Category: Uncategorized
What’s this “Dry Drunk” You’re Always Talking About?
After numerous conversations with friends in which I knowingly invoke the concept of the “dry drunk” only to be pressed for a definition, I’ve decided it’s a good topic for a blog post, since there […]
Under Construction
I’m working on some updates to my website. Stay tuned for a more visually pleasing experience.
Why I Don’t Make New Year’s Resolutions
It’s that time of year … resolution time, when the human population cleanses, declutters, joins gyms, purchases aspirational organizing systems, tries to quit bad habits and start good ones. I don’t remember ever making a […]
Preview of Coming Attractions
Somehow, in between fixing airplanes, I’m going to find the time and brainspace to finish my next novel in 2016. I’m writing it as a sequel to Raising John, because many readers wanted to know […]
Merry Christmas
Wishing my readers peace and happiness for Christmas and beyond.
My Continued Humbling
In which I am stuffed into various tiny airplane compartments. At my mechanic job I have two mentors – let’s call them Wizard and Wizard Junior. I think Wizard might really be a wizard. Legend […]
Thanksgiving
Things I’m thankful for: Knowing that it’s OK to end a sentence with a preposition. Having friends who are like family to spend the holiday with. Having family who are like family and who are […]
From the Top of My Game to the Bottom
If anyone ever told me that it would be easy to make the shift from successful software industry career to airplane mechanic, I would now go find them and beat them up. Not really, but I would […]
Postcards from the South – Part III
Picking up the story from two weeks ago – after running all over town to acquire a replacement wheel and pants that didn’t make me want to stab myself, it was back to my luxuriously […]
Haiki Post
I’m still away from home at my undisclosed training location. This week I came down with a cold and have prioritized sleeping over blog writing, so, instead of my usual post, I present this haiku […]
Postcards from the South Part II
On Thursday of my first week in City X, I ventured farther afield – took the light rail and a bus to an in-city area where mountain bike trails were promised. As I discovered later, […]
What No One Tells you About Growing up Crazy
Lately I have been thinking a lot about what it means to grow up in a crazy household, and how, even though you can leave, you can never really outrun the effects. When I was […]
Blog Vacation
As I adjust to my new work schedule and take some time to enjoy summer, I am taking the week off from blogging. See you here next week.
Another Bloody Church – Travels Along The Danube
I’m still on vacation this week, traveling the river route between Budapest and Amsterdam. I’m repeatedly reminded that the structures that have survived (or have been rebuilt) from earlier times tend to be the houses […]
The Road to Hungary
I’m on vacation this week, so my next couple of posts will be travelogues. At the moment I’m on a river cruise boat, docked outside Vienna, on the way, eventually to Amsterdam. Unless you’re a […]
Oversharing Ahead
I have been thinking about boundaries/lack thereof and how we’re taught to take care of ourselves. In a post last year I wrote about a friend who never gives anyone a second chance to treat […]
Mindfulness as the Antidote to Shoulding All Over Yourself
Do you ever “should” all over yourself? Think that whatever you’re doing, you should be doing something else? I do it a lot and it robs me of happiness. Recently I had to deal with […]
Some Airplane Noises and What They Mean
First of all a note: this post suggestion came courtesy of my brother who wanted to know what some specific airplane noises mean. I realized this might be a great topic for others to ask […]
Some Pros and Cons of Being a Line Mechanic
Since I am officially a real airline mechanic now, and not just an intern, I now feel qualified to have Big Opinions about the pros and cons of my new occupation. Also, I need a […]
A Tale of Peony Envy
One year I went to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. I went with a friend, E, who also liked to garden. This was back in the days when I actually liked to garden. I […]
The Next Phase in Project Dream-Life
Today I have an interview at an airline. I don’t want to jinx myself or pre-count chickens, but if all goes well I will have achieved the holy grail of a major airline job right […]
A Catalog of Minor Annoyances
If you’re scheduled to go on a flight, we have to assume that you knew this was going to happen quite a few days before the moment when you arrived at the security line. Since […]
Chapter 38 – Or Airplane Toilet Tech Talk for the Non-Technical
I knew this night was coming, but I didn’t know when. Sooner or later, every mechanic working on transport aircraft will need to deal with Chapter 38. What is Chapter 38, you ask? Are you […]
What Mechanics Need
Helping take my school’s teams to the Aerospace Maintenance Competition got me to thinking about what you look for in a good airplane mechanic. I think it boils down to three things: the ability to […]
Licensed to Learn (and Fix Airplanes)
Short post today because I spent the day testing. And now … drum roll … 2 years, 3 weeks and two days after I took my seat on the first day of airplane mechanic school, I […]
Aerospace Maintenance Competition 2015
Last year I participated in the Aerospace Maintenance Competition, as part of an all-female team from my vocational college. It was fun, but we had a hard time with preparation and only one of us won […]
Mechanic’s Shirts Should Also Come in Pink
My consistent readers will recognize most of this blog from last year. I’m reposting because I have been thinking about this more since I have started my internship in the line maintenance department of a […]
What a Difference Two Years Make
Exactly two years ago today I took my seat in the first quarter of airplane mechanic school. At that time all I knew what that it was time to make the leap from my corporate […]
Airplanes – They Sure are Big
The same day I finished airplane mechanic school, I started an airline internship (a week ago Monday). Every weeknight I go to their maintenance facility at the south end of Sea-Tac Airport. Here’s a typical […]
Retrospective – Where I Was Two Years Ago
I’m repeating the post that started off this whole airplane mechanic career change – I have been head down getting my school’s teams ready for the Aerospace Maintenance Competition and starting my internship at Delta […]
The Worst-Case Scenario Method
Sometimes life throws hard decisions at us. It’s easy to get bogged down and paralyzed by all the possible outcomes, and end up defaulting to passivity. But, there’s another way. I call it the “Worst […]
As the Propeller Turns – Deliverance Edition
From the department of good news/bad news, I am in my final quarter of airplane mechanic school. That’s good news because it means I will soon be able to join the ranks of money-earning people […]
A Christmas (Concert) Tale
A couple of weeks ago I had tickets to a Christmas concert. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, to be exact. I had purchased my ticket well in advance and made plans to go with a friend. All […]
Licensed To Turn Wrenches
So … I passed! I passed my oral and practical Powerplant exams and I am now licensed to work on airplane engines. I’m not sure what was more harrowing, the weeks of study leading up […]
If the Oral Doesn’t Kill You, the Practical Will
Next week at this time I will have completed my Oral and Practical exams for my Powerplant license. As you might imagine, much of time is currently devoted to studying. I am feeling pretty confident […]
Three Inspirational Thoughts and One Goofy One
I hope you all enjoyed last week’s post about reciprocating airplane engines. I’ll write about turbine engines in the next week or so, once we have covered them more in class. Meanwhile, here are 4 […]
The Fragility-Assertiveness Continuum
I belong to a Facebook group where the concept of “anti-fragile” is frequently discussed. It’s a useful concept for people who get wrapped around the axle about the details, and get in the mindset that […]
Everybody needs a vacation now and then
Dear Readers, I am on vacation and taking the week off from posting. See you next week.
Merry Christmas
I am taking the week off. Merry Christmas. See you in 2014.
Please help a Chicago small business apply for a grant – vote today!
My friend Emily Carlson is applying for a $250,000 grant from Mission SmallBusiness. Organized by Chase and Living Social, Mission Small Business strives to help local small businesses drive forward to the next level of success. […]
Reader Poll – What Post Topics Would You Like to See?
(Scroll down for this week’s “official” post.) Hello Readers. My blog is about 5 months old now, and those who read frequently might notice that I cover a broad range of topics. If I were […]
Jennifer Lesher 