Relaxing? Very good question, an imponderable, really. I suppose thinking about things difficult to think about. Like, a complex machine operating, picturing it's intricacies and convolutions, within my mind. Hot seat? I love it!
I am currently following basketball for one reason: nights out for free, with my wife, two wonderful free buffet meals, and watching the games for me is really secondary; see, my wife is a Hoosier, thus genetically coupled to basketball. My real game was baseball. Played school-yard nearly every single day, up into adulthood, at my old Junior High School. That ceased when I left my birthplace of Chicago, and the friends who played, behind.
@Chrissy Page Ah, How could I have failed to respond, remember, I'm a slowww thinker, and even slowwwwr worker , so, The way I write stems, I think, from a drummed-in to my head as a technical student enduring 2 semesters of Technical English. Geared toward writing Engineering reports, specifications, technical manuals, and such. No "weak" verb forms allowed, absolutely no intransitive verb forms, no progressives, absolute clarity of meaning. That, coupled with "flowery" words I picked up along the way, well, I doubt I could change, now. Do I talk like this? Might you clarify this question a bit? Maybe I do, but thinking about it a bit, likely no, I talk differently, when considering that my wife has declared my gravestone will bear the inscription, "HE SWORE A LOT". Frank
@Karen McKenzie Yes! How many times I have considered this thought, and actually put it into play the year I taught High School Math. My approach was, leveling with the kids up front, as young adults. Told them I was an Engineer, not a Teacher, but quickly made it clear I used deep Math Principles every day in my career work. I perceived they had been bored stiff, so thought up ways to "liven" things up. Coached them in building a 1 million-volt Tesla coil from everyday things and parts, which lit the classroom lights overhead with the wall switch turned off! Several immediately declared interest in pursuing Engineering as a career! Your question, then: High School age: Kick A$$. Study hard, no matter what, until you "get it". Ask lots of questions and GET answers. College Age: Kickn A$$! Study harder than in High School, you are pitted against the best of the best now. DON'T give up. I almost did, my last year, just recently divorced, unhappy, broke, drunk. My Advisor at UNLV, a Savior, if ever there was one, told me, basically, what I said in the previous sentence. I hung on, got my Degree, which re-opened the door at a previous employer to my highest responsibility job ever, and, I got a nice new wife in the deal!
@Linda Binning Lin, I guess I misunderstood the workings of the thread, failing to see that it actually was a bunch of sub-threads of a central thread. So, I have gone about answering this evening. Second: Anywhere in the world this summer......hmmm...........toughie. I believe I would most like to take my wife to see the magnificent "Herkules" Park in Kassel, Germany. "The Hercules monument is an important landmark in the German city of Kassel. It is located in the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe (Wilhelmshöhe Mountainpark) in northern Hesse, Germany. Hercules is a copper statue depicting the ancient Greek demigod Heracles (Gr. Ηρακλής, German Herkules). The statue is located at the top of a Pyramid, which stands on top of the Octagon; the statue and the other parts of the monument were constructed at different times. Today "Hercules" refers not only to the statue, but the whole monument, including the Octagon and Pyramid. The monument is the highest point in the Wilhelmshöhe Bergpark." Above, You walk down steps and a pathway alongside the tumbling stream of water running down the side of the monument cascade. The entire cascade from the bottom, looking upwards to the Hercules statue perched at the very top. One of the most magnificent tributes I have ever seen. When considering that the Monument was completed in 1717, one can only stare at it in awe! How could they have built it, then? The entire story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_monument_(Kassel)
I did not sign back on. Did not know, nor know what to do, just started answering posts. Is all lost?
@Terry Page ...........forever the man of mystery is Frank But, ya gotta admit, what a way to "go", eh?
Good morning,Frank! My question, is how did you become an Engineer, and do you have children, who have become Engineers?
@Frank Sanoica The avatar that you used when I first signed up here showed a man slugging down a fifth of what looked to be maybe Jack Daniels. Why did you choose that particular avatar and are you anything like the man in that avatar?
@Joe Riley Joe, it's a long, twisted story about my academic pursuits. Here goes. After straight "A"s throughout high school English, Senior Year I got stuck with reputed worst English teacher in the place. She was known to pick, for what reasons unknown, a number of students in her class, and doom them to an "F", no matter what. I happened to be one of them. She made demands that I do extra work, come in 2 hours early, things which I did, to no avail. Failing English, which was required for 4 years, meant I did not get to graduate with my class. Rather than giving up my summer in Summer School to retake the course, I signed on for an additional semester, which required I take 4 classes. I took English, of course, Metal Shop, Psychology, and the 4th. I've forgotten. The Psych teacher was a kindly old Gentleman named Clark Davidson, who took an interest in my case. I had had Biology as a Freshman, whole year, same for Physics, 2nd. year, Chemistry 3rd. year, College Algebra 4th. Clearly "college-prep". He wondered what had gone wrong, had all my records before him, I was Honor Roll 7 semesters running. He revealed something teachers never talked about: that my IQ was listed as 120. He confided that if I were to take a standard IQ test at that time, it would likely score 140-145. It made me feel good, anyway. I finished the extra semester with all "A"s, and they mailed me my Diploma. This is getting unruly and long. I'll take a chance regarding boring the reader. Long road to an Engineering Degree, anyhow. More interested in my car and the imaginary gorgeous young women swarming over me than thinking of college, and by then, born late to my folks, my Dad spoke mainly of saving for retirement. Came a salesman a'knockin', pushing DeVry Technical Institute, a 2-year Degree in Electronics Technology, pay by the week, if you like; I was enrolled, Feb. 1962. Sparing telling of the coming hassle, suffice to say, I got my Associate in Applied Science, Electronics Technology, in May, 1963. OK if I stop, and finish this reply a bit later? Cliff hanger, yeah, right! Frank
@Joe Riley "how did you become an Engineer" Continuing then. May, '63, a new family moved in two doors away, just arrived from Germany. Two daughters, 7 and 16, son 12. Diane, Susanne, and Rick. Susanne already had her German Cosmetologist's License, and could get immediate reciprocity here in the States. Aside from her being a complete Adult, she was an amazing person, and I was smitten. Soon, we were dating. Then, a year of "very close", followed by, why not get married? Here is a pic of her in our kitchen, in the house I was born in and grew up in, which we bought from my retiring parents. She got her dream "stove", 2 ovens, and could she cook! German-born, but Polish parentage, those folks can prepare food! We married in July, '65, by that time I had been employed as a Development Technician, Test :Laboratory, Victor Gasket Co. for two years. I started taking courses at night, Junior College, Engineering Curriculum. Knocked out 10 semester hours of College Chemistry during Summer Session! 10 hours of College Physics. By then, we were ready to leave the Chicago area, and pulled out all stops! We moved to Las Vegas, where I took over the ill-fated ARCO Service Station, where I remained less than a year, thanks to the Arab Oil Embargo, 1973. I looked into the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), where I met the man who became my Advisor, as well as a Professor in many of my classes. Trouble was, DeVry Tech. was not accredited when I attended, and UNLV would not accept transfer credit. Herb Wells, my Advisor, had me petition the Board of Regents to accept the credit. They accepted 48 semester-hours! I needed 128 to receive my Bachelor of Science, Engineering, which In got in 1976, the same year Susanne and I were separated. It was her idea, not mine. During our years in Vegas, we built a beautiful custom home. You know who did all the rock face-work. 1975. I had my degree, at great cost personally. I was 33. Children story must wait. Something has slowed this text input to a letter every 5 seconds.
@Babs Hunt Babs, that avatar had been dug up in commemoration of a chum from my past. 3 years younger than Charlie and I, who attended high school together, Russ was a rough and tumble type, good-natured, friendly, quick to laugh, supportive of his friends, parentage of Czech and Polish, often referring to himself as such. He was bigger than I, but not stronger (few were), and I hit the softball up onto the top roof at our grade school diamond before he could. It humbled him, he congratulated me, then went to work hitting the ball furiously! I loved Russ, for his ways, abilities (he played drums very well) and later, played with his little group at local weddings, swilling the booze until all hours. He achieved fame within our little circle, by being able to buy liquor anywhere without question (he was then 180, while I continued to be "carded" until well past 30! The avatar: One night in our basement, as we laughed, cussed, joked, I had built a bar down there using the buffet cabinet my new wife had asked me to rip out of our dining room (typical Chicagoland bungalow). Behind me, as bartender, the buffet mirror, turned upside down, provided a shelf for bottles. Russ proclaimed, "Gimme that Tequila, I can Chug that!". I handed him the bottle, fearing the consequences. The avatar approximated closely what it looked like, even resembled Russ! After downing it's contents in a great swallow, he stood stock-still, staring straight at me, our other mutual friend, Ted, laughing and cackling at perceived next probabilities. I swear to this day, Russ's eyes rotated in opposite directions, he turned, headed to the trash can, and promptly puked up into it. Upstairs, my wonderful and normally accepting of all wife, heard him, I guess, for she quickly appeared in the basement, assessed the situation, and threw Russ out of the house! That encounter was one of the last real flings Russ &I had, for soon, we left Chicago. Now within the past few years, after not communicating with Russ for perhaps 40 years, we have been in touch! Then, a year ago, he contracted bacterial meningitis, and has since been on kidney dialysis, hardly able to get about, still in Chicago. Charlie has visited with him. Russ is 3 years my junior. How I miss those days, I cannot express! Thanks for reading my gibberish! Frank EDIT: Am I anything like the man in that avatar, swigging Jack Daniels? Naw, I only drink the fruits of my own labors, fruit wine mostly, and only by the glass! Do I even look like the man in that avatar? No, he is far more handsome than I!
@Joe Riley : Almost forgot, Joe. I have produced no children of my own, carefully going about my way in order to not do so, over the years. I did finish raising Diane and Rick, mentioned above, when they (and my wife, Sue) lost their parents both at the same time. Would I have encouraged Engineering for my own kids? Absolutely, beyond doubt. In fact I was prodding Rick, the adopted son in that direction. He died on Nov. 28, 1975, of complications from ulcerative colitis, sustained after the deaths of his parents 8 years earlier. He was born on Nov.28, 1950, and entered Cook County Hospital on Nov. 28, 1967, after the loss of his folks on Oct 22, 1967. The coincidence of his birthday in all of this was just too much for my wife to bear. I believed her feelings that being alone after losing her parents, then her brother, then, basically (story for another time), her sister, coupled with the fact that she had supported us during all of this while I attended college, was what would provide the "healing", if at all possible.