tnrkitect - Musings of an Unconventional Mind

Well, I am sitting in my mostly empty house here in Huntsville, AL. By mostly empty I mean that I have:

- 1 card table
- 1 folding chair
- 1 folding 16" x 30" side table
- 1 laptop stand
- 1 air mattress
- 1 fitted sheet
- 1 non-fitted sheet
- 1 16" sq. throw pillow
- 1 plate
- 1 bowl
- 1 butter knife
- 1 steak knife
- 1 fork
- 1 spoon
- 1 skillet
- 1 small pot
- 1 large pot
- 1 tumbler glass
- 1 pizza pan
- 1 computer
- 1 shower curtain
plus toiletries, and enough clothes and food to last me the week.

It's a bit lonely being here without Jessica, but I am headed back to Knoxville this weekend and she will be down shortly thereafter with our cat Annie. :-)

I am enjoying the new job so far, trying to digest a LOT of information. The Army does things quite differently from private A & E firms, and I am doing a LOT of reading trying to get familiar with it. This is aided by the fact that I do not have computer access at work yet. Why you might ask? Well, I do not have my Civilian Employee ID Card yet, and the computer uses a card reader and the ID to allow me to log on.

I have been issued a crackberry Blackberry Bold 9700, and have already been informed of when my first trip will be. I get to go to the DC area September 13th through 15th to observe and help with a Level Zero Energy Engineering Analysis Program (EEAP) survey at three bases in the area: Ft. Myer, Ft. McNair, and Ft. Meade.

They have also asked if I had my passport yet, but just for general knowledge, since they have no need to send me overseas, ...yet.

Anyways, I am looking forward to learning the new job, especially since we will be identifying problems then recommending their solutions in a structured plan to make the buildings on the bases in the Army more energy efficient,thereby helping the Army be better stewards of the monies allocated to them by Congress for building construction and maintenance. It will help the Army obtain energy independence, and reduce the government's dependence on foreign oil.

It's funny,the Army not only acknowledges peak oil, but is actively doing something to try and mitigate it's effects on their operations. Too bad the rest of the government is not as forward thinking.

Well, even though I may not necessarily agree with the concept of the recently passed stimulus package, I am not above accepting the aid it is giving, in both the personal and professional aspects of my life.

The personal aspect was covered previously, and resulted in a HUMONGOUS tax return a few weeks back thanks to our buying a house last year. This allowed us to pay off our credit cards, and pay off the last of the mortgage on the land across from mom, as well as pay down some other bills and give us an emergency fund. The paying off the credit cards was particularly satisfying in that I received a notice from Capital One that effective April 17th, they were changing the terms on my credit card with them, going from the fixed 8.9% interest rate I've had since I got it over 5 years ago to a variable rate equal to 17.9%. It seems that I am not the only ones getting hit by this either: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/02/cap_one_revolt.html

I had the option of not accepting the changes and closing my account, which I did to spite them. I don't need their credit, especially if they are treating good customers this way.


The professional aspect of the stimulus is beginning to surface now. A major part of our team's work has been renovations and the occasional new construction projects for a good number of the public housing authorities in east Tennessee. In good times, this sort of work tends to be poo-poohed by architects, as it is not glamorous, there is a good bit of leg work involved, and most of the projects are piddly renovations that don't earn much such as window replacements or re-roofing jobs. But, they are still profitable, especially if you know what you are doing.

Now having contracts with the housing authorities is turning into a boon, as they are still spending money. Plus, the stimulus package just passed is giving them approximately 140% more funds (for a total of 240% of their normal yearly allotment), and the bonus amount has to be "allocated" within 1 year or they lose it. In H.A. parlance, allocated funds are those that have a project under contract with a contractor.

So... we are getting busy busy BUSY!

In other news, I have a headache tonight, that is making studying difficult. :-(