Well I am kind of back anyway. I have an internet connection but my computer will not hook up to it. My wireless connection doesn't want to work and I can't find my disk to reinstall it. So for now I am using my laptop from home until I get my other computer figured out. What that means is no pictures for awhile until I get my other computer going. Or I will have to install the software in this computer so I can upload pictures, edit them and upload them to my photobucket site.
So what has happened since my crash. Well the stock market crashed with my internet connection, the Lions still haven't won a game, Michigan can't win a game, the Red Wings have started their defense of the Stanley Cup, the leaves have turned all sorts of colors here (if I could upload a picture I would show you), I passed the LEED test so now I am a LEED Accredited Professional, and the bears are still shi...............whoa stop right there, what did he say? What the hell is a LEED Accredited Professional?
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is part of the U.S. Green Building Council and they are responsible for expanding sustainable building practices that lead to responsible environmental design, energy efficient design and healthy working environments, blah, blah, blah.
I wanted to take this test for the past year and I finally decided to do it. Why? Well it gives me a little credibility among architects and engineers when it comes to designing energy efficient buildings. It means more opportunity for designing buildings for clients that are interested in energy efficiency and registering their buildings with LEED as being energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
I will admit anybody can take this test but it does help to know a little bit about building construction. It also helps if you have been through the LEED certification process too. The test isn't easy either (at least for me) only because it is closed book, only 34% pass the test. Now I know all you young ens out there will think big deal. Well it is a big deal because most test I take, at least in my profession, is open book, open notes. There isn't really any reason to memorize anything because in the real world you can always open a book to find out what you need to know.
My problem with closed book or memorization test is my brain or hard drive is already full. If I want to remember anything worth remembering I have to get rid of something from my memory. This isn't easy. I know I have all sorts of useless information floating around in my hard drive but you never know when I might need it. This is where I am like Grandma W I just can't throw nothing out. You never know when some of this information might become useful. Let's say you don't have any buttermilk to make your pancakes well I happen to know if you take a glass of milk and a tablespoon of lemon juiced or vinegar you can make a substitute for buttermilk. Or how about my old '72 Cutlass taking 5 quarts of oil whenever I changed the oil. I know useless information but if I ever run into someone with a 1972 Olds Cutlass and they want to know how many quarts of oil it takes I can tell them. Or how about the real dimensions of a 2x4 piece of lumber is really only 1-1/2" x 3-1/2"? I know who cares but you never know when it might come in handy.
So here is the problem my hard drive is full and how do I remember LEED info for a test? Easy, it's called RAM. That's right random access memory or the temporary memory I use when I am awake during the day. I crammed my head full a half hour before the test and I hoped I would be able to recall it when I needed it. It must have worked because I scored a 190 out of 200. When I left I did a brain dump and immediately forgot almost all I learned. Now just so you know I didn't just cram a half hour before the test I also spent a weekend and two nights reading and taking sample test. And just so you know I think I only passed one of the three sample test I had. I think the reason I didn't pass the sample test is I hadn't memorized anything yet.
Tonight I am happy because I agonized over this test for the last two months and it's finally over. It is like a big weight lifted off my shoulders. A month ago I got blamed for us losing two jobs because we didn't have a LEED AP person in our office. I got blamed because they expected me to be the person with the LEED AP. The real reason we lost the jobs is because the owners didn't go out aggressively enough to land the jobs for ourselves. They screwed up but they used me for the convenient scape goat. Needless to say as soon as a job opens up in either Michigan or back where I worked in Virginia I will be leaving here.
Well that's enough catching up for one night maybe tomorrow I can get back to football predictions.
5 comments:
that is awesome-congrats, that sounds really cool!
Congratulations!
Scott's brother took the LEED test, as well. He agrees that it was a tough test--he was actually the only one to pass from his group.
Congratulations! I know all about hard drive deficiencies, etc. Even when I went back a few years ago, very few of my tests were closed book. That's one nice thing about NU. They understood the older student. Glad it's over -- for both of us!
Mammel used to rely on me for my random useless container of facts in my head...Must be inherited.
and i thought getting my scrapbook layouts done every week was stressful.
here's some useless information.
p636108067577 that would be my mi drivers license number. why i still remember i don't know.
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