Moving Announcement

I just wanted to make an official post on my blog that I will be moving this month to take a job using finite difference and finite element methods to predict material response. I will help verify the results from these mathematical models by doing some experimental testing.

I have included the lyrics to one of my favorite songs by Whiteheart:

I feel the chill of Autumn's wind
seasons changing once again
And every moment's best,
still one moment less we spend
Together my friend
I can't hold back these tears in my eyes
this time I won't even try
For time has come and gone,
now we must move on
I'll admit I don't know why

Chorus:Now we must say good-bye
to find our road ahead
Destiny leads us on to another place
but I'll meet you there someday

We chase the future into past
only to find it never lasts
And by the time it's gone,
the pain is so strong in the end
But listen my friend
Although we've lost what was before
forever will bring us the chance once more
And in that time we'll see,
what was meant to be
A special moment to cherish for all of our lives
and we'll know in time

Chorus:Why we must say good-bye
to find our road ahead
Destiny leads us on to another place
but I'll meet you there
From the lives we all leave behind
we find there's much more ahead
The Father will lead us on to a better place
And I'll meet you there someday
I'll meet you there someday
I'll meet you there someday.

Togetherness in FloE-rIIi-dah

Brian and Joy were once in Florida, they were sitting on their Grandmother's back porch stuck with the common contemplation that they had little, or rather, nothing to do. When such contemplations as these occur, one must muse until he or she encounters a brilliant idea. Having these grandiose aspirations, it is with great anticipation that we bring you the "Bri-oy Holiday Lists of Meaningless Activities". Graciously sponsored by Brian's blog and the void of activity in a certain region of FL.

BRI-OY HLoMA

(1) Go to Walmart and stream orange juice from the bathroom door around the store in a non-interrupted stream.

(2) If you are at a place that for some inconceivable reason does not have a Walmart, petition for one.

(3) If neither 1 or 2 is available... try just using the bathroom for a very long time. Follow this up by seeing how many times you can sing Happy Birthday while washing your hands before going insane.

(4) Try helping a certain technology-feeble member of your family check their email via dial-up Juno... if this is not challenging enough, try downloading a docx file on a non-vista computer.

(5) Take long (and I mean L-O-N-G) walks, in which you get so lost that it takes you 2 hours just to find your way out of the nearby golf course.

(6) Clip your toenails.... or if you are really desperate for time-consumption, just file them until they are at an acceptable length.

(7) And if you are really, really, really bored.... incessantly text all your somewhat tolerant friends (DD this is for you) until they feel so sorry for you that they call back.

(8) Watch football. And by this I don't just mean one or two games, watch all the re-runs until your eyebrows are falling out and your eyes are bleeding.

(9) If you happen to be in an elderly living community, see how many people you can get to discuss their daily bowel functioning with you (believe me, you won't have to try hard).

(10) Keep hiding your parent's toothpaste so that you make it out of the house at least once every other day to go to the store.

(11) Eat like no other. Then go running/walking/swimming to shed every calorie. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

(12) If a certain male-gendered person in your family snores, see if you can find the beat.... set it to Chopin's Minute-Waltz for the next 60 mins.

(13) Try to swallow your tongue.... a fairly harmless (due to the unlikeliness) activity

(14) Have a water gargling contest. Put a glassful of water in your mouth and see how long you can keep gargling for. Extra points for loud and amusing gargling noises, minus points if you laugh.

(15) Buy a harmonica.... maybe your family will send you home sooner.

OK, all kidding aside, we are really having a GREAT time! Grandma's new place is beautiful, and the weather is just lovely. We are excited about the many activities planned for the week and truthfully we are looking forward to some physically challenging ones to work of these calories. Love and miss you all!

You never know how the Lord is working....

I had a very good conversation with Mr. Bob (CEF Director) the other day I thought I would share with you all!

I remember before I started working with CEF, I was thinking that I had not really done much in my life to share the Gospel of Jesus with other people. The Lord convicted me of this, and I asked the Lord if he would show me a ministry I could get involved in. I remember one day getting a call from Mr. Bob asking if I was interested in helping him...that is how I got involved with CEF!

The other day, I got to talk to Mr. Bob about what his thoughts were when he called me and asked me if I wanted to be a missionary! See, I had always thought Mr. Bob was just a bold person in general! This is a guy, after all, who has gotten free food at the state fair, got free gas, got me a free compressor and compressor mount to fix my car....basically, Mr. Bob never has a problem asking anyone for anything! Surely, he would have no problem calling up someone he had not seen in about 8 years and asking them to be a missionary with CEF! Mr. Bob actually was a bit nervous the first time he called me! He only called me because he found my phone number somewhere and the Lord told him to call me and ask me to work with CEF! Is it not cool how God had things planned out for the both of us?

I think the biggest blessing CEF has given me is to see the Lord working, especially when he uses you to do something amazing! Sometimes, you see the Lord using you immediately; other times, you find out how you made a difference in someone's life years afterwards. All I can say is that God is great, not just in 2008! :D

Merry Christmas!

The Government is like Santa!

It sees you when your sleeping!

It knows when you're awake!

It knows when you've been bad or good,

so be good for goodness sake!

Written by  '83rocketscientist' on December 17, 2008!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Ok...I was trying to find ways to perfect my resume writing skills and came across this.... If this is too long for you to read, at least read the performance evaluations at the bottom!

This list of excerpts from people's resumes was printed in Forbes magazine.

1. "I demand a salary commiserate with my extensive experience."
2. "I have lurnt Word Perfect 6.0 computer and spreadsheet programs."
3. "Received a plague for Salesperson of the Year."
4. "Reason for leaving last job: maturity leave."
5. "Wholly responsible for two (2) failed financial institutions."
6. "Failed bar exam with relatively high grades."
7. "It's best for employers that I not work with people."
8. "Let's meet, so you can 'ooh' and 'aah' over my experience."
9. "You will want me to be Head Honcho in no time."
10. "Am a perfectionist and rarely if ever forget details."
11. "I was working for my mom until she decided to move."
12. "Marital Status: single. Unmarried. Unengaged. Uninvolved. No commitments."
13. "I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse."
14. "I am loyal to my employer at all costs. Please feel free to respond to my resume on my office voice mail."
15. "I have become completely paranoid, trusting completely no one and absolutely nothing."
16. "My goal is be a meteorologist. But since I possess no meteorology, I suppose I should try stock brokerage."
17. "I procrastinate, especially when the task is unpleasant."
18. "Personal interests: donating blood. Fourteen gallons so far."
19. "As indicted, I have over five years of analyzing investments."
20. "Instrumental in ruining entire organization for a Midwest Chain store."
21. "Note: Please don't misconstrue my 14 jobs as 'job-hopping'. I have never quit a job."
22. "Marital Status: often. Children: various."
23. "Reason for leaving last job: They insisted that all employees get to work by 8:45 am every morning. I couldn't work under those conditions."
24. "The company made me a scapegoat, just like my three previous employers."
25. "Finished eighth in my class of ten."
26. "References: none. I've left a path of destruction behind me."

Excerpts from actual performance evaluations:

1. "Since my last report, this employee has reached rock bottom and has started to dig.
2. "His men would follow him anywhere, but only out of morbid curiosity."
3. "I would not allow this employee to breed."
4. "This associate is really not so much of a has-been, but more of a definitely won't be."
5. "Works well under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap."
6. "When she opens her mouth, it seems that this is only to change whichever foot was previously in there."
7. "He would be out of his depth in a parking lot puddle."
8. "This young lady has delusions of adequacy."
9. "He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them."
10. "This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot."
11. "This employee should go far - and the sooner he starts the better."

41-10

CEF Good News Rally

One last crazy picture from the fair

I ran the sticky wall ride you see in the background of this picture. Basically, you put on a velcro suit, you jump (or in some cases, get thrown) against a velcro wall and you stick. My favorite part is pulling you off the wall and body-slamming you on the inflatable. Don't worry, no kids got hurt....

Puppets

I posted this picture because I tried to give these police officers some ballons at the end of the event.....

~342 people attended....

This face should be familiar....

Another hopefully familiar face.....