Wednesday, Septemper 22, 2010

     Well, this is my first blog post I have ever written, and I'm not quite sure how exactly this is gonna go.  I guess that I will just start out writing about different things about me and what I'm into.  I am a 22 year old college student at the University of Toledo.  I am studying for a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology and hope that after college I will be able to find a position either in the automotive engineering/design field or somehow manage to create my own automotive/tuning shop.

     I have a real love for bare-bones racing where raw talent, proper car setup, and almost luck of the draw are what define a winning career.  I really enjoy watching Formula 1, American le Mans Series, Formula GT1, and the British Touring Car Championship.  All of which really spur my love for auto-racing and true automotive performance.  I hope that in the next couple years after college that I will be able to build a spec Mazda Miata and begin my racing career.

     I know that some people may think, "Why set goals that may never be reached, why not just settle for a good paying job so that you can live the 'good life'?", but I have never really been one to enjoy going along with the crowd.  I can not stand when people look for the easiest way out of something, even tho it means more work.  And frankly, if the jobs I am offered don't offer me any rewards, I more than likely will not take them.

     Over the summer of 2009, I was unable to hold a summer job at BF Goodrich due to the economy, when the company laid off 30 full time employees which meant that summer help had to go first.  But on the up side of this bad news, was the fact that I was able to work with my uncles who farm.  I basically started showing up and helping, since when I was younger, my brothers and I would just show up and go for rides, and more than likely just get in the way; but I figured since I now could help out that I would, I never asked for money or any compensation, I just wanted to work and learn.  I never thought that I would really find a love in anything out on the farm, but I really did.

     I fell in love with working with my hands and actually seeing something being accomplished before my eyes.  It was so rewarding to begin the day working on a something that appeared to be a big job at first, but then tearing into it and at the end of the day it was up and running and heading back to the field to continue working.  I know that I never really did anything major like rebuild a blown up motor, or tear down a major piece of machinery, at least  not on my own, but I helped with projects and it still was so rewarding.

     Another thing I fell in love with is actually physically chopping down a tree.  Now I don't mean I went and dug out the chainsaw, oiled it up and went to town on a tree; I mean I grabbed an axe, sharpened it up and went to town on a tree.  And if it was just trimming a tree I would devise the best way possible to trim it up and grab the pole saw and get cutting.  I have had so many people just stand there in awe by the fact that I would rather actually do physical labor and tire myself out rather than take the easy way out just to finish not out of breath and much quicker.

     I am not really sure how well this is all going to read or how it will work out, but I hope to acquire some sort of schedule and possibly different topics to discuss in my future posts, but until then, that's all I have for now.