| Sailing (what else?) |
[Mar. 16th, 2008|09:25 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Issaquah, WA | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  exhausted | ] |
| [ | music |
| | The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson | ] |
My shoulders are sore today. Not terribly so, just enough to remind me of the excellent sailing yesterday.
My mood was less cheerful when I woke up to drizzle and sub-40 temperatures, but I somehow found the motivation to get dressed and arrived at Shilshole an hour later, working with my fellow sailors to prep the boat for our race. The weather cleared up a bit (no rain!) and a little blue sky peeked through, promising good things to come.
We set off for the course, a couple of marks just north and south of Shilshole on Puget Sound. Typically we race with four or five people on board, but yesterday we had just three - the ideal minimum crew for the kind of racing we were doing. What this really meant was that I got to participate in the sail trimming much more than I have before. I made some mistakes, but I learned a lot from the hands-on experience.
The rain returned in force as we pulled the boat out of the water and started to put everything away - clearly it was time to call it a day - but certainly a good day.
In other news, the GPA recruiting season has come to a close. I made two trips - one to Ann Arbor Michigan (University of Michigan) and New Orleans, LA (University of New Orleans). The Michigan trip was excellent - we gave a presentation to a good-sized crowd, and interviewed 10 students the following day. Several of the intern and full-time candidates warranted follow-up phone interviews with the senior VPs. The New Orleans trip was not as productive - fewer students attended the presentation, and I only interviewed three students. All were qualified, but none stood out. All told, I believe we will have one new intern and two new full-time naval architects starting this summer. I'm really glad I took the initiative to make these trips happen - I enjoyed the work, and learned lessons for how to be more effective next year.
Till next time. |
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| Winter Sailing |
[Feb. 17th, 2008|09:08 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | exhausted | ] |
It was 35 degrees when I left my house this morning, but that wasn't enough to scare me away from a day of sailing.
I meet up with some people at Shilshole, and after a few initial difficulties, headed out on a 22' racing sailboat, bound for Lake Union.
We didn't make it very far before we had engine trouble. Most sailboats have an auxiliary engine of some variety for docking and maneuvering in tight spaces - we were running towards the Ballard Locks when our engine quit. Without an engine we weren't able to steer in the narrow channel, so we quickly unfurled the jib in an effort to gain some headway. We had limited success, but were able to keep off the rocks for a few minutes longer. We knew we needed to hoist the mainsail in order to gain headway and get ourselves out of danger, but it was lying on the deck still in its bag, and we had a bunch of inexperienced crew onboard. Luckily we got the main up a few minutes later and were able to sail out of the channel, back towards Puget Sound.
Without an engine we wouldn't be able to get to the race on Lake Union, but since we were already under sail, we decided to head north for a while, just for fun. We tacked back and forth across Puget Sound as we beat upwind, turning around near Edmonds, flying the spinnaker and racing back to Shilshole.
The weather, while cold, couldn't have been more perfect. It was sunny and clear as far as the eye could see. We had excellent views of Mt Baker, Mt Rainier, and the Olympics. I've never sailed in Puget Sound before, we were in the shipping lane and saw all sorts of neat boats.
All in all a great day. Returned home a little exhausted, but happy. I'm headed to Ann Arbor, MI tomorrow for a recruiting trip with my company. I think it should be enjoyable and productive. |
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| How to Romanticize Flying in Ten Steps or Less |
[Dec. 9th, 2007|10:22 pm] |
As a kid, I remember the airport being a fascinating place - as much a destination as wherever we were flying to. The plethora of planes notwithstanding, the terminal itself was so different from anything else I can recall experiencing. There's something nearly romantic about arriving at the airport pre-dawn, making your way through a dimly-lit terminal until you reach your gate. The signage was particularly impressive - thorough to the extreme. And where else can you see a Duty Free Shop next to a News Stand next to a Burger King next to a Shoe Shine stand?
Today I see the airport differently - a place to be endured, a prison of waiting. But for a prison, SeaTac has come a long way. Massive renovations of the main terminal have turned the airport waiting game into a much more pleasant experience.
I went to New Orleans for three days on Friday; I flew United. I mention this because the United flight left from the North satellite of the SeaTac airport, and unlike the main terminal, the North satellite has seen very little renovation as far back as I can remember. You take an underground train from the main terminal to the satelitte, take an escalator up, and all of the sudden you're transported back to 1990. It's pure nostalgia - and gives me a respect for the golden age of aviation.
My trip to New Orleans was short but enjoyable. It's good to be back. |
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| An Update |
[Oct. 9th, 2007|08:54 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Issaquah, WA | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Jenny Lewis - Paradise | ] |
It amuses me how different one's coworkers can be outside the context of the office.
Along with several others from Guido Perla & Associates, I rode the ferry over to Bremerton last Thursday for the 50th anniversary of Art Anderson Associates, one of the other local naval architecture firms. The ferry ride over is nearly an hour long, and it gave us time to talk candidly about the future of our company. Without getting into specifics, we discovered we're all cognizant of the fact that our company is headed by incredibly unique men who are all but irreplaceable. When these men retire from full time work, the company will not be the same. I'm not scared by this knowledge, maybe a little apprehensive, though. I almost feel cheated because I suspect many of them will move on before I've had the chance to properly probe the depths of their knowledge. We have some very smart younger engineers at GPA, but our combined knowledge pales in comparison to that of our leadership.
Work has been going well - I'm wrapping up the preliminary mechanical systems design and meeting with the client and shipyard this week. I'm not sure what I'll be working on next, but I guess I need to try and make sure they know I'd rather focus on naval architecture than marine engineering (a fairly fine distinction). My six-month review is a little less than two months away.
My sister was in town over the weekend for a family vacation, we cruised from Seattle to Victoria, Nanaimo, and back. Aside from being stuck in a car with five others for most of Sunday morning, the trip was enjoyable. This was our first time on Celebrity cruise lines, Carnival and Royal Caribbean being the other companies we've sailed with. Everything was satisfactory except the number of young single people onboard - there were none to be found. Neither were the people on board exceptionally old - it seemed like the population was largely middle aged couples. If I had't had my sister to hang out with, I'd have been terribly bored.
I don't expect to do much traveling for the rest of the year. I might have the chance to travel to Louisiana again in November for work. Thanksgiving will be either at home or in Seattle, and Christmas is always at home. I'm looking forward to 7+ days of paid vacation over the holiday (one of the perks of my job).
Oooh, I also have jury duty to look forward to, towards the end of the month. It might prove to be interesting, but I'm hoping I do not get selected because it would require commuting to Kent for the duration of the case - that just sounds painful.
That about sums it up. I expect I'm in for a quiet autumn. |
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| Trip Home |
[May. 24th, 2007|08:21 am] |
We're in Moab, UT heading SW for Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon. Trip has been good so far, minus the lousy photography weather (but otherwise mostly cool and dry). Detailed updates coming soon... |
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| Cheers to New Orleans |
[May. 19th, 2007|08:00 am] |
I'm future dating this post for the day I anticipate leaving New Orleans. In many ways, I'm ready to leave New Orleans and head home. But I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't miss this place.
Things I want to do before I leave New Orleans:
[x] Eat barbecued shrimp - perhaps not traditional, I had the Asian BBQ Shrimp at The Pelican Club (4/6/07)
[ ] Enjoy ice cream at the Creole Creamery
[ ] Photography day around the lakefront, city park, and the river
[ ] Have Eggs Benedict at Brennan's
[ ] Day trip to the lower Mississippi Delta via ferry boats
[x] Attend Jazzfest - was lots of fun but had to leave early cause my friend was getting heat stroke :-/ (5/6/07)
[x] Attend French Quarter Fest - Julie and I braved traffic to hear some great music and eat some great food :-) (4/15/07)
[ ] Have a drink at Whiskey Blue
[ ] Take a Cajun/Creole cooking class
[ ] Buy a couple of New Orleans t-shirts at the French Market
[x] Eat 36 oysters in one sitting at Acme Oyster House in Metairie - this wasn't on the original list but it sure was entertaining (and expensive).
Things I'll miss about New Orleans:
- Abita beer
- Crawfish boils
- Gulf shrimp
- My friends Bryan and Julie
- No open container laws (just make sure it's not in a glass bottle)
- Mardi Gras
- The spring and fall weather
- Gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee, anything with meat/seafood and a roux
- Reginelli's $2 Abita Amber pitcher nights
Running total of outrageous Louisiana expenses:
- City of New Orleans: $250 for two new tires, installed
- St. Charles Parish: $400
- Louisiana/FEMA: $2000
I'll try and keep this post updated when I have things to add or cross off. Then we'll see where I'm at on May 19th.
New Orleanians feel free to suggest things to do I might have missed. |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 10th, 2007|11:53 pm] |
Bah. Stupid finals week. Senior Design written report is due tomorrow, I was given the task of printing it out and having it bound. Wouldn't have been a problem if I didn't run out of ink. More hoops I have to jump through tomorrow morning.
Also have to wake up early to do laundry since we took so long compiling the report tonight. Having lunch at Galatoire's tomorrow, jacket required.
The insanity is almost over. Then packing and cleaning begins. |
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| Packing |
[Apr. 30th, 2007|05:46 pm] |
Packing up all my stuff seems really quite daunting at the moment. I haven't actually started packing yet, but I've begun the mental preparation. I managed to cram everything into my trunk last summer when I left my car in Oklahoma with my aunt and uncle. It was different, though, because of the situation right after the storm I didn't really have a home to call my own, and I didn't have the money or the space to acquire "stuff".
This year has been different though - I've had the same apartment for the entire school year and that means I have way more stuff than I can fit in my car. To try and maximize my packing space, I bought a couple of Rubbermaid containers which are just the right size for my trunk (like a good engineer, I measured). I'm also getting on craigslist to sell some of my computer peripherals (it's hard to part with my monitor, but I doubt I have the space for it). Everything else that doesn't fit will end up at Goodwill or in the giant garbage bins I'm sure they'll be hauling in for us.
I don't know where I'm at with the whole "staying in New Orleans a few extra weeks" thing. So far I'm really liking work. I feel I could use a bit more guidance, but I really enjoy the respect and free reign I've been given. I haven't given much thought to staying on for another few weeks lately, except when I climbed into my car today and it felt like the inside of the sun. It is getting very very hot. Already in the upper 80s. More than anything else the heat will drive me away from this place. It's not even forecast to break into the 70s in Seattle in the next two weeks.
I confirmed plans to move in with my friend Tim once I'm settled back in Seattle. His place is out in the Issaquah Highlands, not the most convenient to Seattle, but the bus commute should be nice, only about 30 minutes. I'm staying with him in the short term (less than a year) to get out of the house, save a little money, and get established. I hope to be somewhere closer to downtown (probably north of Seattle proper) by this time next year. The trick for this year will be finding something to occupy my time in the evenings. I need a project, I think.
Well, I've got a brutal week ahead. Time to get some sleep. |
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| It seemed appropriate... |
[Apr. 16th, 2007|10:16 pm] |
They're our students and our teachers and our parents and our friends.
Terrible day in Virginia today. |
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| ARGH |
[Apr. 6th, 2007|10:59 pm] |
Dear New Orleans Drivers,
Please stop trying to kill me.
Thanks,
Chris |
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| I'm guessing this is an Issaquah class boat... |
[Mar. 17th, 2007|12:08 am] |
I was bored, so I updated my profile a bit. Then I clicked on my "ferry boats" interest, just to see what came up. Based solely on user pics, I count more than 20% of users who list "ferry boats" as an interest as bandwagon fans of Grey's Anatomy. Grr! |
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| Out of sorts |
[Feb. 16th, 2007|03:50 pm] |
I may have never spoken this thought out loud to anyone, but I've always believed that my feelings towards New Orleans (whether they be affection or anger or anywhere in between) have always been a function of how much driving I've been doing.
( Read more... ) |
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| Choose, but choose wisely. |
[Feb. 13th, 2007|10:27 pm] |
In honor of all the (virtual) sailing I've been doing, I present my new icon. I picked up a GameCube while I was still in Seattle and a copy of WindWaker, too. Playing that game through again is really quite cathartic. I remember enough of the tricky puzzles that I never really get stuck.
I had my final post-graduation job interview with MINO Marine today. I'm anticipating an offer from MINO late next week. I'm seriously considering taking a job with them (which would mean staying in New Orleans), but equally seriously considering the offer I was made by Guido Perla & Associates in Seattle. The pros and cons of each make them very equally matched contenders. One of my concerns is that declining the offer at GPA now will make it awkward to get a job there in the future. (I still want to end up in Seattle down the road, I just think it'd be pretty interesting to take advantage of other opportunities while I'm young and free)
However, until I receive a formal offer from MINO, I don't have to worry about it. That means I can enjoy Mardi Gras to it's fullest potential. There are beaucoup parades this weekend and next Monday and Tuedsay, and we don't have school next week. So yes, there will be lots of partying. |
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| Oatmeal or waffles? |
[Feb. 4th, 2007|10:19 pm] |
I can't get to sleep
I think about the implications
Of diving in too deep
And possibly the complications
Especially at night
I worry over situations
I know I'll be alright
Perhaps it's just imagination
I've had too many restless nights lately. Money and school have been on my mind. The money issue is more long term (at least until FEMA denies my appeal). But I feel like I really have my hands full with school right now. There are only so many hours in the day... In particular I'm stressing about senior design. Designing a wave-piercing catamaran for senior design is well out of my range of experience, but everyone is looking to me for leadership. I know we'll have a final product that exceeds our instructor's expectations, but I don't know if it'll be good enough to satisfy me. After all, this is supposed to be a test for the real world.
When I can sleep, it never feels like I get enough. I need to get out a bit more and get some proper exercise so I can fight the fatigue I'm feeling now. Wouldn't hurt to lose a few pounds, either.
And now I should try and get some sleep. I need to prepare a preliminary hull model for tomorrow. |
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| Why do bad things happen to good people? |
[Feb. 3rd, 2007|12:17 am] |
FEMA is making my life miserable. They're contending that I wasn't eligible for the $2000 Emergency Disaster Funds I received immediately following Hurricane Katrina, which I used to help pay for evacuation-related expenses, and also the expenses associated with returning to New Orleans in order to work and attend school here. I'll appeal their decision because I sure as hell wouldn't have applied for that money in the first place if I didn't think I was eligible. But if lose my appeal, I'll owe FEMA $2000 within 30 days of my appeal decision. As if a college student can come up with that kind of cash at a moment's notice.
In other news, school is going ok. I'm still not settled into a routine, but hopefully that will come soon. I need to spend some quality time studying for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam I'll be taking in April.
Work, too, is ok. I'm still being given some of the menial tasks and hardly being challenged, but I'm hoping to get some more practical experience in the weeks ahead. Assuming the schedule works out, I'll be assisting on an inclining experience in a few weeks, and maybe sea trials over spring break (the first week of April). I'm working about 30 hours a week, which means I'm able to live in the black, making more each month that my minimum expenses. And most importantly, I'm still enjoying my 65-mile each way commute to work. The quiet time in my car is the best part of my week. Plus, I averaged 27 mpg on my last tank of gas.
One of the best benefits of being back in New Orleans is hanging out with my friends. We're always getting together for pizza and a pitcher at Reginelli's, or maybe drinks at one of our favorite Uptown bars. I'm pleased that I'm so close with many of the students who are also seniors in the Naval Architecture program here. I also got a chance to catch up with my friend Julie tonight - one of my few friends who I don't know through my major. We met for drinks at Chops in Metairie and I had a great time chatting with her.
And now, back to the grindstone. I'm only taking 8 credits this term, but I'm keeping busy. |
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| It accumulates by a magnitude |
[Jan. 20th, 2007|12:44 am] |
I see that my last post was almost three weeks ago. And the last time I posted anything of substance? I suppose that's up for debate. We'll call this a catch-up post.
The fall term wrapped up quite nicely, with good grades all around. I was sweating my Marine Structures grade but buckled down, studied hard, and rocked the final. But before I had even really had the chance to relax from school, I was head back to Seattle for five weeks.
Three of those weeks (the two weeks before Christmas and a week after New Years) I spent working at Gudio Perla & Associates in downtown Seattle. That went extremely well and ended with a formal job offer. I'm considering it among others here in Louisiana but should be making a decision in less than a month.
When I wasn't working while home for the holiday, I tried to see as many of my friends as possible. If we didn't get a chance to hang out, I'm sorry. Kathleen, you were missed at Gen & Lizzie's going away party. Also got to experience some crazy weather - epic windstorms that left millions without power, and unusual amounts of snow on several different occasions.
I flew back to New Orleans via upstate Michigan for Ben Orloff's wedding, that too went off without a hitch. Very nice service, very nice girl. I wish them the best.
Getting back to New Orleans proved more difficult, starting with a dead battery in my rental car, airport delays, mechanical trouble on the plane, but finally arriving in New Orleans at 1AM Monday morning. Luckily I wasn't expected back at work until Tuesday.
Classes are Monday and Wednesday through May, when I will graduate with my Bachelor's Degree in Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering. I expect to continue working at my current internship with North American Shipbuilding on Tuesday, Thursday & Friday until graduation as well. Assuming I take a job in Seattle, I should be back in the Northwest by June 1, and starting working around the first of July. I might try and squeeze some (serious) travel (to Europe?) in before starting work.
Hope 2007 is treating everyone well. If I haven't seen or spoken to you in a while, comment and catch me up on your life, you are missed. |
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chris00seven's journal
tired
frustrated
okay