I've been lurking in the woodwork for a while, figured I'd pop back in and say hello. The good Had my first drive on Mars on Jan 2nd which was super exciting. More on that in a post I'm working on & will link here when it's done. Bottom line - it was awesome. Drilling capability on the rover should be back soon! Fiance's sister is getting married this weekend, which means we get to see family for the first time in over a year. It will only be a couple days, but his family has the most fun weddings and I really really miss them. The normal Training for marathon #6 is going well. Not too enthused that my running routes are all flat and the race is going to be hilly, so hopefully the stairs and inclined treadmill I've added into my training routine will help with that. Not sure what else to do besides drive myself into the mountains at 4am to get in hills before work. We'll see what happens. I've started making art again! https://imgur.com/a/aztKc Always trying to be creative with xmas gifts for friends and family, I decided this year to sketch everyone's pets onto plywood, use nails for a good border, and then fill in the colors with yarn. I'm pretty proud of how they turned out, and it's one low-tech thing I can do now that really does relax me. Which I need because... The ugly I can't even begin to describe how burnt out I am right now. I can't remember even basic words when speaking (would call it aphasia but it goes away when I'm not long term loosing my mind; had it on and off in grad school), GAD is hardcore kicking in, and basically I feel like I'm trying to live on fumes with half a brain. It's so frustrating to not be able to articulate myself at work, and I'm sure it must be confusing to see someone who clearly knows what they're doing not be able to use words to talk about it, and someone who a few months ago was on top of everything and coming in before deadlines no longer be able to make an extended, extended deadline. I love the work I'm doing and don't want to complain, but at the same time I keep getting asked to work overtime on days off and can't get myself to say no. I was supposed to work overtime the day before NYE and ended up being so sick I couldn't leave my bed for 4 days. On day 5 I was back at 8am. At least in a sense it shows how much I love what I'm doing, because it's a dream job. I know the answer is that I need a break, I just don't know how to get one, because I have no vacation days. Without trying to go into too much detail, I got hired into NASA not as a full employee but as a long term contractor (DC level people putting a stranglehold on JPL hiring is my understanding) which means while all my colleagues get 8+ weeks of vacation every year I max out at 5 days. I was told that the contractor->JPL transition would be quick, but 2 years later here I am, still with no ability to take a break, and still no timeline for the conversion. Going to Nepal feels like a mistake, and even half of that trip was unpaid leave. I didn't know this would keep going this long. With half our family on the other side of the country and the other half in Europe, I haven't seen family besides my sibling, who luckily lives nearby, in a year. It doesn't help that I hate living in a city setting, I don't like LA weather (would much prefer to be snowed in right now! I used to love it) and our rent just raised us out of being able to afford our apartment. So now we're hunting again, and most places ignore you when you mention you have a service animal. Guys, I'm exhausted.
I have that reaction as well but I also work on Percy right now lol
My eyes are falling out after spending 2.5 days now wading through sequencing for the new drilling configuration we want to use with Curiosity on Mars. At the same time I'm loving it because doing this means I'll get to help write the sequence for the next phase, and then a robot on another planet will be using code I worked on. Life goal close to complete. I need to get back on board with wedding planning - got my dress, the venue and what he's going to wear, which is pretty good for a year out, but I don't want to be rushing around mid-2018 trying to get things planned at the last minute. Also I made yogurt from scratch this week, so that was tasty. Going to try using goat milk for next week's batch and see what happens.
rover gonna rove It was a nice surprise to find out popular science picked up on a news release from JPL about the work I + feed extended drilling team have been hammering out since June: http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/moon-mars/news/a28765/curiositys-drill-is-finally-about-to-be-fixed/ I'm still geeking out about this because it's a magazine I've been reading since I was little. So even if my name isn't mentioned just the fact that something I've directly been working on is being talked about omg. Finally done wading through the drilling sequence for now... though it's probably going to change a few more times. At least now I have the architecture figured out in my mind so I can start mapping that out in some visual way and subsequently figuring out what needs testing next month. Otherwise work is going well. We had a crazy drive planning day yesterday since the sol plan got pulled at the last minute after some unusual data came down (dirt in a weird spot), which meant lots of work for me and the other strategic planner outlining relevant data to look at later and where we think things will go over the weekend (spoiler: it kept changing until our answer basically became ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). It was super fun though; first time there has been so much action for me on strategic planning :D There are some cool panoramas from where we are on the ridge currently, so once those get past ITAR I'll share them. Zelda Fiance and I have been 100% addicted to Zelda Breath of the Wild this week since he got a Nintendo Switch. It's such an open ended, relaxing, beautiful game. Very different from the other Zelda games, but in the best way possible. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a new game addiction. Spoiler - you can ride the bears... very carefully.
Lemon chicken pasta with capers. Pretty sure either this or homemade snicker-doodles is how I hooked my bae. Recipe - - salt & pepper 2 chicken breasts cut into large chunks - add 1-2 tbsp olive oil to a deep pan - brown the chicken on all sides on medium high and then remove from the pan - sautee a few cloves of garlic in the same pan on medium with 1/2 tbsp butter until fragrant - add about half a lemon sliced into 1/8" rounds and let cook for ~2 minutes while stirring - de-glaze the pan with 1/4 cup white wine then add 1/4 cup chicken broth plus 1.5 cups water plus 1/4 cup lemon juice - return chicken to the pan with 16oz of raw pasta - bring to a light boil and then let simmer for 10-12 minutes (6-8 if you are using GF pasta) covered until chicken is cooked through, and pasta is cooked to al dente - stir in about a tablespoon of capers - serve with some shredded Parmesan on top If your bae likes cheese like I do though there's an awesome one pot recipe for cheesy sun-dried tomato pasta that is so. freaking. good. Mine is mildly lactose intolerant, so I just make that when he's out of town.
Life is better this week; not feeling as overwhelmed which is nice, and I think getting to see some family over the weekend helped so much. Plus now my fiance's sister is married! Fiance and I were dancing during the reception and had this exciting but also kinda weird realization that the next wedding we'll go to is ours. Starting to set the fire under myself to get plans nailed down, though our date isn't until October. I lost my cell phone on Friday. Left it, dead, on top of a car that then drove across Cincinnati, so it's gone for good. I've surprised myself in really dragging my feet on getting a new one though. Like the first couple days were super hard because I felt like no I neeeeeeed my phone ahhh but with the wedding and having to do pre-planned things for planning ours there really wasn't time to spend an hour or two at the store getting a new one. Then I noticed by Monday that I actually feel pretty great without a phone. When I go on runs it's just me whoever I'm with, the birds, the plants, etc. I used to hate running without music, but this week it has been so calming. And now about a week in, I can tell my focus is better and my mind is quiet. Kinda want to see how long this can go... Mars driving post will happen in the next couple days. I got really inspired to work on the Nepal pictures/video so now that's here + shared with family & friends. Birthday is this weekend and I have no plans. Hopefully my more extroverted friends won't be mad if I just bake things and read because honestly that's all I want to do. Life is good =)
Right! Look up Lakpa Tsering Sherpa. After we landed I got his autograph. Definitely one of the coolest unexpected experiences I could have imagined! The colors in Nepal are goregous. Hell, just about everything in Nepal is gorgeous. Part of the reason I took so many pictures is because it's like walking around in a National Geographic magazine. You should go! It's not too expensive; we spent ~$3k for two people for everything, including airfare.
We're back in Kathmandu after a glorious few weeks of trekking in the Himalayan foothills, paragliding with one of 3 people to ever paraglide off everest, and taking baths with elephants in a south central Nepali river in Chitwan NP. I've got thousands of pics and videos to go through, and I'm planning on making a little video with some of them, but that's what I've been up to :)
Is that really what happened? I work at JPL and am tempted to walk across lab and give someone a very stern look if so. I haven't been able to keep up with Juno as much as I've wanted to just out of being too busy on MSL. :P
Does this truly put the argument to rest though? The conclusion seems to be that because the complexity of a machine (that we can conceive) would need more atoms than (we know of) in our universe, that it's impossible that we're living in a simulation. All that says to me is that it's impossible we're living in a simulation constructed of our best understanding of what a computer can be, and made of/describing the particles we know of... which only constitutes like 5% of the universe. What's stopping a system we can't comprehend made of matter we neither know of nor understand from being what's running the simulation? Disclaimer: My opinion is based on the cosmos magazine write-up, as reading the paper just showed me how illiterate I am in quantum particle physics, haha. So if someone could explain why the paper proves I'm wrong that would be awesome!
Currently about a third of the way through Barkskins by Annie Proulx and On Killing by Dave Grossman. They're both pretty great for different reasons; the former being super James Michener-esque which I love and the latter brings up many anecdotes, theories and data on mass human violence (or lack thereof) throughout history.
Hi! I'm an engineer with a lot of interests, just looking for a place with more in depth conversation and content than reddit offers anymore. Maybe it's a sign that I'm emerging from my chrysalis of awkwardness into adulthood, but I'm tired of memes and shallow comment section fighting. Plus I don't trust that reddit's popular content isn't paid for; the hubski model seems so much more resilient to abuse. Also I love the slow pace here. I hate how fast-paced modern life is, online and in person. I can't catch a chance to think anymore before the world is onto something else. Ugh. Anyway nice to meet you all! =)
Just want to say those mittens look incredibly comfy =) Nice job!
To be fair it's not just work that has me so stressed. We went from evacuated for a wildfire that came within a few blocks -> watching my sister's psychotic dog that barks constantly for 2 weeks -> overtime fiesta at work with no time to just sit. I just want to afford to be a hermit for like 3 weeks and then come back and still be employed lol
Yay!! Late to the party but great to hear it went well. I've noticed with multi-stage interviews that if one goes well, then subsequent ones do too because that guy will pass on that you're a fun, competent person to chat with. Hopefully that's the pattern you find as well =)
Nepal is roughly the same area as Arkansas, so not all that big. While cities aren't generally that far apart, it took us 7 hours to drive the 60ish miles between Chitwan and Kathmandu because the roads are so windy and unkept. We hired a driver recommended by my local friend, and I wouldn't suggest trying to drive yourself unless you're familiar with driving in 3rd world countries... i.e. no signals and any signs/lines on the road are suggestions ;) If I went again I'd fly between cities (most have flights with very small planes); however, I'm really glad to have had the experience of seeing all the roadside villages, sights, and random herds of animals.
I'll be sure to link the post(s)! Working on getting stuff written down right now, next step will be sorting through lots and lots of pictures. =) How long were you in Nepal? Was it too long? Too short?
We were there for just over 2 weeks, trekking the first week and sightseeing the second. It felt just about right for that sort of trip, though I would have been happy to go back out and trek more. The route we did was one of the shorter ones, only took 4.5 days, so I'd be happy to try some of the base camp treks that can take two weeks or longer. Our guide is an international mountain guide, and said he would be happy to take my fiance and I climbing in the future for trips a month or longer (usual on the larger mountains). Honestly I could flat out move to Nepal, so I think any length of time will feel too short for me ;) Was having a friend from the area necessary, or could you have gone without?
I'd say knowing a local or having a local guide is pretty necessary unless you know Nepali, the culture, and either know the cities you're heading to or are good at asking directions in Nepali. There are almost no street signs, and many dont have names, so getting around can be tricky since people tend to just use landmarks to navigate. Most young people learn English in school, but many people we met barely spoke English (and we barely speak Nepali) so having our friend to translate for us was crucial once we left Kathmandu. Nepalis are super nice though, so it's not that people wouldnt try to help you out, it's just that it would be quite a headache. They dont even use arabic numbers half the time on things like signs and license plates, so there's an added layer of confusion. For example the Nepali 1 looks like a 9, 4 looks like an 8, and 7 looks like a 6. I kept trying to pay the wrong amount the first couple days because I'd pull out the end of the bill that has the Nepali number and misread it ha.Did you have everything you took in a backpack, or did you leave things places (hotel, friend's home)?
We both carried everything in our 60L backpacking packs. Conveniently, they were both under the weight limit (10kg) for our airline for carryons despite their size, so we didnt even have to check them! But yeah, everything we had fit on our backs. We got laundry done halfway through the trip since our trekking clothes were stinking everything up, but that was cheap ($1/kg).
The extreme optimist option: it's an entire planet of dogs. And they just met you but they love you! It's so so improbable, but not impossible ;)
Also if anyone has read the Algebraist then you'll understand why I want to fly straight into the storm ;)
Isn't communuon supposed to be symbolic anyway? Can the pope/bishops/priests not bless rice crackers? I'm not Christian so maybe I just don't get it. Plus pretty sure Jesus would have had the compassion to find a way to bless people without making them sick...
Coming out of the woodwork after being 6ft under in rover work for the last several months. I think you meant Opportunity in the first paragraph; Curiosity will be fine =) I drove her yesterday. We're re-tracing our steps to go do more drilling, so as long as we can localize ourselves the impact of the dust storm right now on that mission are minimal. Oppy has -some- chance; she's in a low power state now, but if the ambient conditions are right (not too cold, Tau goes back down sooner than later) then even if she does turn off she has the ability to wake back up.
Right? I'm sure I was spending way too much time with my little screen. Ooops. So now I've got a flip phone. I'd forgotten how satisfying it is to hang up calls by closing the phone. Plus hitting the keys a million times to text = just saying 'screw it' and calling people. I can see this being a good change already.
That feeling when the square footage of my $2k/month apartment is only slightly more than the cost of your mortgage. Oof. Who wants to help me move JPL to the midwest on a big crawler...
Since I can't drink beer (celiac) I've been considering doing some homebrew ciders at some point. Really interested to see how yours goes! What's the long term timeline after step 3?
Interesting, and that makes sense considering range is the name of the game with EVs right now and weight from extra BS = less range. I wonder though how that will change when widespread use of autopilot enters the game, since my assumption is that autonomy is more likely to show up in all the EVs/hybrid/tech-y cars before the gassy ones (totally talking out of the air here). Once you remove the passenger from driving, it seems like the trend would go towards making the interior more home-y rather than less. I guess it makes the most sense to think two branches will emerge: one cheap utilitarian set of vehicles, and a set of luxury ones. Those new Civics keep popping up in my life lately as a lot of my friends and family are getting them and loving it. I got to drive one over the weekend and yeah. If they could stuff a battery in the bottom I'd trade in my Prius for it yesterday. I think driving any of these all-electric vehicles is going to change your perception of driving, from "all the comforts of home, in the car", to transportation as utilitarian need.
What's your opinion on the Bolt? Might be able to fit a roof rack on that.
Really sorry to hear =(
Yes! I'm going as a penguin, fiance is going as a squid. We're weird, but at least we found each other ha.
No worries - busy week for me too. Hmm I'll try this and see what happens. I'm starting the cultures over tomorrow since I threw out everything from the botched batch, but for the next week I'll try this and see if it helps. Also you've inspired me to to screw around with some pH strips in food this weekend, ha. Thanks!
Hmmm this is interesting. I guess it just dries things out thereby firming it up? I wonder how this differs from usual gelling.