May 2004 Archives

I should be in bed by now, but there's just a wee bit of insomnia hitting. Plus, this way I got to stay up late enough to see that we've got a tornado watch in effect until 6 AM. Super! And I just watched the disaster flick The Day After Tomorrow last night. Yeah, I know what you're thinking: that movie can't be any good, right? Well, I wasn't expecting a whole lot out of the plot, I was just in the mood for some neo-ice age special effects, and it delivered. Plus, Jake Gylenhaal is a fine actor, proving here that he can bring some kind of humanity to even movies with little to no character development.

I have a few science-minded friends who could probably debunk every theory the movie gives for the sudden climate shift, but hey: it's just entertainment, after all. You're required to suspend your disbelief for any number of sci-fi/fantasy films, so I had no trouble swallowing some of the whoppers Tomorrow threw my way. Except for these darn wolves that just kind've add some extra pointless drama to a scene.

At some point, I also want to compare with you the approach Roland Emmerich took to this effects-laden movie to how Peter Jackson tackled the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. They've two opposite mindsets, and the results speak for themselves, in my opinion.

It's still going to be a fun summer. Isn't it? This adjustment week at work has had its ups and downs, to tell you the truth, but I'm still confident about the summer's outlook. The work I'll be doing for the majority of the summer isn't terribly interesting, but it's not incredibly boring, either. What it does is make for some steady days, relatively free of the stress of a learning curve, since I've done this job before in a part-time capacity. I can live with that. I also basically get the impression that my work is relevant, which always helps motivation.

The only thing that remains a problem is the energy factor and the commute. I think I've got my circadian rhythms (not to be confused with cicadian rhythms) back in sync with a workday that sees me getting up at 6:15 AM, but by the evening, I'm still just about worthless.

Some reflections on recent events and announcements:

...Actor Richard Biggs, who played Dr. Franklin on the sci-fi show Babylon 5 and Days Of Our Lives, passed away Saturday morning in his home. He was only 44; some online news reports say that the cause was most likely an aneurysm or a stroke. Some of you know that I'm a fan of B5, so this news was most unexpected and tragic. My condolences go out to his family and friends. It's always haunting when a relatively young celebrity passes away, I suppose because they already have that certain mystique about them. It's hard to believe.

...Jamband Phish announced on Tuesday that this summer's tour would be their last. They took a hiatus a couple of years ago to try to rejuvenate their music, but after a couple of new albums and some more tours, I guess they all finally feel like the band has run its course. I never was a huge Phish phan, but I always respected their music and their status as a major force in grassroots fan movements, tape trading, and the jamband music scene. I'm sure we'll see Trey Anastasio and the other guys working on other projects in the years to come, but I'm also sure that their band of twelve or so years will be missed by many.

Yes, kids, it's been another busy weekend. The Wedding Tour 2004 started for me on Saturday. A bunch of the Wesley folk, friends old and new, gathered in Galax, VA for Steve and Mandy's wedding. Congratulations, guys! I know you'll have a wonderful life together. This event was the first of many Wesley-related ceremonies this summer, and the first of three I'll be attending.

In other news, I'm stationed back in Blacksburg, and so are Gina and a bunch of other people. My third co-op rotation looms ahead in just a few short hours. I'm going to enjoy the company of my friends quite a bit as I delve back into the working world. Hopefully, they'll keep me from joining the working dead. I'm actually cautiously excited about starting up the routine again; I'm hoping this will easily be the best co-op experience of my three, just because I'm taking extra precautions from extreme boredom and lack of motivation. I'll keep you posted, as always.

Also, go see this when you can. Boundless hilarity.

I've gotten pretty much everything accomplished that I wanted during my time at home. I even got a chance to roast marshmallows, and how often can you say that? Tonight, the last brick will fall into place: Stuart and I are doing a last-minute, late-night recording session.

Ready?

Let's rock.

I've had a productive couple of days, although spending them on the Wayne County roads can sap all of the energy out of a guy. I've managed to watch most of those movies I was talking about, have a dentist appointment, get a new driver's license picture taken (and I even look awake in this one!), practice some guitar, put some pictures together, and do some general organizing. I also spent the evening hanging out with my parents at East Lynn Lake, a small Corps of Engineers project in the middle of our county. It's not a very big lake, but there are some nice campgrounds and picnic shelters scattered thoroughout its boundaries. My family's staying there all week for part of their vacation, and I'd be there too if I didn't need to get other things accomplished in town. It was fun spending a few hours there, at least, especially when a huge belt of thunderstorms passed through. We avoided the bulk of the weather, but it reminded me of other times growing up when we'd be forced to take shelter by the camper while the rain came pouring down. Good stuff.

Ah, the comforts of home. I drove in to the Fort this afternoon, after a leisurely Sunday morning of packing and chatting with the people still in Blacksburg after the graduation festivities this weekend. Not much here has changed, as always, except that my grandmother has moved in with us (although she's visiting one of my uncles this week). That only means that there are some cosmetic changes around the house, which I immediately noticed with my x-ray vision. I also noticed a high school graduation announcement from one of my little cousins. While that could easily make me feel old (and it does a little), it mainly brought back memories of my graduation in 2000. Mom asked if it seemed like ages ago, and I could only respond that it really didn't. Time flying and all that...

These next few days in West Virginia look promising. I usually get a lot of projects lined up so that I won't get bored, and if I get any of them done at all during my stay here, I'll feel productive. Tonight, we watched October Sky, which I'd bought months back and never had the chance to watch again. Tomorrow, my mom and I will join Dad at East Lynn Lake, where my parents have taken the camper for the week. I'll more than likely come back here for the evenings so I can work on some stuff, but an afternoon or two at the lake sounds good to me, even if it is going to be pretty humid.

Another point: a group of us watched Adaptation Friday night. I knew it was connected to Being John Malkovich, which I didn't care for too much, but I did not realize that Charlie Kaufman also helped write Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, a movie I loved. I'd just never made the connection before, though the overall themes of exploring the human psyche run through all three movies. Thus, after my initial skepticism, I really ended up enjoying the adaptation. It's clever, and I like me some clever.

First off, I'd like to announce that I'm listed in the 2004 Virginia Tech Commencement booklet, due to some clerical oversight, no doubt. That means that to anyone who goes strictly by those books, I'm one of the rare undergrad students who gets to graduate twice. I'm truly honored. I guess Tech didn't get the memo that I co-opped and won't be heading out of here until next spring. Thanks to Amy, Jeanette, and a few others who pointed this out to me.

That being said, I sure am going to miss the class of 2004. None of the emotion struck me until today, even as I was snapping pictures with Gerritt, Jen, Stephen, and Otey in their robes last night. Even as I heard the speeches of encouragement that always permeate graduation ceremonies, I wasn't truly moved. Now, though, it's sinking in that I'll still be here next year while my closest friends from Tech move on to bigger and better things.

Well, that's it for another "official" school year, kids. I turned in my final final exam on Wednesday, leaving me free for a week and a half before I start on my summer schedule. I guess I wasn't as sentimental about finishing up this year, knowing that I had one more to go. I'm still going to miss my friends that are graduating in a few days, though, and that's why I'm sticking around in the 'burg for a few days longer.

It's been a very busy time, to say the least, especially since I'm trying to hang out with everyone plus get all the things accomplished that the last few weeks haven't given me time to do. But I'm trying not to stress about it, because that wouldn't do me any good at all. I've had some apprehension about how next year will play out in terms of my future and fitting in, but I've since decided that all I can really do is make it the best year I can.

I'm heading home in a few days, which will be nice, because then I won't have to deal with the bat. It seems that every summer, Wesley becomes home to at least one flying mammal. Steve had to deal with one in 2002, then Bobby took on the bat-fighting duties in 2003. It may be that it's my turn to com-BAT our flying friend this year, but that remains to be seen. All I know is that I had a visitor flapping around my room last night, and by the time I had gotten a broom, he had flown back into the hallway. So, I shut myself inside my room again so he wouldn't get back in. When I opened the door back up -- very slowly -- with broom in hand, it had vanished.

This won't be the last we see of him, I'm sure of it.

Here's some interesting bat facts.

Well, I've found something else to do during exam study breaks: create a wallpaper out of the cover art I cooked up for this year's Tour CD. I've got it in four delicious sizes, suitable for all your desktopping needs. Check it out, then get ready for the debut of the CD in a couple days (in a very limited release -- say, 50 copies in the greater Blacksburg area). And hurry, 'cause I won't leave these up forever.

EDIT: I took the wallpapers off the server to make way for some other things, but if you want to see them, drop me an e-mail or leave a comment. Thanks for stopping by!

I'm doing remarkably well for a guy who is on very little sleep and lots of caffeiene. It's not exactly the smartest way to kick off exams, but I'm confident my luck will hold out. I've got a bunch of good food in me from the Cracker Barrel breakfast yesterday, and a renewed sense of purpose and vigor, so all should be well.

I've also begun to notice, once again, the amount of abbreviations and acronyms I encounter in daily life, especially in my ISE major. People start to look at Matthew, Tom, Fred, and I when we start talking about our classes. For instance, I just took my ICC final, ACIS is up next, and hopefully I'll do well on both, or my QCA and GPA will be SOL. I'm also going to not be in my room much during the rest of the week, 'cause things like AIM and DVDs are distracting me too much. Maybe after all this is done, I'll be able to have a little R&R in VA or WV for a few days before I come back to work for GE while taking some FIN and ECON classes. Next fall, I'll have to worry about SQC and PPIC, but at least I got DOR and POR out of the way. The end of the semester is in sight, folks, and I couldn't imagine it just a few days ago.

I got this, partner, I got this.

Man, this has been a good semester for concerts. First, there was the Guster extravaganza of February and March. (And I do love Guster. Have I mentioned that yet?) This past Friday, it was Ben Folds. As I mentioned previously, Ben's one of those artists I've been wanting to see since high school. I didn't get the chance to see him play with Darren Jessee and Robert Sledge as Ben Folds Five, but this solo concert at Davidson College, near his hometown of Winston-Salem, was simply fantastic and well worth the roughly three-hour drive from Blacksburg.

Fred, Gerritt, and I turned the event into a mini-road trip. I snapped a few photos while we walked around Davidson's campus and downtown. Fred was the only one of us who'd heard anything about the place, and that was in vague reference to lacrosse. All we could figure out was that it had a beautiful campus, that it was a pretty heavy liberal arts school, and that it had a lot of libraries (four was our final count after walking through probably half the campus). There was also some weird kind of tall building attached to their student center that could easily have been found near the shuttle facilities at the Kennedy Space Center.