As it is, I've been in touch with a friend of mine that I made while I was there. We're heading out for lunch tomorrow. His gut feeling is that they are going to be asking for my services again in a few weeks, which I'm good with. They're just going to have to work it out with my boss.
The one thing I like about the new gig is that I can work out of our business office, which is on my side of town. I won't have to leave the driveway at 6:15. I can leave at 7:30, and be home in time to support the ham radio traffic net that I've gotten involved with somewhat recently.
There will be some travel associated with this. I presume it will be to Phoenix metro which is where a lot of aerospace components are qualified using environmental chambers which subject the units under test to extreme conditions involving temperature and humidity. My experience in qualification test procedures was for electromagnetic environments as well as mechanical shock and vibration, but I'm familiar with climatic testing.
I won't say that having all this time off has been easy. I am simply not ready for retirement. I might be ready in five years. I might not be ready at all. Solar conditions as of late have not been great for amateur radio activity, but when the sunspots come back in a few years then maybe that will be time.
- . . . -
I've been following the political scene from a comfortable distance. That means listening to talk radio and online reading, but not letting that dominate my daily routine. Organized Media and their sycophantic followers have three things on their mind these days. Those three things are Russians, Russians, and Russians.
It's gotten so bad that incumbent Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, who is facing a tough re-election fight with challenger Rick Scott, claimed this week that he has evidence of Russian hacking in some of Florida's counties. Governor Scott has already asked for proof of this statement, but no one should hold their breath waiting for it. Senator Nelson knows his chances of losing are excellent, thus he needs to get his excuse ready.....knowing that Organized Media will harp on this for a while.
- . . . -
Here in Arizona, we have former Tucson City Councilman Rod Glassman running for the Arizona Corporation Commission......as a conservative Republican. I had forgotten all about him. He got on the City Council, to use as a stepping stone for the U.S. Senate, but lost to Senator Benedict McCain. (excuse me, that was a typo). Back then Glassman seemed to think he was entitled to that job. After his defeat, he disappeared as far as I was concerned.
It turns out he moved north, and became acting Town Manager of Cave Creek. I can find no evidence that Cave Creek was in any way dissatisfied with him. He appears to have switched parties to Republican upon moving to Cave Creek.
His credentials and experience are impressive. He may make a good commissioner. My problem is, is that I'm not sure I want a career politician in that slot. I have no beef with the Arizona Corporations Commission as I write this. I'm just not sure I want a McCain Democrat to be elected to it, and I'm not sure if that's what he is.
- . . . -
Weatherwise, we're in the monsoon season. Last weekend we had excessive heat warnings and I was outside last Saturday way too long. I was useless the next day and for part of the day after that. Yes, I should have known better, now having lived here for 19 years, but I was enjoying myself on the back patio with my ham radio setup and didn't want to quit.
Monsoon season doesn't really wind down until Labor Day. Some years we're treated to a grand finale, with intense bullet rain and cars sliding off the freeway. There's already been a fatality here in Tucson due to the weather.
- . . . -
Finally, I have received a jury summons, my third since moving to Tucson. I doubt that I'll be selected. I served once in San Jose, back in 1985, for a DUI trial. We returned a verdict of guilty. California law at that time (and probably still does) states that refusal to take a blood alcohol content test is evidence of guilt, and that's what happened.
However, that wasn't why I voted guilty. I initially joined one other person in voting not guilty so that a discussion was forced on the issue, which we had. I ended up voting guilty mainly based on the testimony of a subject matter expert on alcohol and toxicology that the prosecution brought in, and I told the prosecutor that if it hadn't been for that expert I would have voted not guilty as that there still may have been reasonable doubt.
Anyway, because of that, there's no way a defense attorney will want me. My NRA membership would also get me off, especially if a gun crime is involved. And if it's an armed robbery, there's no way I'm getting on since I've already survived one, even though it's now close to 40 years ago since that happened.
I would willingly serve if for some reason I got on. It's an interesting experience.
Thing of it is, it's hard to want to do this since there's no way a defense attorney would let me on, and that it's a waste of my time to show up in the waiting room.
