Where There Is Fire – There Is Smoke

This afternoon, while chatting with Mark the CNC Programmer in his office at the back of the plant, one of the machine operators poked his head in and said, “I’m not sure what maintenance is up to, but there is a bunch of smoke coming out of the neighboring department.” Mark and the Turned Parts Supervisor, Marty, jumped up, grabbing safety glasses and followed saying, “Let’s go see what’s happening.” I followed them out the door and sure enough, to the right, the old Die Casting Department space was full of smoke. They headed towards it, but me, believing discretion is the better part of valor, turned left and came back up to my office. As I walked away, I was passed by a couple of our maintenance guys carrying fire extinguishers going towards the smoke filled department.

When I returned to my cube I told my neighbors to keep their coats handy as the fire alarm might go off any minute now. Being veterans of the previous plant fire they also gathered up car keys and lunch boxes in case it did go off and we weren’t let back in like last time. No alarm came. But after about five minutes a female voice came over the plant intercom saying, “There is no fire, but with all the smoke everyone please leave the building.” My wife called from her end of the front office and told me to meet her at the front door with her coat. I asked her why, was that an official notification for everyone to leave the building or just those who could see the smoke? We could even smell it up here. I went to give her coat figuring a little break from the afternoon might be nice. She wasn’t at the front door, but standing outside the Accounting Manager’s office chatting with her. When I got there Kaye asked me some computer question and we agued on where our new user name was used and where the old one was still valid while watching a small crowd gather on the front lawn. A fellow from maintenance, with the full powers vested in him by his walkie-talkie, instructed us that everyone was to leave the building. So we went to join the others.

We then spent about 20 minutes on the front grass watching the cars go by and wondering what the heck happened. The office types got to go back in first because we where the farthest away from the smoke. The hourly folks had to wait about another 20 minutes or so because it took them a while to get most of the smoke out of the plant.

It was a fire in one of the HVAC ducts in the old Die Casting Department. It was extinguished in a couple of minutes causing minimal damage, but boy did it fill the back end of the building up with white smoke.

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 372

I Can See Quietly Now

It has been raining lightly all day. I put up with it on the way to work. I suffered through it on the way home from work, but couldn’t take it anymore so I dropped Donna off and headed to Advanced Auto. The squeaky windshield wipers just had to be replaced.

I had contemplated buying some made out of silicone in hopes that I could get some that would last more than 6 months before starting to squeal, but the high cost was holding me back. It would cost a little more for one silicone blade than it would for a set of regular rubber ones. Plus there is lingering doubt in the back of my mind about their effectiveness. Admittedly it was 6 years ago and they have probably worked out the kinks, but I didn’t have any luck back in 1999 when I was given a free sample because I was the MMC President at the time.

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 372

Never Buy A New Toy On A School Night

Never Buy A New Toy On A School NightGoing to be up a little late this evening playing with my early Christmas present, a HP ScanJet 4850. Going through all the boxes of photos from Donna’s side of the family, that have resided in our attic for the last five years, made us realize that there were a lot of memories that needed sharing. So I have added a flatbed scanner to the slide/film scanner I already own.

About a year ago I borrowed an older flatbed scanner from a friend for a project and it didn’t stay long, I’m sure it was one of the cheaper models and boy howdy did it make a racket when it was working. This newer one is quiet enough that you can be in the same room with it when it is scanning, plus it is fairly quick. When I hooked it up I used Windows Device Manager and got just the TWAIN driver installed and not the whole bloated HP Scan Suite. This way I can just use Paint Shop Pro to import the image without having to dance through HP hoops.

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 372

Sunrise in the Woods

In lieu of actual words tonight, here is a representative of a thousand of them from a recent early morning walk in Hitchcock Woods.

Sunrise in the Woods

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 372

I’d Be Glad To

Saturday while I washing my car in the driveway, a lady walking her dog passed by and asked if I’d wash her car too. I thanked her for her offer, but respectfully declined.

A little while later my next door neighbor asked me the same question. To him I replied that I would be happy to wash any car he brought over as long as it was smaller than my Miata. I was safe as all they have are SUVs and a minivan.

Got me thinking, just which car could he have brought over that I would have had to wash?

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 372

Here’s Hoping You Have a Healthy Winter!

Miss Beatrice, the church organist, was in her eighties and had never been married. She was much admired for her sweetness and kindness to all.

One afternoon the pastor came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint sitting room. She invited him to have a seat while she prepared tea.

As he sat facing her old pump organ, the young minister noticed a cut-glass bowl sitting on top of it, filled with water. In the water floated, of all things, a condom!

When she returned with tea and scones, they began to chat. The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and its strange floater, but soon it got the better of him and he could no longer resist.

“Miss Beatrice,” he said pointing to the bowl, “I wonder if you would tell me about this?”

“Oh, yes,” she replied, “isn’t it wonderful? I was walking through the park a few months ago and I found this little package on the ground.

The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it wet, and it would prevent the spread of disease. And you know, I haven’t had a cold all winter.”

Long Distance Sunday

Springlike day here in Aiken. There was a big chance of rain all day, but it only came down for a short while this morning and quit. About 9 o’clock we wanted to go for a bike ride, but wet streets and lingering green splotches on the local radar made us think twice.

By 10:00 AM the green was gone and the streets were mostly dry and after a couple of clothing changes to be dresses right for the warmth, we pulled the tandem out of the garage and headed off.

This was to be a test of the new seat which has been sitting obediently on the bike since before Thanksgiving. After 8 miles it felt pretty good. When we got to the 8 mile point at a tee in the road Donna suggested just turning around and going back the same way we came. The normal right hand turn to complete the 15 mile loop passed right by a church and it seemed like a lot of traffic heading that way. I proposed alternate 3, turn left. It meant a 20 mile ride, but it was a nice day and we were feeling good.

The last couple of miles were a little painful, but not because of the seats, it was our backsides. We have only been riding 12-15 miles and the extra 30 minutes in the saddle were more than we were used to.

I have to admit that I’m enjoying the tandeming much more than I did when we first had one 10 years ago. I’m not sure what the reason is, and I’m not going to lose sleep trying to figure it out, but I look forward to riding the tandem more so than riding the half bikes.

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 371