Journal98 jul
From Simreal
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July 1998
Sun, 26 July 98
Oh Man... what a month.
Before I left Oregon, I was able to test just a few functions on the Boris Brain Boards -- the UARTs seem to be fine, and I've been able to talk to both my PC and the LCD Display through them. Also, I hooked up the MOSFETs, but I haven't done much with them yet. Next up will be the A/D, and then the Serial FRAM. That will about cover it... but probably not until August.
First, my trip (yup, you have to wade through my virtual Family Vacation Slide Show. Just consider yourself lucky -- I haven't processed the 200-some-odd digital pictures I took on the trip yet.) Driving 2,500 miles in a Ryder truck across the western deserts of America in July during a heatwave... just say I was thankful for powerful air conditioning. The older cat, Kahn, defecated all over his cage in the first hour out from Eugene... so we had to pull over and do some rudimentary cleanout. But that's okay -- when we pull into Reno, we can give the old man a bath, and things will be chipper. Reno. That's across the mountains, you know -- hundreds of miles of twisting road not much wider than the truck I was driving. Grimly staring at the center line, to avoid vertigo from the sheer cliffs on my right (my, um, "discomfort" in high places is not always to my advantage), I just kept thinking... around this bend... one more mile... soon... soon. It took forever. But I survived, and as we pulled out of the foothills on the Eastern side, I was finally able to pry my pale and twitching fingers out of the steering wheel.
Reno wasn't bad... but we neglected to get instructions to the Motel 6. Of course, their customer support offices close at midnight, about a half-hour BEFORE we decide to call them for help. By about 1:30 am, we find it and pull in... to discover they don't have baths. Heck, it wasn't even much of a shower. More of a high-pressure mist. If you've seen Tank Girl, you know what I mean. Ever try to wash a smelly, unhappy, heavy cat in a high-pressure mist after a zillion hours on the road? I didn't even want to try, so there I am in my underwear holding up the motel's tiny little garbage can, hoping my tired arms don't collapse before it fills with warm water. We eventually get the cat clean, and fall into bed at 2:30 in the morning. The next morning finds the Ryder van (with car trailer) blocked in, but by the time we need to leave that condition has cured itself. Thank goodness for early risers.
Reno to Vegas isn't bad... mostly flat, some hills. Vegas at night, though, is just amazing. The buildings, colors, shapes -- like Disneyland for grownups. I know it's a trap, and my family thinks Vegas is just a waste of time, but I'm going back there and spend $1,000 like some overgrown kid in a candystore. I think I'll learn Blackjack, first... gotta get good, so the money bleeds out slowly.
Vegas to Williams, AZ isn't bad either... though those signs on the side of the road "Dangerous Crosswinds" explain the odd little dance the Ryder truck does at regular intervals. No long, lazy drive for us... and little did I know at the start, but the entire journey is across "Dangerous Crosswinds". 2,000 miles of them. That truck did things that make most rollercoaster rides seem like a walk across the street. Heck, there was the time when we hit the "waves" in the road just right to resonate... it's quite a feeling, to have your 15' Ryder truck packed SOLID with heavy household goods, and pulling the family car, catch air over a road-swell at 70 miles per hour. Quite a feeling. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Williams is a quaint little tourist trap, and that's about it. The Grand Canyon itself is... Grand. Big. Really really big. What can I say? I wonder how long it took to dig it (kidding!).
From there, we crank through Gallup and then to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Beautiful land all around us... the stark, red beauty of the American West. If you ignore the Dangerous Crosswinds, that is. You know, if I had a clue, I would have been MUCH more religous about keeping the center of gravity low (low) on the truck. 50mph sidewinds are nothing to sneeze at.
Then to Carlsbad. As in Caverns. Oh man... we spent two days at Williams (center-point, time to rest) and just an afternoon at the Canyons. I would have gladly reversed this. The underground marvel that is the Carlsbad Cavern is like nothing else I've seen in this world, or even the fantasies painted in the books or on the silver screen. Oh man. You gotta go there. Maybe you've seen pictures; it's not the same. Like reading about sex. Doesn't have that oomph. Heck, I'm seriously considering Spelunking as a hobby (when I get time... ha!). Texas has a bunch of caves...
From Carlsbad... a quick all-day run to Austin! Ta-da! Came in Saturday night, unpacked the truck Sunday. I didn't know I could get that tired, that sore. But it gets better. Wednesday, I get to fly out to Atlanta (the home office), rent a car, and drive to the office in Roswell, Georgia. A few days of doing emergency this, planning that, and demo the other... and I had joined the realm of the Zombie. Return of the Living Dead? I'm there. Sunday I fly home. Monday, right to work doing really hard programming. The week is gone in a flash, and now I am typing in this Boris Update. Heck, there isn't any Boris Update, I'm writing What I Did on my Summer Vacation. But I'm refreshed, perky, and ready to open some more boxes!
There actually is a Boris Update hiding in here. I got e-mail from my Machinist Sponsor in California (now proudly displayed on my front page)... and my parts are cut! Or at least nearly so, and he though they might ship them on Friday. Well, at least this coming week. Joy! Boris Parts!
Just before I left, the SORC elected a chairman (Todd Mendenhall), so the SORC has a head now. If you want more information, or want to join, e-mail him and say I sent you. The SORC will have a web page before Robotica starts (in the next two weeks, I hope) so stay tuned...
Just after I arrived in Austin, I was elected Information Coordinator for the SORC. My first job is to coordinate the creation of that web page I just mentioned. If you have any information you want coordinated, just drop me a line!
I don't have any rigid plans for Boris next week... I'll probably spend most of my time getting my life put back together. I may do some software. I hope to receive my machine parts. I may even get some sponsorhip money! I'll definitely find all of the local suppliers of note... and in Austin, there are some great suppliers in the phone book.
