"On the fourth day of Christmas ..."

Hello to of you thousands of people who daily scan this blog for just a taste of my exciting life. I am here to satify your curiosity!

• Christmas came ... Christmas went. I am still unemployed (since August 20) Lila and I tried to tone down our Christmas accordingly. We bought a pretty $75 "black hills pine". The Springfield Fantastic Four spent Christmas eve at Kevin and Janet's house with 11-ish of Janet's family. Kaylee was the hit of the party. It's amazing how a 20 lb. girl can make impact so many people.
  
• We plan to visit my sister Roxanne this weekend in the San Antonio area for the first time since Lila and I got married.
  
• I plod with my job search. It is droll marketing a 60 year old EE. Memories of career disappointments often re-visit me like Scrooge's ghosts. Still I search for a job for family and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). I sometimes "hone" my engineering skills by generating documentation for my old Compass and Maintenance Meter projects. I hope to put the project documents on the to "showcase" my talent ... Alternatively maybe I can just come up with a "better mousetrap" idea and market it somehow.
• Regarding romance, c'est la vie, c'est l'amour.
• Well, back to the salt mines ...

Gilman Wedding Clips

Stick Family ...

Got a call from a contractor last night ... he's supposed to call back today.

Oopsie ...

Yesterday I went down to the unemployment office to "certify" that I was eligible for unemployment. According to their records I had last certified on 10/7 (~month ago). The clerk was snippy but processed the paper work and insisted that I use the phone to certify in the future.

Other news ...

Mark's bedroom is now upstairs. His new bed (a birthday present) was delivered yesterday. Lila will continue to organize upstairs and down.

Kathy Vosta, my Right Management couselor, is peeved that I quit talking to her. She will call this pm or tomorrow.

I finally fixed the power adapter for my vibrating back pad yesterday.

Lila, Mark, and I will attend Chris Florek's (third) wedding this weekend.

"Randy" from across the street acted interested in finishing our dining room ceiling but backed out due to a heavy work load.

Keena visited her house next door yesterday. She and Lila talked for a bit.

Brother Don invited me to stay with him in Iowa for a weekend next January to see the Jayhawks play the Haweyes and I tenatively agreed.

Leo still has fleas but Lila treats him every month.

I raked the front this weekend but still need to finish bagging the leaves.

I worked a little to design a PCB with OrCad. The demo package restrictions are really making the job difficult.

To do a search on a specific web site, you just add "site:www.websitexxx.com" into the Google search string.

Attacking my diet with renewed vigor this week. I had dropped weight to ~300 lbs but then I had started gaining again.

Probably more non-news if I thought about it but this should satisfy the blog-beast for now ...

-SPW

P.S.

Honeywell announced last week that the Springfield plant (my employer until August) will close in 2010 and its product lines relocated to Mexico. On Monday, Al Cable, my old Engineering Manager was laid off and the remaining six Engineering employees heard that they now report to a Honeywell plant in Michigan. Once the Springfield products move to Mexico next year two ME's will move to Michigan. Also, the three Marketeers (Tony Wilson, Ed Gerken, and Zach Spraetz) now report to Golden Valley MN. One marketing position will be eliminated, evidently. Nore news as this develops ...

Plans ...

I can't make somebody hire me but I can apply for jobs and hone my skills. I retrieved some boxes form work with components, etc. that should allow me to fiddle with some PCB designs (and exercise my skills). Here are some thoughts:

* Practice using OrCAD and PSPICE
* Write a C-program (for uC)
* Play with some uC demo PCB assemblies
* Fill out with some DFSS documents (For a ground-up SPW project)
* Play with hardware design language

I would like to maintain a dedicated blog that I could reference for potential employers to see documentation and pictures of my projects (and skills). I could use "Stuff-n-nonsense temporarily till I get a page with my name on it.

Example:

Project: Model Railroad Control PCB Assembly
* Description:
* Design Tools: Cadence OrCAD and PSPICE

Narrative:
* In 2009, Larry Rieth (retired from Hobbs) suggested that Rick Holzmacher design and build PCB assemblies as replacement parts for use in model train locomotives. Larry supplied the sample showed in the photo below.

* DFSS documents:

* PSPICE Schematic & Traces:

* OrCAD Schematic & BOM:

* OrCAD PCB Outline:

Breadboard and oscilloscope traces:

News ...

My Mom (Helen Fraces White) died last night at St. Joseph Villa nursing home after lapsing into a coma. She was 91.

* I interviewed for a temporary engineering job at Basler Electric yesterday. I should hear the results on Monday.
* Unemployment statistics are setting records see graph below:

Weight program is in jeopardy (see chart).

Unemployment: Day 15

* Every day I email resume's for long-shot jobs around Chicago in the deepest recession since 1932. Happy Day's Are Here Again.
* Labor Day weekend.
* Weighed 299.5 this am - first time under 300 lbs in many years.
* Day 2 (or 3) of daily exercises.

Bad day at Black Rock ...

Employment: On Thursday of this week (Aug 20, 1009) , my boss Al Cable called me in and laid me off from Honeywell. While I was composed through the process and said good-bye to folks, I am in shock. This is a life altering event. Lila has been very supportive of me and I hope to justify her trust and love.

Weighty-matters: At 303.5 lbs this am, my weight program is still on track.

Another weight update

* Weight plan is still on track. I feel like it is so easy to get sloppy and fall off the wagon.
* Working on the pool tires me - and then I over eat and drink.
* Just keep thinking: 20 years ... 2029.
* See FB for friendly updates

Weight update ...

Even though I am posting family and activitiy on my FB wall, I still like to post my weight charts here for semi-private referral. I struggle to observe my 1-meal/1-serving rule and am still progressing as can bee seen above. I hope to fall below 300 lbs before September.

Poor, poor, neglected blog

Between laziness and competition from my FACEBOOK account, this poor blog is being neglected. I will however, endeavor continue to post on it from time to time just to keep it alive.

* No easy pictures
* Rode Tom's bike for a few miles on Thurday last.
* Bought a 24' pool and moved it to the garage with a GREAT deal of help.

TO DO:
_ Walk 1-2 miles ... daily
_ Resume the Rule-Of-One portion control diet (One meal a day /one serving per meal)

Long time - No blog

I have to apologize to my viewing public for my long gap between posts. The first reason is laziness combined with embarrassment for the delay. The second is unfaithfulness - I opened a FACEBOOK account (as did Lila) last week. In early June I committed to a portion-control lifestyle change. I was tired of living with all of the consequences of my obesity and I have committed myself to a 20 year portion control plan. The plan is simple - a "Rule of One". It consists of one meal a day of one serving. I must eat juice, vegetable, or fruit for the other two meals. Carbohydrates are to be avoided whenever possible. The above chart tells the past and hopefully future story over the next two years (to be followed by 18 more years). At eighty, if the spirit so moves me I can then resume my previous gluttony.

Well I will start maintaining better contact with my family using FB (as we "FACEBOOK-ites" call it).

That is all for today.

CONGRATULATIONS, MARK!

Here are two very proud parents with our fourth son Mark, and our last high school graduate. Lila had family and friends to the house in the afternoon where we all feasted to Mark's success. All were particularly pleased, given the difficulty and labor involved in this achievement.

AND ... LAST BUT NOT LEAST ...

Here is a shot of photogenic little KAYLEE! (Applause, please.)

Here is a link to Lila's new blog location.

http://remarkableson.wordpress.com/

Still alive and kicking ...

RUNDOWN ON THE JOSEPH A. WHITE FAMILY TREE
==============================================
* Granny White (Mom): (Johnson County, KS) Hip/leg has healed. At 91 she just moved to St. Joseph's nursing home with hospice program with terminal lung cancer.

* Janet: (Omaha) OK (per Mom)
- Toby
- Scott: (Alabama) Divorcing and possibly remarrying.
- Bob (Iraq) Working as a civilian contractor.
- Charlotte: (Johnson County, KS) Nick is married and finishing college. May be a teacher.
- John: Chicago suburbs
- Roxanna: (Omaha, Insurance) Going to be a grandma again by Amanda..
- Cary: (Omaha, Diaper Service) Her husband drives truck for her with Jory.
- Mike: (Omaha, Phone Center) At least two (maybe three) kids.

* Felicia: (Tulsa) Still minds her mother in Tulsa area.
- Ben: (OKlahoma) Policeman in town near Tulsa.
- Dan: (Minneapolis, Actuary).
- Matt (Tulsa) Helps with impaired son Jet.

* Don: (Lenexa, SPRINT) Handles Mom's affairs & property.
- Nancy: (Lenexa, Teacher) Still teaching Junior High school science.
- Jake: (Denver, House-husband) Caregiver for his son Linus and Kristin,
- Sarah: (Johnson County) Teaches.

* Steve (me): (Springfield, HONEYWELL) Surviving layoffs but working 36 Hr weeks til September.
- Lila: (Springfield, Dr. Davis). Spent 5 days Kevin's to attend AUTISM ONE conference.
- Anne: LOST CONTACT AGAIN. Will try to find.
- Paul: (Normal, IL, Radiology lab)
- Kevin: (Des Plaines, WALGREENS computer analyst). Janet back to HONEYWELL-UOP after having Kaylee.
- Ryan (WALGREEN's, pharmacy technician).
- Mark: (Springfield, student) Graduation ceremony is Sunday.

* Rox: (Austin) Just back from 10 day vacation in Oregon.
- Kerry: (Austin, Bell) Still works for Bell indirectly.
- Joe: (Austin, Sales) In Austin with Rox and Kerry.
- Megan - (Dallas, Dietitian) Married and living in Dallas.
- Brittany - (Austin, Public Relations) Living in Austin.

Sweet Smiling Kaylee!

* I FINALLY got to visit Kaylee last Sunday!.. As expected she is a living doll - all 8 lbs of her. Janet sent us some smiley photos (see below). She just turned 1 month old.

* On the medical front, Lila's broken toe (courtesy of Leo-the-dog on Ash Wednesday) continues to heal. Mom's leg still needs several months to heal. Mom reports that she keeps getting "better".
* I plan to visit Mom in KC next weekend while Don and Nancy are in Colorado.
* Paul called in and said that he is back in Normal.
* Hobbs Management dinner was at the Old Luxemburg restaurant last Wednesday. I scurried from there to meet Lila and Mark at Immanuel for the third Lenten service.

Somber news ..

* Lila and I celebrated our 20th anniversary last week (Ash Wednesday) and ate at Olive Garden. Leo-the-dog had broken her toe earlier in the day.
* I reserved two rooms at a Doubletree hotel near Des Plaines for us all to have an outing and see Kaylee.
* On Thursday night Mom broke her hip (actually her leg near the hip) and I drove into KC on Friday while she was having pins put inot her leg bone. Lila, Mark, and Ryan went to the hotel for the weekend.
* Don, Nancy, and I sat with her in Shawnee Mission Hospital.
* On Sunday Mom's physician (Dr. Kaine) told her that she has a 3cm x 3 cm malinant tumor in the top of her right lung.
* Mom was very calm and matter-of-fact but Don, Nancy and I were shocked to silence.
* After Mom had been able to sit in a chair for an hour, I left for Springfield about noon on Sunday.
* A lung specialist looked at Mom. He only plans to look at the tumor again in "6 to 9 months".
* Rox flew in yesterday and she, Don, and Nancy arranged for Mom's relocation to "Sweet Life" nursing home on Johnson Drive and Rosehill in Shawnee.

My two favorite girls ...

* Lila drove Dr. D to Chicago last night for a Friday hearing. Lila will stay with Kevin and Janet to visit Kaylee for her 2nd outside-the-womb weekend.
* My work is OK. No layoffs recently (surprisingly).
* Mark is coping at school.
* No pix from the phone camera recently.
* On Monday, Mom said she wants to go back home in April.
* Lila and I celebrate 20 years next Wednesday. We need an outing sometime soon to honor the event.
* Paul called last week. He is in Florida for a couple more weeks then back in Normal.

WELCOME, KAYLEE!!!

CONGRATULATIONS KEVIN AND JANET!

Kaylee Ruettiger was born at 01:55 at Lutheran General Hospital (Parkridge, IL) this morning. She weighed 6 lbs, 15 oz and is 20 inches long. Janet went into the hospital at 6:00 am on Monday and was in actual labor for 2 hours. Mother and daughter are doing fine. CONGRATULATIONS again, Kevin and Janet!


Lila is pleased and proud, of course. Kevin kept friends and family abreast throughout the day via computer postings. The gift of Baby Kaylee is God's way of saying that His last lamb has not yet been found.

Snow ...

* It snowed maybe 2 - 3 inches last night. I stole the above picture from a cam mounted on the Main Gate of the State Fairgrounds. Br-r-r-r-r.

A cold Tuesday morning...

Not much shaking here ...
* Still employed here although my main project was cut yesterday ... we'll see how things develop at old Honeywell-Hobbs
* Mom just finished Week 2 at the Heartland assisted living home - she seemed comfortable when I called her on Sunday
* Glad the inauguration is over but it was PAINFUL and INFURIATING
* Lila's office mate has been grumpy lately but she still enjoys her work and finds it fulfilling
* Police watched Mark's high school for two weeks because of some vague threat. It turns out the real threat was in another town
* We're all waiting for Kaylee to make her debut any day now ...
* Yesterday, Linda H. left to visit her daughter in Texas for a month. Lila may get a little lonely.
* No pix today - everything is too blah.

P.S
I just heard today that Janet R's Maternal Grandfather died yesterday. His funeral is tomorrow.

MLK day is coming and BHO's Inauguration too ...

Just a quick update:

* Mom moved to Heartland facility last Friday and seemed OK with her decision on Sunday.

* Yesterday and today were the first subzero days of 2009

* Mark & Lila were off today

* I get off Monday for MLK day

* Here is another video clip from the Springfield baby shower (BTW, Kaylee is due Feb. 3)

HAPPY NEW YEAR

It's been a long time between posts. Since my last post:

* Linda H. held a baby shower in Springfield for Kevin and Janet. THANK YOU, LINDA! (See Linda R., Paul W., and Josh R., Becky R. and Josh's fiance, Becky, in the photo and video below.)

* Lila, Mark, Ryan and I celebrated "pre-Christmas" with Kevin and Janet in Des Plaines,
* Lila and I attended a Hobbs-sponsored murder mystery dinner-theater at the Prairie Hill winery. (See Lila below)

* Lila, Ryan, Mark and I then celebrated Christmas in Springfield.
* Lila, Mark, and I went to KC over New Years where Mom opened her gifts and then announced that she will move into an assisted-living facility this week! Don will winterize her house and she hopes to return home in warmer weather.

* We bought a new bigger, better nativity silhouette for the yard because the old one broke.

Mark is now back in school and Lila and I are back to work.