The Lakers Kicked Butt!

After giving up on the game several times today, the Lakers somehow pulled it off! I am not really much of a basketball fan till playoff time...and only if the home team is in it. I don't think I have ever seen such a crazy mixed up game, and somehow they managed to come out ahead in overtime. I did not really have much else to blog about except that it is sunday, and I am here at work!

Zooming Along!

I got to see the coolest thing by far at work today! I was at the top of the boiler today and was looking down at the plant when I noticed a splash in one of our intakes (canals where we get sea water), but nothing was there. I then see a little bit of a wake in the water and noticed a shadow swimming really fast through the intake. This thing was really moving, I finally noticed that it was actually a sea lion swimming super fast up, and down our intake. A few minutes later though I guess it finally convinced itself there was no food to be had, it just decided to get up and go leave just as quick as it came. I tried taking a pic of it, but my cell phone camera wasn't any good seven levels away.

Oh.....I think they have power plants in Mexico, anyone willing to relocate with me!!!!

Taking A Day Off!

I took Saturday night off so I could attend a sweet 16 party. A family friend was celebrating their daughter's journey into adulthood. Unfortunately I got volunteered to dance a waltz, and well I was a little surprised! I thought I was just there for moral support, but I guess I was wrong!

Today I was able to catch a baseball game at Dodger stadium! A friend of my girlfriend called us up and said he had four tickets, we got ready right away and picked up my parents. We had an impromptu outing watching the ballgame, it was great. I was very impressed with the stadium, the new seats really look sharp and the club seats $$$ we had were really nice. Unfortunately no sleep before working a night shift makes the Lou really tired. I need to plan my time a little better on these night shifts!

I'm Tired!

I got soaked for the third time at work today! We are starting up a unit, and luckily for me it feels like summer. We were starting up the condensate system (and I was already tired) and thanks to maintenance not planning things out right we had to start up the system really weird like. Anywho, to make a long story short we lifted a relief that relieves right by the isolations to the component. We were hoping the relief would reseat after isolating the heat exchanger but we had to cap it off, the fixing will be for later.

Attack of the Killer Mosquitoes!

While I was napping this morning I was rudely awaken by this annoying sound! Bzzzzzz, I hear off in the distance, but it seems to be getting louder! So loud in fact that I don't even think it's a mosquito anymore. I got up kind of worried just in time to see this killer bug heading right for me! I got a really close look at this thing noticing that it was a huge meat eating killer bee, and I am the only meat around. Afraid for my life I caught it and sent it swimming down the commode. I might have just prevented an outbreak of the killer bees over here! At least that's how I am gonna rationalize killing a poor defenseless little insect!

Biff's Power Steering Hose!

I am not really sure how I had heard of Biff's power steering hose, but I think he blogged about it way back in the day? Anyhow, I am minding my own business in my hole (regenerating) and I hear something about a fire! So I run over and see a lagging fire, the guy who saw it put it out with some fire extinguinshers and I ran over to get some fire hoses and sprayed out the surrounding lagging. A braided oil line (about the size of a power steering hose) sprung a leak and started the fire. We got it patched up with some electrical rubber tape and some fibrous tape and applied some cement over that. So far no leak, if it leaks again we are going with 69 hose clamps over the whole thing to push down on the rubber tape, just like on the Biffster's G20! A permanent fix would mean coming offline, which we'll save for later.

Working the O/T.

I wasn't going to come in to work, but it was supposed to rain today (it is indeed raining now) and I really didn't feel like going out in this weather! So I came in to work instead where I am regenerating some resin, which basically means I sit in front of my laptop and occasionally change some valving from a little room in the aux bay. Which makes me glad I don't smoke anymore, I would probably go through a couple of packs just sitting here. Laptop is still working, which is awesome! I don't really have much to talk about just that an old friend from high school called me yesterday. It was real good to hear from him, he is shuffling a full time job while going to school full time.

Why Does it Happen to Me?

So we got a call to the plant that there was some food left over up at the front admin. office from some meeting or something. They said that if we wanted, we could have it! I was asked to go pick it up, but since we had already eaten my motivation was slim to none. I still went though, since at a minimum we could save it for the night shift. I walked out into the plant and I noticed that there were no company trucks available, except for one with no key in it. I reached in anyway, and somehow the ignition turned and the truck came on! I figured that this was the way the maintenance guys keep the operators from using the truck (operators don't get trucks), by making us think it needs a key when in reality the ignition lock didn't. I drove up and loaded up the food and went to start up the truck again but the ignition lock wouldn't turn? WTF! It worked a couple minutes ago and now it's not working. I am now stranded a couple hundred yards away from the plant and am sure as hell not walking back! Heck, I did not even want to go! I called the plant, having to explain my interesting situation several times to have someone else pick me up along with the food. The guy who uses the truck is now gone for the day, and thus have no way to access the keys. At the end of the shift I am going to attemp to forklift the truck back from the rear axle, so we'll see how that goes!!!!

Weekend Stuff!

So I grilled some steaks on Sunday and it was great! I still have to remind myself to plan ahead the day before by marinating the meats overnight, but it comes out ok the non planning ahead way too. I just lounged around watching some games on the TV, caught a little bit of the races too, and even some golf. I must admit though that now that the weather seems to be clearing up for spring/summer I will have to find some more active ways of killing the time, although I did go out motorcycle riding on Saturday, I think that counts. Things on the "to start" list, jogging, gym, music, and maybe dancing....I promised the lady friend and a friend of hers that I would take a class with them. Now I am being forced to keep my word :( !

It's Back!

I got my trumpet back from the shop today, they called me last Friday to let me know it was done. Fedex's delivery date was scheduled for sometime today, so I got very little sleep since I did not want them leaving out in the open for some hoodlum to steal. I got very little sleep and I am sure I am going to be tired tonight. It was worth it though, the trumpet looks real nice and considering it is about 70 years old or so I am really pleased with the outcome! I immediately got it out to try it out, and surprisingly enough I still have my old range. I will need to work on clarity, intonation, endurance, and of course sound. My chops are weak and I sound a bit muffled, but nothing some practice won't take care off! The trumpet was finished in a generic brass finish that most of the new instruments come with nowadays, the older finish was really dull and probably real brass with no lacquer coating. I am going to practice here at work for a bit when I get a moment! I might take some pics later in the night too!

I'm Up!

So in a couple of hours it is supposed to be 01:02:03 AM on 04/06. So that's supposed to be two minutes after one in the morning with three seconds, this April of two thousand six...phew! I almost feel like I am writing a check here. So what does that mean exactly, well nothing really except that the numbers are kind of in order. Why am I writing about this you ask, well I don't seem to have a good answer except that I have nothing else to blog about and I am up working the nightshift. I am really tired too, I got no sleep during the day!

I Forgot!

Did anyone else forget to do something last night (technically this morning)? Well, I forgot too! I forgot to set our clocks an hour ahead at the house, which is kind of funny since I had to come in to work today. My girlfriend was nice enough to kind of remember since she had indeed set her alarm on the cell phone to wake me up. Unfortunately when it went off and I looked at the time I figured the cell phone was wrong. Somehow I felt awake and got the urge to go online for some reason and did get up, I looked at the time on the computer and realized I was now running late. So thanks in part to clocks that automatically adjust I wasn't that late. No big deal though, I put on my boots and flew in to work. I think it took me like ten minutes today! Speaking of work....I think a skunk sprayed something in the plant, it reeks real bad somewhere and I am not in the mood to track down that smell. Where is the rain when you need it!!!!

It's Raining!

My feet are tired, and its raining! I am also starting to hate filling up my car, I only have to fill up about every three weeks or so (assuming the only driving is to work and back). So gassing up the car is starting to be quite a pain. It doubles my commute time every time I fill up, and since I am not really a morning person always running behind, I usually just risk running out of gas and save the filling up for the drive home. One more thing that I have noticed...whenever you are filling up and somebody uses the same pump you are, it seems to slow it down. I wonder if this is only true if they are using the same octane as you are? I should just start riding my motorcycle and not fill up as often! I do need to change the oil, maybe the spark plugs too!