SWIM OR SINK ( IS THERE A THIRD OPTION?)

When I saw the drawing/invention of the flotation device (below photo), I thought of QQ and his son swimming together and the frustration QQ feels by JL inability to let go of the aid of the flotation device. I must admit that if I was not forced (or threaten) by my swimming instructor (a high school kid), I would probably never let go of the floating board, the noodle and the life vest either. I could swim the entire length of the pool as long as I could see where the instructor was. That is my security blanket knowing that she would save me if I got a "charlie horse" and started sinking. Most of the time I swim with my eyes closed and since I could not see without glasses and I don't wear contact lenses while swimming, I could only identify my instructor by where I last saw her. One time she wanted me to follow her around the pool, since I was unable to see her face, at the turn around the corner, I got mixed up and followed someone else!

"I wish our boat was built this way when we left Viet Nam" I commented to my husband when we saw Leonardo's invention of the double hull system. The method was designed to prevent boat from sinking when the outer hull were breached. Leonardo invented the system to be used in maritime warfare. In recent legislation, this system has been widely promoted as a solution to the problem of oil spills by replacing all single hull oil tankers with double hull vessels.

If only our boat from Viet Nam was built with double hulls, we could have sailed all the way from My Tho, to South China Sea, crossed the Pacific Ocean and arrived safely in California, without having to make a 7-month stop in the refugee camp!

BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A WOODEN BALL BEARING?

My husband was pretty excited when he saw the displays of Leonardo's experiment of freely-rotating balls to reduce friction and heat between two plates. (Please don't ask me to explain further, I am just copying from the brochure.) After graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree, CP got a job with a company in Muskegon (hometown of Justin Abdelkader, left winger/center of the Detroit Red Wings). The company is a major manufacturer of ball bearings in all sizes ranging from those used in flashlights to the really big one installed in space shuttle.

CP started out as a tool designer then moving on to production/quality control. After 10+ years with that company, an opportunity presented with a promotion to be plant manager brought us to St. Louis. It was the right move and St. Louis has been a good place to live. A few more years later, CP could no longer put up with all the "b.s." from management and a vp of operation who threw tantrum whenever things didn't go his way, CP moved on with another company.

CP has been much happier as a pre-production quality control manager. His focus is more on making sure all the specifications and requirements are met. Even though CP gave up the income and the corner office, he no longer had to work long hours and weekends, dealing with shipping schedule or worst, unhappy customers and their unreasonable demands.

I am not sure if I believe the saying "Do what you love and the money will follow". I do believe that you need to find work that make you feel proud of yourself, make your decision based on what's most important to you and the people in your life, a workplace where you are respected and appreciated, where you are happy spending 8 hours each day putting your heart and soul into the work, and most of all, it is your precious life that is being wasted at a job you hate.

FRIDAY "LEONARDO DA VINCI" SKY

Last Saturday, January 28th, after breakfast and before the Welcome Home Parade scheduled at noon, we went to see The Da Vinci Machines Exhibition. The exhibit has limited engagement and luckly for us it was extended thru February 28, 2012. The building is across from the City Garden in downtown St. Louis. The advertisement reads "Explore the mind of the greatest genius of all time at The Da Vinci Machines Exhibition. Over 60 machines on display, many of which are interactive, the collection features replicas of the major and most striking inventions of the original Renaissance Man."

For someone who is very mechanical challenge and has very limited knowledge when it comes to engineering or how things work, I really enjoyed the exhibit. I am not saying that I had better understanding of these machines. I was simply fascinated by the incredible mind of the man whom I thought became famous just for his paintings of Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. I never knew that he had so many inventions and how he was interested in so many complex subjects. "Approximately 1/3 of his original output has survived. Today, these manuscripts, known as 'Codices of Leonardo da Vinci' are amongst the most valuable books in the world" .

I was never interested in the movie Da Vinci Code but now I might have to watch to movie just to learn more the artist and the man.

Many of the inventions proved that Da Vinci was ahead of the time, many centuries in advance when it came to flying, exploring and building machines to improve working and living conditions.

I thought "de Qaptain" being an engineer would have enjoyed this exhibit. Too bad it was not here last April (2011) and only on display until the end of February this year. Who do you think could be compared to Leonardo de Vinci or modern Leonardo of the 21st century?