Home Ownership, In Photos

"Icky old faucet, bleh!"

"Facial Hair Meets Home Improvement"

"Concern"

"Beauty + Functionality"

"To Spray is To Love"

by helen

Well, there might be enough to say...

I suppose that enough has happened to warrant the ever elusive post from Matt.

My mother recently had a birthday, as mothers are want to do from time to time, and we had the largest celebration that I can ever remember her tolerating being made for herself. Family came in from everywhere and friends who we hadn't seen in years. As a result, I received a number of questions that I suppose are the best format for this particular post.

"Hey there! I haven't seen you in so long; how are you?!"
I am doing well, thank you. How are you?

"So... you're back from Iraq..."
Well, yes. Most of us who went to Iraq came back at one time or another. Especially those of us who spent 90% of our time behind a desk.

Okay, okay, I'm mostly just making fun of that awkward small talk that happens between people who feel guilty about not having seen each other in so long, and yet feel close enough to be obliged to attend the celebration. Fortunately, most of the other people there were older than me and had more experience at this kind of interaction. As a result they were much more gracious than I and caused me to feel more comfortable than I normally would have. But on with what you really want to hear...

"So, what are you doing these days?"
The TAMU Saga
Well ultimately, I want to make movies. To that end, I've been compiling a portfolio and learning the tools of my trade. My goal is to use freelance CG work to fund movie making ventures. I applied to TAMU (that's Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University) and was pleased to discover that the VisLab (one of the most prestigious Computer Graphics Graduate programs in the nation) had opened an Undergraduate course in Visualization. I had been bothered that I'd have to get a BS in something and then try to get into the VisLab Master's program. Now, I can just go straight into the same work. I certainly won't learn the same things as in the Master's program, but I'll be much better prepared for that when I do apply.

Unfortunately, TAMU is dumb. While ACE recommends that my particular military experience and training are equivalent to 32 credit hours in various courses, and Duquesne University granted 21 of those hours for credit while I was studying with them, TAMU (being the military friendly school that they are) categorically does not accept any military experience or training at all... ever. What this means is that I am not a transfer student, which is how I applied, of course. Thus my application was summarily denied. Additionally, freshman applications closed the week before transfer applications opened, so there's no way to go back and apply as a freshman.

Fortunately, I met one of the professors at the VisLab (he goes to my church), and he's gone to bat for me. I also managed to find the only military-knowledgeable adviser at TAMU and she has asked that my application be re-evaluated, reminding the ever enigmatic "them" that as a veteran, I can be accepted as a transfer student with fewer than the normally required 24 credits elsewhere.

And so I wait...

Other than this minor drama, things continue much as they have in recent past. Helen is now the senior Lab Tech in the Clinical Microbiology Lab of the TAMU Vet School, with all of 4 months experience. Yes, as soon as she got there, the more experienced techs jumped ship. That was disconcerting, of course, but things appear to be just fine.

I'm still working with the tools of my trade and trying to put together a moderately interesting portfolio. For those of you who might know about such things, I recently changed from Lightwave to Blender, and then discovered Luxrender, so that's been an exciting journey. I put up some of my lastest stuff in Facebook today.

Our house is still fantastic. I still haven't put in the bathroom vent fan that we bought, or the new kitchen faucet that we bought. One of these days I'll have a weekend. I did, however, mow my very own personal lawn for the first time last week. It looks pretty good. We'll have to post some pictures sometime, but they'll probably go on Facebook, unless I can find a neat way to do it here.

Anyhow, I guess that's the big stuff. Let me know if there's anything else that I should have answered. More later...

Maybe all kittens are similar...

Unicorns?

I want this monitor!!

Yes, it's in Russian, but it's still awesome. Just keep watching....

http://www.youtube.com/v/AAdku9YhSCI&rel=1

Okay, okay. If you're not hooked yet, they shoot an ASUS monitor with a CROSSBOW and it doesn't do a thing!! Hammer, nail, crossbow, nothing phases this monitor... okay, now go watch it.