BlackBerry

I am sitting in the airport in Atlanta. Today I am writing this blog from my new toy. I recently purchased a BlackBerry and have the capability to access the internet from my phone. It is a good way to stay connected and pass the time away when sitting in airports, like today!

I think Jennifer thinks I am a dork because of my new gadget, but she has admitted that she likes the more frequent emails which she now receives.

One would think that typing on a miniature keyboard is a royal pain, but it's really not too bad. It's your standard QWERTY keyboard, so it's famialiar. It is just "Honey I shrunk the kids" sized.

Okay. It's time to board.

Portland or bust!

Consistently Inconsistent

I have to be the world's most consistently inconsistent blogger...

Previous Post

Okay, so the title of the previous post was "A Cannoli and the Diet". It is now after dinner and I should issue a retraction for certain technical inaccuracies contained in the previous publication.

It was actually more like "4 Cannolies and the Diet".

A Cannoli and The Diet

It is Sunday afternoon and we are making (for the first time) cannolies. For those of you that don't know what a cannoli is, it is an Italian pastry consisting of a hard pastry shell filled with a mixture of ricotta cheese and confectioners sugar. It just so happens to be my most favorite dessert in the whole world! You may recall, if you were at our wedding, that cannolies were my "groom's cake." We are making this delectable dessert on the eve of what is sure to be a series of life changing events.

Jennifer and I have decided to take steps to start a major change in our lifestyle. Starting tomorrow morning we are going to be getting up at 5AM to exercise. You may be thinking to yourselves, big whoop, 5AM to exercise...we get up at 3AM to feed kids or change poopie diapers. Yeah, well that's not all. Starting Wednesday morning we are going on a diet. Not just some trendy fad diet, a real honest went to see a dietitian diet. It should be interesting. I don't know what the details are quite yet. We will be getting the actual diet plan from the doctor on Tuesday night.

Our ultimate goal is to lead a healthier lifestyle and to be good stewards of the body that the Lord has given us. However, one of my immediate desires is to loose a few lbs. I can honestly say that since I've been married that I've packed on a few pounds. It must be a combination of Jennifer's good cooking and my world travels (I eat a lot on the road). Since we've been married the button on my favorite pair of shorts has gone from comfortably chilling out by my belly button, to hanging on for dear life! Every time I put my shorts there is a good possibility that I may shoot someone's eye out with my button.

Quick Trip

I get to work on Monday at around 9AM. I went in a little late because I had a guy come out and look at the foundation of our house. I thought the corner of the slab was sinking causing unevenness in our doors. It turns out the foundation is okay, and the doors are just swelling due to the heat and humidity.

So I arrive to work at 9AM and about 15 minutes later my boss comes into my office and asks me if I wanted to go to Austria. I responded "sure" (not quite knowing what I was getting into). He then proceeded to tell me that my flight left at 1:57PM that day and that I would be gone for the week.

Needless to say I was a little caught off guard by the suddenness of the trip, but I must say the trip was extremely successful. I traveled with Bryan Lewis, the President of Teledyne Continental Motors and Bill Brogdon, TCM's new Chief Engineer. I was honored to be traveling with them on a business trip. They both are a wealth of information to learn from.

I returned from Austria on Thursday, and I think I was in the airplane as much as I was on the ground. We were only in Austria for 1.5 days, and spent two solid days traveling. The worst part of the trip was that I had to leave Jennifer for the week...again. Traveling to Europe is especially difficult for communication because of the time difference. We try to be in contact as much as possible, but it can be difficult. On this trip the hotel had no internet, so I couldn't even email her.

It's good to be back.

All Alone

So, I am here in Mobile while Jennifer is in New York on a business trip. It is boring being here all alone.

I guess now I know how Jennifer feels...all the time.

Memorial Day

I am sitting here at work on Memorial day (having accomplished all my work for the day), wondering how un-American it is that we (TCM employees) are not celebrating those who have served and are serving this wonderful country of ours by taking the day off. It was someone's (TCM's Union) idea to not take memorial day off, but take Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day off instead.

Now, I have nothing wrong with Dr. King. In fact I have the utmost respect for such a huge civil and American icon. The celebration of one man's life that has had such an impact on how America is today deserves to be honored.

But, how much more the men and women of this country that have given their lives so you and I and Dr. King could even have the privilege of living here. It is the freedom that the men and women serving in our armed forces provide that even allowed Dr. King to let everyone know that he had a dream.

Thanks to all the men and women in our armed forces!

Graduation

I am currently sitting in a Panera Bread restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska. Jennifer and I traveled here last night for Jillian's graduation from cosmotology school. Jennifer and I are super excited for Jillian and her next step which is to begin working at a salon! Jill called our house a few days ago to tell us that she has a job lined up already, which an amazing feeling. I remember when I graduated; knowing that I had a job to go to right after finishing school. Security. That is the feeling that I had, and I felt the same for Jillian after hearing her good news.

Jennifer is out with her Mom having lunch at a tea room, and then they are going to paint some pottery. So, I am flying solo in Omaha mooching free WiFi off of our good friends at Panera. I enjoy Panera. Sitting next to me, keeping me company in my personal isolation is a large hazelnut flavored coffee (good, but not as good as Austrian coffee) and a cinnamon chip scone. I wonder if they enjoy scones in Britian, or if it just a stereotype that we have. Something to ponder on.

I stopped by the studio that Geoff works at, Malone and Co. It is so cool to me that my brother-in-law is a professional photographer. Check out their website and blog at the link above.

Grandparents

Grandma & Grandpa Collins,

Jennifer and I love you.

Crown Financial

Jennifer and I attended a Crown Financial Ministries seminar tonight. We are actually graduates of the 10 week Bible study, but decided to go to this weekend course as a refresher. The Lord has blessed Jennifer and I greatly in our financial situation. Lord willing by July 15th, 2007 we will be totally out of debt with exception to our mortgage! In just about 19 months, the time since starting the Crown Bible study, we have managed to pay off 3 credit cards, a student loan, a personal loan. This was daunting at times, but the Lord has been very gracious and faithful with our finances even when we were not.

It is very exciting for both Jennifer and I to be out from underneath the burden of debt. But on a personal note, I am SUPER EXCITED!!! I made the worst financial decisions starting in college, and have been strangled by debt since then. The first of my really stupid financial decisions was to put the down payment for a motorcycle on a credit card (I thought college was supposed to make you smarter...guess not). Anyways, after many more financial decisions of not much less lunacy as the previously stated, I was trapped.

The Crown Financial Bible study taught me to look at finances from a Biblical perspective and gave me a better understanding of how the Lord would have us use His money. Together with my wonderful wife and the Lord, we are almost out of debt!!!

WooHoo!!!

Delinquent

I am officially a blogging slacker. This is typical of me. It's like running, you see...

I am a sprinter, I go fast for a short period of time and then I am through. Like my blogging experience I was blog blog blog and then that's it. Never to be heard from again.

Until now. Perhaps I am well rested and ready for another sprint, or perhaps I have been conditioning myself during my time away to run an endurance race. Let's start with a "1 mile fun run". I don't want to be too ambitious!

Marriage

I love my wife.

Leftovers

I don't like to eat leftovers.

But I do because it saves money.

Grand Rios

I am sitting at the bar at the Grand Rios hotel in Brooklyn Park, MN and recently found out the bartender just got out of jail.

Nice. Check please!

A&P

For all you non-aviation types, an A&P is an airframe and powerplant license. It is a federally issued license to work on aircraft and aircraft engines, and more importantly, sign off the work that has been completed as airworthy.

This is a MASSIVE responsibility considering what you are signing your name to. You are essentially stating that the work you have completed is in TOTAL compliance with federal standards and manufacturer standards and not to mention the fact that people are going to be flying with a product that you have had your hands on.

Now, as an employee of an aviation engine manufacturer, I typically don't sign off work done on aircraft/engines work with my personal A&P license (which I was awarded in 2002 after 4 years of preparation, required classes and a ridiculous two day exam), but I nonetheless perform such work on aircraft.

Today, I spent more time working on engines and aircraft than I have done in a long time. I very much enjoy doing this as part of my job, but am glad that it is not the only part of my job! I had to remove an engine from an aircraft, disassembly a major portion of the engine and replace an electronic component inside the engine today. It was fun, a lot of work, but fun!

The only bummer...I am still in Minneapolis.

Traveling

I am in Minneapolis, Minnesota AGAIN!!!

I was in Minneapolis the for the following dates:
Oct 30-Nov 2
Nov 16-17
Nov 29-Dec 2
Dec 6 - Dec 9
Dec 11-Dec 12
Dec 18-20
AND, NOW...
Jan 22-Jan 26

A little excessive? I think so! Yet, this is my job. I can't go into any detail about what I am doing up here, other than I am working.

There are a few jokes at the company I am working with up here and they are:
1. Hey Brandon, when are you going to start paying MN state income tax.
2. Hey Brandon, there are a few homes nearby that are for sale.
3. Hey Brandon, is the only reason you come up here because we grill out on Fridays?
4. Hey Brandon, here's the code for the door for when you get here before we do. (and yes, I have the code)

Traveling is tough. Physically and probably even more so, mentally and emotionally. I know that Jennifer misses me and I miss her too. It is no fun coming back after a long day of work to an empty hotel room. It's usually late when I get in anyways because we work late and then eat even later. So I am tired when I get back...like now. I'm going to bed.

Blogging from Minneapolis.

Our Vows

Jennifer and I are sitting at the kitchen table waiting for our Curry Cashew Fruited Rice to get finished cooking, and yes it smells awesome. Jennifer was on her computer and found our marriage vows. We reaffirmed our vows this evening, after almost 11 months of marriage, while sitting in our kitchen. I think we are usually a little more romantic than this, but I thought I'd share our vows with you.

Do you Brandon take Jennifer to be your lawful wedded wife, to live with her after God's commands in the holy estate of marriage? And do you promise to love, comfort, honor, keep and serve her and forsaking all others be faithful to her, so long as you both shall live?

I DO!

Jennifer repeats (replace Jennifer with Brandon and husband with wife and vice versa)

I, Brandon, take you, Jennifer, to be my wedded wife. And I do promise and covenant before God and these witnesses to be your loving and faithful husband for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, as long as we both shall live.

Jennifer repeats (replace Jennifer with Brandon and husband with wife and vice versa)

With this ring, I seal my vow and offer it as a symbol of my love an affection and of my constant faith in God, who gives me the power to keep this covenant; In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Jennifer repeats

Thanks for reading our vows. We like them too.

Photo by Geoff Johnson, photographer and brother-in-law.

Sprechen Sie Deutsch?

That means, "Do you speak German?". And the answer to that is...No, as a matter of fact I don't. But, I would like to.

So if you're wondering why the title of this post is in German, here is the answer. It actually has two parts to it.

1. For my job, I was recently assigned a program to develop an engine for a customer that is located in Austria. My customer is located in Wiener Neustadt, which is 30 miles (0r 48 kilometers for those who use the metric system) South of Vienna, Austria! The native tongue in Austria is of course German. I am pleased to say that my first trip to Europe will be on February 2nd, and the better part is that I don't have to pay for it! The sad news is that Jennifer won't be coming and it is going to be work work work. I am hoping for multiple trips of which one I plan on extending for some personal vacation time and bringing Jennifer!

2. For Christmas Jennifer got me language software from Rosetta Stone. This was a great gift, however the way in which it was acquired is somewhat humbling. Jennifer and I set a limit on how much we would spend on each other for Christmas. This amount was based on how much we budgeted for the Christmas season for giving gifts. The cost of this software far exceeded the budgeted amount, so when I was traveling a lot in the months of November and December for work, Jennifer would go give plasma. Yes, my wife shed blood for me this year for Christmas and made a nice lump of cash in the process. In the end Jennifer did not spend more money that we had in our account for Christmas, yet she gave so much more!

Introduction for the New Guy

Since this is my first blog entry, let me first introduce myself. My name is Brandon McShea. I am a twenty six year old guy who lives in Mobile, AL with my beautiful wife Jennifer and our two dogs Maggie and Zoie. Maggie is a Weimaraner and Zoie is a Labrador/Spitz mix. Our dogs are how Jennifer and I met. We were walking in the park one day when Zoie ran up to Maggie and me and Jennifer came over to get her. The rest you can say is history; or history in the making to be precise!

I have always been interested in aviation, and I am one of the blessed people in this world to get to actually do what I love. I am an engineer for Teledyne Continental Motors, the world's leading manufacturer of piston engines for general aviation aircraft. I am actually a "Senior Project Engineer". Basically what that means is that I manage the development and certification programs for new engines and their installation into new or existing airframes. My job is great because it has so many facets. One day I'll be working in my office scheduling tests and calculating fuel flows and horsepower, the next day I'll be out in one of our many test cells running an engine, the next day I'll be working on an engine in an aircraft, and the next day I'll be out conducting test flights. Yes, I get to fly for work and it's pretty cool. A lot of the time however my head is buried in a computer looking a thousands of lines of engine data.

Other interesting facts:

• I do have my pilots license which is tons of fun, although I have not flown for personal fun in quite some time
• I purchased a home which my wife and I now live in
• I drive a sweet 1997 "faded red" VW Jetta
• I am a medallion member on Delta Airlines
• Pizza is my favorite food

Stay tuned...