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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Break

First off, Happy Holidays to everyone. Despite any kind of bad news I've encountered/experienced these past couple of weeks, it's hard not to maintain a good mood this time of year. It's a shame that it takes a certain time of year to bring out the good in people (for the most part).

I'm back at home for Winter Break, which is pretty much one of those bittersweet feelings. Good on one hand because there's no school, and bad in the sense that I'm laying in bed at 11:30 on a Thursday night. Ah well, such is life.

Hard to believe Christmas is only a few days away. This weather would have you thinking otherwise. I'm hoping it holds out through Saturday, when we get together to play football once again at the high school. And this time I'm definitely stretching and warming up; I don't want a repeat of the Thanksgiving game, where I couldn't move for three days after.

It's getting late, and I'll just stop now, seeing as how I have to work tomorrow morning. Nothing like filing and throwing boxes around in a warehouse in Madison Heights to enforce the need for a college degree.

Design Day Debacle, Part 2 - Video

Being a semi-pro engineer, I was pretty happy with the way the machine worked. Check it out and tell me what you think. Kickass paint job courtesy of yours truly.

Design Day Debacle

It wasn't so much a debacle, actually- I just felt like using some alliteration.

I just woke up from a fantastic 2 hour nap, which I feel was well deserved. Today was the College of Engineering's Design Day, and now it's finally over.

We pulled an all-nighter making sure the pizza slicer would work, and of course, getting that paint job done (Don't be fooled by the photo-realistic look, that is indeed just a painted on pizza to make the tray a little more exciting.

While we didn't win any awards, I was proud to showcase the Pizza Cutter, or "Fresa Della Pizza," as we ended up titling it. It was an ingenious design, and despite a few design flaws, worked pretty damn well. With a crispy crust pizza on the tray, the blade chopped and chopped well.

Frankly, I'm still a little tired- 2 hours of sleep in the past 36 hours isn't really going to do much. Time to relax tonight, then get ready for finals. Fun fun.

Consumed

Between Habitat, Streets, Baja, school, and the rest of my life, I've had no time to sit back and relax. Two more weeks to go, and instead of studying more for tomorrow's Circuits lab final, I'm taking a break and updating this stupid thing.

Not much has happened in the past three weeks. This semester has flown by; Thanksgiving was nice, but a little strange given the fact that it was about 30 degrees above the average temperature. Classes have been just about what I've expected them to be- some hard, some less hard. My Design class has been taking up a lot of my time lately. Our final project is to design a mechanism that accomplishes some kind of task, which in our case, is cutting a pizza. It should be really interesting to see how it turns out, especially given the fact that we started building last week, and Design Day is this Friday. I'm very excited about the chance to finally do some hands on work- I feel it's the best way to learn.

Next week is Finals week, which means zero sleep and far too much studying. I've got Dynamics on Wednesday, Circuits and Math on Thursday, and Design on Friday. You'd think I might give myself a chance to relax on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, but I can't afford to. Too much hinges on my grades for this semester, and I need to make them as good as possible.

Can't wait for Christmas break. Then I can start stressing about next semester.

Just Get Me Through Wednesday

So during an incredibly extended study break, I decided to live in the past and check out my old livejournal, and came across this post. Since it's now more than two years old, I've decided to update it.

THINGS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT:
Something important on your desk: Water Bottle. Everyone needs water.
When you sleep you wear: Shorts, maybe a shirt
If you could afford it at the moment, you would buy: I don't really need anything.
Something you don't have a lot of: Friends. But I'm not complaining.
If your house was burning and you could only save 3 items what would they be: Josh, my photos, and TV.

MORALS:
If there were no side effects, you would enjoy being addicted to: spending money.
A time when you purposely hurt someone emotionally: Can't say I ever have.
A time you accidentally hurt someone emotionally: If you know me, you know that I sometimes don't think before I speak. Sorry.
One person you have killed in your thoughts: The kids that jump on that trampoline out back, all the damn day. Emphasize "thoughts."

FRIENDS:
Three traits you look for in a friend: Honesty, sense of humor, and kindness.
Who makes you laugh most often: Josh.
A friend who you can tell anything: Andy.
A friend you can go to for advice: Josh.
The best piece of advice you had been given: "It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks so long as you're comfortable with who you are."
Two closest friends: Josh and Andy.
The friend who uses most of your energy: Neither. I've got plenty.

EGO:
Your 3 best qualities: Outgoing, honest, and unnecessarily nice.
Your 3 worst qualities: Lack of motivation. Vulnerability. Jealousy.
Describe your Ideal self: I'm comfortable with myself.
You are embarrassed when: I wave at someone who isn't waving at me, but at a person behind me.
The greatest physical pain you ever endured: Definitely still the thumb in the car door. I've been lucky.
The greatest emotional pain you ever endured: Seeing my dad cry when his father passed away.
Moment you are most ashamed of: Telling the senior citizens that I visited every week that I'd come back after Christmas break. I never went back.
Your best physical feature: I'd say my eyes.
Who/What makes you happy: Running. A brisk fall afternoon. Seeing a smile on anyone's face. Being appreciated.
Who/what makes you sad: People who are helpless in improving their situation. Knowing that things will never be the same.

EMOTIONS:
Emotion you hide most: Anger.
The emotion you tend to experience most: Happiness.
The emotion you are feeling most lately: Frustration.
You have a huge amount of guilt regarding: Those senior citizens. Not a day goes by where I don't feel terrible about it.
When you are angry you need: To work out.
When you are sentimental you need: An ear. Maybe a notebook.
When you are in love you need: To know that it goes both ways.

MEMORIES:
One of your most peaceful memories: Standing on the terrace of my grandfather's home last winter, with him standing next to me.
One of your most tragic memories: I've been lucky enough to not experience significant tragedy.
One of your angriest memories: Can't think of anything significant.
A memory that makes you laugh: Andy throwing up at our apartment, and the aftermath.
A memory that makes you happy: Those nights when none of us knew what we were doing, but we were completely fine with it.
Something someone can say or do that you find extremely attractive: Smile or laugh, that's all it takes.
Something someone can say or do that you find unattractive: Smoke. Be completely ignorant.
Two things appealing about people: 1) A zest for life. 2) An ability to care.
A personality trait you find appealing: Sense of humor.
Your secret passion: I love volunteering. And drawing.
What you enjoy most about having a committed relationship: I wouldn't know.

FINALLY:
If you had more time alone you would: Probably kill myself. I have enough of that time as it is.
If you had more patience you would: tutor kids.
If you could change one thing about your physical appearance what would it be: Now, I'm fortunate enough to be healthy, but I'd obviously change the height.
If you had no commitments what would you be doing: Volunteering overseas.
If you could have one super power what would it be: Who the hell doesn't want to fly?
If you could start all over.... not an option

Staying Busy

This week has been about as busy as they come. Besides class on Monday, I was nominated to be the Public Relations coordinator for MSU Habitat for Humanity. I'm really excited about the opportunity, it's a great cause and gives me a chance to work with people who care about the community as much as I do. If you're in the Lansing area and want to help out, check out the MSU Habitat homepage.

Tuesday I made the drive down to Ohio for the interview at the Honda Engine Plant in Anna. I think the interview went really well, but I doubt I'll pursue anything with them regardless of what happens. I've got a good thing with Toyota, and summer co-ops are incredibly hard to come by.

I got back to East Lansing just in time for a meeting with Into The Streets, an MSU service organization that focuses on two main events each year. The next big event is scheduled for Martin Luther King Day, which is January 15th. Once again, if you're in the Lansing area and interested, just let me know. It's a great way to give back.

I'm just getting focused on staying as busy as possible and keeping my mind from being idle and straying; nothing good comes of it. The good will come in time, and all I can do is just be patient.

Hello November.

Well October came and went. The Pistons opened up their season tonight with a loss against the Bucks. Did I watch the game, you ask? No, because the games show on some stupid channel that doesn't have a Lansing area affiliate. And because of that, it's very possible that I'll miss out on 25 games that are televised everywhere but here. Fantastic.

I have an interview with Honda next week. Regardless of what happens, it's 98% likely that I won't be working in Ohio anytime soon. I like Kentucky and Toyota too much to pass it up. As much as I'd like to travel and see as much of the country as possible, I'm pretty sure The Buckeye State has nothing to offer. Absolutely nothing.

Hard to believe there's only 6 more weeks left in the semester. I think now is as good a time as any to get my ass in gear and start pushing towards that finish line.

Oh yeah, Tigers lost the World Series to a much more deserving Cardinals team. They just outplayed and out hustled Detroit. At least there's something to look forward to next year. God knows the Lions won't win more than 5 games total in the next 3 years, and I really don't think anyone's paying attention to the Red Wings.

Untitled

It was taking too long for me to come up with a title, so I said screw it. Well, it's been a while since I posted anything here, but don't let that fool you. I haven't been occupied, busy, or even lazy. I've just had absolutely nothing to talk about. That's what happens when your life is the epitome of mediocrity.

Anyway, nothing new to write about school. It still sucks, only difference now compared to a month ago is that I've come to accept that I've still got 2 more years of this crap.

This past weekend I went downtown with the intent of doing some volunteer work, but when that fell through, I walked around Lansing and just took pictures. Then I went over to Baker Woodlot and brought the camera along as well. It's amazing out there this time of year, really peaceful. Some of the pics made it to Flickr.

After last night, the Tigers are down 2-1 to the Cardinals. Am I worried? I'd be lying if I said no. Hopefully tonight's outcome is a bit better; the hitting hasn't been able to get anything done lately.

And to end, Abbott Pointe Apartments suck. Honestly, if you live in the East Lansing area, don't live here. Our running water comes in just two temperatures-- scalding hot and lukewarm. There are random sounds at all times of the day, mostly from birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and mythical creatures running/flying/screwing and/or just spiting me. I honestly think the birds flying into my window know exactly what they're doing. I'll just end on that note.

Mother Nature's A Clever One

Just when I thought I had the old lady figured out, she goes and throws snow and wind right in my face. Anyway, let's recap the week, since I've done nothing but a whole lot of nothing today.

Tigers beat the Yankees, moved on the ALCS, and have an incredible 2-0 lead on the A's. This is probably the most excited I've been in a long while. To think that the same team that had 119 losses 3 years ago is on the verge of the World Series is heartstopping. Which, by the way, is actually what I felt last night, with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th and Frank Thomas up to bat.

I had my second Dynamics exam yesterday. Want to know how it went? If you like me, you'll send a hate-filled email to my professor. Here's his website. That was easily the hardest exam I have ever taken, and believe me, I've flunked my fair share. The good news is that I'm not failing any of my other classes, so I'll still be a college student for at least another semester after this one.

I'm going home for part of this weekend. I kind of wish I weren't, mostly because it's fairly pointless. I'll make the most of it and be back Saturday night hopefully. Well now I'm just talking boring crap. Later.

6-0

Amazing. I haven't been this happy about a Detroit sports team since the Pistons won the championship.

Top 5 Reasons Game 3 was the best Tigers game all season:

5. Ernie Harwell doing the ESPN broadcast for a couple innings.
4. The incredible amount of energy 43,000 fans brought to Comerica Park.
3. Solid, clutch hitting with 2 outs.
2. Postseason baseball in Detroit for the first time in 19 years.
1. 41 year-old Kenny Rogers proving everyone wrong with a dominant curveball.

Here's hoping Game 4 tomorrow is the last we see of the Yankees.

Yes, A Second Post.

This one's a little more general, just a few things on my mind:

1) I realize the few people reading this might be reading this from facebook or some other source, the real address of this site is http://4ourthyear.blogspot.com. Just in case you were wondering.

2) A while back, I had a separate "A Photo A Day" blog. That got old pretty fast, so now I just post whatever photos I like the most on my Flickr page, which is http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstealth03. I don't take photography too seriously, it's just something I like to do.

3) MSU Football? Incredibly Disappointing. Lions Football? Somewhat disappointing. Tigers Baseball? Depressing end to a great season, but that gets tossed out the window tonight. Hope Game 1 is a bit better than the last 5 games of the regular season.

Good Weather = Great Day

Today was a beautiful day. With a beautiful day comes a great mood, and I couldn't be feeling better than I am right now.

I applied to be an Engineering Ambassador for MSU last week, and got an interview scheduled for this Thursday. Hopefully that goes well, because not only would it be a little extra cash on the side, it'd be a good experience.

I got calls from the recruiting departments at Honda and DaimlerChrysler today, which was shocking to say the least. I don't think I'll be pursuing anything with Honda though, as they're looking for students to intern from January to May. I don't want to miss another semester, unless it's a really good offer. DaimlerChrysler, on the other hand, is a very tough internship to obtain, and the fact that they even contacted me is flattering. They're looking for a summer intern in the Detroit area- which is both good and bad. Good because it'd be close to home, and bad, well, bad because it'd be close to home.

Toyota is really my ideal company, and I love Kentucky, but I'm just keeping my options open. I'll probably be going to the Career Gallery tomorrow, just for the sake of getting a bunch of free stuff and throwing the résumé around. And advice to all of you looking for internships and co-ops: Grades aren't everything (take my career 3.1 GPA for example), desire and motivation are just as important, and the hardest thing to do is getting your foot in the door. Once you get that, you're set.