Last weekend I visited my family for Father's day. On Friday we went through my sister's counseling textbooks and tried to figure out what was wrong with us mentally. It was funnier and more fun than it sounds. Seems like we're all a little OCD, incidentally - with a dash of autism thrown in for good measure.
On Saturday we ran some errands and participated in a cornhole tournement. Mom and Dad did pretty good, but my sister and I didn't advance. I could include a link to some sites on the rules and stragety, but I think you can find that yourselves.
I also worked on some origami for my sister's wedding reception - I made a hot air balloon from paper that I think is going to be the centerpiece. Should be cool.
I also gave blood - though it was a near thing. I got a card in the mail that indicated the date and location of the next drive - which I glanced at and then disregarded.
After work, I headed over to the Northampton church and was a little surprised that the parking lot was empty. Hmmm.... I looked at the card again and realized that instead of the Northampton Methodist church - where I had gone before - it was really the Northampton Baptist church that I needed to go to. Back in the car and on down the road. I wasn't entirely sure where I was going, but I made it there and gave my pint of blood. Got slightly woozy afterward, but I think that was my fault for not having eaten enough beforehand. Incidentally, the Methodist Church had much nicer facilites than the Baptists - draw whatever conslusions you'd like about that one. :)
I spent the rest of the week getting ready for my vacation. More to follow...
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Friday, June 16, 2006
Big Cube photos
Finally got some photos of the big cube - you can check them out by clicking on the small version:
Also, I may have been off on the count - I think the actual number of sheets of paper used is 1056.
Enjoy! I had fun doing this and it's given me ideas for other projects.
back to work...
Also, I may have been off on the count - I think the actual number of sheets of paper used is 1056.
Enjoy! I had fun doing this and it's given me ideas for other projects.
back to work...
Thursday, June 15, 2006
minor good deed, siRen, tidy
Last evening, while I was taking out my trash, I noticed that my neighbor's car was lit up from the inside. Their dome light was on - and the doors were locked and they weren't home.
So, I wrote a note on fluorescent green paper and taped it to the back window to their car - letting them know the situation and offering to help jump their car if they got back much later and the battery was all the way dead.
I heard them come home in their other car and I guess everything was okay since they didn't stop over. It was a little odd that they didn't say anything to me about it - if they hadn't noticed the light was on when they got back - they would have had a crappy morning and a dead car.
I did a little cleaning last night - some de-junkification. Added another 500 cranes to my aquarium just by cleaning out my pockets of various jackets and containers. 3500 in there now. I may not be an origami master - but I'm freaking prolific.
Took a break from the cleaning to play a new game - siRen. Ummm...can you say zombies? Except these zombies have good motor control - I nearly crapped my pants when one of these shambling monsters chased my character and then pulled out a gun and shot him. Looks like the game is a lot of sneaking around in the dark - unarmed.
Which isn't really my thing and I think makes it scarier. If I was confronted with zombies, I'd fight back. I'd get myself a sword or a big stick and go after them. The only good zombie is a dead zombie. Or..ummm... an incapacitated zombie.
I didn't play long before it got late and I needed to go to bed. I'll see how it goes - but at the first nightmare this game causes me, it's going to be sold and replaced with something rated "E" for everyone.
That's it for now...back to work...
So, I wrote a note on fluorescent green paper and taped it to the back window to their car - letting them know the situation and offering to help jump their car if they got back much later and the battery was all the way dead.
I heard them come home in their other car and I guess everything was okay since they didn't stop over. It was a little odd that they didn't say anything to me about it - if they hadn't noticed the light was on when they got back - they would have had a crappy morning and a dead car.
I did a little cleaning last night - some de-junkification. Added another 500 cranes to my aquarium just by cleaning out my pockets of various jackets and containers. 3500 in there now. I may not be an origami master - but I'm freaking prolific.
Took a break from the cleaning to play a new game - siRen. Ummm...can you say zombies? Except these zombies have good motor control - I nearly crapped my pants when one of these shambling monsters chased my character and then pulled out a gun and shot him. Looks like the game is a lot of sneaking around in the dark - unarmed.
Which isn't really my thing and I think makes it scarier. If I was confronted with zombies, I'd fight back. I'd get myself a sword or a big stick and go after them. The only good zombie is a dead zombie. Or..ummm... an incapacitated zombie.
I didn't play long before it got late and I needed to go to bed. I'll see how it goes - but at the first nightmare this game causes me, it's going to be sold and replaced with something rated "E" for everyone.
That's it for now...back to work...
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
completed, and McDonald's
Last evening, at a little before 10 pm, I finished the big project. 27.5 inches cubed, 928 pieces of paper, 1 bottle of elmer's glue. It's a triumph of form and math, a solid construct to represent an idea.
And it's too big to fit in my car.
So, it's still at home and still unphotographed. I'm hoping to arrange transportation sometime this week, but until then it will just have to wait.
It's also the second most dangerous project I've done. I cut myself twice on the storm window frame that I was using since my coffee table was too small. The most dangerous was the soda can metal crane - I bled a lot on that one.
In other news... I went to McDonald's last night for the spicy chicken sandwich. As I'm standing at the counter, trying to place my order, the fryer timer goes off. It's a horrible piercing sound designed to get someone's attention and cause pain. At the same time, the three little t-ball players standing to the side ratchet it up a notch or 10 and are now shrieking at the top of their lungs. The combination of the two frequencies...well...
I think it may have melted part of my brain.
I'm hoping it isn't a part I'll need later, but you never know.
But, my order was delivered promptly and, surprisingly, correctly. So, the ends justified the torment of the ordering process. Also, the counter girl must have realized the expression on my face represented pain at the sounds - she looked sympatheic. Or that may have just been my eyeballs swelling up do to the interested pressure in my head.
That's it for now... got a busy day ahead. I promise, pictures will be coming soon.
And it's too big to fit in my car.
So, it's still at home and still unphotographed. I'm hoping to arrange transportation sometime this week, but until then it will just have to wait.
It's also the second most dangerous project I've done. I cut myself twice on the storm window frame that I was using since my coffee table was too small. The most dangerous was the soda can metal crane - I bled a lot on that one.
In other news... I went to McDonald's last night for the spicy chicken sandwich. As I'm standing at the counter, trying to place my order, the fryer timer goes off. It's a horrible piercing sound designed to get someone's attention and cause pain. At the same time, the three little t-ball players standing to the side ratchet it up a notch or 10 and are now shrieking at the top of their lungs. The combination of the two frequencies...well...
I think it may have melted part of my brain.
I'm hoping it isn't a part I'll need later, but you never know.
But, my order was delivered promptly and, surprisingly, correctly. So, the ends justified the torment of the ordering process. Also, the counter girl must have realized the expression on my face represented pain at the sounds - she looked sympatheic. Or that may have just been my eyeballs swelling up do to the interested pressure in my head.
That's it for now... got a busy day ahead. I promise, pictures will be coming soon.
Monday, June 12, 2006
192 folded, tai chi, living room, wedding/muppets, father's day
In a marathon folding session, I got all 192 remaining units folded. I also got "chunks" put together in groups of 24 and 8 - and got most of those added to the main model. I've still got the "top" to assemble and put in place - and that's 64 units. With any luck, I'll have this done by Tuesday. Not sure how soon I'm going to bring it into work to display though, I'll need to get some good pictures for my website.
Over the weekend I picked up a Tai Chi beginners kit - DVD, Chi ball, and booklet. Haven't tried it yet as I'll need to clear some space in my living room. Thinking about doing another reorganization/clean-up of the apartment. I periodically de-junkify my place, but I think it needs another hit.
I haven't talked too much about my sister's wedding since:
1. It's still a ways off.
2. My roll is an usher is pretty small.
3. I can't think of weddings without also thinking of the Muppets Take Manhattan - where Kermit marries Miss Piggy.
Not sure if my sister would appreciate the connection - or the "Rainbow Connection" as the case may be.
Finally, I think I found a gift for my Dad for Father's day. He's just this side of impossible to buy for anymore, but I think I got something clever this time.
Wait, crap. Everytime I try to do something clever, it goes horribly wrong. There has been one exception and we can only hope it wasn't isolated.
That's it for now - back to work...
Over the weekend I picked up a Tai Chi beginners kit - DVD, Chi ball, and booklet. Haven't tried it yet as I'll need to clear some space in my living room. Thinking about doing another reorganization/clean-up of the apartment. I periodically de-junkify my place, but I think it needs another hit.
I haven't talked too much about my sister's wedding since:
1. It's still a ways off.
2. My roll is an usher is pretty small.
3. I can't think of weddings without also thinking of the Muppets Take Manhattan - where Kermit marries Miss Piggy.
Not sure if my sister would appreciate the connection - or the "Rainbow Connection" as the case may be.
Finally, I think I found a gift for my Dad for Father's day. He's just this side of impossible to buy for anymore, but I think I got something clever this time.
Wait, crap. Everytime I try to do something clever, it goes horribly wrong. There has been one exception and we can only hope it wasn't isolated.
That's it for now - back to work...
Saturday, June 10, 2006
origami, minor dream, work
I've in the home stretch on the big origami project, but I've hit a slight snag. As I expected, I miscounted - by 192. So, I've got some more paper to prep and fold. Not too bad, but a little disappointing, I'm not sure I'll be able to finish it up this weekend.
I had a dream last night that my parents had moved. To a much bigger house. Not sure why.
Work yesterday was...odd. I spent 2 hours and talked to 8-9 people to get one link on one web page set up. Still didn't get it launched - we're waiting on another piece. Eh, job security.
Guess that's it for now...later...
I had a dream last night that my parents had moved. To a much bigger house. Not sure why.
Work yesterday was...odd. I spent 2 hours and talked to 8-9 people to get one link on one web page set up. Still didn't get it launched - we're waiting on another piece. Eh, job security.
Guess that's it for now...later...
Thursday, June 08, 2006
wedding, buffett, origmai, dream
This will be a long post, got lots to cover.
First up, some cool news... my little sister is getting married! Her boyfriend proposed to her in a hot air balloon and since then it's been non-stop wedding maddness. It won't be until november, but she's got a lot of stuff to do. Fortunatly, our mom and her fiance are "planners" and should be able to help with much of the arrangements. I've been asked to be an usher and do some kind of origami for the reception tables. So, a big blog shout-out to my sister and her future husband.
Next up, a couple of days vacation. I took a couple of days off to go to Pittsburgh with some friends and see Jimmy Buffett in concert. Strangely enough, the concert itself wasn't as good as the last one I went to, but the events surrouding it were interesting.
1. Parking. We had to park literally as far away from the entrance as you could get. The only thing further away was the sewage treatment plant and a field. Being not a big fan of other humans, I was just as happy to avoid the crowds.
2. This also meant that there were no porta-toilets out there either. So we, and pretty much everyone else, had to use the field. Everyone was fairly cool about it. The women usually went in groups, or had a guy go with them to stand guard. The guys, myself included, tried to maintain some decorum based on how much alchol in their system. Since I don't drink, I was a perfect gentleman as much as can be possible when peeing in a field.
2b. There was also a couple that stood in the field for about 15-20 minutes, smoking weed. I was a little puzzled by this, then realized they'd "snuck off to the bathroom" to get high. We laughed at them.
2c. A helicopter kept circling the area. So, I might have made the local news while taking care of business in the field. Eh, it's buffett...
3. The trek to the entrance wasn't bad, but we were stopped at the front gate and checked for digital cameras. I had to unroll the blanket I was carrying and lift my shirt. Of course, I could have had a camera in any of the dozen pockets in my pants. Or I could have, potentially, had a camera phone like everyone else. I'd really like to see them stop people from bringing in their cell phones - the rioting would be hilarious to watch from a safe distance.
4. We found a good spot, but didn't realize it was the nexus of all beachballs. At a buffett concert, it's customary to throw around beachballs. And we got more than our fairshare. I'm fairly alert and didn't get hit unless I was ready for it, but others in my group tired of it quickly.
5. So the concert starts and then the thing that everyone said wasn't going to happen, happened. It began to rain. Now, I'm a big one for being prepared and despite words to the otherwise, I had a rain poncho. So, when it started to rain, what did I do?
I left my poncho in my pocket and took off my shirt. Hey, it's buffett - why would I care about a little rain? I tucked my shirt into the back of my pants and enjoyed it. Seems silly, but I had a plan. A wet poncho would be difficult to deal with the rest of the night and my skin would dry much faster than my shirt. So, if I got cold later, I could put on a dry shirt and be fine.
After a bit, the rain stopped and I kept my shirt off and enjoyed the weather and the show.
6. Later in the evening, but before it got really dark, I decided to head to the restroom. I'm not a fan of public restrooms in general and due to some amazing bladder control and careful fluid intake, I've never had to pee in a trough.
For those that have not seen the inside of a men's restroom in a large public venue - it's not pretty. There was a long line to get into the restroom, then a line to get to the long trough's on either side of the room. I found a spot that was only 2 deep and waited patiently. One guy couldn't wait and was peeing in a sink. The guy in front of me was having trouble walking and nearly fell over after he lost his balance as he zipped up. I caught him and helped push him in the general direction of the door.
I took care of my business and made my way to the exit. Later I heard a fight had broken out just after I left. Crazy.
7. I got back to the group without much trouble and was in plenty of time for the "Fins" song, which is amazing to see, and the "Volcano" which is fun to sing along with.
We left before the end of the show and made it out of the parking lot without much trouble - though our driver insisted on checking his cell-phone messages while trying to dodge pedestrians. Could have been ugly, but we were okay.
The next day was the drive back and a quiet evening at home.
New topic: Origami. Second tier of the project is done, I made good progress on tier three, but I think I'm going to need to do some more folding.
Finally, I had a dream last night that a system of travel had been created that involved reducing a person to dust, then putting them in a canister that bank tellers use - then sending then at high speeds through tubes or slower by UPS. At the other end they were re-hydrated and went about their lives without trouble. I used the system to move back into a college dorm-room since I was apparently going back to school.
We'll that's it for now, lots to catch up on. Back to work...
First up, some cool news... my little sister is getting married! Her boyfriend proposed to her in a hot air balloon and since then it's been non-stop wedding maddness. It won't be until november, but she's got a lot of stuff to do. Fortunatly, our mom and her fiance are "planners" and should be able to help with much of the arrangements. I've been asked to be an usher and do some kind of origami for the reception tables. So, a big blog shout-out to my sister and her future husband.
Next up, a couple of days vacation. I took a couple of days off to go to Pittsburgh with some friends and see Jimmy Buffett in concert. Strangely enough, the concert itself wasn't as good as the last one I went to, but the events surrouding it were interesting.
1. Parking. We had to park literally as far away from the entrance as you could get. The only thing further away was the sewage treatment plant and a field. Being not a big fan of other humans, I was just as happy to avoid the crowds.
2. This also meant that there were no porta-toilets out there either. So we, and pretty much everyone else, had to use the field. Everyone was fairly cool about it. The women usually went in groups, or had a guy go with them to stand guard. The guys, myself included, tried to maintain some decorum based on how much alchol in their system. Since I don't drink, I was a perfect gentleman as much as can be possible when peeing in a field.
2b. There was also a couple that stood in the field for about 15-20 minutes, smoking weed. I was a little puzzled by this, then realized they'd "snuck off to the bathroom" to get high. We laughed at them.
2c. A helicopter kept circling the area. So, I might have made the local news while taking care of business in the field. Eh, it's buffett...
3. The trek to the entrance wasn't bad, but we were stopped at the front gate and checked for digital cameras. I had to unroll the blanket I was carrying and lift my shirt. Of course, I could have had a camera in any of the dozen pockets in my pants. Or I could have, potentially, had a camera phone like everyone else. I'd really like to see them stop people from bringing in their cell phones - the rioting would be hilarious to watch from a safe distance.
4. We found a good spot, but didn't realize it was the nexus of all beachballs. At a buffett concert, it's customary to throw around beachballs. And we got more than our fairshare. I'm fairly alert and didn't get hit unless I was ready for it, but others in my group tired of it quickly.
5. So the concert starts and then the thing that everyone said wasn't going to happen, happened. It began to rain. Now, I'm a big one for being prepared and despite words to the otherwise, I had a rain poncho. So, when it started to rain, what did I do?
I left my poncho in my pocket and took off my shirt. Hey, it's buffett - why would I care about a little rain? I tucked my shirt into the back of my pants and enjoyed it. Seems silly, but I had a plan. A wet poncho would be difficult to deal with the rest of the night and my skin would dry much faster than my shirt. So, if I got cold later, I could put on a dry shirt and be fine.
After a bit, the rain stopped and I kept my shirt off and enjoyed the weather and the show.
6. Later in the evening, but before it got really dark, I decided to head to the restroom. I'm not a fan of public restrooms in general and due to some amazing bladder control and careful fluid intake, I've never had to pee in a trough.
For those that have not seen the inside of a men's restroom in a large public venue - it's not pretty. There was a long line to get into the restroom, then a line to get to the long trough's on either side of the room. I found a spot that was only 2 deep and waited patiently. One guy couldn't wait and was peeing in a sink. The guy in front of me was having trouble walking and nearly fell over after he lost his balance as he zipped up. I caught him and helped push him in the general direction of the door.
I took care of my business and made my way to the exit. Later I heard a fight had broken out just after I left. Crazy.
7. I got back to the group without much trouble and was in plenty of time for the "Fins" song, which is amazing to see, and the "Volcano" which is fun to sing along with.
We left before the end of the show and made it out of the parking lot without much trouble - though our driver insisted on checking his cell-phone messages while trying to dodge pedestrians. Could have been ugly, but we were okay.
The next day was the drive back and a quiet evening at home.
New topic: Origami. Second tier of the project is done, I made good progress on tier three, but I think I'm going to need to do some more folding.
Finally, I had a dream last night that a system of travel had been created that involved reducing a person to dust, then putting them in a canister that bank tellers use - then sending then at high speeds through tubes or slower by UPS. At the other end they were re-hydrated and went about their lives without trouble. I used the system to move back into a college dorm-room since I was apparently going back to school.
We'll that's it for now, lots to catch up on. Back to work...
Saturday, June 03, 2006
paying rent, origami, long week
So, on Friday, I did what should have been an easy task- paying my rent. I went during the day instead of after work, since I didn't want to fight the traffic. I got called into my boss's off just before I headed out to lunch and that delayed me a bit. The weather was a bit rainy, but I made it to the landlord's office without too much trouble.
But then the trouble began. Half the parking lot was blocked off - a photographer was taking photos of young women. The building where the landlord's office is located also has a modeling agency. Yes, in Akron. Who knew? Anyway, I think they were connected and I was annoyed. But then, you already knew that.
So, I get past Miss Teen Trollup USA and...
Okay, so maybe I'm being to harsh on these girls. Just because they were wearing Daisy Dukes made out of sweatshirt material and midriff baring matching tank tops is no reason to think they are anything less than Mensa inductees.
I find a parking space and head for the entrance. Which is also blocked off by yet another photographer and half a dozen similarly clad young women. They weren't taking a photo that particular instant, so I got past them, down the hall, and into the landlords office.
And there's no one at the front desk. So, I wait a few moments. And then a few more moments. And then, just for fun, a few more moments.
On the desk is a bell - which I hate ringing. I don't like the noise, for one, and I also don't like what it implies. If there's a bell, there should be someone there who's job it is to see that I don't have to ring the bell.
Yes, I'm aware that's circular logic. Let's just roll with it.
So, I ring the bell and no one shows up. I wait a bit longer, then a guy walks past the desk and past me on the way to send a fax. It takes him a while and on the way back he finally notices me. I explain that I'm paying my rent and that I don't like just leaving a check lying around. He takes the check and I head out. Only to be stopped at the main door by another Trollup Girl (tm) who's standing guard while a picture is being taken. Since I've have to knock her aside to get past her and I'm ever so slightly not quite annoyed enough to do that, I wait. And growl. Quietly.
Picture taken, I can finally make my exit and head back though the lunch hour traffic to work.
In the movie Scanners, the people with special powers can make people's heads explode just by concenrating about it. They usually get a headache - and hey, I'm totally used to those. If someone knows where the super powers prize wheel is at today, please let me know. I've got a list of people that I'd like to try them out on.
In better news... more progress on the Origami. I'm well on my way to finishing the second tier and despite a couple of tense moments involving glue, paper, and some curse words that may or may not have been responsible for the explosive mushroom growth in the yard - I'm doing okay with it.
Even with the day off, it was still a long week. I'm glad I'm in the middle of the weekend - and that I've still got another day off. Later...
But then the trouble began. Half the parking lot was blocked off - a photographer was taking photos of young women. The building where the landlord's office is located also has a modeling agency. Yes, in Akron. Who knew? Anyway, I think they were connected and I was annoyed. But then, you already knew that.
So, I get past Miss Teen Trollup USA and...
Okay, so maybe I'm being to harsh on these girls. Just because they were wearing Daisy Dukes made out of sweatshirt material and midriff baring matching tank tops is no reason to think they are anything less than Mensa inductees.
I find a parking space and head for the entrance. Which is also blocked off by yet another photographer and half a dozen similarly clad young women. They weren't taking a photo that particular instant, so I got past them, down the hall, and into the landlords office.
And there's no one at the front desk. So, I wait a few moments. And then a few more moments. And then, just for fun, a few more moments.
On the desk is a bell - which I hate ringing. I don't like the noise, for one, and I also don't like what it implies. If there's a bell, there should be someone there who's job it is to see that I don't have to ring the bell.
Yes, I'm aware that's circular logic. Let's just roll with it.
So, I ring the bell and no one shows up. I wait a bit longer, then a guy walks past the desk and past me on the way to send a fax. It takes him a while and on the way back he finally notices me. I explain that I'm paying my rent and that I don't like just leaving a check lying around. He takes the check and I head out. Only to be stopped at the main door by another Trollup Girl (tm) who's standing guard while a picture is being taken. Since I've have to knock her aside to get past her and I'm ever so slightly not quite annoyed enough to do that, I wait. And growl. Quietly.
Picture taken, I can finally make my exit and head back though the lunch hour traffic to work.
In the movie Scanners, the people with special powers can make people's heads explode just by concenrating about it. They usually get a headache - and hey, I'm totally used to those. If someone knows where the super powers prize wheel is at today, please let me know. I've got a list of people that I'd like to try them out on.
In better news... more progress on the Origami. I'm well on my way to finishing the second tier and despite a couple of tense moments involving glue, paper, and some curse words that may or may not have been responsible for the explosive mushroom growth in the yard - I'm doing okay with it.
Even with the day off, it was still a long week. I'm glad I'm in the middle of the weekend - and that I've still got another day off. Later...
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