Blog Redesign

I decided to go with pink, because the old design was getting a bit boring.

Went for a walk this evening upon my return home from work because the weather was just delightful. It had to be around 78 F with no clouds and a nice breeze every now and again. I'm not good at estimating relative humidity levels, but in central Florida it's lovely when you can go for a walk, not break a sweat, and not feel as though you are swimming through the air.

I thought about scheduling regular blog updates, because a lot of the ones I like to read do that, but to keep the two or three of you who read this on your toes I am going to only promise 3-4 updates a week because I'd rather have a few well written posts than tons and tons of badly written posts.

Finally, I found out today that I need to take and pass a pre-fundamentals of engineering test from the state of Florida to register for the FE. To sum up, it is going through the laws and rules and finding information, then answering some multiple choice questions. So far, I have learned that the state takes licensure very seriously to ensure the health and welfare of all Floridians. That is my goal as an engineer, to make life better for others by my work, so I can definitely get on board with that.

More to come in the days ahead about the FE and different opportunities I am finding.

Fall in Florida and car frustrations

I realize that for the rest of the United States, fall is characterized by changing leaves and tones ranging from crimson red through cheery orange down to a dark and earthy brown. Here in Florida I'm sitting outside at Panera bread, enjoying the greenery and the fact that it is 88 F and barely humid.

This week was marked by some fantastic weather and some good times catching up with old friends, as well as a new wrinkle in car maintenance for me. After a routine visit to the dealer to have the car checked stem to stern and have some bearings changed out, I received something that strikes fear into the hearts of car owners everywhere: the maintenance required light.

Upon further examination and using my boyfriend's code reader, I found that the electric load detector needed to be replaced. It's part of the fuse box assembly and regulates the current passed to various electric devices in the vehicle. With a quick google search, I found that the part was a mere $35. Not bad, considering it's importance to the car's electronics system. However, calls to a couple different dealerships yielded some frustration. When I specified the part, along with the model and year of my car, I was told it was part of the fuse assembly and could not be sold separately. Most maddening to me was the parts department employee who suggested I bring the car in to be looked at.

Then, my boyfriend calls one of the SAME dealerships I spoke with. They tell him it's a $35 part.

I guess the message that women can fix their own cars (gasp!) has not trickled down to some members of the automotive industry. If you are reading this and are in that industry, know that there are women who change their own oil, have access to code readers and google, and are not afraid to get their hands dirty.

End of one journey, beginning of another

So, let's review. I began this blog back in 2008, when I was in the trenches of my undergraduate mechanical engineering studies. Two years later, I have my master's in mechanical engineering. My how time flies.

The short version: I'm working on turbines. It's fine right now.

But because I miss studying so much (only half kidding), I just bought a book to help me study for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. This will help me accomplish two things:

1. Review the stuff I haven't looked at in a LONG time

2. Be a more viable candidate for jobs

And, since the FE never expires, I can eventually add PE to the MSME after my name.

I've also learned a lot having a full time job. The major thing is that I am not cut out for a PhD. The other thing is, doing the master's degree has really kicked my writing skills into higher gear, so I rock at writing reports. Engineers actually do write quite a bit, and the funny thing about the working world is that you can know so much, but if you cannot express it no one will ever know!

I also have exponentially increased my time available to knit and spin. In my closet is a sweet entrelac vest made from Noro, 5-6 pairs of socks... and more to come. I have also been producing even yarn from my spinning wheel, which is going to go into some fun things in time.

But now, I have to get to one of the things I am still getting used to with this full time job thing: going to bed early.

Knitting Projects

I haven't been by in a very long time. For now, I want to write about my knitting projects in 2010.

1. Pirate socks. I am going to take the skull pattern from "We Call Them Pirates" and make socks to match the hat I've made in that pattern.

2. Cabled socks. I am going to take a cable pattern from "Super Stitches" and make socks from it.

3. Giant wool blanket. I have a ton of roving from Grandma Gehoski that I'll spin then knit. It will be a geometric pattern with squares. I want to use the blue and purple she left sparingly for just a hint of color, otherwise it will be mostly the natural "sheep" colors - white and brown.

4. Harvest Socks. I started them in the summer and just never finished. These should be finished first since it'll free up another set of sock needles...

5. Wash's Sweater. I recently came across a pattern for Wash's sweater from Firefly, one of my favorite shows. It is traditional cable. The sizing is for a man's sweater but I can certainly switch it up to be my own size. I am planning to do it in the round because, well, I do not like going back and forth on the needles and sewing it all together at the end!

I'll add more to this post as I go.