New Year, New Quarter
I have started my second quarter at….err on SCAD-elearning, not exactly sure of how that goes since I do not have to make a commute, I just boot up the laptop and log-in….. Anyway, I have three classes again, part of me wishes I took only two classes, but there is really no excuse for me, procrastination gets the best of me that’s all. My three classes are Intro. to Interactive Design and Game Development, Color Theory, and American Moderns: 1900-1945. Intro to Interactive Design is probably the class I have looked most forward too, especially since it is part of my degree’s core classes. I have not paid quite enough attention to my Color Theory class, in fact I need to scan my projects before midnight. American Moderns will be a good class, I do not read books regularly though, so that is my only problem is setting out the time to sit down and really read, not just glance. They are good authors too, well except for Hemingway. I developed an aversion to his books when I was in High School, “The Old Man and the Sea”, it was more like a really long fishing trip with no boat to jump off of. Maybe I will find something to like in one of the short stories but I am not convinced yet.
Sadly, 2009 did not end on a happy note for my family. My father passed away on December 10th, I still have difficulty grasping that as a fact. Part of me really does not care too much about my classes at the moment, however I know that my dad would want me to continue with my classes. I am relying heavily on my faith to help carry me through this semester.
Me and Dad
I think I may be a Mac Geek!
Well I already came to the conclusion that I am a bit of a geek, lol. Now I am a bit of a Mac Geek 
Yesterday, I got an early Christmas present! My beautiful MacBook, it is so very pretty, and wonderful, I think my HP may just crash from the sight of it…. Although I hope it doesn’t, I am still using it for games and Adobe at least until I run Boot Camp to get the MB to work with Windows 7. The HP was causing finger issues since the “H” key along with at least four other frequently used keys would not work, nothing like jamming keys to get one letter and not getting it!
I still like Windows since games are not always prepared for Macs, it sometimes takes a couple of months or years before you see a Mac Compatible version of a Game that was previously released, Thank goodness The Sims 3 came out on a Mac/Window compatible disc!
With the plans of working in the Gaming Industry, I think it is wise to stay up to date on both Windows and Mac. In the next week or two I will be adding to, or at least have the plans of adding to my Mac entourage. Watch this space!
First Quarter @ SCAD-elearning Completed!
One quarter down! I finished with 3 B’s. I was honestly hoping for A’s, however I know I can do better next quarter. First quarter was a bit of a learning curve, and by the end I just wanted to be done. Highlight of the quarter would be my 92 on the research paper, it required Chicago Manual of Style which was absolutely new to me. Subject was my favorite artist Edward Hopper and his paintings of cities in America. My grammar was a constant issue, which made my friend Nathan essential, an extra set of eyes can also point out where you could expand in a paper. I think I still owe him Chipotle….
The quarter went so quick, and I miss my schedule, though I spent every day playing games this past week. Sims 3 how I have missed you, except you greeted me with an Error 16! Lost a neighborhood, luckily I have spent so much time away from it, I really do not remember it. I spent three days traveling through virtual Sim versions of China, Egypt, and France. Wish traveling was easier, it is either lack of funds or fear of the unknown that keeps me from traveling. If I had a friend that would travel with me, it would be a bit easier. Traveling alone has never been ideal to me, I spend enough time alone, so why would I want to be alone in another country?
The other game of the week was Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove, it is awesome! File became corrupted on the desktop 
so had to switch to the laptop, slight irritant although the mac screen was a bit too big for the game. Technology has been against me this week. All of these automatic electric inventions, the printer, the car window, the computer. Oi vey! I wish all car windows had a back up hand crank, two out of the four windows work in my car…. sometimes and the air conditioner is lacking coolant, Thank God for the cool weather, which is rare in Florida.
One other thing about games, I play a lot of them, and I am hoping to find a career related to gaming. Thinking about adding reviews to a separate blog just dedicated to that. Not quite sure yet, but I think it would also help with my writing skills and also just add to my knowledge.
Thanksgiving was okay, holidays have seemed to be a bit lacking in the past few years to me. I just feel numb to the day, it is all just my attitude I think. Yesterday morning, I was just annoyed, I literally wanted to shout “Bah Humbug!”, thought about adding that as my facebook status too I know I have many things to be thankful for, but I could just think of everything that is going wrong or not ideal. After a talk with my mom, I started thinking of the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” and I think that helped changed my attitude, by afternoon I was feeling better. Oh and I could not find that movie later on NBC (didn’t that used to be a tradition?).
So now to get motivated during the next month to sell, sell, sell on eBay and Avon. Organize my room, and hopefully adopt the Christmas Spirit!
It’s already Week 4?
Time certainly cannot be moving that fast? I truly need to use a planner, I had actually looked at the calendar and still thought that the 2nd thru 5th was this week…. Oh and it’s Fall! Florida actually had some cooler temps last week, but it’s pretty much back to normal.
I have blocked and unblocked text messaging in the last five days, I thought I probably would not miss anything, but that is usually when you get the good text messages, and what’s bad is that they don’t alert the person that you have blocked the function.
It’s only week 4 and I have a Mid-term paper due next week, can I just say how much I love the idea of Quarter length classes; with semester length classes I would usually dread that it was only week 4 and I had 12 more weeks, 16 weeks can be quite dreadful, especially if you are taking a class that you would rather not take with a Professor that isn’t enthused about the class either. The other big assignment is in Drawing II, a master drawing of a woman picking Poppys. I am just a bit intimidated, if I start it tomorrow I think I will be okay.
Sunday I played Frisbee which I have been missing. I saw dear friends, and learned Spoons and B.S. B.S. is not an easy game for me, I don’t tend to lie and when I do, they can usually tell. Actually I was doing really well, until I had just a few cards left, by then I ran out of the right cards and was going to be called out for every card I put down It was a great Sunday!
Tomorrow I am going to try to get most of the assignments done, so the rest of the week can be free.
This Saturday is my brother’s birthday, Happy Birthday Sonnie!
Drawing II Unit 1 Assignments
My classwork for Drawing II from the first week of class.
Contour and Cross Contour Studies, At first I was stuck on Cross Hatching, I saw the examples and still was doing cross-hatching. So I figured it out a bit finally
Contour and Cross Contour Study
Value Study, I have to say I certainly liked the Value Study, I like the whole process of blending to get an effect.
Value Study
Class Assignments for Week 1
I am finally starting some of my assignments, today I worked on my Advanced Survey of Computer Applications Class. I am noticing similarities to classes I have taken before, but it’s actually pretty good because it is refreshing my memory.
20th Century Art class is my least favorite at this point. I love art, but reading about it and researching it… It’s just not one of my favorite things, and also it’s just not my favorite subjects of Art, if I could take a class on the Advertisement Art of the 1920s, I would probably love it!
Drawing 2 looks good, I just need to put pencil to paper, is there anyone who does not deal with procrastination?
Classes have Started!
Finally! It seeemed like it took years for my classes to start. So far, they are great; I have been browsing the discussion forums and making Introductions, and getting to know my classmates. What I love about my E-Learning classes at SCAD so far is that my classmates are from all over, some are from my homestate of Florida, or around the United States, and some are from different countries. It’s exciting! On facebook I have friends from all over, but it’s different when you are taking a class with people from all over… and it’s different from my previous E-Learning classes at SPC; The discussion forums are more active and social. It’s really nice!
Today I finally ordered my books, I know a bit last minute, I didn’t want to order the books before class started though in case they changed my classes last minute, although I don’t think they would have done that… I am a procrastinator, so that is going to have to change pretty quick, especially since I know I have a Research Paper and Mid Term paper for one class! I think I am going to have to set up a schedule for myself, because right now I can see that I could end up devoting a lot more time to one class and ignoring some of the others.
The Rat is Gone!
A couple days ago I discovered that we had an outside visitor… A rat, at first I though it was a big clump of Clifford’s hair rolling like a tumbleweed from behind my dresser to the side of the bed. Upon further investigation it was confirmed to be a rat, probably a fruit rat who had a taste for bird seed. The fact that it was in my room made me a bit paranoid, and needless to say I slept in the living room. The following day we had an owl on our porch, and it was a cantankerous skinny looking owl. Maybe he was on the lookout for the rat… I avoided the porch for a while then, sure it probably would not have attacked me, but why take the chance of being dive bombed on your own porch by a wild eyed owl? The owl left by nightfall, and did not come back the next day.
Anyway back to the rat, this morning I got the wonderful news that my mom had found the rat in the trap before she left for work! It was a humane trap and she took it to the back fence and released it. Now to find out how it got in and if it has created any other messes.
Hopefully other rodents and reptiles and insects will stay away. Talking about it with friends has brought forward their stories of finding frogs in the bathroom, bats in the attic, and stepping on slugs.
On a good note, the rat disruption has inspired me to organize and plan a yard sale or Ebay auction
Updated Schedule and Weekend Fun
Now instead of Color Theory; I will have a Drawing 2 course with Lottmann, I am wondering if this Online Drawing Course will be like my previous, where you scanned in your drawings… I am happy with my classes for the Fall still. There are a couple that may mirror the classes I took at SPC, I see it as a good thing since I will be be getting the information again, and may learn something new.
This past weekend I played Softball, it was a lot of fun, of course now I am feeling the effects. About the same effects as the first time I played Ultimate Frisbee. Which by the way I tried to play the following day, didn’t work so out much, so it became a social hour
I have also been playing a lot of Chess, which I did not think was very interesting before, mainly because I did not understand the rules, now I am hooked on it though, so far I have not won a single game, I usually end up missing a key detail, you have to keep an eye on so many pieces and keep in mind where your opponent may end up moving.
I really wish it would rain, this morning it was dark and I heard thunder, but nothing, across town they had rain, but not here. We are so close to the coast that I would expect more rain, but it seems to just miss us.
Brickfish Favorite Photo I have ever taken
Scholarship I entered… It truly is one of my favorite photos!
Click View to see picture.
