Auckland, New Zealand
I have a lot to fill everyone in on about my trip so far, but I'll do that on a different day. So, to sum up: Anaheim was loads of fun, and I got a lead on an internship. The flight to New Zealand is long. I am now chillin w/ Rachel at the Queen's Street Backpacker's and planning the rest of the trip. I will try to post again while here, otherwise...When I return!
Monday, May 16, 2005
Sneaking up on a Leprechaun
I bought a digital camera and took it home for the weekend. I took many pictures of random things, and erased them, but some didn't deserve the fate of the trash bin. The weather was really odd, it would rain, then clear, then be clear and rain, or really cloudy and dry. When we were at the lake, this downpour came from nowhere, and then cleared, and this was the result:
I came upon an unsuspecting rainbow, and snuck up a hill to see if the coast was clear.
I bought a digital camera and took it home for the weekend. I took many pictures of random things, and erased them, but some didn't deserve the fate of the trash bin. The weather was really odd, it would rain, then clear, then be clear and rain, or really cloudy and dry. When we were at the lake, this downpour came from nowhere, and then cleared, and this was the result:
I came upon an unsuspecting rainbow, and snuck up a hill to see if the coast was clear.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Drowning in a sea of papers, and water, and…snow?
Yes, I’ve been getting drenched, and being drowned today by inches. Inches of water and inches of paper. Inches of snow? Not yet, and hopefully not at all. It is almost June after all. I woke up this morning and got ready to go to work, thinking longingly of the end of the day, when I’d turn in my design project and be done with the semester. I looked out the window and it was raining. No surprise there, it’s been doing that a lot lately. So I finished getting ready and went out the door only to find that there were snowflakes mixed with raindrops. Not fair! It was COLD too. Below freezing with the wind chill it was, and me with only my hoody to keep me warm. Still, I braved insane semi-truck drivers, near collisions, and wet windshields to get to work.
When I arrived at work it was to find an ocean of photocopying on my desk. So-and-so needed such-and-such right away, and they’d brought in the Lawyers. So off I went to the photocopy machine – who needs a time out by the way. I copied all morning, and then ate lunch and finished my elevation view for the design project, the last bit of homework for the semester. I then copied until just now. When all was said and done, I had 4 inches of paper piled up from all the copying I did. It wasn’t the easy ‘feed-the-machine’ kind either. No, someone had to go and staple every three pages together. I got rather adept with a staple remover.
It’s still raining outside, and we’ll be getting a half inch to an inch of water. There are already flash flood watches in effect in some areas. That old saying about it never raining but it pours is certainly correct today.
On a better note, I am going to buy a digital camera. I’m not certain what kind yet. I may indulge myself with a 10x optical zoom one, or maybe I’ll go with a ‘pocket sized’ 3x optical zoom. I know I want 4 megapixels. Beyond that, the sky’s the limit. Well, actually the limiting factor resides in my pocketbook…but I can dream, can’t I? I’ve always wanted a camera with multiple lenses and many settings and shutter speeds. This probably won’t be it. But it’ll be a start.
Under a week and a half til I leave for California and then New Zealand. I bought a new day pack and a travel towel-y thing for the trip, and I will most certainly head back to REI before they close tonight to buy more things (man that store is a money pit for me). I’m getting excited, and I think I’m going to stop blogging and start making a list of everything I need to remember to bring. This time, Rachel, I will not leave my glasses in the U.S.
Yes, I’ve been getting drenched, and being drowned today by inches. Inches of water and inches of paper. Inches of snow? Not yet, and hopefully not at all. It is almost June after all. I woke up this morning and got ready to go to work, thinking longingly of the end of the day, when I’d turn in my design project and be done with the semester. I looked out the window and it was raining. No surprise there, it’s been doing that a lot lately. So I finished getting ready and went out the door only to find that there were snowflakes mixed with raindrops. Not fair! It was COLD too. Below freezing with the wind chill it was, and me with only my hoody to keep me warm. Still, I braved insane semi-truck drivers, near collisions, and wet windshields to get to work.
When I arrived at work it was to find an ocean of photocopying on my desk. So-and-so needed such-and-such right away, and they’d brought in the Lawyers. So off I went to the photocopy machine – who needs a time out by the way. I copied all morning, and then ate lunch and finished my elevation view for the design project, the last bit of homework for the semester. I then copied until just now. When all was said and done, I had 4 inches of paper piled up from all the copying I did. It wasn’t the easy ‘feed-the-machine’ kind either. No, someone had to go and staple every three pages together. I got rather adept with a staple remover.
It’s still raining outside, and we’ll be getting a half inch to an inch of water. There are already flash flood watches in effect in some areas. That old saying about it never raining but it pours is certainly correct today.
On a better note, I am going to buy a digital camera. I’m not certain what kind yet. I may indulge myself with a 10x optical zoom one, or maybe I’ll go with a ‘pocket sized’ 3x optical zoom. I know I want 4 megapixels. Beyond that, the sky’s the limit. Well, actually the limiting factor resides in my pocketbook…but I can dream, can’t I? I’ve always wanted a camera with multiple lenses and many settings and shutter speeds. This probably won’t be it. But it’ll be a start.
Under a week and a half til I leave for California and then New Zealand. I bought a new day pack and a travel towel-y thing for the trip, and I will most certainly head back to REI before they close tonight to buy more things (man that store is a money pit for me). I’m getting excited, and I think I’m going to stop blogging and start making a list of everything I need to remember to bring. This time, Rachel, I will not leave my glasses in the U.S.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
I know, I suck
It's not that I don't have a lot to say - I do, but it is that I have no time to say it in. Or, rather, the time I have to say it in is taken up by other, equally important things like sleeping. The semester is officially done on Friday the 13th. Ominous, isn't it? I have everything done except for my design project for one class, which I was going to finish this weekend, but didn't even start. Oops. I was having way to much fun doing other things. I went to a classmate's graduation party on Saturday night. Great times; we spent the evening sitting around a fire and playing guitars and singing songs. Yes, I played a guitar too. I know now 5 chords. Then I knew two. But you can go suprisingly far knowing E and A major. Really. I played a whole song. Then I played along on the Peter Gunn Theme, which is quite nice and easy all on the 6th string. Then, my playing being exhausted, I sat back and used the guitar as percussion. I learned a few more chords as well - as the night progressed. I was charged to learn the lyrics and tune to John Barley Corn Must Die by Traffic. I am to sing it at the next get together, while another coworker plays. Now, to look up the lyrics...
I went day-pack and digital camera hunting today. I didn't get anything, but found some price comparisions and I'll look up more info on the web. I realized today that I'll be in CA two weeks from now, and really should start getting everything in order.
I applied for one internship, and have an interview set up for a second, so I may actually have a summer job when I return from NZ. That would be nice. Not that I don't like the MPCA, but...I need something in my field. Speaking of the MPCA, I had my first game of Softball with the team. Great times, I am 0-1 as a pitcher, but I blame that on the fact I was the relief pitcher, and well, the other team hits hard. Still, it was the first time I've put on a glove or thrown a ball in about 10 years, so striking two people out and keeping the game relatively close is not a bad thing.
Ok, I'm going to go and get some sleep now. We just had a lovely thunderstorm, and I went outside and played in it until I was drenched through. Man, I love doing that! Rachel - I missed playing in the first good storm of the season with you :( I'm all dry now, so time for bed.
It's not that I don't have a lot to say - I do, but it is that I have no time to say it in. Or, rather, the time I have to say it in is taken up by other, equally important things like sleeping. The semester is officially done on Friday the 13th. Ominous, isn't it? I have everything done except for my design project for one class, which I was going to finish this weekend, but didn't even start. Oops. I was having way to much fun doing other things. I went to a classmate's graduation party on Saturday night. Great times; we spent the evening sitting around a fire and playing guitars and singing songs. Yes, I played a guitar too. I know now 5 chords. Then I knew two. But you can go suprisingly far knowing E and A major. Really. I played a whole song. Then I played along on the Peter Gunn Theme, which is quite nice and easy all on the 6th string. Then, my playing being exhausted, I sat back and used the guitar as percussion. I learned a few more chords as well - as the night progressed. I was charged to learn the lyrics and tune to John Barley Corn Must Die by Traffic. I am to sing it at the next get together, while another coworker plays. Now, to look up the lyrics...
I went day-pack and digital camera hunting today. I didn't get anything, but found some price comparisions and I'll look up more info on the web. I realized today that I'll be in CA two weeks from now, and really should start getting everything in order.
I applied for one internship, and have an interview set up for a second, so I may actually have a summer job when I return from NZ. That would be nice. Not that I don't like the MPCA, but...I need something in my field. Speaking of the MPCA, I had my first game of Softball with the team. Great times, I am 0-1 as a pitcher, but I blame that on the fact I was the relief pitcher, and well, the other team hits hard. Still, it was the first time I've put on a glove or thrown a ball in about 10 years, so striking two people out and keeping the game relatively close is not a bad thing.
Ok, I'm going to go and get some sleep now. We just had a lovely thunderstorm, and I went outside and played in it until I was drenched through. Man, I love doing that! Rachel - I missed playing in the first good storm of the season with you :( I'm all dry now, so time for bed.
