Thanksgiving 2020

 Thanksgiving was to be at Stas and Lizzy's house again this year with the IL grandparents and Chad, the VT grandparents, the Beauchemin boys, and Stas's family all in attendance.  But as has been the case with all things Covid this year, that was not allowed due to state travel restrictions.  

So, after work on Thanksgiving day, I headed to to Stas and Lizzy's house where it was Tammy and I along with Stas's family and a close family friend.  Stas cooked the turkey and most of the fixings.  His mom and Tammy provided the desserts.  Other than Stas getting some sort of a stomache bug, it was a pretty good time.

I had taken that following Friday off with plans to spend it with everyone that had come to visit for Thanksgiving.  Since no one had come, Tammy and I returned to Stas and Lizzy's house to help eat the Thanksgiving left-overs  and help decorate their house for Christmas.

Pictures can be seen by clicking the following link https://photos.app.goo.gl/rkRpWEuiiyb2SC9w7

My Staycation

Tammy and I had planned to take off the first week in November.  Covid limited us to staying local.  Then Tammy's work rejected her vacation request because of staffing issues.  So that left me with a week of vacation to myself.

On Monday,  I took my Subaru in for its 60,000 mile checkup.  I organized all the closets, cabinets, and drawers in the house.  I brought all the summer outdoor items to the shed and brought the needed winter items into the garage.  I also replaced our oven's main control board that had broken the week before.  A good feeling to get stuff done around the house.  On Tuesday, I went to Hot Brass Shooting range in West Springfield, MA for some indoor pistol shooting.  My first time shooting indoors.  I liked the automatic target setting and retrieval.  I did learn that foam in-ear protection does not provide adequate protection when shooting indoors. Later that afternoon, I cleaned and oiled the pistols.  Wednesday, I went to Millstream Hunting Preserve in Lebanon, CT for private pheasant hunting.  The package I chose included a guide, the dogs, and six pheasants for a two hour period.  I scored three pheasants, hit one pheasant that escaped. and never had a shot at the other two.  Interestingly, enough, the injured pheasant and one of the escaped pheasants had returned to the pen by the time we arrived back from hunting in the fields.  Thursday, Tammy and I took a private clay pigeon shooting class at Blue Trail Ridge Gun range in Wallingford, CT.  It included the clay pigeons, the ammunition, and Tammy''s shotgun.  Overall, we did pretty well,  hitting more clay pigeons than we missed.  I shot all 75 of my shells,Tammy did around 60, making for some tender shoulder-area muscles over the next several days.  I also was able to do some rifle shooting at their outdoor range afterwards.  Once again, a first for me at a public shooting range, and once again proving that in-ear foam protection wasn't adequate.  When we arrived home, we finished prepping the pheasants for cooking and had them for Thursday's dinner.  Friday, I cleaned my rifles.  I then did some electrical work - a switch for the upstairs closet and lighting for the garage.  

So ends the last of my vacation time for this year.  Two more months and a new year with more vacation time will start.

Apple Picking 2020?!?

In keeping with what seems to have turned out to be the year 2020's theme, apple picking was a bust.  I was not interested in apple picking and pie making this year due to what might be other's concerns about Covid.  Tammy, Lizzy, and Stas, however, were for it and invited AJ, Vania, and their dog Maple for the tradition.

While the five of them went apple picking on Saturday,October 10, I stayed home and watched Charlotte and Maple.  Upon their return, they revealed that because of the drought we'd been experiencing most of the summer, it was not a good year for apples.  Johnny Appleseed only had golden delicious available for picking (usually there is around 5 or 6 varieties).  Tammy called another place and got the same story.  So, the five of them stopped at an apple stand and purchased two small bags of four varieties of apples to go with the bag of golden delicious they had picked and came home.

We made quick work of the apples, peeling, coring, slicing, and putting them into 8 pies.  We baked six pies (two for us to enjoy, two for Tammy's work, one for Stas' work, and one for Pastor Tim), and we froze two for Thanksgiving.  

Tropical Storm Isaias

Tropical storm Isaias was forecasted to impact CT on Tuesday, August 4th.  It had been predicted for several days we would see the storm's impact.  We had been through a hurricane before, so a tropical storm didn't concern us much.

The storm's effects were not really felt until my trip home from work around 3pm.  There was lots of leaf and small twig debris on the interstate and roads.  When I got home, the winds really started to pick up.  I can say I have not seen winds like that before.  The trees were bending every which way.  In fact, we had a large oak tree in our backyard snap about 12 feet up and get sucked down into the ravine.  No damage or clean up needed.  It was just gone.  We also lost two large limbs from another oak tree.  One fell harmlessly down into the ravine.  The other one is unfortunately stuck in the tree dangling there.

There was hardly any rain with the storm - just the wild winds which died down around 7pm.  At 8pm, we decided to go to bed.  Unbeknownst to us, that's when the effects that would be this storm's legacy hit.  The power went out - not during the height of the storm's winds but the calm after the storm.

We had told Lizzy and Stas to come over.  They had lost their power early in the storm, and we had ours.   Well, now we didn't, but we still had water which they didn't because their home has a well. 

Tammy and I spent that Tuesday night in our bedroom upstairs as the A/C had been on most of the day so it was cool.  Tammy, Stas, and I all took quick showers Wednesday morning before going to work to conserve what was left of the hot water for the next person.  Lizzy didn't have work as her company had no electricity.  The day was warm in the mid 80s, not too humid, with a breeze.  Tammy picked up 3 bags of ice on the way home from work that we used in the fridge and freezer.  Tammy took a cool shower that night. 

Her and I spent that second night on the living room floor because it was too hot upstairs.  I took a shower at work Thursday morning.  Stas took a cool shower before heading to work, and Lizzy called out of work.  The day's weather was much like Wednesday's but no breeze.  Stas picked up another 3 bags of ice for the fridge.  A third night was spent sleeping in the living room. 

Then at 12:50am Friday, the power came on and with it all the luxuries of life we have become accustomed to returned - lights, A/C, hot water, a cool fridge.  As of the writing of this, many people are still without electricity with a target of Monday, August 11th to have everyone's power back on.

Ronnie Get Your Gun

In February, I decided to take the step of gun ownership in the state of CT which I learned is no easy feat.

I easily signed up and took one of the many 8 hour pistol permit classes offered throughout the state on Saturday, February 22 as required by CT law.  I added MA and AZ certifications as well for a total course cost of 240 dollars.   I then filled out the Enfield pistol permit application online on Saturday, March 7 and took all the paperwork to the local police department on Monday, March 9.  I was told that the fingerprinting I needed to complete my application was on a first come, first serve basis on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings.  So Wednesday evening, March 11, I went back to the police department and did not have a good experience getting my fingerprints taken; but it got done.

Thursday, March 12, I returned to the Enfield police department for a third time to turn in my application and fingerprints.  I mentioned to the secretary that the office hadn't signed the fingerprint cards.  Apparently, he hadn't signed a bunch of people's card.  The secretary said to leave everything with her, and she would get him to sign the cards.  The cost for the pistol permit application was 70 dollars.  The the state of CT charged 40 dollars and the FBI charged 14 dollars to research my fingerprints.  The actual fingerprinting process was free.

The state of CT allows towns up to eight weeks to process pistol permit applications.  I received a call from an Enfield police detective on May 1 conducting a background check asking me the same questions that were on the application.  Tammy had to answer a question as well.  The detective let me know that she still needed to contact a random person in my neighborhood for questioning and my supervisor at work.  If all went well, as the detective believed it would,  I would not hear from the police department again as all would be passed on to the state.

I contacted the detective by email on Tuesday, May 19 to ask how I would be receiving my temporary pistol permit that I needed to take to the Department of Public Safety to get my permanent pistol permit (at a cost of 70 dollars).  On Friday, May 22, I received a phone message from the police records office that I would need to retake my fingerprints because they were of poor quality.  I was disheartened to say the least.  I did not want to go through that experience again.  I did some research and found a place in Haddam (at a cost of 50 dollars though) that does fingerprinting with a guarantee.  I made an appointment for Wednesday, May 27.

On Wednesday, May 27, I had my fingerprints done electronically.  What a breeze.  The next day I was going to call the police records office, but before I could, they called me to check if I had gotten their earlier message about the fingerprints.  I said I had.  The secretary then stated that they were going to begin fingerprinting again on Saturday as they had not been doing them for several months because of the covid pandemic.  I told her I had just gotten mine done yesterday and asked when could I bring them in.  She said any day - so I took them in that afternoon, May 28.

On Wednesday, June 17, I received a voicemail that my temporary pistol permit was ready to be picked up at the Enfield police records office.  I stopped by after work that day to get it.  On Friday, June 19, I went to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Safety website to make an appointment to get my state pistol permit.  The earliest appointment date that could be had was Monday, July 27.  The earliest date that I fit my schedule was Tuesday, August 4.

On Tuesday, August 4th after work, I headed to the State Department of Public Safety in Middletown for the final step in getting my pistol permit.  I was concerned the appointment might be cancelled because Tropical Storm Isaias was forecasted to impact CT that day.  Luckily, the storm held off until after my appointment.  I had my temperature taken before entering the building (Covid precaution), got in a line with two people in front of me, then presented my paperwork and check for 70 dollars, and walked out of the building with my permit into a tropical downpour.  

 I have my pistol permit finally, and now to get a gun.

My Covid-19 Experience

My Covid-19 experience is like other's that I have read and heard about, the virus played by its own script.

Upon coming home from work on Monday, June 29th, I was feeling fatigued and had decided to go to bed around 6pm.  I had taken my temperature at work that noon.  I had none.  By the time, Tammy got home from work around 8pm, I had a fever and was experiencing body aches.  I didn't sleep well that night and had drenching night sweats.  I called out of work around 2am.

On Tuesday, I went to CVS for a noon appointment to be tested at their drive-thru site.  I had off and on chills with a fever and body aches that day with drenching night sweats again.  On Wednesday, my body aches were gone as was my high fever.  I did laundry and was feeling well enough that I thought I might return to work on Thursday.  After a call to my boss, he thought it best to wait for my test results.  Good thing for come Thursday morning, I had several bouts of diarrhea.  Over the next several days, I had no fever, but would feel fatigued one day and fine the next, did have an on and off again scratchy throat, and daily congestion.

Finally, on Saturday afternoon, July 4, I got my test results back - positive for Covid-19. I would need to be out of work for the whole next week to allow for the recommended 14 day recovery time .  As I write this on Tuesday, July 7, I have been fever free since Wednesday, July 1 and am only dealing with the occasional headache and congestion.  I did experience a weird, itchy rash on my arms on Monday that lasted a day and has been a minor issue on my legs off and and on since then.  I am thankful that I experienced a mild case of Covid-19.

For those wondering, Tammy was tested for Covid-19 on Monday, July 6th, and got her negative result back on Tuesday, July 7th.  She had an anti-body test done on Tuesday and that came back negative the next day.  (She did work on a covid floor at the hospital for several weeks back in April.)

The Wedding Drive

Our nephew Gabriel was getting married Friday, June 26.  Tammy and I left after work Thursday, June 25 at 1:30pm for the 13 hour trip to Indianapolis.  We took 691 to 84 to 80 for the first 6 hours of our trip.

The ride was nice until we hit the Scranton /Wilkes-Barre area with its decades long construction.  The drive on 80 was not at all enjoyable either.  So many semi-trucks traveling up and down hills on a two lane interstate - some going fast, some going slow, sometimes all going slow.  We stopped in Dubois,PA for the night around 7:30pm and had Pizza Hut for dinner.

We left Dubois at 6:30am with a to-go breakfast from our hotel because of covid for the last leg of the trip.  We took 80 to 76 to 71 to 70.  The ride on 80 picked up where it left off the day before with so many semi-trucks, up and down hills on a two lane interstate.  The interstates in Ohio get a two thumbs up from me.  They made for good travel even through the construction areas.  I especially enjoyed when there were three or more travel lanes.  70 in Indiana was not all that great.  Very rough pavement with construction all the way to Greenfield where we were staying for the night.  In fact, the construction was to add 30 minutes to our travel time near our exit in Greenfield; so we got off 70 in Richmond and took Route 35 to Route 36 to the church to pick up Lizzy and Stas.  We got to the church a little after 1pm.  Travel time from CT to Indianapolis was 13 hours.

We spent a total of 18 hours in the Indianapolis area - 4 and half hours before the wedding (eating at Cracker Barrel and resting), 4 hours at the wedding, and around 9 hours at the hotel (sleeping, showering, and eating a continental breakfast).  We left the hotel at 7am.

Traveling home on Saturday was great with an exclamation point - much less car traffic and exponentially less semi-truck traffic.  We did hit two pockets of thunderstorms but were able to make it home to CT by 6:30pm.  We did it straight with just two stops for gas/bathroom for a travel time from Indianapolis to CT of 11 and a half hours. 

Our total travel time over the three days for the wedding was 24 and a half hours covering roughly 1665 miles.

My Shingles Experience

On Saturday, June 6, Tammy and I traveled to Oregon from Boston.  We drove two hours to the airport followed by a direct flight of 5.5 hours.  What does one do when confined to a seat for over 5 hours - watch movies.  We watched Ford vs. Ferrari and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.   After touching down in Portland, we had a two hour drive to our rental home. 

Sunday morning, I woke up with a pain behind my right eye into my right ear and down the side of my neck. I figured I had probably strained a muscle from all the head tilting of watching the previous day's movies.  On Monday, I still had the pain, so I googled the symptoms and noticed that there was a chin tuck exercise that helped alleviate ophthalmic nerve pain.  It seemed to help.  I also noticed Monday that I had gotten some "bites" on my scalp that were bothersome.

Tuesday and Wednesday were about the same.  Eye and ear pain with the bites getting worse which I attributed to my wearing a ball cap most of the day.

Thursday morning I awoke with less pain but my right eye was blood shoot and swollen.  I decided to visit an urgent care as we were to fly home Saturday, and I didn't want to look this way getting on a plane.  Tammy came with me to the Tillamook Urgent Care but because of the covid restrictions was not allowed to go in with me.  I got through the registration process and initial nurse check up rather quickly.  Then I waited for about 45 minutes for the PA to see me.  I told her the history of my symptoms -- the pain and scalp "bites".  She did an assessment and said she would be prescribing a topical ointment for the scalp infections and drops for pink eye.  She said the nurse would be back to do a visual acuity test as a precaution.  I waited another 15 minutes for the test which was not a problem.  I then returned to the room for another 15 minutes.  When the PA returned, she said she was thinking about my symptoms as a whole as she was preparing the discharge papers and had changed her diagnosis.  She suspected shingles.  I was prescribed a different medicine and given an ophthalmologist appointment for later in the day as facial shingles can have detrimental affects to the eye.

Later Thursday afternoon, I returned alone to Tillamook for my eye appointment.  The eye looked fine, but eye drops were prescribed as a precaution.

All in all, I would say I had a pretty minor case of shingles as the worst pain occurred the few days before I was diagnosed.  I also believe getting it diagnosed and treated early was of great benefit in its lessening.  By the writing of this blog on Saturday, June 19, I would say I am pretty much symptom free.

Oregon June 2020

Originally, a big family gathering in Montana was to be our vacation for this summer, but because of the covid pandemic that was cancelled.  So Tammy and I decided instead to visit Jaclyn and her family in Oregon.  We would either visit at their house for the week, or if things in OR opened up, we would rent a house.

As it turned out, the week before we were to leave. OR began to allow rental homes to reopen.  We booked a house in Rockaway Beach that sat on Lake Lytle, giving us the best of both worlds - a lake front property that was a minutes walk from the beach.

Our flight to Oregon was uneventful - which I cannot say was the same before the flight with our reservations being changed three times by the airlines in the preceding weeks.  We flew out of Boston on Saturday, June 6 at noon from a pretty empty airport due to the covid pandemic.   We landed in Seattle to a packed airport where we had an hour layover before our flight to the Portland airport which was very empty when we landed at 6pm.

We flew Alaska Airlines.  They, as most all airlines, were practicing "social distancing" on their aircraft.  What this meant was we had to wear masks while on board the plane, board the plane from the back to the front- unless you were first class, needed assistance, or a gold or silver miles member who we all passed by as we boarded maintaining a six foot distance, the middle seats were left empty, and you were only served a water bottle and a small snack bag.  Once the plane landed, their was no social distancing practices.  You got off just as you did pre-covid.

We picked up our Thrifty rental car which was a brand new Jeep Saraha with 7 miles on the odometer and headed through the southern section of Portland across the Pacific Coastal Range to the rental home.

On a rainy (which it did most of the time we were visiting) Sunday morning, Tammy and I drove to the Safeway in Tillamook to stock up on the groceries for the week.   We then took a walk on the beach before Jaclyn, Blake and the girls joined us that afternoon.

On Monday, Jaclyn, Blake, and I (who watched as I wasn't permitted to clam due to covid restrictions on non-residents) went clamming for cockles in Garibaldi Bay.  It was everyone's first time, but Jaclyn and Blake both got their limit of 20 each.  In the afternoon, Tammy, Jaclyn and Lilly went shopping for some fun things to play with at the rental.  Later, everyone except for me took an early afternoon walk on the beach.  In the late afternoon, Blake and I went crabbing off Pier's End (the longest pier in OR at 700 feet) in Garibaldi Bay.  We came away with just one dungeness crab keeper for our efforts.

Tuesday was a rainy day.  Jaclyn and Blake went clamming in the morning and got their limit again.  Blake and I went crabbing in the afternoon catching just one dungeness crab keeper.  When we returned, we dined on the harvested clams and one crab before going fishing on the drift boat.  Blake caught a 2lb 1oz bass and two rainbow trout.  I was able to get three rainbow trout.  We ate these for breakfast Thursday.

After Tammy, Jaclyn, Blake, and Lilly returned from a third successful morning of clamming Wednesday, Tammy and I went exploring on the kayaks.  We paddled from Lake Lytle through the Moroney Canal to Crescent Lake.  Lake Lytle is shallow at around 5 feet at its deepest and is full of lake weeds and shoreline reeds.  For such a small lake, it did have lots of activity.  Lots of people fishing from the boat launch, fishing pier, and various types of boats.  Swallows were constantly darting about the shore with a pair of Bald Eagles making their presence known on many an occasion.  Crescent Lake seemed to be deeper but still had lots of lake weeds and reeds.  It was very quiet as it was a no motor lake accessible only through the long, shallow canal.  In the afternoon, Tammy, Jaclyn, and Lilly headed to the beach to fly Lilly's new kite.  Blake and I returned Wednesday evening to the pier for my third and final evening of crabbing, with a catch of yet again one dungeness crab with an added red rock crab this time.  Tammy enjoyed the hot tub while we were gone.

Thursday, Blake and I went fishing in the early morning.  The fish were biting as evidenced by both of us catching our limit of rainbow trout (5 each) in just several hours.  After breakfast, Tammy and I headed to the Tillamook Urgent Care where we spent several hours for a shingles diagnosis followed by a visit to an ophthalmologist later in the early evening.  (See shingles blog for more information.)  Tammy and Jaclyn did a little afternoon kayaking while Blake took Lilly for a ride in the drift boat followed by Tammy soaking in the hot tub in the evening.

Friday morning's rain cancelled our planned fishing outing.  We did all get a walk in on the beach followed by a later kite excursion by Tammy, Jaclyn, and Lilly.  We celebrated Juni's birthday with some cream puffs.  Friday evening we spent getting everything packed up and cleaned for our Saturday departure at 6am for our trip back home to CT.

Link to pictures posted here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/on6uTkvDqJ9kZZxq8

Covid-19

Well not much has been posted in some time, because like you, I am hunkered down due to the Covid-19 restrictions put in place by much of the country.  Truthfully, my life hasn't changed that much.  Work at the radio station was considered essential so I continued working.  I don't go many places so the closing of most places was not an issue for me.  Tammy has been able to cut my hair several times, and we have been doing Charlotte's nails ourselves.  Lizzy, who worked from home, and Stas, who continued his work at the bank, still came over on Sundays.

There were some changes in Tammy's job.  Her department does "elective" procedures so they had their work hours reduced.  She was then placed on furlough as she awaited a voluntary covid assignment which she did for 3 weeks before being called back to her department.  During the time she worked on the covid floors, she disinfected the house quite a bit, slept in the guest bedroom, and used that bathroom.

Toilet paper was hard to come by for the first several weeks - thank goodness I was still working.  Tammy never had trouble finding the groceries we needed.  We did have to cancel our trip to Montana and couldn't go to this spring's Brimfield Flea Market because it was cancelled.

There were some nice bright spots.  Cleaned out the basement.  Did some yard beautification.  Experienced less traffic on the roads to and from work.  The boss worked evenings.  The office at work was closed to visitors meaning no dressing up was needed.  Received a stimulus check and refund on auto insurance premiums.  Could watch church (and multiple ones at that) from the couch.  Shopped on-line for many things including some frivolous purchases of coffee cakes, whoopie pies, soft pretzels, and peanut butter poppers.  Most weekend ordered take-out family meals from restaurants that remained open.

At the writing of this blog entry things are starting to open back-up again across the country with all the states in some sort of phased opening.  Time will tell how this all plays out, but the above is a look into my life during the spring of Covid-19.

A Visit to NYC before Covid-19 Restrictions

The CT Gangwer clan (minus Stas who was attending a friend's wedding out of state) and the Beauchemin clan went on a weekend trip to NYC leaving in the wee morning hours of February 29 and returning the afternoon of March 1.  After the train ride into the city and breakfast at the hotel, we all took the subway to the southern end of the city.  Tammy and I went to Tickets/Tickets to purchase - what else but - tickets for a Broadway show that night.  The rest of the group ended up at a huge department store called Century 21.  After meeting back-up with everyone, we did a lot of walking around working our way back to the hotel by way of Chinatown and Little Italy where we ate lunch.  

We all split up there, with Tammy and I heading over to 2nd Avenue to shop the thrift stores located in that area (which wasn't that great).  We then walked to 10th Avenue for the Highline Walk ending at a chic indoor mall where we warmed up for awhile.  That night we went to a Broadway show that we left at intermission because it was so raunchy.  (Definitely should have done more research on that -- lost a bundle of money.)  

Sunday we made a quick trip to visit some stores in Times Square - the Disney Store and the M&M store (liked the orange creamsicle M&Ms).  We parted ways with the Beauchemin clan as they were going to a hockey game for the day.  On our way back to the hotel to get our suitcases for the trip home, we stumbled upon a great used book and music store. 

We arrived back at the train station in Milford to find our car battery dead, and no one interested in helping us jump start it.   While Tammy was calling Triple A, I fiddled with the positive battery connection and was able to get the car started.  As we left the parking lot and drove down the road, the car died.  Providentially, there was a school parking lot right there.  I cleaned off the corrosion from the battery terminals and was good to go from there.

Oregon 2020 Visit in Pictures

https://photos.app.goo.gl/wEuScP9nqRfiVpgr6

Books Read So Far in 2020

In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

Mort's Relations

Away Off Shore by Nathaniel Philbrick

Ranger, Trappers, and Trailblazers by John Fraley

A History in Work

I started my working career the summer after high school graduation (and freshman Christmas break) for a temporary cleaning company that cleaned the offices at Digital Equipment in Burlington, VT during second shift.  The summer after my freshman year of college, Robin and I both got a full-time first shift job at the UV Medical Center cleaning.  I also had a part-time second shift job at a convenience/gas station in South Burlington working second shifts as scheduled.  After a few weeks, I transferred to a service station down the road for a regular second shift job.   The summers after my sophomore and junior years, I worked at UV Medical Center as a window washer first shift.  The summer after my senior year, I worked delivering pizzas for Domino's second shift then headed to UV Medical center to clean common areas and do floors third shift.  I worked most of my winter breaks after my freshman year at UV Medical Center in various cleaning capacities.

At Pensacola Christian College, I was on the work/loan program working up to 20 hours a week.  My freshman year I cleaned the Commons before it opened for the day.  My sophomore year, I was assigned to clean the gymnasium and locker rooms after it closed for the evening.  I also did special floor stripping projects throughout campus after 11 o'clock in the evening.  I picked up two odd jobs that year of filling the soda machines in the men's dormitories and washing the nursing vans.    I kept all these jobs until I graduated.  For graduate school, I worked as an assistant in the second period of freshman History of Civilization, then head to dish washing at the elementary school.  I worked occasionally at the library as well.

After graduation, I was hired as the sixth grade teacher at First Baptist Christian Academy.  During my second year, we were without a principle so I helped out in that capacity along with teaching sixth grade.  The third year, I accepted the principle job but still spent many of the remaining seven years teaching close to a full schedule.  Also spent the good portion of one year doing janitorial on top of everything else. 

After ten years in education, I called it quits and took a job at WIHS, Middletown as board operator working third shift doing news, weather, songs, and programming.  After ten years, I was moved to first shift doing the same things.