What's up?
Since it seems that most forum-goers aren't posting so much anymore, I'm curious-- what is everyone up to now days? I imagine that a lot has changed in our lives since we last shared anything, so how are things going?
I've actually accomplished a good bit in the past year. For reference: I'm (still) majoring in Math and Psychology, the math degree primarily focused on preparing me to become a secondary school math teacher. Last summer, instead of continuing my college pattern of finding a university-sponsered summer internship focused on teaching, I took an unpaid internship position at a startup company and started learning more about database management and web development. I first took a programming class 2 and a half years ago and fell in love with it, so I wanted to go further in that direction instead of teaching. Continued the programming internship into the fall semester, this time with an hourly pay rate, and I'm still working at the same company today. Finished up the last of my teaching requirements for the math degree last semester, although I still needed 2 classes (1 for math, 1 for psychology) to graduate so I'm currently taking those two classes to finish up this May.
I find the current internship very rewarding. Programming applies the same logic I was trained in for my math degree, but instead of drawing a little box at the end of a logic proof saying 'I proved it', I end up with a functional program that will work however many times you run it! Much more satisfying. I'm currently looking into further internships since I'm still not quite career ready for a job in programming, but... yeah! Also, I'm living with Grug the awesome boyfriend (we're at our second place together), we treat our two adorable cats like children, Grug's currently working full-time whilst taking classes at the university to try and finish up his CS degree, and life is... comfortable. Can't complain much. Just going through the motions to see if anything comes out of it.
So what's up with everyone else? I miss this little corner of the internet. It's been so quiet.
I've actually accomplished a good bit in the past year. For reference: I'm (still) majoring in Math and Psychology, the math degree primarily focused on preparing me to become a secondary school math teacher. Last summer, instead of continuing my college pattern of finding a university-sponsered summer internship focused on teaching, I took an unpaid internship position at a startup company and started learning more about database management and web development. I first took a programming class 2 and a half years ago and fell in love with it, so I wanted to go further in that direction instead of teaching. Continued the programming internship into the fall semester, this time with an hourly pay rate, and I'm still working at the same company today. Finished up the last of my teaching requirements for the math degree last semester, although I still needed 2 classes (1 for math, 1 for psychology) to graduate so I'm currently taking those two classes to finish up this May.
I find the current internship very rewarding. Programming applies the same logic I was trained in for my math degree, but instead of drawing a little box at the end of a logic proof saying 'I proved it', I end up with a functional program that will work however many times you run it! Much more satisfying. I'm currently looking into further internships since I'm still not quite career ready for a job in programming, but... yeah! Also, I'm living with Grug the awesome boyfriend (we're at our second place together), we treat our two adorable cats like children, Grug's currently working full-time whilst taking classes at the university to try and finish up his CS degree, and life is... comfortable. Can't complain much. Just going through the motions to see if anything comes out of it.
So what's up with everyone else? I miss this little corner of the internet. It's been so quiet.
Comments
Still just a nerd livin' up the stereotype. Hoping to change some aspects of that.
I've also been working on a YouTube show where I talk about a game that was bad, or just under-appreciated in its day and see if a remake would make it more successful, or at least better. If things go how I expect, the first episode should be up this, or next weekend.
In December, Vienna and I decided to separate. We're still living together for the next few months due to it only just now being feasible for moving to take place. That's because:
I got a job. As a general tech dogs body at a webhosting firm near me. The majority of my work involves tech support for customers, but there's sizeable dashes of sysadmining and the like involved too. Love the atmosphere of the place and it's just fun.
Esmé started nursery, three days a week. She talks a lot. Like a whole lot. She can count to 14. She uses the potty now too. Though she did do a poo on the carpet the other day.
I'm an uncle a second time over to my sister's son Andrew. He has a head like a fucking potato.
That's it I guess? I just want to point out: I still have faith in the belt
...cause I also did. My official job title is just "Developer" because I do whatever they tell me to, but it's mostly web stuff. Still living with my parents while I pay down loans and save up for a house. Not much else to say, I've been doing it for about two years and the routine will probably continue till next year. Once I get that house I can start doing interesting things again.
Programming is pretty sweet. I wish I had found it earlier in life-- although I should have realized it, seeing as most of my best friends were all computer science majors in college. Ah well. I've heard of math majors going into programming before, I'm sure I'll figure something out!
...Now I'm thinking of Drooling Iguana's dancing monkey avatar.
One of the benefits of my new employment is regular weekends! (never again, retail.) I've been able to spend more time meeting up with friends for dinners and game nights, and I've started a regular workout regimen on Saturday/Sunday mornings to try and get into shape; the new job has a lot of sitting-at-desk moments, and I don't want to become more sedentary than I already was.
Bruce: I'm also still keeping the faith.
I went through high school lurking the orange belt a good bit, despite never actually posting from my first account - I am really quite happy in retrospect that I got in before the site was locked down for bots and new users. Did a lot of maturing in he latter years of High School, of course, as everyone does. I've spent a few hours looking over all my old posts and its interesting how different of a person I am now from then, from the way I carried myself to my feelings and thought processes and interests. I'm sure that I'll be looking at myself right now in a few years the same way, though.
Anyways, have grown to love and spend excessive amounts of time listening to music in my free time, try to stay up to date with as much new stuff as I can while catching up on tons of other stuff. Exploring a lot of different and weird kinds of music is awesome. Read a lot now too, and spend most of my time not working doing either of those two things.
Also, completely on a side note, I've kind of grown an affinity to graffiti and want to start tagging someday, but you didn't hear that from me here.
Is anyone on the belt still in high school? God that a while ago for me. Now I look at college freshmen and think "Holy crap they look like babies".
Tried Tera though. Didn't like it. It's like WoW with a Korean flair. Neither of those are good things.
EDIT: OB is my second speed dial box after my email. Sometimes it's in the first slot, but never lower than second.
I further the opinion that graffiti can look pretty sweet when done correctly.
Yeah. I don't know about LoL either, though I should probably try it before I formulate an actual opinion. Awesomenauts is still super great. Me and some friends I met while playing are trying to start up a Pro League team. We've got a fair amount of training ahead of us, but we're not too bad. We just got our mumble server and team name figured out.
Shit man, Bristol is pretty much the mecca of bitching street art.
Of course, there are places where graffiti is encouraged. Perhaps one day if I ever own a large building I'll have a dedicated "graffiti wall".
Also, I hate vandalism on peoples' cars, trucks or vans. Messing with others' vehicles is the sole territory of passive-aggressive teenage girls, in my opinion.
My kid's 20 months, she's talking, says things like "it died!" and "hey, that's neat!" likes to drink "moo with bubbles". We go to the playground most every day now, she climbs and slides, swings and peeks. We've decided to go diaper free, which works all day until my husband comes home, and he and I start talking, and all of a sudden PEE! But she's doing pretty well.
I've also been working hard at my favourite Sci-fi/Fantasy chat site (Outpost10f) to bring in a Game of Thrones themed chat room called 'King's Landing'. It should launch in two weeks time. It is a bit of a relic, an old timey HTML chat, but the place has a rather dedicated membership so we keep it up and current as best we can.
So is Austin
I met a great girl at Dragon*Con 2.5 years ago, and we've been living together for about 1.5 of those years. I'm graduating from a shitty little state college (which was geographically close to me when in the Air Force), and somehow was able to get a fully-funded PhD admission to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. I also was accepted to GA Tech and VA Tech, but the prestige of CMU was too much to turn down (plus Robin is looking for work in her field, and Atlanta is a little more of a saturated job market than Pittsburgh).
So I'll try my skills at my PhD. I want to do something incredible - not really in it for the money. Still need to decide whether I want to study control systems, sensors, or integrated circuits. I have three professors who put their names on my admission letter, and what I study over the next five years depends on who I work with.
My sisters each have had a daughter, so I'm an uncle twice over. I have two little dogs (a pug and a cavalier) that are adorable. They'll be my kids until Robin and I decide to have some.
I listed to a lot of NPR I guess? I don't know. This last year of school has killed what little social life I had beforehand. I won't know what to do with myself over the summer when I have weekends free and shit.
Edit: VIDEO HOST! VIDEO HOST! I'M NOT A BAD PERSON! T_T
May I ask what you didn't like about me hosting? I felt I could be more naturalistic, but I'd like to get other peoples' opinions.
AMBIGUITY! My bad.