Saturday, April 16, 2011
"Snow" day
We were celebrating the fact that almost all of the winter snow had melted. The only snow left is the remainders of big piles in parking lots. But then, yesterday I awoke to see 2 inches of new snow on the ground. It did all melt by this morning, but it's just a reminder that I am a lot closer to the North Pole than I realize. I have heard that Santa lives about 30 miles north of here.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Money isn't everything, but gee..try doing without it.
A faculty member here tells students not to select a career based on the amount of money to be made, but instead on what makes him/her happy. There is some truth to that. However, I have noticed that people who say that money isn't everything tend to be people who have never had a serious lack of it.
I grew up working class. My dad did not have a high school diploma, but did have a good blue-collar job that put food on the table. We always had enough to eat, with Mom cooking it. On some occasions we could splurge on hambergers. Mom made my clothes. But there was no money for many "extra" things. We didn't have a phone until I was 13. The house we lived in had no insulation, and there was a hole in the wall in the living room that went all the way to the outside. There was no air conditioning, but we did have fans and something called a "water cooler" that was essentially a box in the window with a fan on the inside and a woven straw mat on the outside. The garden hose was hooked to the mat, to keep it wet. So, the air coming in was cooler than the outside air, at least a little.
I had no money. I had no allowance, and no opportunity to earn money from chores, or from any other source. At Christmas, I was given about $5 from which to purchase gifts for others, but nothing for myself. I can't complain, since I had food, clothes, shoes, and the other necessities, but as I grew, I did feel the lack of funds.
When I was about 13, sitting in a Sunday School class, I heard some very exciting information. Our Sunday School teacher told us that his neice (note: neice, not nephew) had just graduated from college and obtained a job as a computer programmer, earning $13,000 a year. This was a lot of money in 1964. It was more than my father made. And, it was earned by a girl. A girl programmer! At that moment in time, I decided I wanted to be a girl programmer! I had no idea what a computer was or what a programmer was, but that did not deter me. I wanted that $13,000!
Later, I saw a picture of a computer. In hindsight, I think it was an IBM 360. It showed a person sitting at a kind of a desk below a big panel of blinking red lights. I thought it must be something like a giant pinball machine. I had never played pinball (you have to put in a quarter, and I had no quarters, and no way of getting any) but I had seen other people play pinball, and I thought I could probably do it.
Later, of course, I learned about computers and programming, and found out it was nothing like pinball, but I did enjoy it. But, I got in it for the money. Money isn't everything, but try telling that to the bank that has your mortgage.
I grew up working class. My dad did not have a high school diploma, but did have a good blue-collar job that put food on the table. We always had enough to eat, with Mom cooking it. On some occasions we could splurge on hambergers. Mom made my clothes. But there was no money for many "extra" things. We didn't have a phone until I was 13. The house we lived in had no insulation, and there was a hole in the wall in the living room that went all the way to the outside. There was no air conditioning, but we did have fans and something called a "water cooler" that was essentially a box in the window with a fan on the inside and a woven straw mat on the outside. The garden hose was hooked to the mat, to keep it wet. So, the air coming in was cooler than the outside air, at least a little.
I had no money. I had no allowance, and no opportunity to earn money from chores, or from any other source. At Christmas, I was given about $5 from which to purchase gifts for others, but nothing for myself. I can't complain, since I had food, clothes, shoes, and the other necessities, but as I grew, I did feel the lack of funds.
When I was about 13, sitting in a Sunday School class, I heard some very exciting information. Our Sunday School teacher told us that his neice (note: neice, not nephew) had just graduated from college and obtained a job as a computer programmer, earning $13,000 a year. This was a lot of money in 1964. It was more than my father made. And, it was earned by a girl. A girl programmer! At that moment in time, I decided I wanted to be a girl programmer! I had no idea what a computer was or what a programmer was, but that did not deter me. I wanted that $13,000!
Later, I saw a picture of a computer. In hindsight, I think it was an IBM 360. It showed a person sitting at a kind of a desk below a big panel of blinking red lights. I thought it must be something like a giant pinball machine. I had never played pinball (you have to put in a quarter, and I had no quarters, and no way of getting any) but I had seen other people play pinball, and I thought I could probably do it.
Later, of course, I learned about computers and programming, and found out it was nothing like pinball, but I did enjoy it. But, I got in it for the money. Money isn't everything, but try telling that to the bank that has your mortgage.
Friday, April 1, 2011
If I had 9 lives....
As retirement gets closer, I realize that my working life looks much more finite than it used to. Instead of computer science teaching and publication extending far out into the future in a rather indefinite way, it now has a stopping point. This is by my choice. I feel like it will be time for me to do other things with my life. My list of projects for retirement gets longer all the time!
On the other hand, I think about the career choices that I made, and I wonder what might have been if I had chosen other paths. Or, if I had 9 lives instead of just one, what would I do with the other 8? It's been fun to plan alternate lives, even if I don't get to do them.
Life #1. Stay in math instead of going into computer science. I discovered the joy of number theory in graduate school and almost wished I was earning my Ph.D. in math, with emphasis on number theory. Number theory is about integers, and it's a wide open field. Results in number theory are used a lot in computer chip design, so it's practical as well as fun.
Life #2. Instead of math or pure computer science, go into computer history. Another fascinating field. Maybe I can publish a little in this field before I retire, who knows. However, an entire career in that area would have been interesting.
Life#3. Sell real estate. I love real estate. I would be making a lot more money that I am now, that's for sure!
Life #4. Become a professional artist. I do plan on spending a lot of my retirement doing art, so this dream isn't totally lost.
Life #5. Write novels. I nearly made this choice, as I spent a lot of time writing when my son was a baby and I didn't work. I thought at the time it would be more fun to just continue that. But computers are fun, too, and I was tempted away to be a programmer again.
Life #6. Play the clarinet for the New York Philharmonic.
Lifes #7 Be a back-up singer for the Rolling Stones.
Life #8. Still working on this one.
How about you? Leave a comment about your 9 lives.
On the other hand, I think about the career choices that I made, and I wonder what might have been if I had chosen other paths. Or, if I had 9 lives instead of just one, what would I do with the other 8? It's been fun to plan alternate lives, even if I don't get to do them.
Life #1. Stay in math instead of going into computer science. I discovered the joy of number theory in graduate school and almost wished I was earning my Ph.D. in math, with emphasis on number theory. Number theory is about integers, and it's a wide open field. Results in number theory are used a lot in computer chip design, so it's practical as well as fun.
Life #2. Instead of math or pure computer science, go into computer history. Another fascinating field. Maybe I can publish a little in this field before I retire, who knows. However, an entire career in that area would have been interesting.
Life#3. Sell real estate. I love real estate. I would be making a lot more money that I am now, that's for sure!
Life #4. Become a professional artist. I do plan on spending a lot of my retirement doing art, so this dream isn't totally lost.
Life #5. Write novels. I nearly made this choice, as I spent a lot of time writing when my son was a baby and I didn't work. I thought at the time it would be more fun to just continue that. But computers are fun, too, and I was tempted away to be a programmer again.
Life #6. Play the clarinet for the New York Philharmonic.
Lifes #7 Be a back-up singer for the Rolling Stones.
Life #8. Still working on this one.
How about you? Leave a comment about your 9 lives.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Small Victories!
This is my spring break, and great things are happening.
My garage door is fixed, thanks to some nice young men with garage door smarts.
My plumber and I both decided that my brand of toilet was the problem. (The guy that remodeled my bathroom 2 years ago had told me the same thing, but I had not heeded his advise.) So, I have purchased a new toilet and had it installed. It's a think of beauty, not to look at, but it just does everything a toilet is supposed to do, which is not something you think about until it doesn't.
After much work, my numbers are ready for me to take to my tax preparer tomorrow. No, I don't do my own taxes. Due to my rather complicated financial situation, everyone concerned is happier that I use a professional preparer.
I have purchased new tires and had them mounted. I didn't notice until I walked in the garage this morning that new tires have a pleasant "smell", kind of like a new car smell.
Of course, none of these things are paid for yet, but that's another problem for another day.
On top of that, the weather has turned relatively warm over the last several days (highs in the 40's!) and the snow is melting fast. I can actually see 3 small patches of grass in my yard. I haven't seen my grass since last November.
Now, I get to grade homework!
My garage door is fixed, thanks to some nice young men with garage door smarts.
My plumber and I both decided that my brand of toilet was the problem. (The guy that remodeled my bathroom 2 years ago had told me the same thing, but I had not heeded his advise.) So, I have purchased a new toilet and had it installed. It's a think of beauty, not to look at, but it just does everything a toilet is supposed to do, which is not something you think about until it doesn't.
After much work, my numbers are ready for me to take to my tax preparer tomorrow. No, I don't do my own taxes. Due to my rather complicated financial situation, everyone concerned is happier that I use a professional preparer.
I have purchased new tires and had them mounted. I didn't notice until I walked in the garage this morning that new tires have a pleasant "smell", kind of like a new car smell.
Of course, none of these things are paid for yet, but that's another problem for another day.
On top of that, the weather has turned relatively warm over the last several days (highs in the 40's!) and the snow is melting fast. I can actually see 3 small patches of grass in my yard. I haven't seen my grass since last November.
Now, I get to grade homework!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Pray for Japan
The more I hear about the earthquake in Japan, the worse it sounds. It was 8.9 strength, which is pretty darn big. Massive damage in a country that has tried to make its buildings and roads more earthquake-tolerant for years and years. Not enough.
Here, we are having some cold and snow after several days of relatively warm weather, so people are grousing. After hearing about Japan, we must realize we have nothing to complain about.
Here, we are having some cold and snow after several days of relatively warm weather, so people are grousing. After hearing about Japan, we must realize we have nothing to complain about.
The New Puritanism
As a relatively new Catholic, I have found it of great value to watch the Catholic network, EWTN, to get a better understanding of the Church and its practices. I especially like the two shows hosted by Father Mitch Pacqua, a Jesuit priest who has a Ph.D. and is fluent in 12 languages. He is a very nice person and an excellent teacher, also. One of the shows he hosts is EWTN Live, in which he interviews various guests. This Wednesday night his guest was a Catholic psychologist (I forgot his name!) who mentioned something called the New Puritanism.
Essentially, if a society abandons traditional faith-based morality (as much of the US has done) it invents its own morality. He mentioned several new "sins" in our modern culture that were not sins in the traditional sense. But he did not mention one that I have noticed for a while, and one that is probably more obvious to women. The body standard for today's woman is thin, thin, thin, in spite of some who say it shouldn't be. And, now, you need to be both muscular and thin. Yes, it's true that many Christian churches promote maintaining a healthy weight and taking care of your body, but this goes well beyond that. So today, we have the young single woman who will, in one evening, have sex with a man she just met and also have a piece of cheesecake, feel guilty about the cheesecake but not about the sex. There is something backwards about that.
Essentially, if a society abandons traditional faith-based morality (as much of the US has done) it invents its own morality. He mentioned several new "sins" in our modern culture that were not sins in the traditional sense. But he did not mention one that I have noticed for a while, and one that is probably more obvious to women. The body standard for today's woman is thin, thin, thin, in spite of some who say it shouldn't be. And, now, you need to be both muscular and thin. Yes, it's true that many Christian churches promote maintaining a healthy weight and taking care of your body, but this goes well beyond that. So today, we have the young single woman who will, in one evening, have sex with a man she just met and also have a piece of cheesecake, feel guilty about the cheesecake but not about the sex. There is something backwards about that.
Monday, February 28, 2011
About a garage door and a toilet.
I continue to have lots of toilet clogs. The Dawn dishwashing liquid "cure" only works part of the time. The last two times I had to call a plumber, and this last time we decided that the brand of toilet was at least part of the problem, so that will be replaced. At least I will have one that I can use a plunger with. The toilet I have now has a weird shape in the bottom of the bowl..kind of like a loaf pan. It's long, narrow, and rectangular. Can't plunge it.
When it became clear that my most recent clog would not give way to the Dawn, I made the mistake of visiting my local hardware store. My original intent was fine--perhaps to find a really, really big plunger that would fit all the way around the "loaf pan." They didn't have one. So I asked if they had something I could pour down the thing, as Drano is a no-no. They sold me a quart of a substance called Liquid Fire, which sounds like it would do something, for good or for ill. The fine print said it was sulfuric acid, and again, that sounded like it would be effective. Maybe effective in eating through the pipes, but would do something.
The directions said that for a toilet, pour in 8 oz. and wait 15 minutes. Nothing happened. I put in more and more and more. In the end, I had poured in the entire quart. Then, I waited. I waited 2 days. Nothing happened, except I had a toilet full of bad smelling sulfuric acid.
I was talking to a fellow faculty member about this, who happens to teach chemistry. She said that she had been told by more than one plumber that they would have nothing to do with any toilet that had been "treated" with sulfuric acid. Ooops. I got out my old turkey baster and emptied the acid out of the toilet bowl into old kitchen bowls as best as I could. It filled 3 bowls. I took each outside in 15 below weather and dumped bicarbonate of soda into them until all the acid seemed to be neutralized, they threw away the bowls and the baster, and one bathroom towel. It was great fun. Can't wait to do that again. So, now the expense for the clog is $10 for the liquid fire, 3 bowls, one towel, and one baster.
I called my plumber, confessed my sulfuric acid sins to him, and received absolution. He then came to my house, placed his hands on the toilet, and healed it. He was not surprised that my "liquid fire" did nothing. Now my expense is up by $55, but at least that actually worked! Now I need to call and make an appointment for getting a new toilet.
You may be wondering what this has to do with my garage door. Actually, nothing, except it broke at about the same time as the toilet got clogged this last time. I don't know exactly what's wrong except that it no longer goes up and down straight, but crooked. It will open, though it makes a funny clanking noise, but the only way it will close is if I push down on one side to keep it straight while it is closing. I can do this if I am on the inside, but as there is no outside handle, I can't if I am on the outside. So, if I want to go anywhere in my car, I must do the following: Open the garage door, drive the car out into the driveway, turn off the car, get out of the car, lock the car, go back into the garage, hit the button to close the door, dash back down to the garage door and push on it so it will close, go back through the house and out the front door (which is on the east side of the house, lock the front door, and walk back to the rear of the house on the south side, get into the car, and be on my way. An inconvenient process, but at least it works.
But, I'm not spending any significant time in an unheated garage trying to figure out the problem until the weather is a little warmer!!
When it became clear that my most recent clog would not give way to the Dawn, I made the mistake of visiting my local hardware store. My original intent was fine--perhaps to find a really, really big plunger that would fit all the way around the "loaf pan." They didn't have one. So I asked if they had something I could pour down the thing, as Drano is a no-no. They sold me a quart of a substance called Liquid Fire, which sounds like it would do something, for good or for ill. The fine print said it was sulfuric acid, and again, that sounded like it would be effective. Maybe effective in eating through the pipes, but would do something.
The directions said that for a toilet, pour in 8 oz. and wait 15 minutes. Nothing happened. I put in more and more and more. In the end, I had poured in the entire quart. Then, I waited. I waited 2 days. Nothing happened, except I had a toilet full of bad smelling sulfuric acid.
I was talking to a fellow faculty member about this, who happens to teach chemistry. She said that she had been told by more than one plumber that they would have nothing to do with any toilet that had been "treated" with sulfuric acid. Ooops. I got out my old turkey baster and emptied the acid out of the toilet bowl into old kitchen bowls as best as I could. It filled 3 bowls. I took each outside in 15 below weather and dumped bicarbonate of soda into them until all the acid seemed to be neutralized, they threw away the bowls and the baster, and one bathroom towel. It was great fun. Can't wait to do that again. So, now the expense for the clog is $10 for the liquid fire, 3 bowls, one towel, and one baster.
I called my plumber, confessed my sulfuric acid sins to him, and received absolution. He then came to my house, placed his hands on the toilet, and healed it. He was not surprised that my "liquid fire" did nothing. Now my expense is up by $55, but at least that actually worked! Now I need to call and make an appointment for getting a new toilet.
You may be wondering what this has to do with my garage door. Actually, nothing, except it broke at about the same time as the toilet got clogged this last time. I don't know exactly what's wrong except that it no longer goes up and down straight, but crooked. It will open, though it makes a funny clanking noise, but the only way it will close is if I push down on one side to keep it straight while it is closing. I can do this if I am on the inside, but as there is no outside handle, I can't if I am on the outside. So, if I want to go anywhere in my car, I must do the following: Open the garage door, drive the car out into the driveway, turn off the car, get out of the car, lock the car, go back into the garage, hit the button to close the door, dash back down to the garage door and push on it so it will close, go back through the house and out the front door (which is on the east side of the house, lock the front door, and walk back to the rear of the house on the south side, get into the car, and be on my way. An inconvenient process, but at least it works.
But, I'm not spending any significant time in an unheated garage trying to figure out the problem until the weather is a little warmer!!
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