The Workermonkey

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

update rpl 

# posted by ron @ 3/22/2006 09:44:00 PM

I took a look at the blogger today and realized that aside from a few comments, I hadn’t posted in over a month. Well, I’m finally setting aside some time to write a proper post.

Girl:

I’m back in the girlfriend club dating a girl I knew about up at Uconn and am getting to know now. She’s blazing hot and has a progressive attitude. I know, I know she hasn’t been around to meet anyone. I usually see her only one day on the weekend and I’m selfish about it. She’s busy with all sorts of grad schoolwork; blah blah blah I got a ton of excuses.

Job:

I must say that the new job is awesome. I’m on my 6^th week. The start of my job correlates well with my lack of blog postings for good reason. I use a computer for 9-10 hours a day. That is my entire job. If the work wasn’t defense related and I had a fast connection I could probably do it all from home. Well, not really because I need help with things and meetings. But in theory those could be done over the web also. The HR department is in India and communication with them is IM or email. It works pretty well for any issues I’ve had so far. Anyway back to the actual substance of my job. I do computer simulations of aerospace components. You can bet on the next US super fighter will have some of my work in it. I’m not too proud of defense work but it pays (and quite well, to brag a little). We do all sorts of commercial engine work also, and some non-aerospace stuff too. Make no mistake about it, jet engines are awesomely complex machines that, since learning more about them, blow my mind.

The concept is awesome in scope, although not a new one. Take a computer drawing, tell me what its made out of (or planning to be made out of) and I’ll tell you where it may break. The cost savings of eliminating countless prototypes is tremendous. I’m currently using a program called LS-Dyna. Its an explicit finite element solver used to model complex dynamics. It’s the same program used to model car crashes. My current model is nothing near as complex as that but I’ve only been on the project 4-5 weeks. I wake up every morning thinking about the model, the contact options, how the model is built and how to quickly check all aspects of it before running a final case.

I have one complaint: TRAFFIC. I get in usually at 8 that means battling 9N Middletown, and 91N at rush hour. It sucks a big fatty. I can’t convince myself to get up earlier. It seems like a total craps shoot on whether you will get stuck in traffic or not. I even get stuck on 81 at the high school sometimes at that fucking light when school starts at 7:15-20. Leaving is no better because 9S Middletown is a fucking genius piece of work, so I stay until 5:30 or 6 daily (9-9.5 hour days). I get straight pay for overtime and I like what I’m doing so I’m fine with it for now. We’ll see about it when the bike riding whether comes about. .

With most of my time devoted to the above new entities, I’m doing the usual of riding, drinking and reading. If you count today’s home computer usage of personal web surfing, browsing for an apartment and typing this post, I’ll have been looking a screen for over 12 hours today. I’m beginning to think I’m a computer, or just a drunken monkey typing away spurting out blog posts and stress plots.

2 comments

What is the name of the company you work for? Where are they? You work on engine parts or any components? I imagine you do mostly defense because commercial carriers can't afford FEA on their engine designs.

You have to leave by 7:05. That will get you past the school with no problem, and should make backup in Middletown minimal. 91 might still be slow, but the difference is amazing between leaving at 7 and 7:15. Even earlier is even better.

Sounds like things are going pretty well, man. Cool. But 40 hours a week is plenty, don't give them more at the regular rate, especially sitting in front of a pc all day, you'll mess up your eyes if not your head. If you work 9 hour days could you take every other Friday off?

By  Damon, at Thursday, March 23, 2006 12:18:00 AM  

Yes. You now truly a WM.

By  Brancibeer, at Thursday, March 23, 2006 1:26:00 PM  

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