Nature, travel, pets, home renovation, and geekery
Ferdinand sniffing the snow
We got a lot a snow here, and Ferdinand couldn’t be happier. He hates the rain, but he loves the snow. The snow is deeper than Ferdinand’s legs are long, which necessitates him leaping through the snow. Ferdinand seems to quite enjoy that though. He also loves digging his head in it rolling around in it.
Ferdinand leaping through the snow
The snow is deeper than Ferdinand’s legs are long
Ferdinand leaping through the snow
Ferdinand loves rolling in the snow
This is one of those times, where I have a very silly conversation, and then I take it even farther than it really should go. I can’t exactly explain how it started, other than Biochem Belle from Twitter, noted she was waiting for the song Modern Major Scientist from Chemjobber. I chimed in with a few lines from “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” only one of which did I manipulate for a scientist. I realized that about half the lines of the song would not have to be altered for a scientist as opposed to a military person. So here is where I take it too far, with apologies and great respect to Gilbert and Sullivan.
I am the very model of a modern Engineer-Scientist,
I’ve information vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I know the kingdoms taxonomy, and I quote the sci papers historical
From The Lancet to Ecology, in order categorical;
I’m very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,
About binomial theorem I’m teeming with a lot o’ news,
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.
I’m very good at integral and differential calculus;
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous:
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Engineer-Scientist.
I know our engineering history, Imhotep and al-Jazari;
I understand acoustics, I know all types of VOCs,
I quote in equations all the laws thermodynamical,
In conics I can graph ellipses, hyperbolas, and parabolas;
I can tell undoubted amethyst from fluorite and lepidolite,
I know the croaking chorus of the Xenopus laevis!
Then I can name a chemical after I’ve seen its mass spectrum chromatograph,
And calculate its concentration with an internal standard added.
Then I can design a incinerator for hazardous waste destruction,
And tell you ev’ry detail of exposure risk reduction
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Engineer-Scientist.
In fact, when I know what is meant by leukotriene and histomine,
When I can tell at sight a purine from a pyrimidine,
When such units as furlong and stones I’m more wary at,
And when I know precisely what is meant by ANSI hard hat,
When I have learnt what progress has been made in modern technology,
When I know more of statistics, microbiology, and toxicology –
In short, when I’ve a smattering of hydrogeology –
You’ll say a better Engineer-Scientist has never sat a gee.
For my science knowledge, because I’m nerdy and geeky,
Is never enough and I must always satisfy my curiosity;
But still, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Engineer-Scientist.
Chalmette in a bag
This is Chalmette, my mom’s cat. He was born on my mom’s patio to a feral cat. For years, my mom had been trapping feral cats, getting them spayed or neutered with vets who help with Trap, Neuter, Return programs, and then returning them to the area around her townhouse. Her hard work with TNR worked well to lower the population, but Chalmette’s mother got pregnant before my mom could catch her. My mom started touching Chalmette and his sibling a few days after they were born, so they would get used to a human handling them. Once they were weaned, she took them inside. She found someone else to adopt Chalmette’s sibling, but Mom kept Chalmette. She hadn’t had a cat in a while. Chalmette became a wonderful pet for my mom. He was mischievous and sweet. He had an obsession with flowers. My mom couldn’t have any flowers in the house because Chalmette would eventually get to them, then take a flower, and parade around the house with it in his mouth. He gave my mom years of love, companionship, and sometimes entertainment. Today she had to put him to sleep. He was diagnosed with cancer less than two weeks ago, and the vet did not know how much time he had. While he seemed to be in good shape and was alert, he was bleeding in his mouth. My mom wanted to make sure he was never in pain. Rest in peace Chalmette. Thank you for the love and companionship you gave my mom. Thank you for finding me so fascinating and allowing me to invade your house whenever I came to visit my mom.
Chalmette on the refrigerator
I did more deconstruction this weekend, and all that is left to demolish is the flooring, a few interior studs, the stud headers, and the shower pan. I am turning it over now to the carpenter to remove all of that. I realize now that this phase of renovation should not have been done during the coldest time of the year. Because of the condition of the drywall that made up the ceiling and all the reconfiguration that was needed, I removed all ceiling drywall. I also removed the attic insulation above it as nothing would be there to support it, and I need to put in better attic insulation anyway. This means though that this area is at the same temperature as my attic, which is freezing, and I am going to have an awful electric bill next month. I have a plastic sheet securely hung in the doorway to the bedroom, but still it not a really good air barrier.
I removed the vanity by hammering the crowbar in-between the plywood sheet that made the counter base and the layer of plywood it sat on. The glue that held it cracked fairly easily, and I could the lift the whole thing out. After doing that, the rest of the vanity was fairly easy to disassemble with a bit of hammering and pulling. It was not all that well constructed. Once I removed the vanity, I discovered that the original floor in the bathroom was tile that matched the vanity countertop tile. That was interesting and a nice touch on the original design. I don’t have a clue why they removed that tile, added another layer of subfloor, then put new tile on top.Then again, I have no clue why the later home “renovators” put insulation in the three walls that made up the side of the shower because the shower was completely interior to the house. Oh well, it is almost all removed now, and soon all of it will be replaced.
More photos can be found on Home Renovation Phase 3.
Vanity partially removed
Vanity removed
All the various tile flooring in the bathroom. The aqua square tiles were underneath the vanity and match the countertop. The large off-white ones were in the space between the two vanities.
Closeup of original tile which was found underneath vanity
All that is left of the vanity
A piece of the ceiling I removed in one piece. I didn’t mean to remove it in one piece because it was a bit much for me to handle.
Last Sunday I went for a walk across the Potomac River and around the Tidal Basin. I had never seen the water there frozen before, and it was really neat to see. The ice made for some nice and interesting photos.
Arlington Memorial Bridge and Lincoln Memorial across the Potomac River
Plates of ice on the Potomac River
Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial across the Potomac River
The Pentagon and Air Force Memorial across the Potomac River
Washington Monument across the Tidal Basin
Canada Geese on the frozen Tidal Basin
Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal Basin
Several snowy owls have been seen in the DC metro area. Many people in the area have heard about the one that was hanging out in McPherson Square and then got hit by a Metro bus. This is why DC can’t have nice things.
I had heard that a snowy owl was spotted numerous times at Gravelly Point, so today I decided to go for a long walk that included going there. I was not exactly disappointed. When I finally got to Gravelly Point, there were numerous people standing around with scopes, binoculars, and cameras with zoom lenses. I was doubtful that all of them were plane spotters, and I was right, they were birders. There was a snowy owl hanging out at Reagan National Airport. It was right next to the runways, possibly it was too warm today, and it was going to hitch a ride north. According to the birders I spoke to, the theory is that it likes the airport because the low cut grass reminds it of the tundra. I imagine the airport also has rodents. I got a few of it on top of a windsock and later what I am fairly sure is a weather station. You are going to have to trust me. That really is a snowy owl, I promise.
On a related note, you can generally spot birders easily when a rare bird is about. Birders travel in flocks like the birds with which they are fascinated. When I arrived at the park, you could say, I joined my flock. Birders are really wonderful because they are almost always happy to let you use their scope, point you in the right direction, and share information about the sighting and other sightings. The enthusiasm is infectious. While I was standing there, at least a few non-birders stopped to ask at what everyone was looking. Many were equally enthused about the rare sightings. I hope these snowy owls that have come to DC will get more people interested and concerned about nature and wildlife.
Snowy owl at Reagan National Airport
Snowy owl at Reagan National Airport
Snowy owl at Reagan National Airport
For demolition of the old master bathroom and closet to continue, I needed a friend or two to help. Mainly there were some tasks I needed to do, that at the very least, I needed someone to catch or guide something being removed. Therefore, I asked a bunch of friends if they might help me do some demolition, and I would pay them with beer, wine, and pizza. Turns out, I have a bunch of friends who were so excited about destroying parts of my house, they probably would have done it without the food and alcohol payment. So yesterday, I had a demolition party. I got confirmation of what I already knew that I have some wonderful friends who did not disappoint and put in a lot of hard work. I also learned that when my friend James has a hammer, he is really good at demolition, and it is probably best for your own safety to leave the room. I am lucky enough to have a friend, Danielle, who is a whiz with all things home repair, who along with Aaron disconnected and removed the whole house fan. They disappeared into the attic, and next thing I knew, they were was a big whole in my ceiling where the fan had been. For hours, some were demolishing, some were cleaning up the debris, and some were transporting the debris downstairs. Erin and Mark did so much demolition that according to Erin, the next day when Mark pulled out his wallet, drywall came out of it. At one point, Renee and Brandi decided that there were too many people in the destruction zone (there were) and that they should make bread using a leftover can of beer of a brand that no one liked. I had people in my kitchen making bread and later cooking the pizzas, people in my attic working on wiring and removing things, and people in my construction area destroying things. I, in general, tried to stay out of people’s way, directed them to things, removed debris, and did a little deconstruction. I have no idea if this makes a good host, bad host, or just a laissez faire host. I know I thanked you in person, but to Danielle, Aaron, Erin, Mark, James, Brandi, and Renee, thank you so much. You are wonderful friends and a wonderful help with my renovation, and I hope you had fun.
Demolition is not fully complete, but a great deal of progress was made. It is amazing how much bigger and better the space looks after removal of the interior walls, particularly the shower walls that were blocking all the light from the window. In my opinion, the space was designed really badly before. I mean really, why would you put the toilet right in front of a large front-view window and then build a wall in front of the window that blocks all the light? Some photos are below, and more photos have been added to the Phase 3 page. The shower’s glass wall and door removal did not go completely as planned. The door was removed in one piece, but the glass side panel broke during removal. However, the glass was safety glass, and this actually ended up making it easier to remove. It also was kind of good because I can keeping all the metal to sell for scrap, and this will make it easier to sell the metal frame. We generated a lot of debris. I have been able to get rid of some of it, mainly the lumber and the vanity top tile using Freecycle and thus keeping it out of the waste stream.
Tile and mortar from the old shower floor
All that is left of the shower, the pan and drain
The exhaust fan. I didn’t really need to see this.
Removing the old shower glass door and wall
What safety glass looks like after being broken.
The whole house fan after the cover has been removed
A large hole is now in my ceiling where the whole house fan used to be
Home Renovation Phase 3 has begun. Phase 3 will be the master bathroom and possibly a few other minor things. I will be replacing the front door during this phase, but I’m not sure other than that. The master bathroom and the old master closet that is next to it will be taken down to the studs and subfloor and then reconstructed to form one large bathroom. Also, during Phase 2, I created a 3 ft by 6 ft dead space behind the new master closet, and that dead space will now be opened up to be a new water closet as part of the new master bathroom.
Currently, I am still in demolition mode. I will be posting photos of the renovation as it progresses on the new Home Renovation Phase 3 page. Currently the page only has the before photos, but below are a few photos from demolition that demonstrate the state of the bathroom.
Once the medicine cabinet was removed, lovely, shiny, 1970’s floral wallpaper was revealed. Why it was behind the medicine cabinet, I have no idea.
Pipes underneath one of the sinks. Notice the supply pipes are completely oxidized (copper turns green when oxidized like rust).
I think this may be the cause of the huge leak from one of the sinks’s drain.
The hinges and much of the metal in the bathroom were completely rusted.
WMATA’s new rail ties ad
Dear WMATA,
I saw your new ad while I walking into the Metro the other day. That is, the new ad where you tell your riders that your installing new rail ties to give us a more comfortable rise. Considering the purpose that rail ties serve, I am hopeful this type of maintenance will also give us customers a safer ride, but I’m not going to quibble on that. First, I would like to thank you for at least not insulting your customers, making an incredibly sexist stereotype, or presenting a vague statistic with absolutely no context that really conveys nothing in this ad, like you did in a certain ad from this new series of ads. I would also like to commend you on doing actual maintenance on your rail system. As an engineer, I am more aware than many of how important and needed regular maintenance is, and from what I have heard in the news, you weren’t actually aware of this fact until several years ago.
However, I do have a question for you about these new rail ties that you admit that we, the customers, might not notice. Exactly how would you like to your customers to notice these fantastic new rail ties? I mean this in all seriousness. After I saw this poster, I made a point of looking at the rail ties while I was standing on the platform waiting for my train. Both my originating and destination stations on this particular day were underground, and what I noticed is that there were no rail ties underneath the track in front of the platform. The rails were held in place by metal bracing of some sort that was attached directly to the concrete beneath the tracks and did not tie the two tracks together. As my name Geeky Girl Engineer might suggest, I am in fact a geeky engineer, and thus I became intrigued by this metal bracing holding the tracks at the platform. Thus far my internet searches have not led me to information as to what these braces are called, but since the braces only hold one track, they don’t seem to actually be rail ties. However, I could be wrong, and if you would like to educate me on what they are called, I would be happy to learn about it (in all seriousness).
The other thing I noticed about the track in the station, is that it is really hard to notice the rail ties or braces. To begin with, the station is dark. Second, the area where the track is, is mainly different shades of black as it’s rather dirty. I wouldn’t expect it to be clean, but the darkness makes it difficult to see any level of detail. Also, the platform tile closest to the edge is rather textured, and this makes it uncomfortable to stand there for very long to examine the tracks. I realize the textured tile is a safety design to make people realize how close to the edge they are and to keep people from standing there while waiting for the train and thus potentially falling onto the track. I think this is a good safety, and I am certainly not arguing against it. I am just pointing out that between the textured tile and simply not wanting to get too close to the edge, conditions are not really conducive to a person examining or admiring your new rail ties.
As for the rail ties that are under track between stations, well, those are kind of hard to see also. The Metro, as you are of course aware, is underground a significant portion of the time. There is no way to view rail ties at all while the train is underground. There is no way to view anything outside the train while the train is in motion underground. Quite frankly, you should be aware of this. I also looked at the track while the train was in motion above ground. I was able to view the track and see that there are wood ties holding the track in place, but that honestly was about it. Again, the train was in motion making it difficult to really examine details of the ties. I couldn’t say whether the ties I viewed were new or old. I’m not actually sure how I would be able to tell the difference. I’m fairly sure that old ties would be dirtier and probably darker than new ties, but I am not sure to what degree. Presumably if I saw an old and a new one side by side, I could tell the difference, but except for that case, I am not sure how I would. Thus, it would be nice if your ad touting your new rail ties would have educated me on how to tell the difference.
Again, I commend you for your maintenance work. I thank you for not insulting me or stereotyping me. However, I think you might want to rethink your ad. For safety reasons, I think it would be best if you did not encourage your customers to examine your rail ties.
Your observant and educated customer,
Geeky Girl Engineer
