Middle America Summer

Well, Two states away and I have limited tools. Another Summer, Another Internship. And...I'm writing test scripts...

I was really hoping to get away from that... -_-

I guess this should just be motivation to do some additional learning on my own.  I think this summer I need to focus on programming/electronics projects. (That is besides keeping at the running. That can't get left by the wayside)

It will be real fun juggling that with having a summer class to boot: Statistical Methods of Engineering. It sounds all fancy, but it's only a Junior Level course. Plenty of busy work, but it should be manageable...as long as I do my homework diligently instead of putting it off to the last minute.  I need to get a scanner.  Sigh.

I'm a little more focused in what I want challenges in, but anything this year?

March Madness

I've been slacking  a little with my blogging and my running. I say running because I haven't been having problems with where I had some tendinitis for a couple months. At least much of my time has been spent with class work and job hunting.

This weekend, I need to do some class research for signing up for next year. I have an advisement appointment on Monday and have to have a good idea of some classes before I go since I'm an upperclassman. But besides that, I have a relatively free Saturday since I will be finishing two of my long cycle assignments/projects as of tomorrow after class. The plan: see how far I can get on making my second homemade nerf gun. 

This time, I am using a plan from NerfRevolution. the goal is to make a shortened pump SNAP with a hopper that works for my stephans. I have a weird situation of having two different sizes of foam backer rod.  My old coil, which I just finished cutting up and am in the process of converting to slug darts is bigger than the new coil I got after a job interview today.  Super lucky for me, I happen to have met  the brother of one of my friends who also has made a few homemade nerf guns, himself.

Ultimately, the plan is to finish the project before April, when it will be quite useful for a game I intend to play.

Still looking for that first challenge. Or, for that matter, reply.

Training/Build Season

I have been afflicted with tendinitis is some location or another since Thanksgiving. I got it in my foot at that time and as that was becoming less of a problem, I got it in both knees. Now, after 3 months, I have gotten out of the rhythm and need to start up regularly again. I have my first marathon coming up in May, hopefully.  I also really gotta get back in shape, as my half marathon rival has pushed the mark that much closer to 2 hours, being in the teens now. I still haven't run faster than my 2:28 back in October.

Training gets even more complicated as I am now an officer for one of my campus groups, as of a couple weeks ago. That entails around 10 hours of my week, which is about how much time running related activities had previously come close to. Although I am not one of the members mentoring a FIRST team, I am heavily involved in work on our college robot.

I'm glad posting an update could be be a quick distraction from homework.

Back to School

Back to school. I parody cause I am no fool.


Classes starting again. I have 4 classes. Two have accompanying labs and one of them is a lab. I have been a little apathetic about my grades. This semester, all of my classes seem really interesting. Usually I average Bs, so lets go with a challenge to have an A in one of the three classes that is not just a lab.

Now on to extra curricular activities. I run semi-competitively with a running club. I'm involved with a robotics organization. Besides that, I wanna see if I can find some time to tinker with my Arduino. I also want to make a prank sound effects device to use on my friend who plays lots of Minecraft.

I also have a couple small projects that will be worked on as I find time. I also need to find a little closure on any previous challenges.

Although my time is limited, I'm still looking for challenges.

First of the Year

Well, the world hasn't ended yet.  Guess I'll just keep at it. Posting and real life adventuring kind have gotten thrown off a little since Christmas. I used to be a RL adventurer until I took some wisdom teeth from my mouth. Now I just sit around and do stuff on my computer. Much of what that means is Minecraft on my friend's extreme hardcore survival server. Fun times. Come the end of the day, I get to be off the gauze and ice. Yay!

Boxing Day

I haven't really been up to a lot in December, besides moving back to my parents house between working and going back to school. I still am not done with that whole ordeal. I got as much back here as I could fit in a Corolla. Now I have to go back for a dresser, minifridge, collapsing table and several select items. Once that is done, I can get it cleaned up and turn in my key. Hopefully, there can be enough time to have some fun on the way back.

Christmas was fun. My brother never would have guessed that I got him a lump of coal. He's done prank gifts for me a few years for Birthdays, so I finally did one for him. His real present was an iPad cover. My most useful presents were a drill with a set of bits and a ceramic kitchen knife. Sweetness.

Happy Holidays to anyone who happens to stop by.

First post of December

I guess I've been a little busy since Thanksgiving with an upcoming move to a different city and wrapping up work before I go back to school. Before I get to projects, I haven't been running in a week or two due to some tendinitis I developed on the outside of my foot. I was a little over zealous while on a long run with my friend Tom. We ran about twelve miles at almost my half marathon race pace. Apparently twelve repeated 6:34 miles is not great training. But now I know I can be doing much faster interval workouts.

Also on the topic of running. I have my first full marathon coming up this spring. I challenged my old teammate to a half marathon. He said double it, so how could I back down from a challenge. This should be interesting. I have until may to prepare.

Now on to projects. I have finished my SNAP now. I am experimenting with a couple barrel options as well as a couple different varieties of Stefans. My computer is having some trouble recognizing my memory card at the moment, so I will have to post pictures later.

My set of plushies ended up turning into one plushie and now the planned recipient is my mom for Christmas. This is about the perfect way to learn a bit about sewing. Make something handmade for my mom. Since I'm a little new to this, it won't be so articulate yet, but who better to take your rough draft projects than mom. She's been excited about all your crumby seeming artwork since you were 3.  Love you mom.

Don't think I had mentioned anything about it here yet, but I finally got my linux computer working with my router. Felt like a noob for not checking for MAC filtering sooner, but I couldn't connect to my modem either. Regardless, fishy. At least that's over with.

I think my current challenge is to use up all my perishable food before I move. Yeah eating. What a whirlwind though. I have to be back home, 6 hr away by Saturday night so I can leave for a ski trip on Sunday. Lucky I can come back for some final clean up after Christmas.

I should really set a day of the week to do updates more regularly. I really should be here weekly, with the occasional bonus posts. Mice and men, I guess for now.

Thanksgiving Week Update

Last week was a little busy. I don't even know where it went really. I am nearly finished with my SNAP though. I need to reattach the pistol grip since the hot glue I used before was cracking under the stress of the recoil from firing. I have a couple barrels for it. One fires standard streamline darts. The other will be for the stefans I make once I find some appropriately sized felt pads or an alternative pad/weight combination.

I didn't get a shot off at any deer over hunting. One of them could have been a reasonable shot, but it was pretty close to a "road" I couldn't see very well and firearm safety kicked in over-zealously. My loss. At least there should be more chances to come.

I have started a project to make a few plushies. I was rather surprised to find that a couple girls I know had never heard of little stuffed animals of the sort were referred to as such. Having had trouble thinking of anything to get family for Christmas, I think the first one goes to my mom. Something handmade by me for her and a mother is the perfect person to give such a "prototype" to since she has so much practice from the rest of my life. It's surprisingly befitting, I think.

I feel like this suffice for now.

Hunting Season

It's hunting season opener this weekend. That means...family reunion! (effectively any way) This year we are gathering the first weekend (which is fairly common) and some portion of the 12 of us who actually carry firearms will gather to see what game might be had  from the land. So looking forward to more venison, despite the fact that I still have part of a venison steak in my freezer...

Any way, it should be exciting. Six hour drive northwest tonight before my dad and I drive another 45min to an hour to reach the old farm in enough time to post up before dawn. I think that is officially around 7:45 at this time of year, if memory serves correctly.

I can't really force myself to see a deer. That's kinda up to them. So instead, lets go for kills to shots ratio.

Photo Upload Challenge

I have been slacking on my posting for reasons focused on disdain for FB, but I bet my friends would really like to see the trove of treasures I have horded on my laptop. Therefore I challenge myself to upload 500 pictures to FB. Pretty sure I have that many lying around. If not, I guess I go on a night time photo scavenger hunt.

Happy November...hehe "loyal readers"

Here I thought 100 would actually be a lot. Had to come back and edit to 500.