Meetings, Meetings, Meetings .......

It's all about the meetings!

Here's a sample of the meeting schedule.  These are just the basics - there are usually a few more each week.

Normal meetings:
Monday - Regular Project Update Teleconference (usually <1 hr)
Wednesday - Design Verification and Transfer Web Meeting (2+ hours)
Thursday - Progress Meeting with Marinette Marine (< 1 hour)
Thursday - Progress Teleconference with Wartsila (Thruster Manufacturer) usually < 1 hr

This week we added two DV&T teleconferences on Friday, and a Master Schedule meeting on Friday.

Add in a number of teleconferences during the week (at least one per day), and you have a pretty busy week.  In addition, we have a bunch of "passageway conferences" in the office.

In spite of all the meetings, we are getting a lot of work done.  Typically, all of us are in the office by 7:30 (usually earlier), and leave between 4:30 and 5:30 depending on what's happening.  Not *all* of the time is spent drinking coffee and telling sea stories ;)  It's a happy crew.

Currently, we are at about 1/2 of our expected office staff.  On site are:

Gary: Shipyard Project Director (The Big Kahuna)

John: Shipyard Contract Manager (The Big Organizer)
Yours Truly: Marine Science Technical Director (The Big -click here-)
  - soon to be joined by -
TBA: Office Assistant
  - to be joined in the fall by -
TBA: Inspectors (2)

Signing Ceremony

Complete with cake and punch, Marinette Marine, UAF and the NSF signed (ceremonially) the contract for SIKULIAQ.  It was a great event, coordinated by MMC and UAF.  On site, Lori Nunemann (UAF) and Marc (pronounced "marse") Jamo did an outstanding job of putting the event together.  There were a number of dignitaries, including Congressmen from Wisconsin and Michigan, the Mayor and Vice-Mayor of Seward, Mayors of Marinette, Menominee and a few other towns around here.  The NSF contingent was sizeable, and there was also a representative from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.  All-in-all, a fine time was had by all.  The event made the paper on Saturday, and I heard a report about it on the radio several times over the weekend, and even Monday morning.

A Few Photos:

(l-r) Dr. Richard McCreary (CEO Marinette Marine), Mr. Brian Rogers (Chancellor, UAF) and Dr. Julie Morris (OCE Division Director, NSF) sign the contract to build SIKULIAQ

Team ARRV

The Cake (remarkable likeness)

Mmmmm, Cake!

The Work is Piling Up

January 15

February 5

As you can see from these two pictures, my workload has increased dramatically over the last three weeks. The amount of flat surface has increased along with the amount of paper I have to deal with.  I have gone from a desk and table with not much on them to desk and three tables, and they are all overflowing.

Today is our Ceremonial Contract Signing, and we have had a steady stream of visitors from all over - Washington DC, Seward, Fairbanks, and some people I have no idea.  They are over in the shipyard on tours, so it's quiet right now.  That's bound to change, though.  I passed on the tour.  I figure I'll have plenty of time to see it over the next three years.

Car.........Plunk!

This was on the front page of today's Eagle-Herald, and it's irresistible.  As a fundraiser, the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club are bringing back an old Menominee-Marinette tradition, the Car Plunk.  This VW van is parked on the ice in the middle of the marina in Menominee.  You can buy a ticket for the opportunity to guess the day, hour, minute and second (yes, down to the second) that it will drop through the ice as it melts.  Apparently, this was a tradition for many years, but was stopped about 20 years ago.  The Y and the B&G Club brought it back this year.  In the updated version, they got permits from the county and Army Corps of Engineers, removed the engine and transmission and anything else that might cause pollution, and put it out on the ice.  There is a webcam looking at the marina, you can access it via www.mmymca.org, follow the links to CARPLUNK.  What a riot.  I can't wait!  Small towns are a blast!

Tomorrow (Friday) is the big ceremonial contract signing at the shipyard.  Lots of special guests (Asst. Director of the National Science Foundation, Chancellor of the Univ. of Alaska, Chairman and CEO of Marinette Marine, a couple of Congressmen, etc.)  I'm supposed to wear a tie, and I *do* have to show up.  At least there's a party afterwards.

Morning Commute

Main Street Marinette

Here's a synopsis of my morning commute from the apartment to the shipyard.  Most mornings, I walk in.  It only takes about 20 minutes, including stops for coffee and a paper.  I draw the line at walking when the outside temperature gets much below 20 degrees.  It's just too cold.

Turn onto Main Street at Book World

This is a great little bookstore, and right across the street from my building.  I especially appreciate the fact that they carry flyfishing magazines!  A great place to kill a couple of hours.

Dew Hills Coffee Shop, and the nice lady that gets my coffee.

First stop: Dew Hills Coffee Shop.  The people are very friendly, and the nice lady always warms up my travel mug before I get my coffee.  $1.63 for a 20 oz. refill.  Awesome.

Knights of Columbus, and across the street the laudromat where I get a paper

Then, down the street past the Knights of Columbus (Bingo every Sunday night, 6:30!), and stop at the laundromat to get a paper.

Shipyard in sight.  The square-ish building in the center is the Tech Center.  Our project office is out of the picture to the right.

I continue down Main Street to Ely, the street leading to the Shipyard.  Turn left at the Presbyterian Church, and down the hill to the yard.  Tech Center to the right, Water Treatment Plant to the left.

Main Gate of Marinette Marine Shipyard.  

The main erection building where the ships are assembled is straight ahead.

At this point, I turn right, and head across the parking lots to our office modular.  At this point in the project, we really have no need to go into the construction yard, since we are in the design verification phase.  The ship only exists on paper right now, be we are getting closer to cutting steel every day.  If all goes well, we'll start construction in October.

Rainy Sunday

Sunday was a rainy day in Marinette.  Just like home!  It rained hard almost all day, and we're expecting freezing temperatures this week, so it could be a skating rink later in the week.  Cloudy this morning, and the rain has stopped.  Thank goodness the streets are dry this morning.  I went to church yesterday at Menominee First UMC.  The people were very friendly.  Bonus for me:  They have a church supper every Wednesday!  That's one night I don't have to fend for myself.  I'll report on that later in the week.

I had a late breakfast/brunch after church yesterday.  I was headed for Schloegel's, but it was packed.  Along the way, I stopped for a newspaper (of course I did), and found a shop with real papers!  Detroit Free Press and Chicago Tribune - honest-to-goodness newspapers!  I bought both of them, and spent a couple of happy hours at Perkins eating breakfast, drinking coffee and reading the paper.  They are still piled next to my chair at the apartment - they may last all week.  That's one of the things I miss - a real newspaper every morning.

Moving Day!

Kristin Was Here!!!

Monday was moving day, and boy was I glad that Kristin was here to help.  The truck arrived about 1PM, and we were all done moving stuff by 3.  The Apartment manager let us have the key to the garage, so we were able to roll the cart down into the basement, and take everything up the elevator.  Otherwise, we would have had to contend with the three steps up from the sidewalk level to the elevator level.  That really streamlined things.

At least the TV is set up (this is Monday, it looks better now)

Kristin took charge of the organization, and got the kitchen and bathroom really squared away - she even made the bed for me.  The rest is up to me, and I'm pecking away at it.  I took Kristin to Green Bay on Tuesday night, since she had an early flight on Wednesday.  I was sorry to see her go, but she has to get back for a job interview.

The startup period at the Project Office has been a whirlwind of meetings with the shipyard, as well as internal team meetings.  Wednesday was our startup conference, with all the various entities in attendance, from our team, the shipyard team, American Bureau of Shipping, National Science Foundation, and other consultants and technical personnel.  Seems like I'm always in a meeting.  Today (Friday) we got some relief from that, but I'm also involved in the recruitment for our Office Assistant, so that was on today's menu.  All in all, we are off to a really good start with the yard.  They set up a very nice dinner for our team and their team at the Lauerman House, a B&B here in Marinette.  It was a great evening.  We can't accept any gratuities from them, so we paid for our own dinners.

I've been walking to work most mornings.  It takes 20 minutes including a stop for coffee.  The weather has been fantastic this week, lots of sun and daytime temperatures in the mid-30s, which has made the walk very pleasant.  That's supposed to change (as in get colder) tonight.

I'm looking forward to the weekend, and doing more exploring.  I may even break down and buy a fishing license.

Kristin the Organizer does her thing