February 2014 – Geeky Girl Engineer

Ferdinand’s Spot

Posted on February 23, 2014 by geek

Ferdinand has a dog door, so he can go into the backyard whenever he likes. He likes to go into the backyard a lot. He sometimes wakes me up at 2 a.m. because he is outside barking at some prey he is hunting. If it is sunny, then he can most likely be found in his favorite spot underneath an azalea bush. The temperature doesn’t matter, even if it is below freezing, he still loves to nap in that spot. I finally managed to get a photo of him sleeping in his spot.

Ferdinand napping in his spot

With his tricolor fur, he blends in nicely with the leaves.

Ferdinand napping in his spot

Uh oh, he hears me and wakes up to see if he is needed.

Ferdinand wakes up

Realizing that it is just Mama yet again taking photos of him, he goes back to sleep.

Ferdinand goes back to sleep

For My Safety

Posted on February 18, 2014 by geek

Like probably many health insurers, my health insurance company encourages me to use a mail order pharmacy for my maintenance drugs. As encouragement to use it, with the mail order pharmacy, I can order a 90 day supply, but only pay a co-pay for 60 days. Most of my maintenance drugs are actually generic, and I get generic drugs for free, so the only real advantage to me using the mail order pharmacy is laziness. I admit it is kind of nice just to log onto the website, hit refill, and have the drugs sent to me. At the beginning of the year, my insurance company switched to a different mail order pharmacy, so for most of my prescriptions, I have had to submit requests to my doctors for new prescriptions. Annoying, but no big deal, until I started getting them filled. I have rosacea, and I take one oral medication for it as well as using two face creams and one face wash, all prescriptions for it. I had my dermatologist call in a new prescription for the oral medication, and when it came from the mail order pharmacy, they only sent 34 pills with a note saying they had reduced the amount for my safety. The pill (Oracea) is designed and approved by the FDA as a maintenance drug for rosacea. It is supposed to be taken everyday. It is a low dose antibiotic taken for its anti-inflammatory properties. I don’t know of any way to get high off of it, not that I have tried. After a long conversation with the pharmacy trying to ascertain why they deemed this not safe enough to send me more than 34 pills, even though I have been taking this pill for well over a year, or for that matter why they sent me the strange amount of 34 pills, as opposed to 30, the pharmacy stated it was my insurer who decided this was not a maintenance drug. A call to my insurer resulted in me being told I would essentially need to petition them to recognize what the FDA calls a maintenance drug, as a maintenance drug. They also said I could go to my retail pharmacy and get the same deal they offer through the mail order pharmacy of a 90 day supply for the cost of 60. Why they offer this deal through the retail and thus what is the point of trying to get me to use the mail order pharmacy is not something I could understand, and if I continued to try to talk to them, I was going to need a drink. I gave up.

Now, however, my health insurer’s and the mail order pharmacy’s concern for my safety has gone to comical levels. As I said above, I also use a prescription face wash for my rosacea. It is a cleanser with sodium sulfacetamide and sulfur in it. It is an old formula and has been used by rosacea sufferers and people with other skin issues for decades. I have used it for at least two years, and I think it helps a bit. Because it is such an old formula, there are of course generics, to which my insurer automatically switches my prescription. I don’t care, and I get the face wash for free because it is generic. I had my dermatologist send in a new prescription to the mail order pharmacy, and it arrived today. Just in case you can’t guess, enclosed with the 12 oz bottle of face wash, was a note that reads as follows.

“Enclosed is a reduced quantity of your prescription drug. Your prescription drug coverage has quantity limits for certain drugs. This is a type of drug coverage review that limits how many doses you can receive. The goal is to make sure you get a safe amount of your drug.”

That’s right, they sent me a reduced quantity of my sulfur face wash for my safety. Thank goodness because otherwise I might wash my face too many times. It’s true. Washing your face with sulfur can get quite addictive. I love the smell of sulfur. (It actually does have a slight smell of sulfur but nothing repulsive.) I get in the shower and just keep washing my face knowing that the wash is free. Of course, it bears pointing out that they sent me a 12 oz bottle. The earliest I can refill it according to the label is in three weeks. This 12 oz bottle will probably last me three months or more. I don’t really count. I just reorder when I need it. I really don’t know what my pharmacy and insurer thinks I do with this stuff. Maybe they think I have a really dirty face. I have no idea. I can’t fantom how someone misuses sulfur face wash. I don’t think I want to know. Maybe they are afraid I am going to drink the stuff. All I know is that if my health insurer and mail order pharmacy think they have to protect me from too large an order of sulfur face wash then there probably is no hope for humanity. As an engineer, I have stated on many occasions, I have to design for the stupid. Not even I thought people were this stupid. I guess I overestimate people.

Ferdinand Loves the Snow

Posted on February 13, 2014 by geek

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

Very Model of a Modern Engineer-Scientist

Posted on February 12, 2014 by geek

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.

RIP Chalmette

Posted on February 10, 2014 by geek

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

Phase 3 Deconstruction Continues

Posted on February 10, 2014 by geek

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.

Ferdinand Sleeping

Posted on February 6, 2014 by geek

I haven’t posted Ferdinand photos lately, and well how can I not post this photo of him sleeping? [Yes, he does have a boo boo on his nose. I’m not sure what happened, but it has been slowly healing.]

Ferdinand sleeping

Frozen Potomac

Posted on February 4, 2014 by geek

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

Snowy Owl at DCA

Posted on February 2, 2014 by geek

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

Master Bathroom Demolition Continues

Posted on February 2, 2014 by geek

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.