Women's Room - come talk

[MA_PE]

Mary, on that G-scale train set, are you saying that size matters?

and can you ride those trains to the mythical G-spot?

 

[benbo]

One exception was when my Daddy was working at NASA in Huntsville during the summers. He and the other engineers would hang around outside and drink beer sometimes. I wonder now what cool things they were talking about (this was the era of the first Apollo missions).

I'm also of this age and this brings back vivid memories. My dad was a physicist at Hughes Aircraft (he worked on the space program and then on spy satellites), my mom was a lawyer. I remember them having parties and for some reason I always remember them listening to the Tijuana Brass, and drinking Gibsons, like something out of "The Graduate." I also remember a lot of men with thick, black, horn-rimmed glasses and also some fellows that seemed like they were from Germany and India. I don't know, these memories are really clear to me.

I also have to crack up because I found an old newspaper clipping from the Caltech student newspaper, circa 1940-something. My dad went to grad school there, and my mom was a secretary there before she went to law school. It was a story about my mom from a series of stories about secretaries at Caltech called "Secs at Tech." What a bunch of nerds.

 

[benbo]

and can you ride those trains to the mythical G-spot?

bump to get this back on track after my trip down memory lane.

 

[maryannette]

... and I chose not to have kids. If I had it to do all over again I'd still do what I do.

That's what freedom is all about. That is why I love this country. That is your choice and your balance.

Mary, on that G-scale train set, are you saying that size matters?

The G refers to "Garden". The scale is 1:22 (but varies between manufacturers). I just prefer G to HO. Seems that EVERYBODY has HO scale (1:87)

and can you ride those trains to the mythical G-spot?

The spot for my train has been around the Christmas tree, but I hope to have it set up on the porch some day.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I'm in the same boat...I don't belong to anything because dues are ridiculous and I can't justify the perceived benefit against the cost. I think eb.com is a much better engineering community and it's free.

I agree. Plus, I'm not much of a 'joiner.' I'm not a big fan of groups.

The spot for my train has been around the Christmas tree, but I hope to have it set up on the porch some day.

That'd be neat. When I was a kid, my parents took us somwhere that had trains like that you could ride on. Might have been in Ohio..I'll have to ask. I thought it was bitchin', though!

 

[jmbeck]

The spot for my train has been around the Christmas tree, but I hope to have it set up on the porch some day.

We didn't do this at my house, but my wife's family has a train around their tree. I was pretty sold on the idea, and have been looking for one to put around our tree.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I just prefer G to HO.

I always prefer my G's to a couple HO's.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

We didn't do this at my house, but my wife's family has a train around their tree. I was pretty sold on the idea, and have been looking for one to put around our tree.

I have a train I put around the tree every so often. Its kinda cool seeing it run between all the presents.

 

[TouchDown]

I cannot participate in train discussions, I never had one or really wanted one. It was fun to see model trains when I visited places when I was younger.

I always had racetracks instead of trains. The smell of those little cars warming up and the sound they made going around the tracks. My brother and I would tear them apart and try to reassemble in different configurations to see which setup would be the fastest / tires / body style / etc.

That was fun. We took that track apart and back together so many times we wore out the electrical connections and eventually only ended up with just enough to make a small oval at the end before I think they all got pitched...

Any of you girls have racetracks or enjoy gocarts / etc?

 

[Fluvial]

TD I don't think those racetrack thingys were out when I was of the age to play with them. My brother inherited a train set from our cousins, but the thing never worked right. All of us kids played with it.

One of the things I do remember playing with for hours on end was those colored blocks (kind of like this) that come in shapes including arches & columns. My brother and sisters and I would build elaborate cities and places for toy cars to drive around in. I found the building much more satisfying than playing with the cars.

I also loooved playing in the mud. We'd build tunnels and mud castles and all kinds of stuff. We'd play in the creeks too - catch crawfish and put 'em in coke bottles, build 'dams' with sticks - man, those were the days. If you were a kid with a bike, the world was your oyster.

I remember them having parties and for some reason I always remember them listening to the Tijuana Brass, and drinking Gibsons, like something out of "The Graduate." I also remember a lot of men with thick, black, horn-rimmed glasses and also some fellows that seemed like they were from Germany and India. I don't know, these memories are really clear to me.

Yes! Exactly!

I also have to crack up because I found an old newspaper clipping from the Caltech student newspaper, circa 1940-something. My dad went to grad school there, and my mom was a secretary there before she went to law school. It was a story about my mom from a series of stories about secretaries at Caltech called "Secs at Tech." What a bunch of nerds.

Heh.

 

[maryannette]

It's funny that when we were growing up, my 2 younger sisters made fun of me for being prissy. I lost that somewhere along the way. Feminine, yes. Prissy, no.

 

[tymr]

Any of you girls have racetracks or enjoy gocarts / etc?

I didn't actually own the racetrack but I did get to watch my brother play with his. J/K. Those racetrack sections hurt when you'd get smacked by one.

But now, my husband owns a race car. Still don't own the track, but the car's a pretty good runner up.

I totally dig gocarts. Whenever we were on family vacations, Dad would stop whenever he saw one off in the distance. He'd buy the first two rounds, then wait hours while us kids spent our hard earned money on the other rounds. He never told us it was time to go. He always let us decide when to throw in the towel.

 

[CivE Bricky]

I have a question - are any of us members of Society of Women Engineers (SWE)? Some friends of mine started having a monthly lunch and, little by little, most all of my female engineer colleagues have been invited. We are kicking around the idea of joining SWE and having a little Jackson group.

I belonged to SWE for maybe a year in college and went to perhaps 1/3 or 1/2 of the meetings. There is a chapter "near" me that meets perhaps an hour from work and 1.5 hours from home.....every so often I think about it, but don't follow through, partly because....

I'm very involved in ASCE. I've been on the executive board for 9-10 years and am about to start my second stint (5 years later) as section president. I have lots of plans - and a good board to follow through with them. ASCE is the whole reason I haven't confused my job with my career. It's such a pleasure to have (real) friends to bounce ideas with that aren't coworkers. It does take time investment to build real friendships - it doesn't happen with a meeting once or twice a year.... I also appreciate being able to call anyone in the country "on behalf of ASCE" or "an ASCE member seeking assistance"....and I'm in a position where I can truly change our local profession for the better. I literally don't think anyone could give me a technical problem that I couldn't get a great resource once or twice removed.....that's gold! My employer pays my membership, but I'd do it anyway if not.

 

[CivE Bricky]

on the how'd you grow up question - a mix for me:

3 or 4 years old - "I want to be a nurse. (the only moment in my life I had that answer.)" Seared into my brain is Dad's response, "you know, you could be a doctor if you want." "Nyah"

I had 3 younger brothers so I played with loads of boy toys. I got skiis first, had a great bike, tried loads of Dad's hobbies: (very short list) ham radio, electronics, bikes, xc skiing, motorcycles, sailing, power boats, waverunners, guns, archery, kayaking, skating, sledding, hiking, classic cars, driving sports cars, gardening, RC, kites, computers, etc. along with lots of mom's hobbies too - knitting sewing cooking baking, crafts, etc. Between the two of them I remember professionals hired once when I was a kid -- to help Dad rebuild a transmission. The built, fixed or made everything. They got interested in something and learned how. My dad had 5 brothers and a dad with hobbies similar to his - so I saw alot of that -- I've shot cannons for fun in the woods....Grandpa then one of my uncles owned the family biz - boat and motorcycle dealer -- we'd always borrow something to try every visit.

Negatives - I wasn't encouraged in team sports and the little I did I'd be dropped off for and picked up later. Dad didn't coach me or develop my skills. My 3 brothers got a mini-bike one Christmas and I wasn't included (and felt left out). I did ride it as much as they did. I was prepared academically for engineering, but not with some other associated skills (that I've since acquired).

As far as grade/high school, I was in environments where girls did great in math and science. I had no idea that some people thought they couldn't....I was flabbergasted when I first heard.

I liked girl stuff and boy stuff both.....still do.

ASCE did some research on women choosing a profession. We're real good at telling how hard engineering is -- but we're really bad at saying how creative, essential, rewarding it is - how much it helps people....that aspect is what grabs women (on average).

Like some others I took the ASVAB in high school - I had huge scores on 3D visualization, and spatial problems. Those skills are not typical of my gender, but I have them big-time. The question is -- are those skills innate, or did I develop them through experience? I have no idea.

 

[CivE Bricky]

PS. My mom wouldn't let me have Barbies.... :true: connection or not?

I once read an article arguing that it wasn't about Barbies vs. no Barbies but about what those Barbies did. The author's Barbie used her thigh high silver lame boots to fight fires......

 

[CivE Bricky]

I cannot participate in train discussions, I never had one or really wanted one. It was fun to see model trains when I visited places when I was younger.
I always had racetracks instead of trains. The smell of those little cars warming up and the sound they made going around the tracks. My brother and I would tear them apart and try to reassemble in different configurations to see which setup would be the fastest / tires / body style / etc.

That was fun. We took that track apart and back together so many times we wore out the electrical connections and eventually only ended up with just enough to make a small oval at the end before I think they all got pitched...

Any of you girls have racetracks or enjoy gocarts / etc?

We'd go see trains too - and one brother had some, but they got taken away when he was really rough with them -- then forgotten for way way too long. (He sets 'em up under the Xmas tree now.)

I love racetracks....toy and real.

Go carts -- YES!!!! (went for my wedding anniversary once)....motorcycles, boats, cars, anything.....I've been commuting an hour each way for too long, but still just get this thrill whenever I hit an accelerator. It's just FUN.... I got a motorcycle as an anniversary gift one year but got pregnant right after and although my husband rode it a bit, it didn't suit the daycare run lifestyle and we sold it. On sunny days I think about getting one again -- maybe when my oldest can drive.....and I become less responsible for kid transport.

 

[CivE Bricky]

Dad's hobbies: (very short list) ham radio, electronics, bikes, xc skiing, motorcycles, sailing, power boats, waverunners, guns, archery, kayaking, skating, sledding, hiking, classic cars, driving sports cars, gardening, RC, kites, computers, etc.

I forgot snowmobiles, flying, woodworking, camping, hi-fi, movies, video, photography, art, car repair, home remodeling, gardening. There was usually a new one or two every year....we didn't get bored.

It was quite the childhood - especially because my Dad would talk to just about anybody about anything -- the punk kid all about his guitar to the surfer about boards and waves, the hang glider about crashes, the scary biker about his Harley, to the museum owner about the antique fire equipment. I benefited a lot by just listening to those interactions.

 

[maryannette]

Is it just me, or are women more open to discussion about their lives?

 

[Supe]

Is it just me, or are women more open to discussion about their lives?

There's only so much about ***, beer, and flatulence that we men can discuss.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I like football and ****o and books about war...