Category Archives: Engineering

I’d Like Another Gig

This time last year I was writing two columns per month at the e-zine Buildipedia.com. It was good work, $100 for a 500 word column, topics that flowed naturally from my work, minimal research. I received good feedback from the editors, and they rarely changed anything I turned in, not even a word. But in …

March 22, 2013 – 10:12 pm | By David Todd | Posted in Engineering, Writing | Comments (0)

Miscellaneous Friday

This has been a killer week, emotionally and physically, but more so emotionally. Where shall I start? The knowledge that my John Wesley small group study won’t be needed by my church for the foreseeable future was a gut-wrenching blow. I probably over-reacted, since I can still write it and see what else I can …

May 20, 2011 – 7:00 pm | By David Todd | Posted in Engineering, flood studies, Writing | Comments (0)

A Calm Place in the Whirlwind

Life is busy. At my engineering day job, it seems like no task gets closed, yet many more get open. I can’t quite get my current floodplain project to work. The lateral structure I entered, as a way to simulate an overflow pipe, needs to be revised, and I haven’t yet figured out how to …

April 27, 2011 – 8:51 pm | By David Todd | Posted in critique group, Engineering, flood studies | Comments (0)

Stymied at Work on a Saturday

This morning I had a busy time at the house, doing the usual Saturday chores/ maintenance/ operations. I had a lengthy to-do list, and I did a lot of it. Some remains for tonight, but that’s okay. About 12:30 PM or so I headed to the office, a little later than I wanted. I had …

April 9, 2011 – 10:16 pm | By David Todd | Posted in Engineering, flood studies | Comments (0)

Trying to do Things Right

The siege has not lifted, nor has the whirlwind subsided. But today I actually see a little bit of light through it all. One major project hurdle is complete. A date is out there, probably predictable, at which my workload will return to normal. Hence, I take a late afternoon break to write a post …

March 31, 2011 – 11:11 pm | By David Todd | Posted in Engineering | Comments (0)

A Fulfilling if Tiring Day

It’s only 5:15 PM as I start this post. My daily work log includes lots of items. I began the day with my Bella Vista water transmission main project, trying to do the work needed to tie down some remaining easements needed. I shifted to my Bentonville flood study, the bane of my existence. I’m …

March 12, 2011 – 1:30 am | By David Todd | Posted in Documenting America, Engineering, flood studies | Comments (0)

The Roller-coaster Continues

My last post, on Thursday morning, spoke of how I’d had a great day on Wednesday. I should know better than to post something like that. Every time I do the next days are always losers. Actually, I don’t have to post about the good days. The bad days always come. The bad items came …

November 21, 2010 – 11:15 pm | By David Todd | Posted in Engineering, flood studies, Writing | Comments (0)

Day(s) of Accomplishment

Some days are just better than others. Maybe it’s a burst of energy, pent up from slackard days in between. Maybe it’s biorhythms. I’ve never figured it out, but some days seem destined for accomplishment. Yesterday was one of those. I’ll just bullet a few items. We received permission to begin some culvert construction in …

November 18, 2010 – 1:40 pm | By David Todd | Posted in Buildipedia, Engineering, Writing | Comments (2)

Mediation Brings Mixed Results

Yesterday most of my work day was spent in a mediation of a construction dispute. This was my second one of these. The first, in December 2007 (or was it 08?), was for a client of ours that I had worked with. I started the project, got under construction, and turned it over to another …

September 28, 2010 – 1:01 pm | By David Todd | Posted in construction, Engineering | Comments (0)

Good Days and Bad Days

I have so many facets to my life that it’s sometimes difficult to say, “Today was a good day,” or “Today was a bad day.” It might be good in one sense but not in another. Take yesterday for example. Was it a good day? Here’s the things that suggest so: My weight was down …

September 24, 2010 – 12:39 pm | By David Todd | Posted in Buildipedia, Engineering, home improvements, Suite 101 | Comments (0)