Category Archives: Personal Blog

Entries from my personal journal

Personal Blog

Day 3

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Furnace building good so far. I think a lot of the heavy lifting is winding down, as Tuesday I was tossing bricks out of a dumpster, and today I was merely mortaring them.

(Regarding the dumpster tossing bit. Our dumpster was so heavy after we’d thrown out bricks from the old furnace that the dumpster truck man couldn’t lift it. Yes, we shut down the dumpster guy. Curiously enough, whenever I tell someone about this, the general response is of enthusiastic congratulations, often accompanied by a cheer, as if the dumpster man were some great symbol of human repression, and we defied him by making the dumpster too heavy. Our reward was to have to climb back in the dumpster and throw bricks out to lighten it ¬_¬ )

Projected results of this term:

good–I’m going to be so buff that I’ll be able to lift cars over my head on a regular basis

bad–I think I’m going to end up with permanent respirator lines in my face.

Personal Blog

Day 1

Well, the first day of the winter term is over and the second one beginning, and so far my judgment is…it’s going to be a loooooooooong three weeks.

Don’t get me wrong, rebuilding this furnace is going to be awesome, I learned so much in just the first day! But it’s going to be physically taxing, and I can see myself thoroughly exhausted by the time it’s all over.

On the upside, my theory about all physical labor and no outside work was correct. I work from 9-12 in the morning, and often 1-4, but after that, nothing else. No homework or papers to fret about, and the evenings are devoted to rest and play. That time will probably fill up with my stage management duties to D Flo’s plays, but I have no real worries there.

In other news, someone is visiting Centre this week, someone I’ve missed very much since they graduated. Everyone’s favorite demon-llama, the one and only Ian Jones is back on campus for awhile, and I got to see him again for the first time last night. It was a joyous reunion.

Stay tuned!

Games and Game Development, Personal Blog

Home again…er…no wait…

The move back to school was successful, and my room is clean for perhaps the first and last time in a term. Yesterday kicked off with an enthusiastic reunion between Brendan, D Flo, Ken and myself, and we celebrated with many hugs, since the heat in Rodes was out and it was frickin freezing.

We then proceeded to rearrange the living room, and skipped off to see Eric Abele, who had returned to us from a long fall term in Strausbourg, complete with residual German accent.

It was a perfect time, as we were all together back in the safety and convenience of the college bubble, but no classes yet with which to worry us. It’s my favorite time. D Flo is trying to corrupt me by getting me to start Final Fantasy Tactics, even though I’ve not finished Chrono Cross yet and already broke my oath by starting Legend of Dragoon (I’m one of those one-rpg-at-a-time people), and Brendan brought back the next volume of Bone, hooray!

Overall, the night was exquisitely joyous, as I’d missed everyone immensely over break. In fact, the only downside is that even though we went to Walmart, I was so excited about the fun of the reunion that I only bought a box of Clementines and a Pomegranate, both of which I left over at Rodes…and I’m STARVING x_x

Games and Game Development, Personal Blog

2002

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2002, what a weird year. Well, I suppose I’ll do a little recap, for me more than anything, I suppose. I have a tendency to think in terms of ‘school years’ as opposed to real years, so it’s helpful to do little things like this.

– 2002 kicked off with my study-abroad trip to England, where I traveled from Manchester to London and many places in between, and saw 30 plays in 3 1/2 weeks. My birthday had its ups and downs, the down being I had to sit through a Pinter play, the up being that I got to go to Riki Tiki Tavi’s, the most awesome restaurant in Manchester, and have the best vanilla milkshake in the world.

– Spring term of 2002 was a rough one for me. I’d flown in from England late one night, and the next day had to move back to school. The lack of rest and busiest term I’d had so far wore me down quite a bit. I was really unprepared for the stresses of taking 2 studio art classes at once, but I managed through.

– On the up side, I had a lot of fun that spring term. I remember my Monday night 9-midnight glassblowing slot with Ian. Neither of us had class the next morning, so after our blowslot we’d drive over to Jen’s apartment, where I would make pancakes and Dr. Mario tournaments would take place.

– I got to be really good friends with Andrew that term. Seeing my beloved senior friends graduate was tough. Ian, Andrew, Liz, Nate, Sara…everyone, I really missed them, but had great times with them

– Summer 2002. Not quite as eventful as the summer before. I did manage some visits to see my friends, and it was the first summer I actually sold art. I did rather well, selling quite a bit of my glass, I was very excited!

– Fall 2002. Junior year started off rather strangely. I solidified and grew strong friendships with different people, namely D Flo, Brendan, Ken, and Squirt. This year has been eventful and fun-filled, if not DRIPPING with DRAMA. I remember being terrified of having an independent study in glass with Woody, Arijan, and Ken (who are all way way talented), but it turned out for the best for me.

– 2002 wrapped up with New Year’s with friends. I’m glad I got to see kenmoore before he goes off to Italy. My resolution this year is to expand on my other talents, especially getting over my fear of playing the piano.

Have a great year, everyone!

Personal Blog

Hooray for dinner parties!

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Last night was great fun! I had belladonnarosa and elwe over for dinner. Last minute plans are always the most fun! I have found that I love very much to cook, and have resolved to do it more often. In addition to the tasty curry-chicken-potato-rice-and-chickpea dish, we roasted marshmallows on my parents’ new outdoor fireplace (better known as the large metal cage….OF FIRE!!!). It was an enjoyable experience.

if you want the curry chicken recipe..

Personal Blog

Christmas-y Goodness, part III

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I found out this morning what was in the big, mysterious box, and it wasn’t a sweater.

It was a digital camera! Talk about unexpected ^_^ It was a great surprise. Also, as a Christmas gift to the world, I gave my site a major overhaul. I did it very late, though, and was quite exhausted when it was all uploaded, so I did not have the energy to double check for mishaps. Perhaps I’ll have time for that tomorrow. Anyhow, here it is!

About Me

Personal Blog

Christmas-y Goodness, Part II

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I came home tonight in a great snow. Big, gigantor-flaked snow that makes you giddy and disoriented to walk through, I love it!

Anyway, I was finishing wrapping a few pieces of glass and putting them under the tree, when I noticed a rather large box with my name on it! This has me totally baffled, I have *no* idea what it could be. I didn’t even really ask for anything this year, I was so busy this term that I couldn’t think of anything I wanted…anything I *needed* even, just gift certificates when i was pressed to come up with something.

(I like gift certificates, because if I get money as a gift, it goes straight to the bank. It’s a result of habit, and having too many options to buy something and not being able to settle. I suppose, in the long run, it’s a good thing, hehe).

So this Christmas I am experiencing some of the excited curiosity that I held when I was younger. It’s great, just the sensation. I mean, it could end up being a sweater in a big box, but I would still be grateful that it inspired such childlike giddiness in me for this next day, it’s a feeling a really miss around the Christmas season.

Family celebrations start tonight, have a Merry Christmas everyone!

Personal Blog

Christmas-y goodness

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Being home on break, I was afraid the lonely bug would get to me, but it has been sufficiently squashed this weekend. Some old high school friends came over for some catching up and fun and games, and tonight Dave and I kidnapped each other to go see Spirited Away.

I have many a piece of glass to wrap up tomorrow (it seems that 30-60% of fall term glass ends up as Christmas presents, of the rest, most is snatched up by my parents as soon as I unpack them, leaving 1-2% in my personal collection x_x).

Unfortunately, I found a set of pieces I intend to give away that I forgot to sign! Dooooh!!!!!! >_< If only I had an engraver. I'm trying to think of something else I can use to sign them, because I'd like to wrap tomorrow. At any rate, the Christmas busy-week begins tomorrow, after that I'll find another lull in activity. If all goes well, I'll have my big site re-vamp finished and up after Christmas. We shall see. Have loverly holidays everyone!

Personal Blog

Meow!

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No Christmas tree is too tough for our little Choppi!

It’s actually a vivid reminder of when we first found her, we had to brave the treacherous branches of a huge evergreen bush outside the dining hall to reach her.

Personal Blog

Oh, bloody hell

By the end of finals week, I was fully rested and fully recovered, and a good thing too, for yesterday I got an email from an old high school acquaintance whom I hadn’t heard from since graduation. It seems her aunt was having a difficult pregnancy; they needed O negative blood and she found out from another friend that was my blood type, and asked if I could donate.

That was no problem (although I must say, it did kinda creep me out that old highschool friends know my blood type), so I put aside my Saturday plans to go donate. Us O- kids have to stick together.

Blood donations are somewhat up in the air for me, they can either be problem-free or really really bad, so it always makes me slightly nervous. One thing that puzzles me is how much the finger prick bothers me. It shouldn’t, logically, as I cut myself on a regular basis working with glass, it shouldn’t be any big deal at all. Strange.

Anyway, this time the donation went well, but I am always flustered at how slow it takes me. Perhaps it’s low blood pressure or low pulse, but two people sat down after me and finished several minutes before I was even close! Not fair!! Still, I was thankful that there were no problems this time.

And yet, a good donation does not get me off the hook, it still drains a lot out of me (ha ha!). Even after a good donation, I’m generally reduced to a shivering mass of protoplasm, unable to use the arm I gave out of for several hours. That doesn’t matter, though, as I fell asleep for at least 6. This is also quite unfair, especially when there are people like Nate, who can hop in, donate a pint, then go out and play a game of Ultimate Frisbee right away.

My dad suggested I look into apherisis, since I have such a problem with the donation affecting me, because you don’t lose any blood volume. He gives platelets quite regularly, so perhaps I’ll check that out.

At any rate, I’m still a bit drained and woosy, so I think I’ll go sleep for another day and a half. I am on break, afterall.