Hey
Facts:
-Judah is sleeping better. Got up at 4:30 though this morning.
-Shoulder is healing well, I don't think that I will get a cool scar form it though.
-Another bike race this weekend, we will see.
-Angie did well in her 10K portion of the marathon, advice: either always have a cell phone or discuss where the runner will be picked up after the race.
-know that when you spit out the window, your little boy will want to do the same even if it is shut.
-when you little boy shouts STOP! when you rolling up his car window, better go ahead and stop cause something is probably getting squished.
-Here is a great speech by Michael Crighton on Environmentalism. http://www.crichton-official.com/speeches/speeches_quote05.html
-We have a garden plot now, we are the only non chinese out there. Judah likes to eat the dirt.
-installing strain gages is a pain!
Thoughts on the Mountain Bike Race
I was in the Sick Six mountain bike race last Sunday at the lake here in Norman. It is a pretty good trail one that I know well. Several times I had thought about not doing it but KPS was coming from Wichita so I felt like I should since she was bringing her teenagers. She got here about 7:30 and picked me up (Angie kept the car to bring the kids later). KPS drove unit 617, which is a crown victoria old cop car that she got on ebay. She owns two of them now and says that it is cop cars for her from now on. We drive to the lake with 3 teens in the back (two kids of hers and a friend) while I am shining the spot light at everything telling kim that she needs a laptop in there like the federalies have. We pull in to a great parking spot and everyone is looking at us, at first I thought it was due to us parking so close but I think they were jealous of our car. We put up camp right next to the start line. KPS pulls out so much gear that I am wondering where she put it, then I look in the trunk of that thing and it is huge! she says that she could fit several bodies in there, maybe four if she could bend them up. The day is chilly and overcast, a little windy. The trail was pretty dry except for a few suspiciously damp places. We paid our fees and KPS is riding with her son Eli while Isaac is riding partners with their buddy daniel. I on the other hand could not find anyone to race with me, I had Matt Roman but he busted his wing getting on the bench playing soccer and every time I mentioned 6 hours of racing to people looked at me like my brother always does. So all that to say I was alone, me a mono, ondeen, yi, uno. I wasn't real excited about this situation but there it was. This race started by means of lamons start. That means that we start off running a quarter of a mile and then jump on our bikes. It is really silly I know, running a quarter of a mile in bike shoes is not fun but it is there way of spacing out the riders so that the herd does not try entering the single track trail all at once. KPS her teenagers and me were among the last to get to our bikes and then we were off. Since I loafed the run there were several very slow people riding in front of me, I really don't mind this that much. I had rather be passing people than getting passed but it does slow a person down. people were pretty good at getting over and letting you by when you asked. I did see 2 crashes from people getting over and the passers not being able to get by fast enough. The first lap went well I felt good and followed an older man (yes he was older and very fast) most of the lap. I pitted and took a 5 minute break before trying lap #2. I did wear my hawaiian shirt with the sleeves cut off and my name embroidered on the back (thanks mom). With this shirt people either expect me to be really good or just a one timer, either way they noticed me which is what I am out there for am I not! I also was sporting my wal mart clown horn that Zeke bought me for Christmas. I figure it may come in handy in any situation needing a firm yet familiar sound. The second lap started out very well, I felt better than the first lap and there was no one in my way. I did pass a few but not many were with me and I was moving pretty well. This track has a lot of hilly trails snaking back and forth. The most fun spots are the down hills that snake as well. it was on one of these that I was moving too fast, I hit a jump and should have been turning when I was in the air. When I landed my bike went wide on a turn and the front tire planted into an 8 inch tree. My bike was not hurt and even managed to honk its horn when it hit the ground but unfortunately my body mass was still moving over the top of the bike. and as I flew through the air and my shoulder hit a different tree that was lined up behind the one that took out my bike. They were like tag teaming me. I hit pretty hard and had thought that I broke something. in fact if I would have been Brent Coppock or Mat Roman I probably would have. It did scrape most of the skin off my shoulder and left a nasty looking wound which I was instantly proud of. I had thoughts of grandeur riding back through at the end of the lap and showing it off and that I did. Several people, including the race promoters, took my picture. If you don't know me I like attention usually so that was a high point of the race.
It was here that my wife and kids showed up, they brought the grill and food. Angie played like she was shaking her head at my wound but I know she was attracted to a man with a bike scar!
The third lap proved much harder, for one the leaders had caught up with me and lapped me. two I crashed two more times one was falling sideways down a rocky hill and bruising my hip again. I know I know why do I do this? well I need something to write about in my journal! Several people from church came out to enjoy the race and eat, thanks you all for your support. I did 6 laps total which was my goal and may have been too much. When I went home I was not doing well. That night Judah decided to not sleep as well so I have been trying to catch up. I have been showing off my wounds at work which is always fun, I think matt is jealous or just having a hard time with getting hurt playing soccer.
KPS has some good pictures on her blog http://mrsjaguar.blogspot.com/
still trying to get pictures
sorry no blog about the race yet, I am trying to coordinate with the home base camera to get pics. I will say that I am very sore and hurting. Also sick, and did I mention that kid is not sleeping again. Last 3 nights have been hard.
Angie is in a marathon relay this weekend on Sunday morning, Judah's baby dedication is Sunday night (maybe that will help him sleep better) next weekend we are going to a home schooling seminar while my mo-in-law watches the kids, then that monday I am off tho California for steaks and robot babysitting with the punks.
Doc was very happy about the table moving on the machine, I learned something here. The people that are backing you or depending on you usually need some presentation or display of things working even when it means extra work for you. I wasted a few days hooking up temporary interfaces so that the table could move but it meant a lot to doc who can now share that video with others who are funding us. Now I have to get back to the sensor which I will mill out today hopefully, got a late start cause of little smiley not sleeping.
Got something moving
Well I got the machine to moving today, it was not that pretty of a motion but alot of that will work itself out when I get a better computer interface. I am kind of frustrated because with this design we can only use a 3 ft diameter section of the table for testing because of the way this design works. so that machine is 10 by 10 but only a 3 ft dia circle for actual testing, I will hopefully get a paper published from this machine which I might not have from the simple gantry design I was pushing to do. I need to work on my attitude I think.
Judah slept all night..... woo hooo. but for some reason we are more tired? I guess our bodies are not used to being in bed for 7 hours.
by the way I am going to California from may 7th to the 20th to the desert again for babysitting the robot while it moves 20 cm a sec through the rocks and sand. I don't really feel like I have much to offer on these trips other than a body to carry things. I do look forward to eating steak everynight at the local steak house it is called "the town pump".
Sunday is the race at the lake, still no partner, kim can you give me a ride to the race? I am on your way. I must say that I hope that I beat kim in this race, that would be a good day.
going to bed.
et tu bru te
I am now trying to come up with a presentation of the machine so that my boss can see some progress and be reassured that it is not going to flop. "just get something moving" he says to me. I think this attitude it understandable and certainly global. I have a stamp board hooked to my j box and will need to arrange transportation to the lab for all my big stuff such as the 6.5 ft X6.5 ft honeycomb table I purchased.
Judah has been sleeping much better, he cried out a few time last night but quickly went back to bed and didn't get up till 6:30 which is not like him at all. I have been experimenting with working hours trying to get all the time with my family that I can. either coming in at 5:30 a.m. and then home at 7:00 a.m. for an hour while Angie runs and I eat breakfast with the lads then off again from 8:00 till 5:00, or coming in at 8:00 p.m. until 10:00 or so while the lads are in bed. either way that would give me about 11 hours working a day, seems like that would be enough but I would not do it everyday since we have small group and there must be date night so that I can see my wife some. Anyway I love what I do, I am getting better at it slowly.
The race is coming up and still no partner, I called a guy and he is thinking about it.
Been busy
Sorry that I haven't been here for a while. Been in Kansas and busy with work. a lot to say so I will put in bullets.
*The campus was in lockdown yesterday morning because someone called in a suspicious looking character carrying what may have been a gun. by lockdown I mean we could not leave the building. 45 minutes later we were released and an email was sent out explaining the matter more fully. Evidently the assailant was a white balding male with a yellow shirt carrying what could be a weapon or a yoga mat. I for one took offense at this saying that they were profiling bald guys. Well the balding man later turned himself in siting that he didn't know that carrying an umbrella was such an offense. I sure that he will sue and tell Oprah about all his trauma. In the end though there were a lot of happy undergrads who didn't have to go to class, and the man who I like to call
"The Penguin" went free.
*Kansas was fun, it snowed both weekends we were there. Last weekend The Rocco's got 4 inches and then it turned warm and melted into a huge mess. I did get to work on the trail some in my new garage sale work boots that gave me a blister. I rode what we have so far and it was 1.8 miles. I think we could add another half mile onto that for the East side of the farm, the West side would probably double the East giving us about 5 miles total.
*Looks like I will be here longer than I had hoped. Those who care should expect me to be here for another year and a half, and since colleges don't interview in the fall we will probably stay and write some more papers and interview in that spring, giving us 2 years left in the great college of OU. We are ok with this, no one should cut short such a wonderful job. God is providing money for us and has exceeded our imagination. I might be doing some consulting for MSC (they write Nastran and Adams software) this summer in a very lucrative job. That will look good on the resume as well.
*6 hour race this weekend, not ready for it but will go out with a bang. Thinking about pulling off the trail when I get tired and harassing the other riders with rocks and discouraging remarks as they ride by. I hope my work boot blister does not factor in to my performance.
*that is all for now, thanks for sticking with me.
soo sleepy
still not a good sleeper, we are surviving though. We got back last night and Judah would not go to sleep I was up till midnight with him and then Angie slept with him in the chair all night. The boys are in their beds now not sleeping, I am in the hall way telling Zeke to sing songs to Judah. Unfortunately Zeke's songs are not that relaxing, more like yelling. Kid's these days and their boom de boom music.
We went home for a fun weekend at the Flippo's Easter fandanza. The rousing game of full contact Adult easter egg hunt didn't go well for me this year, I went out the wrong door and it hurt me with the prizes. All I got was a steak and 2 lbs of hamburger, which I must admit is pretty good but not what I was used to in recent years. We are headed to the Rocco's next weekend for their easter festivities which are a little more refined but they do have the trails so that will be fun. I will let you know how that goes.
orange pants, cool helmet
here is a picture of my in my orange shorts doing the 12 MOH. Man that is a cool helmet!
Going home this weekend to Kansas, See you there.
up up up no no no sleep
Judah was up again last night almost every hour, or half hour, my brain is losing cognitive ability. Slipping into caffeine coma. Doctor said that there was nothing wrong with him, sometimes you really hope the doctor can find something wrong so that it can be fixed and everyone loses the sunken eye look, but no he is a picture of health..... during the day. Dr Jekle during the day, Mr awake at night. Poor Zeke is starting to wake up more also.
wacko.
So we went to the Medieval fair again, a lot of interesting people there. a lot of people that take it very seriously. There were some pretty cool outfits I must say. One lady looked like her bottom half was a large horse/goat/??? another lady on stilts was dressed like a tree. I wish the pictures were better but that is what I get for not "looking" like I was taking pictures. This fair is next door to our apartment and we had strange people walking through our backyard for 3 days. I looked out once and a guy with a large boa snake on his neck was walking by. Zeke was not really impressed, I thought the snake guy and the full knights armor guy would intrigue him but he had rather go play in the mud.
Judah is still not sleeping at night, Angie took him to the doctor today and nothing. We are trading off who doesn't sleep with him. starting to wear us down. Good thing he is so cute. I was in with him the other night and Zeke woke up to his crying.
Zeke "Daddy you need to pat him"
Me "it doesn't help"
Zeke "Actually you need to sing him a song"
Then Zeke sneaks off and wakes up Angie and says "Daddy needs some help"
We are headed home for Easter on Thursday night. I will try to get mat to come with us so that he can break his other arm in the Flippo family adult easter egg hunt. It gets a little rough, probably more than soccer for sure.
Right now I am researching how to make my own force torque sensor, I have never done that before but that is how I learn I guess.
Matt Roman "I guess that I have too much hair on my chest"
Here is a few pictures of our Garden and of Zeke's name (that he wrote) on the sidewalk. We pretty much pretend that the whole breezeway is ours and do with it what we please. Angie has really gotten into the garden thing and teaching Zeke about it, I am just the human rototiller hired hand... not even hired. We are the only non-Chinese that we have seen out there, and we are doing our best to have a better garden than them but some of those grandparents spend all day out there without kids distracting them. I am thinking of some sort of Garden vandalism, putting us all on the same level. I will be surprised if many of our plants make it just because of the high rate of collateral damage of little shoes tramping on them.
