Writers Block

I thought this blogging thing was going to be a little easier than it has been. I haven't written for several days because I couldn't come up with any really good subject material. I don't want to bore anyone. I want to have a focus. But much like my own life, I don't have a focus. I'll just review my week and see if anything gets me going on a particular subject.


It is still raining in St. Louis. Only two days of sun since the last time I wrote. This is getting really old. Was able to ride my motorcycle a couple of days. It had been so long since I last road, that I actually felt a little out of sync. Now I realize how important it is to keep riding. Maybe a refresher course after an extended period from riding is not such a bad idea. Kind of the same with scuba diving. I always feel a little nervous every time I get back in the water because we only get to dive a couple of times a year. Like the old saying goes "Use It or Lose It". How true that is.

We went on a haunted tour of a hotel and several other places in Alton, IL on Friday. I wanted to really experience something, but I am pretty sure that nothing happened. I took a ton of photos trying to catch something...but nothing showed. Maybe ghost aren't real, who knows. It was still a fun tour. The tour guide seemed to embellish the stories a bit, but I guess this is how you help sell the mystique of haunted places. I also had my tarot card read twice. Looks good for me, but I won’t hold my breath waiting for the moment the cards described. I actually thing that stuff is a bunch of crap!

Finally got to take Jodie out for her birthday dinner Saturday. We went to the Melting Pot. She really likes that place. It was fun as it usually is. I like it because it engages you in the experience and gives you something to do. She really enjoyed it too. We may have eaten a little too much. We did the 4 course version. We almost had to be 'rolled' out of the restaurant.

I had what I personally think was a brilliant idea while I was there. What about a restaurant where after dinner, if you wanted to, you could go into a private room and take a short nap. Sounded pretty good that night. I always get tired after a big meal as I think most people do. I have seen goofier restaurant ideas, so why couldn't this work?? Heck there is a restaurant where the theme is toilet bowls and you actually eat out of a toilet shaped dish. It is either in Japan or China, but it is a hit. If they can do that, then why not an "eat and sleep".

After dinner we went to the Blues game, and that was unfortunately disappointing. I always have a good time, but it would be better if they would have won. And to the people who leave before the game ends, show the players some respect and stay until the end. They don't stop playing, why should you stop being a fan. If you like the team enough to buy a ticket and show up, then why can't you stay for the whole game? Kind of reminds of band wagon fans. Only love'em win they win??? I never have and never will leave a Blues game early just because they are losing. That act really annoys me when I see and I always see it.

Still trying to come up with a small business idea. I have done several different tests to try and determine what I might be good at when it comes to starting a small business. Unfortunately most of the ideas that get listed based on my test answers are things that just don't interest me, but things I know I might be good at. How frustrating. Why can't I just win the lottery (and yes I do play). So I will keep trying to come up with something and it has to be something I can do part-time. I really want to try something on the internet, but again not sure what. Too many scams to mention. Luckily, I have been smart and skeptical enough to avoid those pitfalls.

I guess that about wraps it up for now. Surprises, surprise...still don’t have a focus. I guess I could talk about civil engineering since that is my career of choice, but that is actually the last thing I want to talk about.

Engineering Plan Reviewers

So not much has happened since my last blog so I'll keep this brief.

Wedding this weekend, more business research, work and school.

I want to talk a little about plan reviewers in the engineering industry. In the business I work we are required to have engineering plans approved through different governing agencies. One of the things that has always bother is how the reviewers some times handle questions. Most of the reviewers are engineers although sometimes you wouldn't know it based on there lack of judgement and instinct. They always rely on their agencies rules, black and white, no interpretation. Isn't that what engineering is, figuring different ways to do the same thing. Well try that with at reviewer and I bet you'll get that's not allowed by our rules. That's an ok response, but what if what you are proposing has the same end result, just a different way of getting there. How they have engineering degrees and sometime professional registrations and not be able to understand that.

The other interesting thing about reviewers is when you ask them a questions so that you can better understand what they would allow before you submit. I get this one all the time..."your the engineer you tell me." That's great except that I know if I guess wrong then I will have wasted weeks in review time waiting for the reviewer to tell me what I already tried to ask them prior to submitting the plans. I am not asking them to be an engineer or do my engineering for me I just want to get an understanding that what I will submit would be acceptable. It seems as thought they want to take no responsibility some times.

One more thing...when I make a mistake or error in judgement, we get either back charged or sued. If a reviewer makes a mistake it costs our client more time and money and no one seems to ever have to answer for it. I mean, I hardly ever hear about reviewers getting fired. I have know several plan reviewers that have been employed by the same agency for the entire 11.5 years that I have been in engineering.

This weekend was my wife's (Jodie) birthday. I felt bad that because we had a wedding to attend, we didn't get to really celebrate. I am making that up to her this weekend.

That's it. Told you it would be short.

First Blog

Well, so I am gonna give this bloggin thing a try.  I seem to have a lot of things I want to say or sometimes complain about that I thought this would be a good avenue for.  Not grumpy, but some things are really aggravating sometimes.   Mostly I think I will probably just let the words flow out of my brain and into the computer.  This could be dangerous, could be boring, could be funny.  I guess we'll see.

 
 

So I have started taking a Continuing Ed course on owning a small business.  I am thinking of trying something on my own with my wife.  We're both tired of working for others and think we might try something new.  Seems like it has worked for so many, why not us.  The class has been pretty good for a Cont. Ed course.  Learning a bunch already.  I know this will not answer all the questions but it has definitely helped.

 
 

Tough sports week this past week.  Cards, Mizzou, Blues, and Rams all lost over a period of four days.  Didn't get any better watching NASCAR.  Dale Jr. was finally having a really consistent and good race and once again...bad luck.  Hope for a better weekend this weekend.

 
 

Yesterday I went to Home Depot to pick up some salt for our water softner.  Pulled thought the parking space so that I could easily pull out when I left.  Boy I guess what a dumb idea.  When I came back out a black mustang had pulled in the spot behind and parked not more than six inches off my bumper.  Needless to say I was a bit miffed.  I had three 40lb bags of salt that I needed to put in the bed of my Avalanche.  If I dropped the tailgate then I would have smacked the hood of the Mustang...boy did I want to!  Then I thought, I'm better than this person.  So I managed to squirm bend and twist the bags into the bed without ever letting the gate hit the car.  What's the deal what makes a person so such an ignorant thing.  I was in my space and the mustang was well into their space, so what's up.

 
 

Then today, we are eating lunch at Arby's and I notice that they have $5.01 value meals.  Really...$5.01.  Was this a joke?  Why not $5 even?  So while I was eating lunch I discovered the "marketing genius" behind the penny.  They had one cent coupons on the tray liner.  WOW! I can't believe they wasted money on a campaign like that.  Again, what is with that!

 
 

My wife and I getting a little bored with life lately and we are thinking that it is time for a change.  So we are looking at starting a business and possibly relocating.  Probably not a good combination but then again we never make the best decisions.  We love the sun and the water, so we wanting to move somewhere warm and near the ocean.  We love to dive and we love being on or near the water.  It is so calming and relaxing.  Would love to move to Florida (Florida Keys in particular) but the more I research and talk to those living there, the cost of living seems a little ridiculous.  We're going to keep searching.  Maybe we will come across an opportunity that will combine a business with a way to reside as well.  We visit Florida a lot and we always love it.  I know, we are on vacation when we visit.  My sister and brother-in-law own a winter home in Sarasota and I know they like.  We spent two weeks in the Keys last year and fell in love with it.  The attitude is so laid back and slow.  It was almost like being in a small town (this is not Key West, but the rest of the Keys).  So we'll see.  Hopefully we can come up with something.

 
 

The weather here has been miserable for the last couple of months.  It has been cool, cloudy and rainy.  Not the greatest weather to motivate you to do anything.  I ride a motorcycle and it has been sitting for about 3 weeks and it is only October.  There is something wrong with that.  Hopefully it starts to get back to at least normal soon.

 
 

Went to the Blues opener last Thursday (that was one of the many losses I watched last week) and was really happy to get back to enjoying hockey again.  Also started going to a stick and puck every other Friday to get into game shape, ha!  I'll start playing pickup hockey in November.  Just for fun.

 
 

Yup as you can tell I have a lot of hobbies and no kids.  This is fine for me.  I love to just have fun.  Work just seems to always get in the way. 

 
 

Spent a lot of time researching Belize this week.  Considering relocating there too. Been reading a ton of articles and personal blogs and whatever else I can find about the realities of living there. A lot of what you find seems like marketing materials and I know that no place is perfect. So I interested in finding out the realities of becoming an expat in Belize. In particular looking at living on Ambergris Caye. From what I can tell from the bloggers there, it is a very laid back and relaxing place. Our concern is that there are a lot of things that we take for granted here that do not exist there. Maybe that is a business opportunity…hmmmm? Not giving up on it though. We probably won't do anything for another year or two anyway. Check out Tacogirl.com. She has a really good blog and makes you feel like you are there. I have been reading her for over a year.

 

Well I hope that whoever finds my blog, finds it entertaining. This first one may be a little long, but I had a lot to say. The more often I blog the shorter they will be.

 

Talk to you all soon.