I also earned major brownie points early on.

To digress a wee bit, engineering isn’t always an exact, absolute science. There are many ways to approach design problems, and several may be equally valid in any given situation. We were looking at just such a design problem – my thoughts went one way and Chuck’s went another. Either way would work fine. Since I was responsible for this particular phase of design, Chuck was going to let me do it my way. But I was still a relative newbie, still learning, so I said “You’re the boss. I’ll do it any way you want.”

With those words, I had a friend for life. Whenever Chuck was having a bad day, he’d come to me and ask me to say that line. Whenever he wanted an ego boost, he’d ask. Sometimes, out of nowhere, he’d point to me, and I’d be ready “You’re the boss. I’ll do it any way you want.” It always made him smile. Oh, and he really wasn’t my boss – he couldn’t fire me or discipline me or anything. He was just in charge of that one project.

Anyway, I’m in Maryland, and Chuck is still working at the Depot in Jacksonville. But this week, he’s coming up to NAS Patuxent River, which is just down the road a piece from our house. And he’s coming to dinner on Thursday night. I’m looking forward to seeing him again – he’s a really nice guy.

That’s all. No real point.

Now, about the crafty crap. I have said before and I’ll say again, I’m not ready to sell my stuff – I really don’t think it’s good enough quality. But I can’t keep it all, either. So, if you’re willing to pay for packaging and postage from Maryland to where you live, I will gladly send a piece your way. Heck, if you are so inclined, you can come over and pick out something. Like I expect that to happen. I’m not going to do any wheeling and dealing in the thread, since that’ll get annoying in no time. So here’s how it’ll work.

Email me – my address is in my profile. Let me know if you want a specific piece or if you’re willing to take pot luck. When you email, I can let you know the size of the piece if you want – it’s hard to tell from the photos sometimes. Bear in mind that the piece you specify may have already been spoken for – I make no promises at this point, except that once a particular piece is claimed, that’s it. Early bird, and all that.

I’ll send them via Priority Mail, and from past experience, I’d say the postage will run between $3 and $6, depending on the size, obviously. Plus there’s the shipping box – I’m going to have to buy some, but I can’t imagine they’ll cost that much – certainly not more than a dollar each.

So those of you who feel you can’t live without one of my early attempts at pottery, here’s your chance. For the price of postage, you can help me get rid of the accumulated stuff. Just one more thing – don’t try to color match the pics I posted with your décor – I’m not that good a photographer, and I’d hate for you to pick something based on color as the main criterion.

Morning all! I’m up and off to work. FCM I sent you my request. Cool stuff.

Cool story, FCM. I have a few people I keep in touch with like that. I make it a point to visit one of my old profs whenever I’m in Michigan. She’s responsible for a lot of the grown-up I became, including some of my writing and analysis skills (only the good parts).

Still sleepy. Could someone pour a bucket of water over me, please? Happy Monday everyone.

GT

Ok folks here’s your chance to own a piece of FCM designer orignal pottery. As on of the Especially Cool Kids, I already own a piece, so I’ll let others have first dibs. This is an exclusive offer, not soon to be repeated. Act now.

Limited Time Only. Void Where Prohibited. Probably Legal In All States. Clean Your Plate. Wash Behind Your Ears. Don’t Put That In Your Mouth. You Don’t Know Where It’s Been.

I have some old friends I keep up with on a regular basis too. We try, as many of us that can, to get together once a year for a couple of days. Right now, plans are underway for a possible meetup in Etlanner in August. Last time we met in Etlanner it was way fun. We stayed downtown at the Westin and did touristy stuff. Plus there’s a ton o’ good restaurants and stuff in the area.

Today is Management Team. DUN! DUN! DUN! Actually, it should be a pretty smooth meeting, with no horrible issues or evil things to sort out. Of course, now that I have made that public, the world as we know it will end between now and ten a.m. when the meeting starts.

All you Flahrdy Cool Kids ready for rain? From what I’m hearing you could get a bunch. Send some up here please, we need it.

“Be careful what you ask for, because you just may get it” - plot device for many many movies

MMorning all. It’s raining up here again, hard. Which means another week before I get my deck stained. Grrrrrrr.

But I did get to see The Smithereens on Saturday. Hadn’t seen the band play since the mid-'80s, so that was cool.

I got nothing else. Good luck with the craft giveaway, Mom.

'morning, all.
FCM - there was a piece from the 3rd class I’d had my eye on - could I have the link to those pics please?
I’m playing hookey today - I had a weird dream and in that dream I had major palpitations - then when I woke up (at 3am), my heart was still racing slightly - scared the hell out of me. I’m okay know, but since I didn’t really sleep after that, I am in no condition to drive or work right now.

Even worse is when you’re sound asleep, and you dream of insomnia. That’s a grade A prime mindf*ck…

I e-mailed you FCM.

Hi all, I missed out last week because I was BUSY. Very busy. Crazy busy. One of those busy week where you only have time to glance at the MMP before something else gets added to your pile. And then you try and glance at the MMP again and your boss comes in and says "Why don’t you have the eleventeen things done yet? I have twelvety-two more for you.

This weekend I went to a Darkon campout. I hit lots of people, and drank lots of beer, and then slept most of Sunday. The daughter went to prom on Friday, but I don’t have a report yet, other than the amounts spent on various credit cards to pay for the who shebang. If the bilss are any indicator, she had a fine time.

That’s all for now. I’m gonna be busy this week two, but I only have about 3cubed things to do.

I mis-fired this gem into the wrong thread yesterday…

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We’ve started the packing process, and we haven’t even had the new joint inspected yet (Thursday). Hopefully, this won’t become a :smack:

I’m already about to strangle VunderWife. First was this half hour dissertation and discussion on the best type of, and deal on, packing tape. I don’t give a shit myself; if we need tape, I just go buy some, not get online and comparion shop.

Then she hits me with this box labeling scheme of hers. Three labels per box: one on top with contents, and two smaller ones on the sides identifying the room the box is intended for. She didn’t like it when I said I could do the same thing in half the time and 1/3 of the effort with a Sharpie.

“No one can read your handwriting.”

“What the hell makes you think my handwriting will be any better with those PITA labels of yours?”

All this from the same woman who packed up enough cloth and craft stuff last time to open her own Joann Fabrics, labeled every one of those boxes as “Misc”, and then bitched because she couldn’t find anything when unpacking.

Bob the answer is obvious–pack her in a box and label all three sides of her. Let me know how that goes…
Back on my Mac. A-waiting the floor guys. Nice neighbor is coming over to wait for floor guys while I put #2 son on the camp bus. #1 son at HS placement test, and daughter is up at the camp already(it’s our church camp). Today I clean…yippee! :rolleyes:

I can’t take on any pottery at present, but I think I might in the next batch.

Sigh…We’re in the midst of packing up too, and it hit me the other day that I was doing a lot of that too. “Misc. Office”, “Misc. LR”, “Misc. Kitchen”, etc. It occurred to me that I might as well stop putting “Misc.” on every damn box. At least they’re marked as to what room they go in the new house.

Jumping back to pottery for a sec, have I ever bragged on my mom and her pottery work here? Unbelievable what this woman puts together, especially considering she’ll be turning 80 in a few months.

Oh, and Sean? I envy you. Love me some Smithereens.

I’ve already threatened Maddy the VunderDog with just that… :wink:

She’s decided that the new home for all of her squeaktoys is in the box full of newspaper we’re collecting for packing.

As Resident Hooky Expert, I applaud this. I had a dream last night that it was two days till my first official Real Grownup Vacation Abroad (which isn’t till August, btw), and I still hadn’t received my passport. So I woke up anxious. Fantastic.

Gods, I love packing. It’s sick. I know it is. But I get my uniformly-sized boxes and my tape and my multi-color pack of Sharpies–one color for each room, and sometimes different colors to detail the contents–and I go to work. I have to say, this last move, every time I went to look for something, it was damned easy to find. Of course, I didn’t have a wife telling me how to pack things. :slight_smile:

I have one box labeled “Last Box.” In it were things like the remote control for the living room tv, the last phone I packed, and various other things I found as furniture was moved or I didn’t have other places for. The funny thing is, as I unpacked everything, I kept putting more things into the Last Box because I didn’t have a place for them yet. That box is still half-packed, sitting in the Library, and functions as a junk drawer for everything I can’t figure out where to put. I am determined that it be the absolute last box unpacked, and I get the strong feeling that it’s going to be sitting on the library floor until I move out sometime in the distant future.

FCM, I too would like to see the pictures before I choose my pottery. Got any vases? I took home a centerpiece sans container from my cousin’s wedding last week, and then had to improvise when I got home.

I’ve got pain killer and portable heating pads this week, because I expect it to be a bitch. Of course, the meds have to be taken with food, and my black shirt is now covered with croissant crumbs. Typical.

Ah, yes, and good rainy monday morning to y’all, too! Orlando is on the dirty side of Alberto so the weather dudes are pouring over the radar looking for hooks. So far just a little bit or rain, but, lawd, we do need that. The way I see it, this is just a little welcome sign for rifty.

So, I’m joining the lack of sleep club. Somebody called our land line at 3:40 fricken aye yem this mawnin. Nobody seemed to be on the other end. The caller ID said “private caller” whatever that means. But try to get back to sleep after that? I think not. :stuck_out_tongue:

The Princess[sup]TM[/sup] has the keys to her apartment and she and the boyfriend have been moving small stuff over there. She has a truck for Wednesday when she will move all the big stuff that has been residing in nooks and crannies around our house. Alla this brings new meaning to the word “empty nest.” :frowning:

Tupug

Hi everyone!

FCM, I e-mailed and put myself completely at your mercy. :eek:

Busy-ish day today, massage ( :smiley: ), bid opening then a long lunch with a couple Jr. Hi A.P.'s to start writing a new district policy re: student behavior/discipline on buses.

I’ll pop back in when I get 5 minutes…

Wanna come help me organize my house and pack things away?

You too? My cell phone, which rings at roughly sonic-boom levels so I can hear it over the car radio, rang at 3:18 this morning. Gah.

But then I’ll get curious because it’s not my stuff and be way less efficient because I have to examine everything I pack. :slight_smile: Hell, even with my own stuff, I’d stop for an hour to read a book before I packed it.

I think the lack of sleep must be a contagious thing that’s going around the MMP. I never have problems sleeping, but I have for the last week or so. I thought it was the bed - and spent Saturday afternoon looking at mattresses; I thought maybe it was stress over work, but that’s going ok; I thought it was too light in the room (It doesn’t get dark here until about 9:30 and since I’m getting up at 5, I need to be in bed at 9… still really light out.); and then last night since I’d fixed all of the other problems, I got knee pain that kept me awake. What is up with that?? I don’t think I did anything to my knee, and I’m too young to have random pain. What caused this?

Anyway, this weekend was mattress shopping as I said. Loads of fun. Anyone have any suggestions?

And then I got a free massage - my first ever professional massage - on Sunday. Aaaaaaah. That helped a lot with the tension knots in my shoulders that have resulted from two weeks of trying to figure out what I’m doing at work. I’m doing well and I like the job and company, but I still am lost a lot of the time and that’s frustrating.

I got my first a few weeks ago, in conjunction with the chiropractor I’ve been seeing for my lower back. One appt. a week is the massage, and it’s the highlight of my week. I’m seriously considering going for the massages after I’m done with the regular appointments. In fact, glancing at my clock, I see it’s time to ramble… :smiley:

Yeah, I’m thinking it’s going to have to become a regular thing. Very good idea.