I made an attempt yesterday at using the espresso maker by myself...that was interesting. After mom gave me coffee for Christmas, Craig showed me how to use the thing, so I decided I was game for a solo effort. I put it all together very carefully and turned it on. It seemed to be functioning just fine, so I wandered away in search of the wall wart that belongs to the hand vac.
When I returned from the basement, the espresso maker was hissing angrily, and I stared at it for a few seconds, perplexed, before realizing the problem: my incorrect assumption that the steam valve had been closed when I removed it from the bag. It was enthusiastically steaming the counter and putting very little effort into making coffee.
This morning was another adventure in fail, as I forced my poor little car through the snow storm to school for my second day of classes. I made it to the parking garage and then slogged around the pond and up the hill to the science building...only to find it locked. The school was closed, but since I forgot my phone on the kitchen table when I left, I couldn't call the snow line to find out.
As I was walking back down the hill and around the pond, I had to stop and turn out of the wind to let my forehead thaw, and I found a little hidden patch of pond that hadn't iced over. There were a dozen or so Mallard ducks swimming around in circles. I know their feet are insulated and don't have much in the way of nerves, but I still had to wonder how they stay warm in that freezing water. I'd think they would want to migrate like Canada geese, but I guess they don't fly well enough. They were certainly a cheerful sight in the snow, either way.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Misbusadventure
Sunday morning was the flea, as usual. We hadn't been in several weeks, but this weekend I wanted to try and find a display for the jewelry I've been making, to help both with creation and with photography. None of the jewelry vendors at the flea were willing to part with theirs, but one recommended a vendor who actually sells them new. As it happened, he had just taken most of his stock back to Connecticut because it wasn't selling. Figures. If I had been one week earlier...but he did have a couple of small ones left, and though they're no good for fitting, they'll be useful for display for picture-taking purposes. When I get more pics taken I'll post again.
In bigger news (at least in my world), today was my first day of classes at UMass! My schedule includes no classes on Mondays, so I'm hoping I can work those days. On Tuesdays I have three classes, although today I only had two, because the first one was cancelled. That's CMPSCI 201, Architecture and Algorithms, which will start on Thursday. Today I had Calculus and Programming Methodology...and instant lessons in the local bus system.
Calculus is taught by a grad student, which in itself is a new experience for me. Keene was too small for the classes to ever be taught by students or TAs, and they don't have much of a grad program, anyway. (Are you supposed to refer to him as a professor?) Thought I kept up with class today, I got the distinct sense that that could change easily and quickly, so it was a little scary. After all, it has been two years since I took precalc, and my A was due more to the teacher's lenient grading than to my thorough understanding of the material. Translation: I aced it without a clue.
Prog Methods has two instructors, a main professor and an assistant professor, plus two TAs. Today's class was boring in the extreme, since we didn't actually do anything but listen to Prof A lecture about the syllabus, which are all the same anyway...grading percentages, don't cheat, don't plagiarize, turn your shit in on time, etc. etc. etc. Once again, though, I got the sense that it's going to pick up, and fast. It seems we're already expected to know just about everything there is to know about Java. Now, I've had three Java classes at Keene, and I consider myself pretty fluent in the creation and use of classes, passing parameters, syntax, and other basic stuff. Since Data Structures was in Java, I can also build quite a few of said structures in the language. But they never made use of some of the more advanced features, and from what I gathered from Mr. Prof., previous classes at UMass have. "We expect facility, not just familiarity..." plus a lot more. Oh well, I'll figure it out.
On to the bus adventure. Not only are parking stickers expensive, but UMass actually discourages the students from buying them, so I decided to do park-and-ride instead. I drive to Sunderland in the morning and park in the mini-mall across from the Cliffside Apartments, then take the bus to UMass. Getting there was no problem - in fact, I was half an hour early, and I took a few minutes to walk around and find the best way between my classroom buildings. Getting back, however, was not quite so easy.
From Sunderland, there's pretty much only one bus, maybe two, that pass by the stop. From UMass, every bus from just about everywhere goes by. I hopped on the one labeled 31, since that's supposedly my route number, but it just took me for a long ride down to the lower parking lots, out to some deserted corners of campus, and finally back to where I'd started. When I asked the driver what bus to take to Sunderland, she looked at me like I was stupid and said, "Take one labeled Sunderland." What do you know - that one took me where I wanted to go. I have no idea what happened to Route 31, though. It seems the routes on the map don't match the routes posted on the buses. What's the point?
In bigger news (at least in my world), today was my first day of classes at UMass! My schedule includes no classes on Mondays, so I'm hoping I can work those days. On Tuesdays I have three classes, although today I only had two, because the first one was cancelled. That's CMPSCI 201, Architecture and Algorithms, which will start on Thursday. Today I had Calculus and Programming Methodology...and instant lessons in the local bus system.
Calculus is taught by a grad student, which in itself is a new experience for me. Keene was too small for the classes to ever be taught by students or TAs, and they don't have much of a grad program, anyway. (Are you supposed to refer to him as a professor?) Thought I kept up with class today, I got the distinct sense that that could change easily and quickly, so it was a little scary. After all, it has been two years since I took precalc, and my A was due more to the teacher's lenient grading than to my thorough understanding of the material. Translation: I aced it without a clue.
Prog Methods has two instructors, a main professor and an assistant professor, plus two TAs. Today's class was boring in the extreme, since we didn't actually do anything but listen to Prof A lecture about the syllabus, which are all the same anyway...grading percentages, don't cheat, don't plagiarize, turn your shit in on time, etc. etc. etc. Once again, though, I got the sense that it's going to pick up, and fast. It seems we're already expected to know just about everything there is to know about Java. Now, I've had three Java classes at Keene, and I consider myself pretty fluent in the creation and use of classes, passing parameters, syntax, and other basic stuff. Since Data Structures was in Java, I can also build quite a few of said structures in the language. But they never made use of some of the more advanced features, and from what I gathered from Mr. Prof., previous classes at UMass have. "We expect facility, not just familiarity..." plus a lot more. Oh well, I'll figure it out.
On to the bus adventure. Not only are parking stickers expensive, but UMass actually discourages the students from buying them, so I decided to do park-and-ride instead. I drive to Sunderland in the morning and park in the mini-mall across from the Cliffside Apartments, then take the bus to UMass. Getting there was no problem - in fact, I was half an hour early, and I took a few minutes to walk around and find the best way between my classroom buildings. Getting back, however, was not quite so easy.
From Sunderland, there's pretty much only one bus, maybe two, that pass by the stop. From UMass, every bus from just about everywhere goes by. I hopped on the one labeled 31, since that's supposedly my route number, but it just took me for a long ride down to the lower parking lots, out to some deserted corners of campus, and finally back to where I'd started. When I asked the driver what bus to take to Sunderland, she looked at me like I was stupid and said, "Take one labeled Sunderland." What do you know - that one took me where I wanted to go. I have no idea what happened to Route 31, though. It seems the routes on the map don't match the routes posted on the buses. What's the point?
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Chainmaille
I promised a couple of posts ago to put up pictures of the jewelry I've been making. Today I finally took said pictures, so here they are! Any feedback on the jewelry (or on the pictures) is appreciated, as I'm hoping to sell some of it. Let me know what you like and don't like.
(Click on the pictures for larger versions.)
Rondo a la Byzantine - bracelet in silver
Picture 2
Picture 3
Rondo a la Byzantine - choker in nickel silver and blackened steel
Picture 2
Picture 3
Möbius Roses - bracelet in aluminum and anodized aluminum
Picture 2
European 4-in-1 - earrings in silver (no backings yet)
Turkish Orbital - necklace in silver with quartz beads (unfinished)
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
Star design in silver - folds into a ring
(Click on the pictures for larger versions.)
Rondo a la Byzantine - bracelet in silver
Picture 2
Picture 3
Rondo a la Byzantine - choker in nickel silver and blackened steel
Picture 2
Picture 3
Möbius Roses - bracelet in aluminum and anodized aluminum
Picture 2
European 4-in-1 - earrings in silver (no backings yet)
Turkish Orbital - necklace in silver with quartz beads (unfinished)
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
Star design in silver - folds into a ring
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Poker and Blackjack
I'm looking forward to next week, when I should have something actually interesting to say. The most interesting thing to happen yesterday was me placing 25th out of 744 players in an online poker tournament (you're forgiven for the yawn), and then watching the movie 21, about the students from MIT who learned to count cards and took Vegas for millions of dollars.
The really interesting parts weren't in the actual movie, though. Firstly, MGM Grand, one of the casinos who got taken by the students, actually bought the production rights to the movie. They figured it would actually make them their money back, between movies sales and encouraging more people to come and try to count cards. The theory is simple, but not everyone's mind actually works like that. They probably did pretty well.
Secondly, as a special feature on the DVD, there was a tutorial on card-counting! I guess MGM wanted people to get as cocky as possible before taking a swipe at them. I can't imagine all the casinos were happy about that, but there's nothing they can do...it's out there now. And while the theory of card-counting makes sense to me now, and I might even be good at it (programmer's mind), I have no interest in blackjack. I'm really a poker nut. I'd rather win a million in a WPT tourney than steal it from a casino and then get the shit beat out of me by security. After all, what's the point of winning money if you have to turn right around and spend it on medical bills?
Oh, and a note I forgot to put in that last random entry: NaNoFiMo was a total fail. I expected it would be, so I'm not bothered about it. I'll finish the novel when I feel like it. I know, I can hear the voices..."Yeah, that's what they all say, you'll never finish it." I have only this protest: I did finish my last one, three months after the end of NaNoWriMo.
The really interesting parts weren't in the actual movie, though. Firstly, MGM Grand, one of the casinos who got taken by the students, actually bought the production rights to the movie. They figured it would actually make them their money back, between movies sales and encouraging more people to come and try to count cards. The theory is simple, but not everyone's mind actually works like that. They probably did pretty well.
Secondly, as a special feature on the DVD, there was a tutorial on card-counting! I guess MGM wanted people to get as cocky as possible before taking a swipe at them. I can't imagine all the casinos were happy about that, but there's nothing they can do...it's out there now. And while the theory of card-counting makes sense to me now, and I might even be good at it (programmer's mind), I have no interest in blackjack. I'm really a poker nut. I'd rather win a million in a WPT tourney than steal it from a casino and then get the shit beat out of me by security. After all, what's the point of winning money if you have to turn right around and spend it on medical bills?
Oh, and a note I forgot to put in that last random entry: NaNoFiMo was a total fail. I expected it would be, so I'm not bothered about it. I'll finish the novel when I feel like it. I know, I can hear the voices..."Yeah, that's what they all say, you'll never finish it." I have only this protest: I did finish my last one, three months after the end of NaNoWriMo.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Random Stuff
Every time I glance back over my previous posts, I find glaring omissions. That's what I get for doing so much damn stuff - I forget to keep up with it all. I'll throw in a few updates here, or at least some random interesting stuff.
I did manage to make all A's last semester. I don't know how I did it, except by panicking for the entire month of November, but somehow it happened. My GPA went up by .093...not like it matters, since I get to start all over again at UMass. They transfer credits but not grades.
The NaNo story still hasn't been finished, and I suspect it will be a while, although I still have ever intention of getting it done. I think it's sitting around 52k right now, and I'm taking a well-deserved break. While I was writing, Craig suggested that I give dad a cameo appearance, since he died two days before I began writing. At first I said no, but writing has its own personality and often gets away from you. I ended up putting in the cameo without even meaning to, as my character got hit by a car and dad stepped out of a crowd in the city and called an ambulance for her.
Grandma's brother Jim died on New Year's Day, after suffering from brain cancer for quite a while. We went to visit him in the nursing home while we were in New York, but Craig and I didn't go in, since he didn't know Craig and wouldn't have remembered me. Grandma was a mess, having lost her son, her grandson (my cousin Ben), and her brother in from October to January. I know she was glad to have visitors, although of course everyone's back to their homes now. At least Paul and Jacky still live close by.
After going to all the effort to get Elvis to write me a letter of recommendation to the computer science department at UMass, during orientation yesterday I declared my major. Apparently that was all it took. The professor/advisor asked if I wanted to declare so that he wouldn't have to override me into all the CS courses, and I said yes. They filled out the paperwork for me, and it was done. Was it really that easy? I hope so.
Speaking of orientations, the intro to the new job is on February 3rd. I was told to "bring a pen and an open mind - learn a lot." Michael said there would be 60-70 people at each of two orientations that day. That's a lot of employees. The only other place I've ever worked for that was so big was the Dining Commons at KSC. I'm looking forward to starting. When I'm bored, I cause trouble...and I've been really bored lately. I can only watch so much TV, and though I could chainmaille all day long, I have very limited money (none) with which to buy supplies.
On the subject of TV, I'm being distracted by the new show Destroyed in Seconds...I'll be back another time!
I did manage to make all A's last semester. I don't know how I did it, except by panicking for the entire month of November, but somehow it happened. My GPA went up by .093...not like it matters, since I get to start all over again at UMass. They transfer credits but not grades.
The NaNo story still hasn't been finished, and I suspect it will be a while, although I still have ever intention of getting it done. I think it's sitting around 52k right now, and I'm taking a well-deserved break. While I was writing, Craig suggested that I give dad a cameo appearance, since he died two days before I began writing. At first I said no, but writing has its own personality and often gets away from you. I ended up putting in the cameo without even meaning to, as my character got hit by a car and dad stepped out of a crowd in the city and called an ambulance for her.
Grandma's brother Jim died on New Year's Day, after suffering from brain cancer for quite a while. We went to visit him in the nursing home while we were in New York, but Craig and I didn't go in, since he didn't know Craig and wouldn't have remembered me. Grandma was a mess, having lost her son, her grandson (my cousin Ben), and her brother in from October to January. I know she was glad to have visitors, although of course everyone's back to their homes now. At least Paul and Jacky still live close by.
After going to all the effort to get Elvis to write me a letter of recommendation to the computer science department at UMass, during orientation yesterday I declared my major. Apparently that was all it took. The professor/advisor asked if I wanted to declare so that he wouldn't have to override me into all the CS courses, and I said yes. They filled out the paperwork for me, and it was done. Was it really that easy? I hope so.
Speaking of orientations, the intro to the new job is on February 3rd. I was told to "bring a pen and an open mind - learn a lot." Michael said there would be 60-70 people at each of two orientations that day. That's a lot of employees. The only other place I've ever worked for that was so big was the Dining Commons at KSC. I'm looking forward to starting. When I'm bored, I cause trouble...and I've been really bored lately. I can only watch so much TV, and though I could chainmaille all day long, I have very limited money (none) with which to buy supplies.
On the subject of TV, I'm being distracted by the new show Destroyed in Seconds...I'll be back another time!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Sorry So Long
It has been brought to my attention that I've apparently dropped off the face of the earth...wow, where'd I go??
Hehe. Sorry to anyone that missed me. I've been so caught up in doing absolutely nothing that I've done, well, nothing. I didn't wake up before noon for about two weeks, which was great, except for the part where I could no longer go to sleep when I went to bed again at midnight. I wish I could store up sleep in advance.
Anyway, trip to New York was fine, pretty quiet. Like all families, they're wonderful for the first 24 to 48 hours, and then you want to get the hell out. Fortunately we were only there about four days. After we came home, Craig and I spent a couple of days doing basically nothing at all, and then two more days madly cleaning the entire house top to bottom. I thought I was going to die afterwards of the resulting allergy attack, even though I was smart enough to wear a dust mask, but damn does the house look nice. We have a kitchen table again! And a kitchen! And an entire sofa!
Since Alex was home from Virginia on winter break, I convinced her to come down for a visit. She bargained with her brother to borrow his Jeep and came down Saturday night. Original plans were to go snowboarding on Sunday, but she couldn't find her boots and I was still suffering the deathly allergy attack, so we decided on option B: go to the shooting range. Smith & Wesson is never a bad choice.
Alex did pretty well for having never shot a gun before. Okay, we probably shouldn't have started her with the .40....but she survived to make friends with the .22, which has now become known as the "happy dance gun." I seem to remember that the .45 was my HDG the first time Craig took me shooting. The .38, however, is going to be mine when I get my license, so that's the one I practiced with the most.
On Friday, since we missed snowboarding the first time, we actually went. The Jeep was in the shop, so I drove up to New Hampshire and we went to Pat's Peak. It's a small place, but perfect for beginners and for getting back on your feet. It was my first boarding adventure in three years or so, and had been longer for Alex, but we did pretty well. Craig didn't go, since he had to work, but he wasn't too jealous of the boarding...until he heard we were having dinner at my mom's house. That resulted in pouty puppy eyes and a request for a doggy bag.
This weekend was quiet, because Craig's been really sick for a week now, although we did have a low-key pizza party on Saturday night. Marie was there, along with Craig's friends Larry and April, Josh and Mary, and Ed. Snaric couldn't make it, so I went up to Keene yesterday to visit him. We had brunch and then pretty much spent the day, between the craft store and his house, talking chainmaille. It's a craft that I learned because I got paid to do it, then forgot about it when I quit the job, and have now picked up again because it's enormous fun. When I have a chance I'll post some pictures of the stuff I've been doing lately.
Today was probably the busiest day I've had in a month or so: the New Student Orientation at UMass. Check-in was at 8:30am (why??). That was followed by an overview of the day, some basic information, some more overview, some shuttling us around to different rooms, asking about various intended majors, more shuttling around, and finally being told that my advising appointment was at 1:00pm, and there was nothing for me to do. This was at 10:20am. I got my picture taken for my ID, then found a sofa and did some chainmailling for an hour or so. I took a wander through the resources fair when it was put up, found nothing of interest, had a slice of pizza in the Blue Wall, then went to advising.
After two and a half years of school, I've gotten pretty good at picking out a schedule that includes all required courses and doesn't necessitate that I get up obscenely early - and I can generally do it fast. But UMass has this clever little thing that they call "discussions." This means that you choose a class, fit it into your schedule, sign up for it...and then realize that it's got a fourth session on a random day at a random time that interferes with another class. So you start over. Repeat. And repeat.
When you get tired of this, you finally call over one of the helpers, who has you signed up for macroeconomics in three minutes, and you settle for it because even though that's not a class you wanted, it fits in the time block sheet. Then you remember that you have no honors courses, so you go to honors advising, and have to find a place in that wonderful block sheet for an honors course. All this time you're trying to keep your number of credits down to avoid total panic when the semester actually begins...
I hate SPIRE. I hate discussions and I haven't even been to one yet. Somehow I'm still looking forward to this. I must be nuts.
Oh yeah, and I officially have a job! I pretty much backed into a job as a waitress at Buffalo Wild Wings, a chain in the south that's starting to come up north. The place doesn't open until February 16th, but at least I know I'll have work when they do.
Hehe. Sorry to anyone that missed me. I've been so caught up in doing absolutely nothing that I've done, well, nothing. I didn't wake up before noon for about two weeks, which was great, except for the part where I could no longer go to sleep when I went to bed again at midnight. I wish I could store up sleep in advance.
Anyway, trip to New York was fine, pretty quiet. Like all families, they're wonderful for the first 24 to 48 hours, and then you want to get the hell out. Fortunately we were only there about four days. After we came home, Craig and I spent a couple of days doing basically nothing at all, and then two more days madly cleaning the entire house top to bottom. I thought I was going to die afterwards of the resulting allergy attack, even though I was smart enough to wear a dust mask, but damn does the house look nice. We have a kitchen table again! And a kitchen! And an entire sofa!
Since Alex was home from Virginia on winter break, I convinced her to come down for a visit. She bargained with her brother to borrow his Jeep and came down Saturday night. Original plans were to go snowboarding on Sunday, but she couldn't find her boots and I was still suffering the deathly allergy attack, so we decided on option B: go to the shooting range. Smith & Wesson is never a bad choice.
Alex did pretty well for having never shot a gun before. Okay, we probably shouldn't have started her with the .40....but she survived to make friends with the .22, which has now become known as the "happy dance gun." I seem to remember that the .45 was my HDG the first time Craig took me shooting. The .38, however, is going to be mine when I get my license, so that's the one I practiced with the most.
On Friday, since we missed snowboarding the first time, we actually went. The Jeep was in the shop, so I drove up to New Hampshire and we went to Pat's Peak. It's a small place, but perfect for beginners and for getting back on your feet. It was my first boarding adventure in three years or so, and had been longer for Alex, but we did pretty well. Craig didn't go, since he had to work, but he wasn't too jealous of the boarding...until he heard we were having dinner at my mom's house. That resulted in pouty puppy eyes and a request for a doggy bag.
This weekend was quiet, because Craig's been really sick for a week now, although we did have a low-key pizza party on Saturday night. Marie was there, along with Craig's friends Larry and April, Josh and Mary, and Ed. Snaric couldn't make it, so I went up to Keene yesterday to visit him. We had brunch and then pretty much spent the day, between the craft store and his house, talking chainmaille. It's a craft that I learned because I got paid to do it, then forgot about it when I quit the job, and have now picked up again because it's enormous fun. When I have a chance I'll post some pictures of the stuff I've been doing lately.
Today was probably the busiest day I've had in a month or so: the New Student Orientation at UMass. Check-in was at 8:30am (why??). That was followed by an overview of the day, some basic information, some more overview, some shuttling us around to different rooms, asking about various intended majors, more shuttling around, and finally being told that my advising appointment was at 1:00pm, and there was nothing for me to do. This was at 10:20am. I got my picture taken for my ID, then found a sofa and did some chainmailling for an hour or so. I took a wander through the resources fair when it was put up, found nothing of interest, had a slice of pizza in the Blue Wall, then went to advising.
After two and a half years of school, I've gotten pretty good at picking out a schedule that includes all required courses and doesn't necessitate that I get up obscenely early - and I can generally do it fast. But UMass has this clever little thing that they call "discussions." This means that you choose a class, fit it into your schedule, sign up for it...and then realize that it's got a fourth session on a random day at a random time that interferes with another class. So you start over. Repeat. And repeat.
When you get tired of this, you finally call over one of the helpers, who has you signed up for macroeconomics in three minutes, and you settle for it because even though that's not a class you wanted, it fits in the time block sheet. Then you remember that you have no honors courses, so you go to honors advising, and have to find a place in that wonderful block sheet for an honors course. All this time you're trying to keep your number of credits down to avoid total panic when the semester actually begins...
I hate SPIRE. I hate discussions and I haven't even been to one yet. Somehow I'm still looking forward to this. I must be nuts.
Oh yeah, and I officially have a job! I pretty much backed into a job as a waitress at Buffalo Wild Wings, a chain in the south that's starting to come up north. The place doesn't open until February 16th, but at least I know I'll have work when they do.
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