5.10.2007

Last One

Well, this is it. I really should have graduated a week ago, but alas, I am returning to MSU in the fall for two more semesters. And honestly, I couldn't be happier about it. There's still so much to see and do, and I feel as if the 7 semesters prior to this spring were just a giant learning experience.

Finals came and went (well), no 4.0's but that's alright. I've got my co-op with Toyota this summer, and that's all that matters. Although, the timing couldn't be any worse. I've been fortunate enough to meet some great people, and the very fact that I'll be gone for three months hurts. Granted, I'd be an idiot to pass up the opportunity, and it's only twelve weeks, but I can't help but feel that I'm going to miss out on a lot, and not just Cedar Point trips. I'll definitely be making, at the very least, a monthly trip back up to Michigan.

For the next few months, starting May 17th, I'll be living in Erlanger, KY, about 5 minutes away from Toyota's North American Headquarters. I have no idea what I'll be doing this time around- at first, I was disappointed that I wouldn't be working at the plant anymore, but hopefully they've got some fun stuff lined up for me. As long as it doesn't involve traveling to Princeton, I'm good with whatever they throw at me. Distractions are always welcome though, so if you find yourself bored and in need of a road trip, look no further than a 4-5 hour jaunt down to Erlanger. We could catch a Reds game, go to the Cincy Zoo or Aquarium, or just hang out at any of the parks in the area.

Anyway, have a great summer, and stay tuned for 5ifthyear. Feel free to shoot me an email message, facebook mailbox message, or any other means of communication you may know of.

4.27.2007

Help!

Late notice, I know. But I need help figuring out what I'm going to wear to my cousin's wedding tomorrow night, and that's where you come in. Here's a picture of three possible shirt/tie combos, just tell me which one you think I should wear!

And if you don't agree with any of my choices, by all means tell me.

4.26.2007

Wow, I Do Have a Life!

Well I must, because it's been like three weeks since I've updated this thing. And in those three weeks, a lot has happened. And I won't even bother talking about school, just know that I'm finally done with classes and I've got 5 tests next week.

Last week was Habitat for Humanity's Act!Speak!Build! Week, a program geared towards campus chapters and other youth groups with the intent of advocating change and raising awareness about poverty in America. Honestly, I was a little disappointed with how things went, purely from an attendance standpoint. Granted, we didn't do the greatest job of spreading the word, but it's tough when your entire e-board isn't willing/available to help. Hopefully next year will be better, and we can build on the events we did this year, like the BD's fundraiser, letter writing campaign, and guest speaker/movie night/sleep out at the Rock.

And last night, I went to the Habitat for Humanity of Michigan Awards Ceremony at the Kellogg Center. The evening was great, but the best part was the keynote speaker: Ernie Harwell. If you're a Tigers fan, then you definitely know the name. The man was the voice of the Tigers for 42 years, and I got to meet him. He was approaching the room where other Habitat members were waiting, and I was waiting outside the room for the other Habitat Lansing folks. He made direct eye contact with me, came right up, and extended his hand, saying "Good evening young man, good to see you." All I could do was shake his hand and say "Great to meet you Mr. Harwell."

Seriously, Ernie Harwell made last night, and hell, this entire school year, worth it. When you meet someone of that magnitude, it's something you don't ever forget. The life he's lived and the stories we heard last night are something a very rare few have ever experienced, and I'm glad he shared them.

4.04.2007

One, Two, or Five Things

  1. I'm rarely ever a negative person. I always look at the bright side of things, so for me to dwell on stuff like this and just be pissed off about it means that it really bothers me. But I don't like talking about it. Which is why I'll put it here.
  2. I don't like being used. I don't like the feeling of being used. I don't like giving and giving and giving and feeling like I'm getting nothing in return. It bothers me and makes me wonder why I'm so outgoing at times. But I know I'll never be able to stop.
  3. The month of April is hereby named Hell-tober. I have so much work to do in the next three weeks that I doubt I'll have much time for anything fun, much less anyone. And honestly? That's the way I want it.
  4. Toyota had called me, asking if I would be interested in going to California or Arizona for the summer. That hasn't panned out, so Kentucky it is. Which is perfectly fine with me, because there's still so much I want to do down there.
  5. This is the summer that I get into shape. I'm talking running every day, and working out (weights or cardio) as much as possible. I'm done partying and I'm done drinking, however little I may have done. It's overrated and does nothing for me.

3.26.2007

15 Minutes...

...is all I'm budgeting for this entry. I've been meaning to update this thing for so long, and I've just been so busy. So now, between 12:45 and 1am Monday morning, 7 hours before my Composites test, I am updating.

I don't even know where to begin. It's not like a lot has changed or happened, but the things that have happened are significant. Spring Break was flat out one of the best experiences of my life. After Hurricane Katrina hit, I told myself that if I ever had the chance to make it down to New Orleans, I would. It may have taken more than 2 years, but I finally made it, and I have no regrets. Not only did I have a hand in building a few homes in Musicians' Village, but I met some amazing people (both from the area and elsewhere) that I plan on staying in touch with for a while. We're already looking forward to going down there in the summer, and I can't wait.

School's going alright, could always be better, but given the amount of work and time that I've had in which to do it in, I'd say I'm faring pretty well. It's shocking how one week can be laid back, and the next week, I've got barely enough time to sleep for a couple hours a night. And there's still another two semesters of this. Wonderful.

The weather is starting to get better, which is both good and bad. Good, because I'll be in a good mood all of the time as opposed to 90% of the time. Bad, because nothing will get done. Take today for example. I didn't really do anything until 1 in the afternoon, and that was just typing up notes from a plant visit that happened on the 16th. A little late, needless to say. Then I went for a relaxing run, and played ultimate frisbee for a couple hours, followed by dinner at Applebee's. And before I knew it, it was 10:30 and I was heading to the Engineering Building to study for my 7:45 exam.

Speaking of which, I should get some sleep. Typing on the bed is only encouraging my eyes to close further.

3.12.2007

New Orleans = Time of My Life



MSU Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans!



Check out all my photos from Habitat's Spring Break Trip down to New Orleans. More stories to come in the next few days. Enjoy!

2.27.2007

Motivation #1

I felt a little creative (and inspired) this morning.

For your desktop: 1024x768 or 1600x1200. If you'd like a different resolution, just comment or get ahold of me.


2.16.2007

Friday Mornings & Turtlenecks

So it is indeed another Friday morning, which means I'm here at the Engineering Building. While I wait til Fluids starts at 11:30, I'm just hanging out here in the computer lab instead of actually studying Fluids.

I was sitting by myself for a bit, until lo and behold, some guy from all of my classes sits next to me. And what's so special about this guy? Maybe it's the fact that he wears turtlenecks. Every damn day of the week. And don't even tell me it's because of the cold, he's been doing it since August at the very least.

Turtlenecks obviously bother me, for some reason. It's probably just because the guy's a weirdo.

2.12.2007

Tommy Emmanuel - Initiation

So I was flipping channels the other day, and actually stopped on the local PBS channel. The name of the show was Sierra Center Stage, and the performer is Australian Tommy Emmanuel. This guy is seriously amazing.

Obviously

Obviously I've been busy. I know, I know, in the past I've said I was busy, but that was nothing compared to what it's been like lately. I've already had two tests today and I've got a third in about 40 minutes. And then that stupid Controls lab. I pretty much lived at the library (not just any library, the Engineering Library) this weekend, which is just flat out sad. Hopefully this next week is a little more laid back and I can get some more stuff done outside of classes.

Habitat is getting pretty busy, especially with planning the Alternative Spring Break trip down to New Orleans. Into the Streets should be getting more hectic, now that I'm co-chair. And yes, I've been on some kind of self-righteousness kick with the volunteering I've been doing. If I have the time, the last thing I want to be doing is sitting on the couch thinking about what I could be doing.

The end of this week just can't come soon enough. I'm already exhausted.

1.22.2007

I'm Still Here

2 weeks. Wow. I wish I could say I'd been busy these past 14 days, but that'd be lying, and that's not what I'm about.

Today marks the third week of classes, and they're only getting more boring and frustrating. Which is fun, if you enjoy those things. Mondays are just awful for me. Curious? Here's my schedule:

[7:45-9:00] MSE 426
[9:10-10:00] ME 451
[11:30-12:20] ME 332
[4:10-5:30] ME 477
[7:00-9:50] ME 451 Lab

Now, if my math serves me right, and if that stupid Controls Lab lasts almost 3 hours, I think I qualify as having one of the longest days ever. So I've got that going for me, which is nice.

Seeing as how I've got 45 minutes til Fluids, maybe I'll go and study that some. Or pass out in the library.

1.08.2007

Spartylive

I was going to talk about the weekend, but I'm in between classes right now and just thought I'd mention this site I came across, helpful to any incoming/inexperienced MSU students and visitors.

Spartylive (http://www.spartylive.com) makes getting around MSU's ridiculously large, and at time, intimidating campus, a lot easier. An interactive map helps you find the building you're looking for, as well as laying out bus routes so you can plan your ride if you need to. I think it's a great idea, seeing as how I'm tired of having people ask me where Wells Hall is. Just kidding.

Spartylive
Lansing State Journal Article

1.05.2007

Flytrap. George Flytrap.


One of his traps opened up overnight. Of course, I missed it.

Other than that, he seems to be doing alright. I put a banana peel near his home to see if it could help him attract bugs. We'll see.

More Contrasting

Yesterday was my last day at work. Yesterday, I jumped nearly 30 feet off a warehouse shelf (into a pile of cardboard, no worries). Did I enjoy it? Oh yes, very much.

Now I'm back in East Lansing, and what's one of the first things I do? Pull a complete 180 and buy a Venus fly trap. So yes, I'm a green thumb adrenaline junkie.

Pictures of George Flytrap (yeah, I named him) coming soon.

1.02.2007

2007: Some Same, Some Different

I don't want to jinx it, but 2007 is already off to a great start. Yes, this is the post where I look back at 2006 fondly and with such great interest. Well, not really. 2006 came and went, and I'm just ready for this year.

The Same:

  • School. It just never ends. And to think, if everything had gone accordingly, I'd be graduating in May. Incredibly hard to believe that I'd actually be out in the real world. Terrifying. Once again, I've got a full course load this semester, with mind-numbing classes like Control Systems (ME 451), Fluid Mechanics (ME 332), Intro to Composite Materials (MSE 426), and Manufacturing Processes (ME 477). After a fairly average Fall semester, I'm just looking to keep my 3.0 and make it back to Toyota in May.
  • The Detroit Lions. Unbelievable. Honestly, how do you close out a completely meaningless season with a win against a playoff bound Dallas Cowboys team and screw up your chance at the Number 1 pick? Hand it to the Lions to completely disappoint a city by winning. And son of a bitch, Matt Millen still has his job? If my boss ever tries firing me after 4 years of complete futility, I can't wait to play the Millen card.
The Different:
  • Notice I only listed two things under the "Same" heading. I don't expect anything else from 2006 to carry over into 2007, which is both good and bad.
  • A new, motivated me. That's right, I'm done with the unhealthy eating, staying up late for no reason at all, wasting time habits I've gotten too used to. Yes, I realize this sounds like every other idiot's New Year's resolutions, but these aren't resolutions. I'm actually going to do them.
  • Making the most of everything. I definitely want to do more this year. More exploring, more risk taking, more trips, more aimlessly comforting nights, more photography, more doing the things I want to do, more everything.
I'm done. Happy New Year to you all- don't let anything get in your way in 2007.