fbhjr

I am quite surprised at the response I got from the friending frenzy this
last week. As far more folks added me than I expected, I thought I’d give
something of an introduction.

Honestly that isn’t something I’m very good at. But, here’s what comes to
mind:

I am a middle aged fat white guy from the US.
I am a mechanical engineer currently working for a robotics company. I run
a design group of 4 people that works on storage systems for medical
samples at cryogenic temperatures.
I’ve worked here for about a year and a half.
Me, my boss and about 2/3 of the folks I work with now used to work for one
of the competitors of our current company and all defected to the enemy in
the spring of 2014.
So, I’ve worked with this group of people for 5-6 years.
My boss and I go back to the 90’s. I’ve worked on and off for him at 4
different companies over the years. Not continuously. But, I know if I’m
out of work, he’s often willing to help. He knows that if he has some
tough problems, I’m often willing to help.

Over the years I’ve worked for companies that:
Make ice cream freezers, pour cast iron, make music synthesizers, make
telecom equipment, make awnings for recreational vehicles, make laser
markers, make automated inspection equipment, make office furniture and the
medical cold storage stuff.
I average 3.12 years per job.
And, today is my 500th day at this job!

My wife and I have been married 22 years, 12 days, 18 ½ hours as I write
this. But, because of a promise to pay my parents back for school before
we got married, we have been together 10 years longer than we’ve been
married. (32 years, 2 months, 29 days, 10 hours…)

We have not been able to have children. We tried very hard for a long
time. It ended in disaster that almost cost my wife her life.
(http://www.fbhjr.livejournal.com/967226.html )

However, one of my roommates from engineering school named us Godparents of
his children. They are great and it is wonderful to be part of their lives
growing up. They usually spend one week with us over the summer and we do
all sorts of things.
I worry that soon they will be too old for that, but am enjoying it while
we can. (http://www.fbhjr.livejournal.com/tag/godkids )

My wife and I run a performance group: Phoenix swords.
(www.phoenixswords.com )
We’ve been running that for 308 shows over the last 13 years, 2 months, 5
days.
After all this time and all those shows, we’re starting to run out of steam
a bit and trying to figure out how to adjust for that.
But, there are still folks who want to hire us. We’re doing a fire show
this Saturday, another in two weeks and a weekend show in Mobile Alabama in
November.

My wife and I are big on this historical aspects of all this and try and
keep an educational component in our shows. (We have both worked for
museums in the past.)

I’ve been performing in various ways since I was 7, 45 years ago. My
father played musical instruments in a variety of venues for most of his
life. (He was also an engineer.)
I’m not an extrovert, but I’m very used to being in front of people.

Next month we’re going off to the UK to look at Wales, see some castles and
other stuff.
That should be fun.

There is a part of me that is continuously surprised by all of the above.
When I was young the school I attended was very clear that I was not very
smart and had very little potential. I had a lot of learning disabilities
and little interest in the way those people taught things.

There are times I’d like to go back and show those teachers and guidance
counselors the many things I’ve designed in my career and say “maybe you
shouldn’t be so quick to write off people”.
But, even if I could track them all down again, what would that prove?
I didn’t do it for their sake in the first place.

Somethings I should mention:
I love photos. I love charts. I love numbers.
I post about them...