Field Day 2006 and Acronym Soup

J & L Field Day 2004
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

Time on Air: 2 hours, 15 minutes
QSOs: 160+
QRM: Way too much.
YLs: A few, but not enough.

Every year since I was 12, I have been meeting up with my dad and the local amateur radio club to celebrate Field Day.

Basically this means a bunch of amateur radio operators get together and set up a couple of stations on generator power and run them for 24 hours straight. This is a drill in case of a natural disaster, but the governing association (ARRL) has turned Field Day into a big contest where the more people you talk to the more points you get.

At 12, one of the world's foremost operators took me under his wing. He spent hours with me teaching me the best operating procedures and how to make a killing in numbers of contacts. Sadly he passed away a few years later, but I still have a love for this event.

So I got up early this morning, brought my dad breakfast (he seems to get stuck on the midnight to 7am shift each year) and sat down at the radio to talk a little. Stats up above.

(P.S. This photo is from 2004, but basically shows the essence of Field Day. That's me in the driver's seat and Daddy Devil Works beside me logging my contacts.)

Whew!

What a day! Started out bright and early this morning with helping Statistics Students in the Global MBA program (I'm the TA!). Then moved on to the eye doctor where I learned that I really can't see the board very well - my prescription changed and I'm now legally blind. Well ok not quite, but I feel like it! Then headed back to USC for the Statistics Help Session, and then through classes for the evening. Now I'm home and relaxin' on the couch, enjoying just vegging to Law & Order.

Can't wait for weekend to catch up on quality knitting time. It's also Field Day this weekend. For those not in the know, that's the day where us "crazy hams" set up radio stations and operate on generator power for 24 straight hours. Not only does this help with disaster preparedness, but it's become a nifty contest sponsored by the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL). So I'm flexing the old pipes and getting ready to rack up those contacts. Anyone interested should let me know, and feel free to stop by!

Ok I'm getting off the hamster wheel of life for a few. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have some news to report!

What a weekend!

This weekend was pure craziness. I was a little bit of everywhere! To recap:

Friday evening I came home to crash on the couch and watch a movie with my sweetie. We watched Eragon. Though it certainly wasn't the best movie I've seen, it was a good story and I did enjoy it. I never would have thought that my man and I would be able to have movie dates, but I look forward to it each weekend!

Saturday morning my friend and I went to a little soiree at a local aesthetics center. Apparently our pole dancing teacher has hooked up with them for a little homeopathic laser healing. The drill was simple: breakfast, a little zap to show us what can be done, and then the hard sell. Although I'm not signing up for any $2-$3k treatments soon, I was happy to have them laser some of my hair away forever. Honestly, it was pretty interesting to listen to the sales pitch, hear the testimonials and see many of the group put down money right away. I was interested, but also skeptical and don't have the money just lying around.

Saturday afternoon was knitting with the ladies at the yarn store. I worked on another itty bitty vest, and the knit bikini. I love how it's turning out, despite the fact that the skeptics seem to think a knitted bathing suit could never work.

Saturday evening Mom and I stole away to see Knocked Up. It was very funny, and an entertaining evening. Afterwards we went to the Peninsula Grille and had a flaky pear and marzipan tart with vanilla ice cream and caramel. It was out of this world!

This morning began very early when I brought breakfast to Dad at the annual Field Day event. This morning's event was a little slower than in past years. Sun spots are wreaking havoc on the bands, and I was only able to work about 50 contacts before the end of the morning, compared to my usual 200-300. It was still a good morning though - got to spend a little quality time with Dad.

I returned to LA midday to head up to A Mano's 3rd anniversary celebration. There was a great potluck with all sorts of delicious foods and knitting was fabulous. I'm almost done with the charity log cabin blanket. Pictures will be along very soon!

Tonight I came home and watched Running with Scissors. Though the book got rave reviews, I had heard the movie was only fair. Maybe it just wasn't my type of movie. I didn't hate it, but I thought it was only mediocre.

I had a few other mishaps this weekend. My bathroom seems to be leaking somehow, and the carpet right outside the shower is damp and smelly. Despite a call to the management, it doesn't seem to have been dealt with, so that's on the list for tomorrow. I also found my glasses were broken tonight. So tomorrow won't be spent at work, but rather running around trying to obtain a fix or a new pair. I'm pretty much blind as a bat without the ole specs. Though I have an old pair, they seem to be fairly blurry and scratched, so I'm going to spend the day hoping for a new set. It's only money right?

Guess that's all the news that's fit to print. If you made it through that, thanks for sticking with me and I hope you enjoy the knitting humor!

Weekend Recap

Well it's been too short, but not a bad weekend. Just a quick recap:

1. Friday night was a quiet night in - chatted with friends, watched a movie (First Daughter, starring Katie Holmes. It wasn't bad despite the fact that I'm on KATIE-OVERLOAD).
2. Saturday - I got a manicure and then hung with the parents. We went out to dinner, and then mom and I watched chick flicks and stayed up late.
3. Sunday - Field Day! The daughter completed her annual breakfast duties by getting bagels and rescuing dad from an overnight in a tent with a radio blaring morse code. Then I worked a few hundred contacts in the voice tent. Then new glasses, market, a long nap (the best part of Sunday afternoons!), some knitting and hanging with friends tonight.

Unfortunately that means Monday is tomorrow.... oh well. Next weekend is a long weekend! I can't wait!

3 Minute Management Course

Lesson One

An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing?" The eagle answered: "Sure, why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Management Lesson

- To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

Lesson Two

A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy." "Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They're packed with nutrients."
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Management Lesson

- Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

Lesson Three

A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold; the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Management Lesson

(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
(3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!


This ends your three-minute management course. All donations welcome.

Quotes of the day:

The first is courtesy of a friend:

"Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."
– Dwight D. Eisenhower

The second was a part of last night's classes:

"In the long run, we're all dead."
- John Maynard Keynes