Many people think of famous architectural wonders when I tell them I am a structural engineer - things like the Sears Tower, Falling Water, even the Superdome. They tend to forget that architects and engineers are needed to design convenience stores and supermarkets as well. So, yes, I get to work on the occasional high profile project, but I also get to crawl around in people's attics, looking for splits in the wood on their trusses. I also look at a lot of cracks.
Today, I visited my second historic house, which a county in Delaware has decided to make our client preserve. At least my first experience with this type of assignment left me prepared to ask the right questions. I visited it about two years ago. It was "believed to be part of the underground railroad" by the county, and I thought it would be a fun excursion to preserve history. Instead, I found a very scary house that was nearly destroyed. The roof was caved in, the windows were boarded up, and the floor was rotting. It was filled to the brim with old furniture and who knows what else, some of it obviously from the second floor bedroom which had collapsed. I am pretty sure someone took one strategically placed swing of a sledgehammer and the whole thing crumbled to a pile of rubble.
Fast forward to today. I found out that a report had been written about House #2, and the client forwarded it without comment. The report discusses rotting structure and asbestos shingles, and concludes with a section indicating that it "reeks of urine", "is littered with feces", "exhibits signs of severe mold spore infestation", "is a bio hazard due to the presence of used drug needles", and (my personal favorite) causes anyone entering the premises "to be a magnet for fleas and ticks." OK, so I can handle wearing a mask to enter the building. I can step around feces and used drug needles. I can even ignore the scent of urine (having lived in a college apartment requiring use of an elevator on weekends). But they lost me at fleas and ticks. I thinketh not.
I wrote emails of protest to the client, but apparently, despite this assessment by a third party, the county is still requiring them to save it.
Actually, "save" is not even the right term. The house is right where they want to build their convenience store, so the county is making them move it to another location, where it will continue to stand, vacant and collapsing. Sometimes, I do not understand the government. But there was nothing I could do.
So, with a bit of trepidation, I drove to the site. Luckily, I was able to observe a lot from the outside. As I descended stairs that looked relatively in tact, I was bitten by a critter. It was a bug of some kind, though I did not spend much time studying it. I looked down to see a biggish spiderlike thing, and whacked at it. I was his last meal. (I am not certain how to define "biggish" because every time I replay the event, it gets bigger and bigger in my mind, until it is nearly dime-sized. It was probably more like the diameter of a pen cap...well, maybe less. I don't know. But it did bite me, and I raced up the stairs. I cannot get the feeling that I have fleas in my hair out of my head, and I am constantly running my fingers through to my scalp.
I went briefly into the rest of the house. Though I saw no feces, I was very creeped out by the darkness and the emptiness.
The sad part is, the house will probably not survive being moved - and that might be a good thing. It would be nice to see these dilapidated old buildings maintained, repaired, and restored. But I do not see the point of allowing them to remain vacant cesspools of disease and decay. That's just my two cents.
Showing posts with label engineering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label engineering. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Did you get a haircut?
...No, I got them all cut!
Like my new virtual friend Danielle, I do not have as many girly genes as I maybe should. However, last November, one of these genes was awakened within me, and I realized that at some point, I would need to overcome my fear of hair salons. Not only do hairstylists tend to spend much of their time telling me how dry and unhealthy my hair is, they also tend to cut my hair way shorter than I specifically request. Hence, I have not really gone to a professional salon since about 1989. Yes, I was 11 years old at the time. I attempted one haircut during college, and found the whole experience to be just as I remembered - with the added "embarrassment" of not owning (or being remotely aware of) any hair products, and complete ignorance of tip etiquette.
This last one was particularly worrisome to me, but my mother explained the process and made me an appointment with Jessica at Ulta.
I think I scared Jessica.
I made the mistake of telling her how worried I was about the prospect of losing the long hair I had worked hard to grow, and how I feared hairstylists in general. Jessica was great - she even showed me how to style my hair (if I would be willing to purchase a curling iron) and explained how to use some of the "products". But, she neglected to cut much hair. Not a single person even noticed my haircut. And, due to Jessica being two hours away, I was again reluctant to chop it for real, despite increasing annoyance with my hair. Of late, I had been sleeping on it and then waking myself up in the night because I cannot move my head. Also, I am constantly getting it stuck under various shoulder bags, again, restricting head movement.
So, I decided to try again. I began my inquiries - my friend Jess got a great haircut at the mall, my friend Anne "has a girl", and my friend Courtney always gets nice cuts. Turns out she goes to the same place at the mall, so I made my choice. My sister turned me on to a fun site on Ladies Home Journal (www.lhj.com) where you can download a photo of yourself and then pop different hairstyles on your pic.
Here's what we came up with:
Sexy, no?
After another two weeks or so of deliberation, I gathered my courage and went to the mall. I had unfortunately forgotten that the first day of school is next week, and that normal people get haircuts in preparation. So I had about two hours to kill, but this was no problem. I was at the mall.
When I returned, I sat and waited, carefully observing the payment operation, specifically the tipping. I had come prepared with a $5 bill - had to purchase cookies in order to make change, but a girl has to sacrifice. But, if there was any way to avoid the uncomfortableness of slipping the fiver into a person's hand, I wanted to be aware of it. Thankfully, I successfully read the lips of a girl at the register, asking if she could put the tip on her card. (I hoped.) Then, it was my turn:
Hmmm...I actually like it. I must admit I was a little frightened that I had moved too much too soon. I showed the woman my LHJ printouts and she agreed that something like this would work well with my hair type. Then, she picked up a pair of scissors and snipped off 5 inches of dry hair. No turning back at that point, but a large part of me wanted to get some hot glue and get working. Also, I was told to purchase a $32 shampoo and conditioner set in order to control my dryness. (I passed - I just bought a tub of conditioner from BJ's and damned if I'll be wasting it!) My hairstylist found it amusing that I was unaware that all mousses come in a can. She was nice about it, but hmph. I bet she thinks cement and concrete are the same thing! (A common engineering pet peeve. I'm just saying...we all have our specialties...)
Anyway, I am supposed to go back in 6 weeks, lest I do any more damage to my poor follicles. We'll see. I think if I get back in 6 months, I'll be making huge strides.
Like my new virtual friend Danielle, I do not have as many girly genes as I maybe should. However, last November, one of these genes was awakened within me, and I realized that at some point, I would need to overcome my fear of hair salons. Not only do hairstylists tend to spend much of their time telling me how dry and unhealthy my hair is, they also tend to cut my hair way shorter than I specifically request. Hence, I have not really gone to a professional salon since about 1989. Yes, I was 11 years old at the time. I attempted one haircut during college, and found the whole experience to be just as I remembered - with the added "embarrassment" of not owning (or being remotely aware of) any hair products, and complete ignorance of tip etiquette.This last one was particularly worrisome to me, but my mother explained the process and made me an appointment with Jessica at Ulta.
I think I scared Jessica.
I made the mistake of telling her how worried I was about the prospect of losing the long hair I had worked hard to grow, and how I feared hairstylists in general. Jessica was great - she even showed me how to style my hair (if I would be willing to purchase a curling iron) and explained how to use some of the "products". But, she neglected to cut much hair. Not a single person even noticed my haircut. And, due to Jessica being two hours away, I was again reluctant to chop it for real, despite increasing annoyance with my hair. Of late, I had been sleeping on it and then waking myself up in the night because I cannot move my head. Also, I am constantly getting it stuck under various shoulder bags, again, restricting head movement.
So, I decided to try again. I began my inquiries - my friend Jess got a great haircut at the mall, my friend Anne "has a girl", and my friend Courtney always gets nice cuts. Turns out she goes to the same place at the mall, so I made my choice. My sister turned me on to a fun site on Ladies Home Journal (www.lhj.com) where you can download a photo of yourself and then pop different hairstyles on your pic.
Here's what we came up with:
Sexy, no?
After another two weeks or so of deliberation, I gathered my courage and went to the mall. I had unfortunately forgotten that the first day of school is next week, and that normal people get haircuts in preparation. So I had about two hours to kill, but this was no problem. I was at the mall.
When I returned, I sat and waited, carefully observing the payment operation, specifically the tipping. I had come prepared with a $5 bill - had to purchase cookies in order to make change, but a girl has to sacrifice. But, if there was any way to avoid the uncomfortableness of slipping the fiver into a person's hand, I wanted to be aware of it. Thankfully, I successfully read the lips of a girl at the register, asking if she could put the tip on her card. (I hoped.) Then, it was my turn:
Hmmm...I actually like it. I must admit I was a little frightened that I had moved too much too soon. I showed the woman my LHJ printouts and she agreed that something like this would work well with my hair type. Then, she picked up a pair of scissors and snipped off 5 inches of dry hair. No turning back at that point, but a large part of me wanted to get some hot glue and get working. Also, I was told to purchase a $32 shampoo and conditioner set in order to control my dryness. (I passed - I just bought a tub of conditioner from BJ's and damned if I'll be wasting it!) My hairstylist found it amusing that I was unaware that all mousses come in a can. She was nice about it, but hmph. I bet she thinks cement and concrete are the same thing! (A common engineering pet peeve. I'm just saying...we all have our specialties...)Anyway, I am supposed to go back in 6 weeks, lest I do any more damage to my poor follicles. We'll see. I think if I get back in 6 months, I'll be making huge strides.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Best. Day. Ever.
...At work. (not of all time, or even top ten when considering the many non-work days I have thus far experienced). But I digress.
This morning, I entered the building, 10 minutes late as usual, when the alarm beeped at me. It had its desired affect I suppose, because I became alarmed - we have gotten angry emails from management regarding the accidental setting off of the alarm, and I did not wish to be the recipient of individualized reprimanding. As it was 8:10 in the AM, it took a few more seconds and another beep for me to realize that a) there are many other people in the office by now, b) the system clearly indicates that it is not armed, and c) the thing is beeping at regular, unalarming intervals. I then realize that we are out of power.
But not all power. We still have the kitchen, including the toaster and coffeemaker. And it is bagel day! This is my most favored of all days because, as you know, I love food, and especially free food. The power that we are out of? The phone and the computers, some of the lights, and the air conditioning.
What? You mean no one can call me or email me for the day, and that I can't accomplish anything? I probably wouldn't have been able to accomplish anything anyway, due to the obscene number of phone calls and emails I receive every 5 minutes, but now, I have an excuse!! It was great. We actually did get the phone back about 2 hours later, but I was proactive, and called some of my more prominent interrupters and told them not to call me or email me because I can't do anything they want me to do!! (I was later thwarted by the fax machine - I forgot that dinosaur still existed.) This also resulted in only 22 emails when I finally did get the email back, with 2 of them from friends about dinner next week. Had I not made that call, I would have easily had that many in about 2 hours.
And did you say the air conditioning was out? You mean I don't have to wear my sweater over my cute outfit? And I might actually be able to write without having to rub my hands and blow on them to get the blood flowing?
Needless to say, I got a ton of stuff done today. Literally. I have a stack of drawings to review for a construction job (wanna see it? Click here). I pushed three sets out the door and got a quarter of the way through the fourth. Yay, only 15 more. Maybe I will get to those the next time a transformer gets struck by lightening.
This morning, I entered the building, 10 minutes late as usual, when the alarm beeped at me. It had its desired affect I suppose, because I became alarmed - we have gotten angry emails from management regarding the accidental setting off of the alarm, and I did not wish to be the recipient of individualized reprimanding. As it was 8:10 in the AM, it took a few more seconds and another beep for me to realize that a) there are many other people in the office by now, b) the system clearly indicates that it is not armed, and c) the thing is beeping at regular, unalarming intervals. I then realize that we are out of power.
But not all power. We still have the kitchen, including the toaster and coffeemaker. And it is bagel day! This is my most favored of all days because, as you know, I love food, and especially free food. The power that we are out of? The phone and the computers, some of the lights, and the air conditioning.
What? You mean no one can call me or email me for the day, and that I can't accomplish anything? I probably wouldn't have been able to accomplish anything anyway, due to the obscene number of phone calls and emails I receive every 5 minutes, but now, I have an excuse!! It was great. We actually did get the phone back about 2 hours later, but I was proactive, and called some of my more prominent interrupters and told them not to call me or email me because I can't do anything they want me to do!! (I was later thwarted by the fax machine - I forgot that dinosaur still existed.) This also resulted in only 22 emails when I finally did get the email back, with 2 of them from friends about dinner next week. Had I not made that call, I would have easily had that many in about 2 hours.
And did you say the air conditioning was out? You mean I don't have to wear my sweater over my cute outfit? And I might actually be able to write without having to rub my hands and blow on them to get the blood flowing?
Needless to say, I got a ton of stuff done today. Literally. I have a stack of drawings to review for a construction job (wanna see it? Click here). I pushed three sets out the door and got a quarter of the way through the fourth. Yay, only 15 more. Maybe I will get to those the next time a transformer gets struck by lightening.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
the HAPPY LIST
Inspired by the ever inspiring Cara, my own happy list:
HAPPINESS IS....
....coming home from a great bike ride in the woods, muddy, exhausted, and completely content
....taking a long shower on a day when I've got nothing to do, then sitting down to read a book and sip tea ALL DAY
....coming up with a kick-ass genius idea for a particularly tough structural issue AND having it work
....catching a football during a game or making an awesome volleyball save
....when Adam puts his arms around me or rubs my shoulders for no particular reason
....going to a concert and getting caught up in the music
....the first flower of spring
....listening to the Grateful Dead and watching the sun come up or go down
....spending the day in the kitchen making yummy food and listening to NPR on a lazy Saturday
....driving past a building that I designed (when it is still standing - I haven't had one fall, but I imagine that would be the opposite of happiness)
....autumn leaves and that fresh smell of October
....when my purry pussy cat jumps on my lap and curls up for a snooze
....the feeling after a great workout or yoga session
....being able to fit into the jean shorts that were too tight two years ago
....cheesecake, of course!
HAPPINESS IS....
....coming home from a great bike ride in the woods, muddy, exhausted, and completely content
....taking a long shower on a day when I've got nothing to do, then sitting down to read a book and sip tea ALL DAY
....coming up with a kick-ass genius idea for a particularly tough structural issue AND having it work
....catching a football during a game or making an awesome volleyball save
....when Adam puts his arms around me or rubs my shoulders for no particular reason
....going to a concert and getting caught up in the music
....the first flower of spring
....listening to the Grateful Dead and watching the sun come up or go down
....spending the day in the kitchen making yummy food and listening to NPR on a lazy Saturday
....driving past a building that I designed (when it is still standing - I haven't had one fall, but I imagine that would be the opposite of happiness)
....autumn leaves and that fresh smell of October
....when my purry pussy cat jumps on my lap and curls up for a snooze
....the feeling after a great workout or yoga session
....being able to fit into the jean shorts that were too tight two years ago
....cheesecake, of course!
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