Thursday June 20, 2013

Sadly it is the last day of spring. Summer starts at 0500 Friday. I love the long days. Today was a perfect gem. I did my normal Thursday routine. I can report that I set a PB for 2013 in my row and swim. I broke the 9' barrier in the 2K row and I set a PB in the 1,000 yard swim. Life is good. It was warm today so the AC was on in the Kava House. I sat in their non AC room. The WSJ had a good article on Chinese steel being used on some big USA bridge projects. The Verrazano-Narrow bridge and the SF/Oakland Bay bridge are two examples. It is too bad that US steel cannot compete . From everything I have read the Chinese do a good job in fabricating steel. The US steel industry has brought this on themselves. MI at one time had over 50 steel fabricators. Now only one remains. Providing steel for the auto industry is what the USA steel companies want to do. My one and only design of a railroad bridge involved fabricating 110" deep steel beams. The beams were made in OR and shipped cross country to GR. No midwestern fabricators were available. The SF/OK and Verrazano bridges are toll bridges that do not use Federal funds. If Federal funds were involved the Buy America program would require US steel. I do not like the Buy America program. I did not get home until 1330. I had a quick lunch and then took Ms P on our mile walk. Nancy had to work at the Hospital Gift Shop this afternoon. I spent several hours reading mail, paying bills and just catching up. Who wants to be inside on nice Spring days. Nancy and I had dinner at GL Shipping tonight. The place was not very crowded. We ate outside. The weather was sunny and warm, 84. It is now 2028 and the sun is shining bright. Sunset tonight is 2125.