http://www.xanga.com/afreaka_boyLatest Xanga weblog from afreaka_boyen-us60http://s.xanga.com/images/xangalogobutton.gifhttp://www.xanga.com/afreaka_boyhttp://www.xanga.com/afreaka_boy/667518143/item.htmlhttp://www.xanga.com/afreaka_boy/667518143/item.htmlThu, 24 Jul 2008 23:49:34 GMT<table style="width: 499px; height: 72px;" bgcolor="#0d0d0d" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td height="11" width="12"></td> <td width="475"></td> <td width="12"></td></tr> <tr> <td height="80"></td> <td style="text-align: left;" bgcolor="#000000" valign="top"> <div style="margin-left: 40px;"><font color="#bfcfa0" face="Comic Sans MS"><font face="Comic Sans MS">My workplace has been invaded. That's right invaded. The insects are everywhere and cover everything, making it difficult to work this past week.&nbsp; The crickets have set up tenements under the drainage grates throughout the hanger. Of course by now they are so addicted to nicotine that we could kill off the entire populous if the guys at work would quit chewing and spitting into the grates. That's not going to happen, but even the cockroaches would leave the withdrawal crazed&nbsp; chirping bugs. Of course, besides the crickets we have to deal with the flies which are everywhere, and the moths which have settled down in the rafters now that the owl has been chased off. The wigs are everywhere the crickets are not. There are several more, but let me say a few things about the Japanese beetles. I have zero tolerance for them as they dive bomb us while we work. The kamikaze in and take a bite out of their targets.<br><br>It rained a couple nights ago. When I showed up for work, it was beetle mania in the parking lot as all the beetles&nbsp; were downed (not drowned -sadly)in the rain squall.<br><br>Last night at work was interesting as well. The first part of the night was normal. I did my normal thing taking care of the tires and the checks and whatnot. I then started working on stuff the inspector had found (interior stuff for the comfort of the passengers). I replaced a headrest here, I cleared trash and gum in tray tables and on recline buttons there, but after lunch I was to change an armrest. Now normally it takes all of half an hour including paperwork for me to change out a centre armrest. <br><br>This time was different. Oh certainly within 10 minutes I had the new armrest ready and within 20 I had the old armrest out and the new one ready to put in. Things then got fun (yes, in aviation terminology "fun" is a four-letter word). Now remember that it is summer time in Arkansas. Also remember that I am working inside the airplane.&nbsp; Its night time and the outside air temperature is roughly 12&#176;C (53&#176;F). Inside the plane at 3 am in the morning, it was 39&#176;C (102&#176;F). It was 90% humidity as well. <br><br>To remove and replace the armrest, you need to disassemble the back of the passenger seat. This means removing the padding and the cushion/floatation device. This means taking apart the bolts holding the back of the seat to the chassis and the legs of the seat. However you only need to take one back off the double seats for your normal removal and replacement of an armrest. The new armrest would not go on. I realigned everything and tried again, but still it wouldn't accept the pivot bolt. I used a mirror and flashlight to see the receiving side of the hole. I could see the bolt but it would not go through! I removed the armrest and left the plane for better light. I found that the armrest itself was bad. The tangs were slightly bent and the holes themselves were not aligned properly with each other. I had to get a new armrest from parts. I went back into the airplane and started working on it. I got in in and the bolt started. A few more pounds with the hammer, and then a few more and the bolt seated itself. Great! I went to the other side to insert the clip to hold it, but found that I couldn't! the bolt had taken the bushing through with it! Not good. (For those who have no idea why a bushing is necessary, the armrests are made of hard plastic coated over an aluminium base. The bolt is steel. Aluminium and steel will corrode. The bushings provide safety for the aluminium and allow for better rotation of the bolt.)<br><br>I had to disassemble the other seat back to try and work the bushing. It wouldn't budge. I tried everything to move the bushing back in. I then tried using a punch and hammer to beat the bolt out, but I couldn't get it to do anything. Vice grips wouldn't hold the head while I tried to turn the bolt and move the armrest at the same time (in opposite directions) and the hammer was ineffective with the punch. The sweat by that time was pouring down my face and into my eyes. I had been working an entire hour on removing that stupid bolt. I got a bigger flat tipped punch the size of the bushing then I got my 5 lb slag hammer (the weight of the head alone) I started beating the punch. I got movement! 10 minutes later I had the entire bolt out, but the bolt and the bushing were no good anymore. I had to replace them. I seated the armrest again and put the new bolt through the new bushings, with a few strokes of the hammer, I had everything seated and was then able to get the safety clip on. <br><br>I then had to re-assemble the seat. That took forever! There are all these little tiny shims (not washers) roughly the width of a piece of paper, and they all had to fit exactly. I had to do this inside the airplane still, lying on the ground as I held the bolts and parts with one hand on one side of the seat while the other hand inserted the shims, then felt around for where they fell when they decided they did not like being inserted. I managed. By this time my glasses were covered in salty, non evaporating sweat dripping down from my hair. My shirt was soaking and my shop rag in my back pocket had nary a dry spot left on it. I completed the job and the airplane left the hanger to become the first flier, but that was a horrible 2 hours reinstalling a stupid armrest that normally just goes on with a whisper and a tickle. Fun. <br><br>I wonder what I shall run into next week.<br></font></font></div></td></tr> <tr align="left"> <td height="14"></td> <td><font face="Comic Sans MS"></font></td> <td><font face="Comic Sans MS"></font></td></tr></tbody></table>http://www.xanga.com/afreaka_boy/667518143/item.html#firstcommenthttp://www.xanga.com/afreaka_boy/667070222/item.htmlhttp://www.xanga.com/afreaka_boy/667070222/item.htmlMon, 21 Jul 2008 19:27:42 GMT<table style="width: 499px; height: 72px;" bgcolor="#0d0d0d" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td height="11" width="12"></td> <td width="475"></td> <td width="12"></td></tr> <tr> <td height="80"></td> <td style="text-align: left;" bgcolor="#000000" valign="top"> <div style="margin-left: 40px;"><font color="#bfcfa0" face="Comic Sans MS"><font face="Comic Sans MS">The future is uncertain for me. I don't speak only of the job layoffs coming up, but also my desires and dreams. What I once dreamed of doing has morphed into this big empty nothingness. I don't really know what I want to be doing with my life. I don't know which direction to go. If anything I feel like I am in the middle of the great plains, with no tracks or compass or roads or shade. <br><br>Yet I wait. That's all I can do right now. Wait. I trust that He knows what is best, and will provide or lead me there, but I sense no leading, I have no guide. I want to be doing something. I want to accomplish something. I want to have my direction and dreams again, but no. I wait.<br><br>My heart still aches, but at times I have been able to go for an hour or two without thinking of her. That's progress (small steps, but steps none the less).&nbsp; I would not doubt if maybe my uncertainty stems from her. That maybe depending on what happens will determine my direction.<br><br>God is good, and He is ever good. Unfortunately (and maybe MORE fortunately) His wisdom is incomprehensible to one such as I. His grace can work through my mistakes. Glory be!<br><br>That doesnt change the fact that I miss her something fierce right now though.<br></font></font></div></td></tr> <tr align="left"> <td height="14"></td> <td><font face="Comic Sans MS"></font></td> <td><font face="Comic Sans MS"></font></td></tr></tbody></table>http://www.xanga.com/afreaka_boy/667070222/item.html#firstcommenthttp://www.xanga.com/afreaka_boy/666755158/item.htmlhttp://www.xanga.com/afreaka_boy/666755158/item.htmlSat, 19 Jul 2008 12:01:04 GMT<table style="width: 499px; height: 72px;" bgcolor="#0d0d0d" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td height="11" width="12"></td> <td width="475"></td> <td width="12"></td></tr> <tr> <td height="80"></td> <td style="text-align: left;" bgcolor="#000000" valign="top"> <div style="margin-left: 40px;"><font color="#bfcfa0" face="Comic Sans MS"><font face="Comic Sans MS">Family is indeed a blessing from God. When aquaintances distance themselves, when friends falter and fail, there will always be family.<br><br>Have I said yet how proud of my family I am? No? Well then let me say it! I&nbsp; am QUITE proud of my family.<br></font></font></div></td></tr> <tr align="left"> <td height="14"></td> <td><font face="Comic Sans MS"></font></td> <td><font face="Comic Sans MS"></font></td></tr></tbody></table>http://www.xanga.com/afreaka_boy/666755158/item.html#firstcommenthttp://www.xanga.com/afreaka_boy/666247372/item.htmlhttp://www.xanga.com/afreaka_boy/666247372/item.htmlTue, 15 Jul 2008 19:58:29 GMT<table style="width: 499px; height: 72px;" bgcolor="#0d0d0d" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td height="11" width="12"></td> <td width="475"></td> <td width="12"></td></tr> <tr> <td height="80"></td> <td style="text-align: left;" bgcolor="#000000" valign="top"> <div style="margin-left: 40px;"><font color="#bfcfa0" face="Comic Sans MS"><font face="Comic Sans MS">Warrior's Creed: I Am A Soldier<br>Cindye Coates M.Div<br><br></font></font><div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-style: italic;" color="#bfcfa0" face="Comic Sans MS"><font face="Comic Sans MS">I am a soldier in the army of God.</font></font><br style="font-style: italic;"><font style="font-style: italic;" color="#bfcfa0" face="Comic Sans MS"><font face="Comic Sans MS">The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer.</font></font><br style="font-style: italic;"><font style="font-style: italic;" color="#bfcfa0" face="Comic Sans MS"><font face="Comic Sans MS">The Holy Bible is my code of conduct.</font></font><br style="font-style: italic;"><font style="font-style: italic;" color="#bfcfa0" face="Comic Sans MS"><font face="Comic Sans MS">Faith, Prayer, and the Word are my weapons of Warfare.</font></font><br style="font-style: italic;"><font style="font-style: italic;" color="#bfcfa0" face="Comic Sans MS"><font face="Comic Sans MS">I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity, and tested by fire.</font></font><br style="font-style: italic;"><br style="font-style: italic;"><font style="font-style: italic;" color="#bfcfa0" face="Comic Sans MS"><font face="Comic Sans MS">I am a volunteer in this army, and I am enlisted for eternity.</font></font><br style="font-style: italic;"><br style="font-style: italic;"><font style="font-style: italic;" color="#bfcfa0" face="Comic Sans MS"><font face="Comic Sans MS">I will either retire in this Army or die in this Army;</font></font><br style="font-style: italic;"><font style="font-style: italic;" color="#bfcfa0" face="Comic Sans MS"><font face="Comic Sans MS">but, I will not get out, sell out, be talked out, or pushed out.</font></font><br style="font-style: italic;"><font style="font-style: italic;" color="#bfcfa0" face="Comic Sans MS"><font face="Comic Sans MS">I am faithful, reliable, capable, and dependable.</font></font><br style="font-style: italic;"><font style="font-style: italic;" color="#bfcfa0" face="Comic Sans