It all started small. I tell Adrian that the yellow highlighter is not, in fact, the most important or best highlighter in the pack of 10 colors (arranged in rainbow order). Then, the yellow highlighter mysteriously goes missing. Not a big loss, but the rainbow pack of highlighters seems to be missing that bright sunny yellow marker.
Then it gets worse. On Monday, I use my jump drive on several computers in the computer lab. On Monday night, I realize it is no longer on my key chain where it belongs. Unfortunately, I lose a homework assignment and my work spreadsheets. The homework only took 20 minutes and was easily recreated, the work spreadsheets will take a bit more effort.
On Tuesday, still in search of my jump drive, I realize that my cell phone is missing. I feel totally disconnected from the world. I email Adrian the dilemma, but alas, his internet is down. Technology sure can be crippling. I use the technology to stalk Adrian down and wait for him outside of his classroom. (Finding someone in person is a slightly more old fashioned way to communicated, though when you figure out the location based on the internet, is it still old fashioned? Seriously, how did people function before cell phones?)
I borrow the keys to his apartment, and I'm in luck, the phone is under the seat in his car. Finally things are looking up.
Today, I'm losing it again. I am now missing my student ID. Yes, the one that unlocks doors in buildings for me. Yes, the one that allows me to print in the computer lab. Yes, the one that lets me ride the bus for free. So, I had to use my leg power and ride my bicycle today and knock on the computer lab door several times to get in.
I feel that things might be looking up though. I just found the yellow highlighter under my bed. It must be over all the hurt and pain I caused it by downplaying its importance and inherent ease on the eyes. Perhaps next I will find my ID and someone will finally turn my jump drive into the lost and found.
Until then, I'll see if I can lose my keys somewhere.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Sunday, November 4, 2007
apparently it's already november
I woke up this morning and looked at my watch... (Yes, I still wear a watch, instead of relying on the clock on my cellphone and yes, I wear it when I sleep and in the shower) ... and was confused why my alarm clock on my cell phone didn't go off. The clocks fell back and my cell phone updated itself. I really could have better utilized the extra hour awake, but such is technology, being all smarter than me. On a similar thread, we were discussing watch-cellphones in class last week. It might seem a little "Inspector Gadget" but I really would love having a waterproof cellphone that I could wear on my arm and never take off. I would rarely lose the thing and it would always be "handy" to answer (sorry, I never resist the lame joke).
I haven't written a blog since school started, so I imagine I have something to say. Next week is week six of about eleven in the quarter. The first 3 weeks were really slow paced, not having any studio really made a difference. Last week, things really picked up and due to an extension in one class and a week earlier due date in another, I had a ton to do all by Friday. Add to this that Adrian moved on Halloween night, and things start getting really crazy.
Adrian and I are taking a construction estimating class, which at a very basic level is very simple. You count things, highlight them on the drawings, and then do some multiplication, addition, and subtraction. The concept is simple, but it's actually much more complex. The counting thing is easy, but it gets harder from there. We're estimating two concrete tilt-up panel two-story office buildings which have a total price around $7 million. On Friday we each had to turn in a detailed estimate of how much the concrete work would cost to do. My estimate came in at $677,711 (including my profit). The printout of the estimate was 16 pages long.
I have four other classes this quarter, none of which are really amazing. I have another construction management class on scheduling. The concept is valuable and even almost interesting, but the class itself is pretty torturous. The professor teaches directly out of the book, which wouldn't be so bad if a) I hadn't already read it and b) he didn't confuse rather than clarify what I had already read. Adrian is in that class with me to, so at least I have someone to complain to.
I'm taking three architecture classes. On Wednesday nights, I take a class about the international building code. We take an amazingly detailed look at the 667 page code. All relevant info, but quite painful to try to stay awake until 9:20 when the class gets out. Sometimes the professor even looks like he's going to fall asleep. Lots of candy and caffeine seem to help.
On Fridays I take an "Ethics in Architecture" class, which is proving to be more interesting than I expected. It's a good balance of lecture and discussion. With only seven students, having everyone talk isn't overwhelming. I'm writing a paper for it about how architecture studio fails to create students who can serve society and culture, by isolating them from the rest of campus and focusing on individual work. I've learned that it's very easy to write a paper when you feel strongly about an issue and have some background knowledge on it. I was frustrated with the amount I got done for my rough draft (about half), but my professor loved it and wants me to try to get it published in the yearly UW architecture journal, Skin.
My last class is on sustainability, sort of. I actually don't understand the class at all. We sort of just sit around and talk about ideas and thinking. I'm not sure where the class is going, and neither does the professor. It's pretty hard to describe, and very frustrating.
Besides class, I don't do much that's exciting. Adrian thought we'd take some short road trips on weekends, but we seem pretty content to just stay in Seattle and do homework and watch football. By "watch football," I mean he watches and I fall asleep. In two weeks we're going to watch the Bears/Seahawks game. That's pretty exciting. I better not fall asleep! I'm actually becoming more and more entertained by the sport, so I think I'll manage.
We just bought plane tickets for the holidays yesterday. We have a crazy airport itinerary. We're spending the week before Christmas in Pittsburgh with Adrian's family. The week after is in Stockton with my family. By the time we're done flying, we'll have been in 5 airports (Sea-Tac, Denever, Chicago-O'hare, Chicago Midway, and Pittsburgh) and on 3 separate airlines. There's a good chance someone will lose our luggage! We set it up so we have a 2 day "layover" in Chicago, giving us the chance to enjoy the city and see some of my friends from undergrad. Christmas is my all time favorite holiday, so I'm starting to get excited. (Is it too early for me to start listening to John Denver and the Muppet's Christmas album?)
So far this blog is without pictures, so I have to include our Halloween costumes. Early in the quarter when I wasn't busy at all, I spent a whole day trying to figure out what we should be. I settled on "hammer & nail." Adrian thought it was pretty cheesy, but he agreed to participate. Then one night he started laughing and explained that it's even more funny because Washington's anti-drunk driving slogan is "drive hammered, get nailed." I laughed so hard I cried as we pictured ourselves following the police officer as he pulled someone over for driving intoxicated. A lot of felt, cardboard, glue, and duct tape later, we had our costumes. I think we were a pretty big hit at the party. It was difficult to walk around with the gigantic hats. Probably the funniest part was watching Adrian dance in the hat. It gave a whole new level of meaning to "head-banging." Some of my other favorite costumes included green eggs and ham (my friends Amanda and Anisa), Jared the subway guy, Rainbow Bright, the happy tree painter guy from PBS (my friend Sam), and a nudest on strike. The hammer is currently behind Adrian's tv, and I keep half expecting someone to walk out wearing it. It makes me laugh, because it's totally ridiculous.
That's about all the fun stuff I can think of. Adrian is settling in to his new apartment with his old roommate and a new one. He's got a great view to Lake Union and downtown. Also, he's about 4 blocks closer to me, but he's 4 blocks further from campus. If you all are lucky I'll post again before January, but don't hold your breath!
I haven't written a blog since school started, so I imagine I have something to say. Next week is week six of about eleven in the quarter. The first 3 weeks were really slow paced, not having any studio really made a difference. Last week, things really picked up and due to an extension in one class and a week earlier due date in another, I had a ton to do all by Friday. Add to this that Adrian moved on Halloween night, and things start getting really crazy.
Adrian and I are taking a construction estimating class, which at a very basic level is very simple. You count things, highlight them on the drawings, and then do some multiplication, addition, and subtraction. The concept is simple, but it's actually much more complex. The counting thing is easy, but it gets harder from there. We're estimating two concrete tilt-up panel two-story office buildings which have a total price around $7 million. On Friday we each had to turn in a detailed estimate of how much the concrete work would cost to do. My estimate came in at $677,711 (including my profit). The printout of the estimate was 16 pages long.
I have four other classes this quarter, none of which are really amazing. I have another construction management class on scheduling. The concept is valuable and even almost interesting, but the class itself is pretty torturous. The professor teaches directly out of the book, which wouldn't be so bad if a) I hadn't already read it and b) he didn't confuse rather than clarify what I had already read. Adrian is in that class with me to, so at least I have someone to complain to.
I'm taking three architecture classes. On Wednesday nights, I take a class about the international building code. We take an amazingly detailed look at the 667 page code. All relevant info, but quite painful to try to stay awake until 9:20 when the class gets out. Sometimes the professor even looks like he's going to fall asleep. Lots of candy and caffeine seem to help.
On Fridays I take an "Ethics in Architecture" class, which is proving to be more interesting than I expected. It's a good balance of lecture and discussion. With only seven students, having everyone talk isn't overwhelming. I'm writing a paper for it about how architecture studio fails to create students who can serve society and culture, by isolating them from the rest of campus and focusing on individual work. I've learned that it's very easy to write a paper when you feel strongly about an issue and have some background knowledge on it. I was frustrated with the amount I got done for my rough draft (about half), but my professor loved it and wants me to try to get it published in the yearly UW architecture journal, Skin.
My last class is on sustainability, sort of. I actually don't understand the class at all. We sort of just sit around and talk about ideas and thinking. I'm not sure where the class is going, and neither does the professor. It's pretty hard to describe, and very frustrating.
Besides class, I don't do much that's exciting. Adrian thought we'd take some short road trips on weekends, but we seem pretty content to just stay in Seattle and do homework and watch football. By "watch football," I mean he watches and I fall asleep. In two weeks we're going to watch the Bears/Seahawks game. That's pretty exciting. I better not fall asleep! I'm actually becoming more and more entertained by the sport, so I think I'll manage.
We just bought plane tickets for the holidays yesterday. We have a crazy airport itinerary. We're spending the week before Christmas in Pittsburgh with Adrian's family. The week after is in Stockton with my family. By the time we're done flying, we'll have been in 5 airports (Sea-Tac, Denever, Chicago-O'hare, Chicago Midway, and Pittsburgh) and on 3 separate airlines. There's a good chance someone will lose our luggage! We set it up so we have a 2 day "layover" in Chicago, giving us the chance to enjoy the city and see some of my friends from undergrad. Christmas is my all time favorite holiday, so I'm starting to get excited. (Is it too early for me to start listening to John Denver and the Muppet's Christmas album?)
So far this blog is without pictures, so I have to include our Halloween costumes. Early in the quarter when I wasn't busy at all, I spent a whole day trying to figure out what we should be. I settled on "hammer & nail." Adrian thought it was pretty cheesy, but he agreed to participate. Then one night he started laughing and explained that it's even more funny because Washington's anti-drunk driving slogan is "drive hammered, get nailed." I laughed so hard I cried as we pictured ourselves following the police officer as he pulled someone over for driving intoxicated. A lot of felt, cardboard, glue, and duct tape later, we had our costumes. I think we were a pretty big hit at the party. It was difficult to walk around with the gigantic hats. Probably the funniest part was watching Adrian dance in the hat. It gave a whole new level of meaning to "head-banging." Some of my other favorite costumes included green eggs and ham (my friends Amanda and Anisa), Jared the subway guy, Rainbow Bright, the happy tree painter guy from PBS (my friend Sam), and a nudest on strike. The hammer is currently behind Adrian's tv, and I keep half expecting someone to walk out wearing it. It makes me laugh, because it's totally ridiculous.
That's about all the fun stuff I can think of. Adrian is settling in to his new apartment with his old roommate and a new one. He's got a great view to Lake Union and downtown. Also, he's about 4 blocks closer to me, but he's 4 blocks further from campus. If you all are lucky I'll post again before January, but don't hold your breath!
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