here's life

I have been either too bored to write, or too busy to put down the interesting things that are happening.  So, here's what's going on:

Work:
Continues as normal, punctuated by the abnormal.  Like for the next couple weeks, I'll be spending about half my time in class, learning some interesting things about making engineering drawings to show the guys who make it, what is important, what needs to be accurate, what can have some slop in it, as long as certain things happen.  Plus, it is an industry standard, so even if I can't think of much way I will use it in my current job, it will be helpful later in my engineering career. Actually, if I had known this at my last job, I would have done much better. I think my text book is probably less dry than just reading ASME Y14.5M-1994.  I am also doing the regular work thing, with it's joys and frustrations.

Projects:
Well, I'm on my way to getting an airplane that flies again--got the carb fixed, need a new airframe...
I am also working with Fjord on a new touch-screen system that others have been experimenting with. My IR LED's and webcam arrived today, I but I didn't get home until the office was closed. I built a preliminary set up, and Fjord has gotten the programing to the point that it can analyze a photo I took, and move the cursor on my screen to the place indicated by my index finger in the photo. Once we get the webcam streaming pictures in, I can just touch the glass, and move my cursor. I need some more glass.

Apartment:
As usual, it is a mess, although I did the dishes last night.  I should probably find some other place to live--somewhere that has a garage. I need to make my house a nice enough place that I can invite people over.  I did clean off my coffee table the other day, so I could sew some pillowcases.

Car:
While it still seems to operate correctly, my car may be needing some replacing pretty soon. It hadn't failed me---well, I've run it out of gas, water, or let the battery die, (always my negligence)---until today.  As I drove into the parking lot after class, the tire was very low.  So, after work, I was going back to my car, and I saw a Spirit Security officer filling up some one's tire.  So, I waited until he was done, and asked for the same help.  Sure enough, when I got to my car, the tire was pretty much totally flat.  But, when he filled it up, I was able to drive to the store, get a patch kit, and then to a gas station with free air, and repair my tire. (really, it's not the car's fault I ran over a roofing screw).
As expected, the horrible scraping noise my brakes made is gone.  Seems my rotor is now divided into a inner hub, and a thin outer disk that the caliper is tightly gripping.  See? If you ignore problems long enough, they will go away!


Got the August VOM newsletter today---rather sobering.  If you don't get this publication, visit www.persecution.com
It sort of puts into perspective the problems I have in my life.  Maybe building codes get in my way, but at least I don't have the Ho Chi Minh City police using building codes as an excuse to demolish parts of the roof of my house church/bible school.  Plus, they aren't beating me, or raiding my home and interrogating my wife more than 100 times---while I am in prison for 15 months.  Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang has been the target of much abuse--as well as many other Christians in that area.