What I do...

I thought I would explain more of the engineering side that lead to the blog title. This starts waaaaay back when my favorite presents were the ones that said, "Some Assembly Required". Oh boy, did I get a kick out of building stuff!! Screws, nails, hammers, pliers, anvil, torch, lathe, chainsaw...you name it, I gathered it up to assemble whatever needed my expertise. As I entered junior high, I decided I wanted to an engineer. I didn't know what kind, but I wanted to engineer something.

Then came high school and my first chemistry class. I understood those molecules and their little social cliques and how they interacted with each other. Our physics teacher was also our chemistry teacher. So, when she built us a tennis ball launcher with tin cans and lighter fluid (okay okay, so it was a spud launcher), I tapped into my chemistry knowledge to derive the fact that the MORE lighter fluid you add to the tin cans, the FARTHER the tennis ball would launch. And I was right. But here's why I didn't become a physics major...the tennis ball whacked the teacher in the middle of her back all the waaaaaaay across the school courtyard. hmmmm...I had my fuel calculations correct but I had miscalculated my angle of projection. I can blame that on the guy holding the launcher though, right? I mean, who was she going to believe...me pointing my finger at the guy holding the launcher (while I was holding the bottle of lighter fluid), or the guy stuttering in absolute nervousness that it was ME that made him do it???

After that, I decided that I wanted to become a chemical engineer. *ta-da* They made good money, I got a full-ride scholarship for it, and *poof* I went to college and became a Javelina.

A WHAT? you say.

A javelina! No, these are not wild hogs. Totally different genre...these are technically called a 'collared peccary'. Yeah, I just totally lost your respect with that one, didn't I?

I went here for college...


Oops...I wasn't there back THEN...Here's what it looks like now. Legend has it that the javelina became the school mascot after one bit the president of the college. I still question the decision making process on that one, but anyway....





It was here that I learned the twisted ways art of thinking like an engineer. I originally wanted to work in agriculture, but after learning that dow and other mumbo jumbo ag chemical companies only wanted biologists or chemists, I took a few internships in the West Texas oil patch during the summers, and I was hooked!

My job now:

I don't work around these (for a few reasons)...

(a drilling rig)

I do my work after the rig has left location. I get to implement work like this...

And design pumping programs for these....

And I get wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment...thanks, osha, for such a cool sounding acronym)...

Hard Hat

Safety Glasses

Steel-toed safety boots (I actually have this pair...love the sole on them!)