It is my first day on call. Each intern is assigned a week to be "on call" which entitles that lucky individual the responsibility to taking care of anything that happens after hours. It started today with Nynke tossing me a janitorial sized mass of keys. I thought, no problem, I mean what could really go wrong right? That. was. dumb.
Today was a long one that spawned one thumper headache. I was psyched to get home and kick my shoes off and lay on my bed. I guess I had been laying there for about 14 minutes when my phone rang and Corinna (the admin intern) told me that she was locking up at main site and that I would need to be in contact with someone to do the 'walk around' if I can't. I thanked her for taking care of this for me and laid my head back down. About 45 seconds later the phone rings again with Corinna saying that there is a problem with the generator. Purfect. So I throw my shoes on and hike to main site. I got there with my clod of metal called a key ring and began toward the generator.
Corinna showed me what it was doing, trying to start but, not catching the juice to kick off. I thought right away that it was fuel starved and checked the fuel (diesel). All was well there, plenty to be had. So Corinna called the 'electrician' Douglas, I swear that I, a scientist, am more artistic than he is electrician. As far as I saw it this was way more auto mechanics than electric. Anyway, Douglas gets to the site and we open the puppy up. Cracked open the back hatch which revealed an oh so simple disconnect on the out side of the fuel filter.
It was one of those little pinchy type clamps that had slipped. No real surprise there. So Jeff, one of the drivers, brought a bundle of end wrenches and a pair of old, busted up pliers. We took the housing off to allow clean access to the fuel filter and began looking for a solution to keep that bad boy on there as this was the top side and gravity was working against it. I asked Douglas if he had any wire and he ran to the tool shed. He returned with piece of steel wire perfect for a make-shift clamp. Those crappy old pliers were more than enough to fix some tension around that tubing. We fired if up and all was well. Douglas loosened the fuel rail nuts to let any air out of the system and we buttoned everything back up.
There I was hands covered in diesel and grease and I have to tell you... It was GREAT! I miss that so much! This thing was not so much different from the the old Massey engine, Pop! Feels so good to fix things especially when you get to do it in Africa with nothing but the basics. I really really needed a win after this past week of having a clean sheet so far as victories/successes are concerned. So the generator is back online and I will not get a call this even (I hope) about the power shutting down and the back up power failing.
The procedure for taking care of the lab should the power go down for an extended period of time is reeeeheeeaallly ugly. All samples have to be moved form main site to the back up freezers at IAVI. The minus eighties, the minus twenties and the fridges. I am thankful that there are no cryo-freezers over there, those samples are kind of intimidating.
Speaking of, Kahler and I had to QC a box of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the minus one-ninety. LN2 is neat stuff, even if it is simultaneously terrifying. The repository manager handles it like it's nothing while I am useless as I watch the drops dance around on the floor boiling like mad. It's like mercury that will give you frost-bite in a heartbeat. So I got to pull samples out of the cryogenic bath and call IDs to Kahler. We have big gloves that keep us from any harm. Real fun!
So i have been home for a bit now and have eaten some of these little spring roll things that are super easy and taste delightful. My McD diet is suffering here though I do not think that my body is so sad, haha. Well I am going to let my body get some rest before I have to get up to unlock the main site building for everyone... Did I mention that I am on call?
I have a Mosi and some Third Eye Blind going, all is pretty great right now.
Good job!
ReplyDeleteSo now, you just go down to the local hardware store and get a good replacement clamp, right?
Love
Uncle Bill
Way to go, Jake (aka MacGyver/Cruise/Pele)
ReplyDeleteYou gotta know your Uncle Mikey and pap are proud of you! There is something good about greasy hands and the hum of- and smell of- a once silent and inoperative engine now doing its job. Your narrative reminded me of clearing a completely clogged fuel filter in an old/abused Chevy in the middle of Former Governor Dolph Brsicoe's 500,000 acre South Texas ranch with nothing but a pocket knife and a leatherman, and of course an abundance of (worthless, hand-wringing) watchers. We were 15 miles from anywhere and that old clunker souunded like a finely tuned Massey-Fergusson (or '88 Honda)) when it got fuel to the carb!
Liquid nitrogen is like hot coffee (this coffee is hot like fire!) compared to liquid helium (2 - 4 Degrees Kelvin) BUT neither are beneficial for anything near/on your skin...I know you'll be careful.
A couple of end wrenches, screwdrivers and worm clamps might be a good addition to the next package? let us know.
L O V E you a bunch
pappy
Yay Third Eye Blind!!!!! Four more days, Darlin'. Sunday's comin'. :) xxxooo
ReplyDeleteYeah, Mosi! I'm so glad you have found something enjoyable to sip on other than just Fanta and Coke :) Umm...I'm sorry I just got extremely distracted by the guy outside my building who just started banging on the window of my neighbors below me...I swear he could be Antoine Dodson's cousin, "...hide yo kids, hide yo wife...man, for real." I kid you not...oh snap, that was epic. Ok, and now I have completely lost my train of thought, so I will leave you with this: props, yo! Way to fix things and make it awesome. And, this is your last week with psycho lady - you can do it! Later, jerl :]
ReplyDelete