Just a Day in the Life

Hi Everyone.

I have some spare time at work so thought I'd type up some words.

I'm in Torrance California, a city that is just one of the several merged cities of greater Los Angeles. It does have city limits and all that, so it's not technically LA, but no one could tell if they didn't read the street signs. I'm working at one of the more industrial Honeywell plants around the country. Think long cement floored hallways with big shops on either side. There are multiple buildings on this campus.
  
I have to sign in at a security desk every day. That wasn't a problem last week, but this week I need to start at 6 AM, and that's when the lobby is supposed to open, but the young security guard guy isn't very punctual. Today it was 6:15 before he appeared. So walking around outside in the dark for a spell. I had to take a safety test my first day, sign and initial 30 times, and carry a card that says I did that. I have to show him that card every morning. The place has signs all over saying 'Export Controlled' meaning that only US citizens can even walk through the halls of those areas.

When I get to the area that I am supporting, about a 1/2 mile and 40 stairs from the lobby, I find a desk that has power, and get my laptop going. Finding power is the trick. I work with the team that does Maintenance and Overhaul, or M&O of aircraft turbine type parts. There are a LOT of different turbine type parts across a lot of different aircraft that they work on.

My group is the initial set of tech's that do the analytical work on the incoming part, break it down into components and do what they call a dispo(sition) on each sub part. They may be serviceable, worn, and about 20 other defect codes. Than they decide what to do with it, replace, exchange, install, scrap etc. The parts and sub parts are read into a computer program (that's what I'm here for), and fed to the main Honeywell business system. Everything in aviation is documented to a T. When your airplanes wing falls off, you want to be able to trace the offending part back to it's birth, and every time it's touched after that.After the part is dispo'd, it may go to an area for more extensive tests, x-rays, dye tests, may be repaired, with some or all new parts before being sent back to the customer to bolt back onto an airplane to get you where you need to go.

Yesterday, while I was getting ready for work about 5:30AM, the power in the hotel went out. Ok, I turned on a light in my cell phone and completed getting ready. When I stepped outside, I noticed that the buildings were glowing orange, like from a campfire. Well, it wasn't a campfire, but the huge refinery across the street, having been deprived of all power, was flaring all of the 'stuff' out the tall flare stacks. Crude Oil, various products, vapors and the in between stuff, all went to the towers and was flared off. That created flames hundreds of feet into the air that could be seen for miles. Along with ugly smoke, and a lot of fumes from stuff that didn't burn completely. It was quite a sight. Later at work, Honeywell went on a 'Shelter-In-Place' order, meaning all doors were closed, and the A/C and fresh air to the buildings was turned off. I had to drive near the place, and the fumes downwind were pretty awful. I had a sore throat for the rest of the day from breating 'something' that was in the air. I don't want to have to do that again.

That's me in the dark, with the only light from the flare at the refinery. You can see the shadow of my arms from the light of the fires.




So goes a day in the life.

Dad

Random Memories and Advice

Each and Every One of these has a Story behind Them. Ask at your own Risk:

When arriving at the hospital 20 minutes before birth time, the Dad need to run to the linen closet for green jeans, and the Mom gets no drugs.

When Darth Vader visits a new Mom in the hospital, and doesn’t say a word, it causes a stir among the nurses.

Sometimes you old CB ‘Handle’ sticks around a long time.

Almost every where you go, in a crowd there is at least one ‘Bob’.

E-6 Prowlers, when on night operations training, are pretty noisy when you are camping at Deception Pass State Park.

There are sandbars a surprising distance off Everett Bay.

There are odd people living in Chamault Oregon. It’s best to not have to buy gas there at 3 AM.

Be careful when bailing a white water river into the neighboring raft, you could fall in. Snow melt fed rivers are cold, even in June.

Beware if you volunteer at MGM/Disney, you could get a pie in your face. Bees like pie we’ve also discovered.

Bourbon Street, New Orleans,  is a good place to walk arm in arm with your wife. It cuts down (a little) on hawker women pulling you into their shops, and allows her to guard your wallet at the same time!

By chance we enjoyed a late night movie shoot downtown in Seattle. The movie was forgettable.

Submarines are interesting tours, once you get beyond the closed in feeling. And just when you think you’ve seen them all, there is another one to climb through.

A long walk through a train tunnel is a unique way to cool down on a hot day.

If there is any earthquake worth mentioning, Cliff will be out of town.

It is an odd experience to swim outdoors in hot spring heated water in a snow shower in Utah.

There is a lot of variation in the Breakfast part of a Bed & Breakfast.

Watching a deaf group’s dance in a hotel is interesting, if a bit loud.

There is no pager or cell service in Bar Harbor Maine.

First Melt Day at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks features shorts, tee-shirts, a long day as well as snow.

Avoid accidentally leaving the country in a rental car.

Canoeing is fun at the Arboretum and Lake Louise.

A total solar eclipse is an event worth taking the time and trouble to see.

A little Atari computer, bought at Sears changed our life.

Never buy Solano County fair Cinnamon rolls, or Hot Dogs. You’ve been warned.

Visiting the Seattle Hump yard requires timing. We’ll get that timing right real soon now.

Elephants do sneeze. Elephants don’t have hankies. Kids don’t like to be the substitute hanky for elephants.

Sometimes when you take a ferry ride to have time together, you get a free violin concert as a bonus.

Oldies bands perform at the Puyallup fair. Some kids get unsettled when the parents enjoy the music too much.

A car time, speed, distance rally is an odd first date, but it’s been the start of a fantastic life. Oh, don’t forget to not pass backwards facing Stop signs.

When you take the road less traveled, watch out for cows.

Driving to Portland, for Ice Cream or a Movie may be seen as odd behavior, but it's really not.

When you have an hour to kill, order a milk shake in Kentucky.

Tent camping in November at Icicle creek IS as cold as it sounds.

The Potato festival at Quincy was more interesting then you might think.

Liberty Ships are not as scary to tour as submarines, but just about as interesting.

It’s surprising what power a sticky note has when touring an Army Base.

It’s awesome when lightning splits and hits the road just ahead of you on both sides of the road.

Once on a skiing weekend, one partner was wondering if his body would be found after accidentally going down a double diamond slope. At the same time the other partner was sick with a wet St. Bernard.

There is no grass to pitch a tent at Craters of the Moon National Monument.