Icewind's Ramblings

I work in an engineering firm where we have a wide mix of people working in our various departments.  We are the division of the Native Hospital group that provides the design, engineering, and construction of clinics and water and sewer projects in rural (bush) Alaska .  With it brings great changes to many lives that have never had medical care or running water/sewer in their homes before.  These changes with something simple like clean water help those families live a healthier life with less trips to the “city” for medical care. Working within an “engineering” environment sometime means you can have a little fun with co-workers as their analytical ‘mindset’ seems to run a little differently that those of us who have a more practical ‘street smart’ way of thinking. I put up a "Microwave Use Tracking Form" in the break room before everyone arrived this morning to see what if anything would happen.  It had blanks for writing down what you heated up, when and for how l

This week I am at our annual construction conference so my time is limited in posting but hopefully there will be some interesting stories to come out of this as we prepare for another busy season building in rural Alaska . I have done a few PowerPoint Presentations and it has taken my time in the evenings getting them ready for the next day’s activities. More to come . . . Ice

Palm Sunday is today and with it the start of Holy Week for many of us and the beginning of the Easter season. Most popular historical records agree: Jesus was a real man, who actually walked the earth 2 millennia ago.  Whether He is/was the Son of God remains up for debate in the secular community, but it's irrelevant.  Look at it this way . . . a guy cared so much about humanity that he taught millions of people a new, more respectful way to live and he died instead of betraying his faith.  No matter what religion you follow, that sort of character deserves the utmost respect. We need those type people more than ever right now. Happy Easter everyone. Ice

Growing old is never easy and for many of us our children may not know what to do with us as we grow into those golden years. I have tried my best over the years to prepare them for many things and for the most part think I have done a pretty good job of it.  One of those simple things that I started many years ago when they were young and everyone was still in the house was to wake up in the morning and put on a long brown sock on one foot and a short blue one on the other foot.  Then I stick on a tie with no shirt, either a baseball cap or cowboy hat, boxer shorts with no pants one day then briefs with no pants on the next. I think it was shocking at first to them thinking I was a little crazy but my purpose was to get them used to strange things that I may do as I became a senior citizen.  That way hopefully when the time comes and I do weird or forgetful things it won’t seem so bad and they decide to put me away in a home somewhere. I think many parents as we get older look f