Background - what I was doing at the time

From the start, at least up to "Crack tip stress-field simulations", I was working as an "agency temp" welder-fabricator in steel fabrications companies in the local economy.

All this work on FEA was done during weekends and on Bank Holidays (UK terminology - read that as "National holidays").
Typically I'd spend one day of the weekend entirely devoted to being sociable, while the other day(s) I'd study and play with FEA. While serving teas and coffee to myself and my ladyfriend, who was enjoying relaxing at home for her weekend.

I was between welding job assignments when I first started researching Finite Element Analysis (FEA) again, including looking at FEA programs to install on a personal computer.
In the previous welding job I'd been "thinking about things" and come to this inspiration.

The dip in the oil price had produced a lot of more engineers seeking engineering jobs that there were current jobs to be filled.

So I've been "on the tools" working as a welder-fabricator, in small local steel fabrications companies.

The advantages of such sojourns are several-fold

• when back as an engineer, your refreshed and developed practical skills and insights serve you well

• it pays the bills, giving you absolution
• it's actually rather good for the confidence and self-image being part of a Trade team, even if the work is really hard
• the work has its occasional challenges, exercising the mind
• it does keep you fit, give or take a few burns and bruises, given it's far harder work than going to a gym ever comes near
• you sleep like a log - the nights bring exactly what they are meant to bring
• the work has a lot of "getting into a groove" knocking-out multiple identical or very similar steel fabs. for this brutally high-paced work on low margins - which is perfect "rehab." for the head, as in those hours you can be in a very reflective free headspace
• your weekends are divine

All of these are conducive to the starting phase of this big advancement with Finite Element Analysis (FEA).
The meditative effect of long hours of "being in the groove" deserves special note. Given the necessary contribution of all the other effects, there is something special about this cleansing effect on the head and the intellect.

I should mention that the working week was made possible by my supportive ladyfriend, who placed a meal infront of me in the evening and made my sandwiches for work the next day. The brief evenings, where we only met over our evening meal, were divine.
The long commutes and long working hours as a welder, then when home immediately having to shower-off with water running dark down the plug-hole, left no other time or energy during the week.

(R. Smith, 18May2016)