intro to mentor

by

D.F. is my Mentor, set up by ASET.  We emailed a few times and spoke today by phone.  What an interesting conversation!  He’s in the architectural world, and I’m his 4th mentee.  The first 3 were all young people.  I’m his first old guy.

We talked about marketing one’s self, the industry(s), expectations of employers, personal backgrounds … lots of things.  I’ll sit and think about what he said for a while before embarking on any more comments.

He did give me homework though.  Yes, homework again!  Not easy homework, either.  I am to create an “elevator speech” for our next conversation in a few weeks from now.  …  I had this ages ago in the ESL world, although I didn’t know it was a thing, per se.

Uniden PC-122

by

I won an auction for a Uniden PC-122 CB/SSB radio.  This is the same radio as the Radio Shack TRC-465.  It’s a solid little radio.  I am thinking that MV can use it when we travel together.  We’re always fighting with battery power and range with some 2-way radios that we have.

For those who don’t know, SSB (Super Side Band, or just Sideband) radio is a type of radio signal that has no carrier wave but sends a signal through pure modulation.  Eh?  Read up if you want.  These radios operate on the same frequencies as regular CB radios, either just above (Upper Side Band) or just below (Lower Side Band).  The upside of SSB is increased range.  The downside is that the receiver cannot lock on to any carrier wave but must adjust their receiving modulation up or down to hone in on the signal.

trailer, bought and returned

by

I shocked myself yesterday.  I bought a 5×8 folding trailer.  See campers.allansplace.ca.  If you read this already, you’ll see I returned it this morning.  Two reasons:  They wouldn’t take delivery from their factories until the end of November; and it was too expensive, not only to purchase it but to purchase materials to build it.  I will look for a 4×8 trailer.

Earl Grey tea

by

I shocked the world today.  I walked into Good Earth Coffee House and ordered … “Earl Grey tea, please.”  The server, stunned, just looked at me with wide eyes for 3 or 4 seconds.  I wish I had a body cam.  She turned to her coworker and said, slowly, “Earl Grey tea.”  The coworker widened her eyes.  “Okaayyy.”

I’ve been coming here for several years, on and off, and have always had coffee.  But, once in a while, you have to shock the world.