Looked Into the New Apartment

Well, two, actually. I took a look at a couple of good prospects--not far from school, etc. One was in a very small complex, with lots of good grass and stuff around it, and some interesting folks, from what I can tell. The other was actually right next door to the first one. It was also nice, has a pool, but doesn't have as much green space. It does, however, have a little back patio, which would be nice. Neither of them are really catching me, but I'm thinking about them both.

All this stuff to do, all at once. Busy, busy, busy. The good news is, I'm in the processing of heating up water to make myself some Chai.

My House (or something)

Well, Kelly and I drove around and looked around the neighborhood for good apartments. I saw a few that look pretty good. I want something that is in a complex that's fairly small, isn't too expensive, is in a quiet location, preferably with some good trees and stuff. And it needs to be within about a half-mile of school, and a couple miles from work. Sounds like a tall order, eh?

Fortunately, the area I'm in is about 75% rentals, and there are lots of options available. I found three or four that seem to basically fulfill the criteria. I've got to make some calls tomorrow, and see if I can see some before I fly back to WA on Thursday morning. I found a guesthouse, a one-bedroom with lots of good vegetation around, a studio in a rather run-down complex, and a 1-bedroom in a complex of about 12 units, which has a pool. I'm hoping to see them all, but I'm leaning towards the 1-bedroom with the vegetation, since one of my main complaints about my current place is that I don't have a good place to hang out outside.

Life is just plain busy these days...

Designing Are Us

Well, I've been reinspired about design. I had decided to go for a major in Graphic Design early this year, and took one class over the summer. But I think that I had basically forgot how much I really do like figuring out how design fits together. Recently, I've been playing around with designs for my church's website. I haven't hit on anything I like a whole lot, but I like the exercise of thumbnailing designs, trying them out in Fireworks, and/or wireframing them. I guess I was too caught up in the mechanics, and forgot the fun... This does makes me more excited about my classes that will start in a couple of days.

Not Too Fun

Well, yesterday I wasn't feeling too well. Some sort of stomach deal, and a bad headache. In fact, I haven't been feeling too good physically this summer. That kind of worries me, but I have made no great changes yet, beyond trying to improve my diet some. I find it very frustrating to not be well, but I have a hard time actually doing something about it. I guess I take health for granted, in many ways. Growing up, I was hardly ever sick, never seriously. So I suppose it just seemed to be normal. Maybe my parents were right to choose a rural, as-natural-as-possible lifestyle.

A Shooting Star is Not a Star...

Well, I did some work today for a guy who collects and sells meteorites. And at the end of the day, he gave me a slice of a African meteorite. Pretty sweet deal. His website is at http://www.meteoriteman.com.

In other news, I'm tired, and I forgot to eat lunch until about now. Well, not strictly forgot, but I didn't have time. I don't like days that are that busy too much.

But otherwise, life is good. I should now make myself something to eat. I also really need to do some more study for a certification for work, but I don't feel like it. Oh well, sometimes you gotta do stuff that you don't want to.

I had a good chat with my sister Anna last night, which was nice. I'm really looking forward to seeing her and the rest of the 'fam when Kelly and I fly out for my Mom's 50th birthday ten days from now. It's good to talking about family trends sometimes. I've made a point not to get myself too involved in thinking about all that stuff, but I can deal with thinking about it sometimes. But I'm not willing to immerse myself enough to get super-upset about it. I have too much other stuff to deal with in my own life, and besides, I like liking life.

The Inspectors Raise Hell

Life is a good thing, I am thinking. Today has been a busy day for me. Work was ok, though a bit hectic. I really don't like it when I don't feel like I've been given enough time to prepare for leading a job. But we did well anyway. We actually got some rain, which was nice.

I feel in a very peaceful mood, for some reason. Even though it was a busy day, and I didn't get home until 6:30, I have since replenished by body with food, and my spirit to some degree. I finished The Last Battle, by C.S. Lewis. What a great book. I've been rereading some of the other books in the Chron. Of Narnia, and enjoying them a lot. I enjoy seeing how C.S. Lewis takes the message that he want to convey, and weaves it through the stories so well. It doesn't even seem to be there unless you look for it. Good stuff.

In other news, I've been trying to wrap my fingers around Carefree Highway, by Gordon Lightfoot. A great song, but I just cannot seem to make it sound quite right. And even though I'm generally too lazy to teach my fingers guitar techniques that they have a hard time picking up, I think I'm going to try for this song. Well, tis time I headed bedward...

And On to the Next Thing...

Well, now that class is done, and since I have no talent at not overscheduling myself, I'm going to be studying like crazy for the NABCEP exam. It's a solar-electric certification. I know a fair bit of the stuff, but I need to brush up, and learn some of the electric code stuff that I don't know. I have about a month until the exam, but art school will start again in about ten days, so I'm planning to devote some of my "extra" time now to get the major part of the studying out of the way. Why, oh why won't life slow down...

I'm also still apartment hunting. I had seen one that I really liked, but it's taken. It was really quite nice, in a quiet neighborhood, and I liked it. But it was a little more expensive that I'd hoped, so it's probably for the best, since all my money should go to school and that kind of stuff now. So I'm looking around, and seeing what I can find that's niceish and not to pricy.

Finished!

Well, I'm done with my drawing class. Today we had our last class. I finished up my final project, which was a series of four still lifes, all of the same area of the still life. For three of the drawings, we had to choose a focal point, and use a particular line style on each. For the fourth, we had to finish the whole area of the still life we'd chosen, using whatever line style(s) we wanted.

I did fine. I have come a long way since starting the class, and am now able to do stuff I never imagined that I could. It has certainly been frustrating at times, but everything started to click for the last few classes, and I'm feeling good about my prospects. I am still unsure at some level about doing graphic design. I am enjoying it, but am not feeling incredibly drawn towards it. But I'm liking it enough to try some more, which is a good sign.

Next term I'll be taking a computer class, which looks to be pretty dang basic. I will have a fair bit to learn, since it's Mac basics, and I suppose I can try to find some extra credit, if I can. I'm also taking a design class, which looks more interesting. I'm looking forward to that one. We'll be doing a lot of working with different type, and stuff of that sort. It should be good.

Another Day... Or two

Well, I had an enjoyable drawing class yesterday. I was able to just let go, and get my brain out of the way a bit, which makes it much easier for me to get where I need to go. So in this case, rather than analizing to death the geometry of the still life I was drawing, I just drew it. And, supprisingly, it actually worked much better. But I'm worried that I still can't do this consistantly. I think that the lifestyle I'm living isn't really very conducive to developing my artistic talents. Cities are really not very good places to live, for the most part. People are more socially isolated, even though they are in close proximity physically.

I need to spend more time in nature; that would help. It's so easy to sink into the normalcy of simply coming home and getting on the computer, or napping, or whatever. But I do really feel better when I do get out. Actually, there are some good spots that are not too far away from my apartment. The Rillito River Park is good. It's all along the Rillito river, and there are horse and bike paths for a long way in both directions from my area. In fact, last Saturday, I rode my bike over to Kelly's house. It took about an hour, with me pushing myself pretty hard. It's about ten miles by road, but the route I went was probably about 12-13 miles. I did it in under an hour, which isn't too bad, considering I'm kind of out of shape.

But anyhow, back to the drawing. I'm feeling frusterated with my lack of groundedness with drawing. One day I like it; the next I hate it. Well, let me clarify. I don't really hate it, it's just that I often thing that my apptitude (or lack of) for drawing, and my being near the bottom of my class, means that I should give up. Which, of course, isn't true. But I am in no way used to failing classes and such (or even doing badly), so it is difficult for me to step back, and simply aknowledge that drawing is a skill I have to build painstakingly. It is a good lesson in humility, but not one I am particularly enjoying, at least yet.

On other days, even though I know I'm not doing as well as others, I don't really care, because I'm doing better than I was, and because I'm learning. I'm trying to let that happen more often.

In other news, most of the folks from my work have headed up to Flagstaff for an energy fair. Kelly and I are going to be going up Thursday afternoon. I'm looking forward to it, but am also feeling a little drained by life. When the heck will it ever slow down...