Our World

Category: Education

  • Day 075 of 2026 – March 16th

    Ended up with a busy day today, started off first thing this morning while I was getting up, getting the dogs out, and trying to grab a first cup of coffee. It turns out that the someone in our IT department released an update for the app that our field technicians use before the official release date, about a week early and it was not ready. What can you do? For some reason it has worked for me perfectly all the way though the testing cycle, including in the field. So, they are going to have to try and fix the issues.

    I finally got out for a quick walk someplace around mid-day and got about 2 miles into my 4 mile loop when I got a message from my manager asking me to take a trip to Tampa, FL this afternoon through Wed. Well, all things are possible so I double checked on budget, got my flight booked and hurried back to the house to get packed. Sent my manager the new budget numbers and he bounced it by the client, nope, they may not need an inspection after all. I guess the Spring Break travel costs may have made them think twice. That’s OK.

    Didn’t get my whole workout in today. I need to get back into the pool, but my shoulder is still bothering me a bit. But, maybe tomorrow will be the day.

    Total distance: 3.37 mi
    Max elevation: 5614 ft
    Min elevation: 5517 ft
    Total climbing: 211 ft
    Total descent: -206 ft
    Average speed: 3.99 mi/h
    Average cadence:
    Average heart rate: 105
    Average temperature: 20.7
    Total time: 00:51:44

    Spent the rest of the afternoon working on work stuff and then also spent some time finally getting the APRS weather uploads to work properly. Yes!

    https://aprs.to/station/KO4YAW/weather/current

    Finally, after evening walks and dinner I had to do my recertification for the National Weather Service SkyWarn Spotters program. That was a two hour training course that I think is well worth it. It’s a good reminder of what to report, what not to report, and how. Safety matters.

    Interesting stuff. This is a better presentation than the first one I did with SkyWarn in Florida.

    Anyways, busy day but a good day. I am going to wrap things up here for the day.

  • October 27, 2025 – Longmont, CO

    October 27, 2025 – Longmont, CO

    Today was spent with a drive up to Longmont, CO for a solar inspection. When I accepted the appointment I did not realize it involved a drive up a 3.7 mile, almost vertical dirt road with multiple switchbacks, single car width, no guardrails and pretty steep drop-offs. I did stop on the way down in a few places to take a few photographs. This area was part of the 2024 wildfires.

    The fire retardant dropped from the air tankers can corrode and etch both metal and glass if not cleaned off properly in a timely manner. This is becoming an immense problem in all of the wildfire areas. It is a corrosive material.

    This evening I completed yet another continuing education course in the Healthy Homes Series I am trying to finish. Got a ways to go, this is a pretty long series of courses. 2 down 16 to go. Maybe I will have that done by next year.

    It’s going to get cold tonight. The morning low will be 25 degrees. To make this more special it was raining this evening so everything may be a little slick in the morning.

    Here are a few photographs from my travels today.

    And we have another certificate for the collection.

  • Good morning from AHR Expo day 1

    Good morning from AHR Expo day 1

    And today starts the AHR expo 2025 in Orlando, FL.

    Me at way to early this morning

    Lots and lots of exhibits.

    Sort of a big deal.

    But dang, I just paid 6.92 for a cup of coffee.

    Liquid Gold

  • Facebook Post: YouTube Interview

    Our marketing department decided to interview me and my manager for one of their podcasts. I hate how I look on camera, but good information.

  • Facebook Post: 2022-01-13T21:17:04

    I am in Jacksonville, FL today and tomorrow for a REALLY AWESOME class for Generac Service Certification. I haven’t had such a great technical class in some time.

    I was thinking about Orange Park Used to be Kennel Club today. Had it been 3 years ago it would have been my evening entertainment while I was here. So sad.

  • Facebook Post: Critical Thinking

    A well rounded, critical thinking, non-multiple choice based education can eliminate the acceptance of fake news and the spread of conspiracy theories.

    A multiple choice, true-false, linear, assembly line education can increase the acceptance of false news and the spread of conspiracy theories.

    Prove to me I am wrong.

  • Facebook Post: 2020-01-31

    To this day I believe homework is a total waste of time and effort. And… yet…. in order to meet financial aid requirements we are required to give up to 25% of course hours in homework. I want nothing more than to drop all homework from the programs I am responsible for, but can’t.

  • Facebook Post: 2020-01-20T07:22:17

    And the drama with this still continues. I am now a “Curriculum Team Lead” with no one to Lead, and no responsibilities with Curriculum as those were assigned to a much younger, female employee, with far fewer qualifications than mine.

  • Facebook Post: 2020-01-07T21:18:19

    Schools in the US over test. This starts in first grade (or before from what I am hearing) and continues on through many colleges and universities.

    #StopTheMadness

  • Facebook Post: 2019-01-18T08:52:56

    I swear that if some idiot sends me one more email about an ebook not working without telling me the name of the book, and if it is a student or instructor I am going to find the hard covered book and shove it…. oh, never mind.