I'm going to be honest and just say at this point I'm not entirely sure what I've been doing. I have been doing push ups and jogging around during the day between buildings. But with the lack of sleep and time, I have just lost track of what day and how much.
So I guess a quick summing up is in order. Finally had my final. I think I did fine and all, but I wouldn't bet my fin. All this stress has been crazing. Finalizing my room clean up, watching Adventure Time with Jack, Finn, all the gang.
Okay, that's enough of that. I have in the past three days read Almost, Maine, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, ore of Foundation, and a choose your own adventure Adventure Time comic. My writing has been almost strictly school related. Java programming and the like.
Last night I went down to the radio station. I just meant to find more music to enjoy, but no one was around for hours, so I just jumped on the board and had an unauthorized broadcast of my show. It was a lot of fun, and might maybe do it again tonight.
I will probably make another post later tonight. Maybe. It all depends on if I can get any creative writing done, or read something I want to rant about. Soon begins the summer internship, and plenty of night time to read and write. Honestly cannot wait.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
May the Fourth be with you, and Happy Cinco De Mayo
Day 4 TL;DR - Read more of Foundation, wrote more about 1100 words for most finished novel, jogged a mile as best I could. No blog post, day was rather relaxed and not much happened.
Day 5 TL;DR - Did an entire semester's worth of homework for a class in less than a day. And on no sleep. That was basically my day.
I did not get any sleep between the 4th and 5th. I had planned to stay up and work on homework, but that obviously didn't happen. *shrug* Just goes to show you, stay off reddit.
Around 9am I went over to the dining hall. I sat by the window wall the same way I did a few days before to study for the exam. I did assignment after assignment, writing out continually for hours. I left the dining hall once to go to another building and did the same thing there but at least it was with my gf. Not the best bonding time, but it was something.
I went through an entire pen's worth of ink plus. This post is not going to be as long. Aside from the HW nothing really happened.
Day 5 TL;DR - Did an entire semester's worth of homework for a class in less than a day. And on no sleep. That was basically my day.
I did not get any sleep between the 4th and 5th. I had planned to stay up and work on homework, but that obviously didn't happen. *shrug* Just goes to show you, stay off reddit.
Around 9am I went over to the dining hall. I sat by the window wall the same way I did a few days before to study for the exam. I did assignment after assignment, writing out continually for hours. I left the dining hall once to go to another building and did the same thing there but at least it was with my gf. Not the best bonding time, but it was something.
I went through an entire pen's worth of ink plus. This post is not going to be as long. Aside from the HW nothing really happened.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Once more, with feeling.
Day 3 TL;DR - 5 sets of 20 pushups in the span, jogged between buildings on campus throughout the day. Read part of Foundation by Asimov. Wrote a short story based on part of my life. Won student DJ of the year at my uni's radio. Taught myself most of the info needed to pass my exam, nearly a semester's worth of info, in the five hours before the exam.
My third day started the day before. Meaning I didn't sleep at all during the night. I had intended to spend it studying for my exam. Well... That didn't happen and shame on me. So with about five hours before the exam I went down to the dining hall, say next to the wall/window (the whole outside wall is ceiling high windows) and taught myself the entire wealth of knowledge need for the exam. Well, more than was needed and less really. I forgot to look up floating-point decimals from when I missed that part on the midterm, and it showed up again. And much of the questions about networking were more in-depth that I expected, but I muddeled through well enough I think. And there was a lot I taught myself that was not at all on the exam.
While studying I also worked on some short stories and did a little redditing. I also took way too long trying to figure out machine language and the Brookshear stuff from our book specifically. I don't learn well from books. Something that just shows me exactly how you would do something once is much better. Took way too long to find such an example, but I got it done. And good thing too, that was one of the bigger sections.
Once that was done I went down to the theater. I took pictures of the chalk scenery that was used on the BFA recital. Someones boyfriend came in and did it for us and asked for pictures for his portfolio, and being the one with the best camera and the only photographer involved with the show, I volunteered. Once that was done... I had time to relax. It was surreal.
I went to my dorm and split my time for a while between pushup and Asimov. I went to dinner at the dinning hall with my GF and friends. The group usually spends a few hours there when we can. We just shoot the shit and talk nerdy talk and all.
Once dinner was finished, I went back to my room and putzed around until it was time for the banquet for our radio station. I put on a shirt, my best suspenders and my maroon bow tie. My GF was my plus one and put on a very nice dress. She borrowed it from her friend, who is dating the incoming general manager for next year, both of whom are also in the group of my peeps.
It was a little weird going to something dressed up like that together already. It was nothing too formal, but she is certainly not a dressing up gal and it was kind of flattering that she put a dress on when we have only been together for two weeks.
The event was nice, small and fun. A lot of awards were given out, some serious some fun. I personally and I assure you unexpectedly won student DJ of the year. It was pretty damned awesome.
When that was all said and done we headed back to my GF dorm and just snuggled til we passed out. It was nice to finally have at least half a day where I wasn't running around doing one thing right after another.
My third day started the day before. Meaning I didn't sleep at all during the night. I had intended to spend it studying for my exam. Well... That didn't happen and shame on me. So with about five hours before the exam I went down to the dining hall, say next to the wall/window (the whole outside wall is ceiling high windows) and taught myself the entire wealth of knowledge need for the exam. Well, more than was needed and less really. I forgot to look up floating-point decimals from when I missed that part on the midterm, and it showed up again. And much of the questions about networking were more in-depth that I expected, but I muddeled through well enough I think. And there was a lot I taught myself that was not at all on the exam.
While studying I also worked on some short stories and did a little redditing. I also took way too long trying to figure out machine language and the Brookshear stuff from our book specifically. I don't learn well from books. Something that just shows me exactly how you would do something once is much better. Took way too long to find such an example, but I got it done. And good thing too, that was one of the bigger sections.
Once that was done I went down to the theater. I took pictures of the chalk scenery that was used on the BFA recital. Someones boyfriend came in and did it for us and asked for pictures for his portfolio, and being the one with the best camera and the only photographer involved with the show, I volunteered. Once that was done... I had time to relax. It was surreal.
I went to my dorm and split my time for a while between pushup and Asimov. I went to dinner at the dinning hall with my GF and friends. The group usually spends a few hours there when we can. We just shoot the shit and talk nerdy talk and all.
Once dinner was finished, I went back to my room and putzed around until it was time for the banquet for our radio station. I put on a shirt, my best suspenders and my maroon bow tie. My GF was my plus one and put on a very nice dress. She borrowed it from her friend, who is dating the incoming general manager for next year, both of whom are also in the group of my peeps.
It was a little weird going to something dressed up like that together already. It was nothing too formal, but she is certainly not a dressing up gal and it was kind of flattering that she put a dress on when we have only been together for two weeks.
The event was nice, small and fun. A lot of awards were given out, some serious some fun. I personally and I assure you unexpectedly won student DJ of the year. It was pretty damned awesome.
When that was all said and done we headed back to my GF dorm and just snuggled til we passed out. It was nice to finally have at least half a day where I wasn't running around doing one thing right after another.
Day two's post, two days late.
Day 2 TL;DR - Wrote about 1k words for my most finished novel. Jogged about a mile. Reread A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
The second day of the month started off late. I woke up much later than I meant to. This meant I didn't get to play with the puppies that the school brought in as a stress relief thing before finals started, or have breakfast or anything with the GF. Hadn't been a plan to, but we usually just wig it and spend some time together. It also marked two weeks together which is cool.
I headed right done to finish up the lighting I had to do for the BFA Recital. I was the lighting designer, and this was the last sort of hoorah for the seniors to show off their skills, and also a requirement for their graduation. As such I had to make certain everything was perfect, for their performances were.
The hardest thing and exactly what I had to do that morning was to light a dance. Not normally hard, except that normally dance lighting doesn't show faces very much, and this time I had to. Part of the display was makeup portraying the seven deadly sins to go with the song, Seven Demons. So I had to find a balance throughout of displaying the dance and the make up. I did a fine job I think, but it took the rest of the morning.
The literal minute I finished up I realized I had to head to a meeting. Good thing I didn't miss it; it was the first design meeting for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for next semester, and I'm the Asst. Scenic design. That went on by and then I got to talking to the light designer about random stuff. We chatted for a while and then I jugged to the dining hall. not sure of the distance but I think it is between a half mile and a mile. Ate some lunch then headed with the GF to my radio show.
I had a good show, very relaxed. I met a new high-school intern we have at the station which was cool. After the show I headed back to my dorm and tried to get some homework done, but I just couldn't focus. Instead I reread Cat on a Hot Tin Roof again before dinner.
Had dinner with the GF and our group of friends quickly. The dining hall is only open for certain hours unfortunately. I then had to go change into something a bit nice and headed back down to the theater for the final dress rehearsal. It was an open rehearsal so we had a near full audience, and I was not going to be able to attend the performance the next night, so it was the opening night in my mind.
The show went fantastic. The scene I love the most is a section done from a play called Saxophone Music. In the scene we see two men. One is apparently autistic, the other seems to be an ex (and maybe relapsing) junkie. The way in which the young man played the autistic man was perfect. Many try to be respectful when playing the mentally handicapped and fall short in a big way. But his performance was so very perfect. That night I nearly cried, because I saw my nephew reflected in him.
After the show, I congratulated the actors and made my way to my room. I spent the night on reddit, writing on my novel and telling myself "I will start studying in a few minutes". I couldn't focus though, and just spent the night on reddit.
The second day of the month started off late. I woke up much later than I meant to. This meant I didn't get to play with the puppies that the school brought in as a stress relief thing before finals started, or have breakfast or anything with the GF. Hadn't been a plan to, but we usually just wig it and spend some time together. It also marked two weeks together which is cool.
I headed right done to finish up the lighting I had to do for the BFA Recital. I was the lighting designer, and this was the last sort of hoorah for the seniors to show off their skills, and also a requirement for their graduation. As such I had to make certain everything was perfect, for their performances were.
The hardest thing and exactly what I had to do that morning was to light a dance. Not normally hard, except that normally dance lighting doesn't show faces very much, and this time I had to. Part of the display was makeup portraying the seven deadly sins to go with the song, Seven Demons. So I had to find a balance throughout of displaying the dance and the make up. I did a fine job I think, but it took the rest of the morning.
The literal minute I finished up I realized I had to head to a meeting. Good thing I didn't miss it; it was the first design meeting for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for next semester, and I'm the Asst. Scenic design. That went on by and then I got to talking to the light designer about random stuff. We chatted for a while and then I jugged to the dining hall. not sure of the distance but I think it is between a half mile and a mile. Ate some lunch then headed with the GF to my radio show.
I had a good show, very relaxed. I met a new high-school intern we have at the station which was cool. After the show I headed back to my dorm and tried to get some homework done, but I just couldn't focus. Instead I reread Cat on a Hot Tin Roof again before dinner.
Had dinner with the GF and our group of friends quickly. The dining hall is only open for certain hours unfortunately. I then had to go change into something a bit nice and headed back down to the theater for the final dress rehearsal. It was an open rehearsal so we had a near full audience, and I was not going to be able to attend the performance the next night, so it was the opening night in my mind.
The show went fantastic. The scene I love the most is a section done from a play called Saxophone Music. In the scene we see two men. One is apparently autistic, the other seems to be an ex (and maybe relapsing) junkie. The way in which the young man played the autistic man was perfect. Many try to be respectful when playing the mentally handicapped and fall short in a big way. But his performance was so very perfect. That night I nearly cried, because I saw my nephew reflected in him.
After the show, I congratulated the actors and made my way to my room. I spent the night on reddit, writing on my novel and telling myself "I will start studying in a few minutes". I couldn't focus though, and just spent the night on reddit.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
A slow start.
Well, the first of May is technically over. But I have yet to go to sleep, so I am counting this as still the first day. And what a day!
To start, I only got about two hours of sleep. I have gone 60, 70, even 80 or 90 hours without sleep on many occasions, but sometimes only getting a little can be even worse. But I got through the start of the day just fine.
This was the last day of classes for the semester. I handed in my work for English first thing, including a seven page research paper about surviving a zombie outbreak and useless paper about going out there and stating my dream job. Along with that was my writing journal, which I woke uo annoyingly early and had to pay to print, which was simply checked off that I had it and not at all read.
I went through my other classes, taking some last minute quizzes for java programming, and just waiting for it all the finally be over. When it finally was, I was able to make slow progress toward bettering myself.
The first thing I did was to send an application to a radio station to possibly continue my radio show there during the summer. Once that was done, I recorded a spoken word piece that will be played on my radio show tomorrow. Finally, I made my way to the theater and put most of the finishing touches on my light design for the Senior Recital.
The lights had been moved and messed with since I had last been in that space. This was a bummer but nothing that wasn't fixable. Up the ladder, down the ladder. Up the ladder, down the ladder. I got a good start on my exercise for the day. I made some changes to the cues in the programming, and closed up shop.
I walked back to my dorm, and took a much needed shower. With the hot lights and the running up and down the ladder, I was feeling pretty gross. Upon being squeaky clean, I trimmed my beard, and headed to dinner in the dining hall with my friends and girlfriend. This was more rushed than I would have liked, for tonight was the banquet for the theater department.
The theme was space, so I went as the 11th Doctor. Bow tie, suspenders, tweed jacket and sonic: I was a knockout. The night was fun, but long. Knowing it would be late and dark before I headed back hoe from the venue it was being held at, I decided to walk there. My van's lights are not working right, so I didn't want to risk getting pulled over. It was also a good forty minute high-pace walk, and would prove to be a good means of exercise. At the end of the night I walked back as well.
Getting back to my dorm, I set to work on some new writing. Being past midnight, I sadly did not get much done: about 400 words. When my eyelids became too heavy, I accepted defeat and jumped online to bang out an update. I intend now to fall asleep reading Foundation by Asimov. There is another early morning to be had tomorrow and I need to be ready.
To start, I only got about two hours of sleep. I have gone 60, 70, even 80 or 90 hours without sleep on many occasions, but sometimes only getting a little can be even worse. But I got through the start of the day just fine.
This was the last day of classes for the semester. I handed in my work for English first thing, including a seven page research paper about surviving a zombie outbreak and useless paper about going out there and stating my dream job. Along with that was my writing journal, which I woke uo annoyingly early and had to pay to print, which was simply checked off that I had it and not at all read.
I went through my other classes, taking some last minute quizzes for java programming, and just waiting for it all the finally be over. When it finally was, I was able to make slow progress toward bettering myself.
The first thing I did was to send an application to a radio station to possibly continue my radio show there during the summer. Once that was done, I recorded a spoken word piece that will be played on my radio show tomorrow. Finally, I made my way to the theater and put most of the finishing touches on my light design for the Senior Recital.
The lights had been moved and messed with since I had last been in that space. This was a bummer but nothing that wasn't fixable. Up the ladder, down the ladder. Up the ladder, down the ladder. I got a good start on my exercise for the day. I made some changes to the cues in the programming, and closed up shop.
I walked back to my dorm, and took a much needed shower. With the hot lights and the running up and down the ladder, I was feeling pretty gross. Upon being squeaky clean, I trimmed my beard, and headed to dinner in the dining hall with my friends and girlfriend. This was more rushed than I would have liked, for tonight was the banquet for the theater department.
The theme was space, so I went as the 11th Doctor. Bow tie, suspenders, tweed jacket and sonic: I was a knockout. The night was fun, but long. Knowing it would be late and dark before I headed back hoe from the venue it was being held at, I decided to walk there. My van's lights are not working right, so I didn't want to risk getting pulled over. It was also a good forty minute high-pace walk, and would prove to be a good means of exercise. At the end of the night I walked back as well.
Getting back to my dorm, I set to work on some new writing. Being past midnight, I sadly did not get much done: about 400 words. When my eyelids became too heavy, I accepted defeat and jumped online to bang out an update. I intend now to fall asleep reading Foundation by Asimov. There is another early morning to be had tomorrow and I need to be ready.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
The beginning.
Today marks the very beginning of a new era in my life. Inspired by, but not wholly for the benefit of a post/contest within a certain reddit community, I have determined that I should better myself, in both body and mind.
This will start with the measurements of a single month. That month will be May of 2013.
My means to better myself are somewhat simple. I shall exercise my body in whatever means I can on a daily basis, be it push ups, jobbing, cycling or some other thing. I intend to get the new physical I need done, so that come the new semester in the fall I may use the universities lifting gym. I will get into a healthy and powerful condition. I will be strong, very strong, as I was for a year in high school. And I will do this only for myself, so that I may live happy and healthy and feel confident about myself. My progress will be listed by weight and will be accompanied with pictures at the beginning and end, and during should there be a stark enough change to document.
My mind I will enhance in many ways. The main avenues will be literature, both in the creation and partaking there of. Reading, a recent friend of my in the past few years will be getting far more common visits from me than I have been able to afford for some time. On a daily basis in fact, I shall read some piece of a novel or comic or skill manual. This will be done for hopefully a minimum of an hour a day. My progress will be updated via Goodreads as means of proof for of my finished readings, along with musings of some sort on the reading that has been done.
My writing too shall be brought back into common practice. Having completed nearly sixty thousand words on a novel before this semester, I can hardly excuse myself should I not finish it. While I cannot leave means of progress for that novel, or the other less worked scifi novel I have started since they will be published under a pen-name, I will leave musings on what I have written or thoughts I have come to in the process of that days writing. I shall also strongly consider starting a new project that I have no issue self-publishing under my real name, so that progress could be left here. In any case, I will be writing daily, both on my works and here even if it is just a small amount.
Further means to better myself will be less regimented. My internship that starts right after the semester gets out will be a way to build my skills for theater, my career path. While this is something I was going to be doing anyway, I feel discussing it here is perfectly valid as it is a means of bettering myself, though I will not make it a main topic, as doing so would feel like cheating. I shall also be doing my best to work on my photography, both in just getting out and shooting and also building on my skills.
Other potential betterment activities might be working in radio if I can during the summer, working on building some language skills perhaps through Rosetta Stone, and trying to work on my drawing skills. I have found a freeish-form radio station near where my internship is, and will be sending them a request for a weekly show either today or tomorrow. I hope to keep it true to the Blazing SuperNova that I host while at college. I have never been good at learning a foreign language, or even my native one when learning to read, but I have always wanted to speak something else. Italian is the language I hope to learn first. And my artistic skills have always been sorely lacking. I hope to teach myself to draw, so that I can simply enjoy myself while creating art, and also so I may hopefully start a webcomic I have had in my head for years.
Things are going to be interesting indeed. Time is always tight, and this is all starting right as finals are beginning. The first third of this month will be competing with my studies. But I have always done best with more to do than less, so I am sure I will be able to make it. I suppose I take it as a challenge when there is too much to do to get it all done.
Anyway, must run, there is theater to do. Best of luck to all those at RAoA who are joining me in this betterment month.
This will start with the measurements of a single month. That month will be May of 2013.
My means to better myself are somewhat simple. I shall exercise my body in whatever means I can on a daily basis, be it push ups, jobbing, cycling or some other thing. I intend to get the new physical I need done, so that come the new semester in the fall I may use the universities lifting gym. I will get into a healthy and powerful condition. I will be strong, very strong, as I was for a year in high school. And I will do this only for myself, so that I may live happy and healthy and feel confident about myself. My progress will be listed by weight and will be accompanied with pictures at the beginning and end, and during should there be a stark enough change to document.
My mind I will enhance in many ways. The main avenues will be literature, both in the creation and partaking there of. Reading, a recent friend of my in the past few years will be getting far more common visits from me than I have been able to afford for some time. On a daily basis in fact, I shall read some piece of a novel or comic or skill manual. This will be done for hopefully a minimum of an hour a day. My progress will be updated via Goodreads as means of proof for of my finished readings, along with musings of some sort on the reading that has been done.
My writing too shall be brought back into common practice. Having completed nearly sixty thousand words on a novel before this semester, I can hardly excuse myself should I not finish it. While I cannot leave means of progress for that novel, or the other less worked scifi novel I have started since they will be published under a pen-name, I will leave musings on what I have written or thoughts I have come to in the process of that days writing. I shall also strongly consider starting a new project that I have no issue self-publishing under my real name, so that progress could be left here. In any case, I will be writing daily, both on my works and here even if it is just a small amount.
Further means to better myself will be less regimented. My internship that starts right after the semester gets out will be a way to build my skills for theater, my career path. While this is something I was going to be doing anyway, I feel discussing it here is perfectly valid as it is a means of bettering myself, though I will not make it a main topic, as doing so would feel like cheating. I shall also be doing my best to work on my photography, both in just getting out and shooting and also building on my skills.
Other potential betterment activities might be working in radio if I can during the summer, working on building some language skills perhaps through Rosetta Stone, and trying to work on my drawing skills. I have found a freeish-form radio station near where my internship is, and will be sending them a request for a weekly show either today or tomorrow. I hope to keep it true to the Blazing SuperNova that I host while at college. I have never been good at learning a foreign language, or even my native one when learning to read, but I have always wanted to speak something else. Italian is the language I hope to learn first. And my artistic skills have always been sorely lacking. I hope to teach myself to draw, so that I can simply enjoy myself while creating art, and also so I may hopefully start a webcomic I have had in my head for years.
Things are going to be interesting indeed. Time is always tight, and this is all starting right as finals are beginning. The first third of this month will be competing with my studies. But I have always done best with more to do than less, so I am sure I will be able to make it. I suppose I take it as a challenge when there is too much to do to get it all done.
Anyway, must run, there is theater to do. Best of luck to all those at RAoA who are joining me in this betterment month.
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