Monthly Archives: August 2005

Photographia.

I used my combined birthday money to purchase a new video card for my computer. I was running a 64 meg ati radeon, and it was definitely starting to show its age. I got a geforce 6200, which i like… It runs well, etc. etc.

I just really have a sheer desire for a few different things right now that are all quite expensive. First and fore most, i really want a nice digital camera.. I’m not sure where this desire came from, but it is pretty intense. I originally bought a digital camera “just to have one”. It’s a decent point and shoot, 4 megapix, movie mode, decent pictures overall… As i’ve had the camera, i’ve really started to make a hobby out of taking pictures (although the vast majority never get posted to my gallery).. I just constantly find myself saying “dammit, i wish my camera could do _____”… The blank being various things from “zoom in further” to “take more shots per second” to “real macro mode up close shooting” to “control the shutter speed” to “control the exposure”… you get the picture.(heh, pun). I think this purchase may be one that i actually make a move towards, as I feel it necessary to have a real hobby that does not involve my career choice… (computers and things that directly relate to computers can’t solely be my hobby). Investing in a nice digital camera would allow me to move to another step, so i would actually feel like i’m pursuing a real hobby… perhaps “apiring amateur” would be a good description of what i’d like to be.

Another reason that i actually think it better to invest in a digital SLR as opposed to a “high end regular digital” is the fact that a Digital SLR would be infinitely scalable. Digital SLR would allow for the addition of upgrade lenses, add on flashes, etc.. (That is, if i were to ever really get serious about doing photography)… Or, i could just stick with the standard lens that comes with the SLR. Erego, the SLR, although a bit more (100-200 more) up front, proves without a doubt to be a better investment, IMO.

To help speed up this aquirement, i think i am going to sell my gameboy advance SP with all its games, accessories, and case on ebay… eh… maybe not…

Too long of a story short: I feel like photography as a hobby is really something i’m interested in… but damn that is alot of money to drop… If worst comes to worst, i’ll just wait till i get a year end bonus, as that should be 10% of my annual income, which would be pretty substantial.

ANGER >:-o

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***addendum… let’s play legend of the green dragon!. who’s in?

birthday | vacation

My birthday has now come and gone, and i am 25 years of age… There was a pretty good turnout of friends and family in Sister Lakes Michigan, and the weather wasn’t too terrible. Overall, it was pretty fun. Probably the coolest thing about the entire weekend was mickeyvb just surpassing MacGyver as the best handy man of all time. Mickeyvb disassembled (sheer piece by piece) a boat engine while it was still on the boat, and while the boat was in the water, and while he was still wearing swim trunks. He then re-assembled it, and ultimately fixed it. There are quite a few pics in the gallery of the weekend…

I’m looking forward to finally taking a real and scheduled vacation… I pretty much get 4 weeks of vacation, and i havent used any yet, so im just going to take 2 weeks off and see what happens. It’s wierd… When i was unemployed, i almost dreaded waking up in the morning just because i knew i was going to be completely bored off my ass. It really was almost enough to drive me insane. It was completely quiet all day, i would fall asleep sometimes during the day, then stay up late at night… that whole two months just kind of blended into some wierd long hard matinee movie that i cant even remember watching… But for some odd reason, I’m really looking forward to that same scenario for a couple of weeks. I have nothing planned, and dont currently plan on doing nothing… (?)

I guess its all relative to what your life happens to be like…

I might write more here later… brb

Slow Down.

I mainly wanted to write this post to try out notepad 2… I do like it… but i think i like Vi better.

Anyway… this day has been purely epic. I played some counter strike, listened to some new disturbed, ventured out with vanlandw to partake in what can only be described as pure vanhood. We traveled to “Silver Bullet Firearms”, rented handguns, and fired 100 rounds of ammunition each. I cant explain how rewarding that is on so many different levels. For my weapon, I chose a glock 22. lightweight, .40 caliber. I didnt want to go too big since this was the first time i have ever shot a handgun, and i didnt want to get a 9mm just because I am a van. Overall, the .40 was a good choice, but i did like shooting vanlandw’s Sig .45 cal. 🙂 photo weaponry

Following 200 total discharges of ammunition, we ate at Mcdonalds… Following Mcdonalds i listened to some new disturbed again.

All in all… a day of pure perfection.

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Training and sun

This past week i had been taking an official Active Directory class… Although training is still sort of like work, it was good to change the pace a bit. I got a great instructor, and the fact that there were alot of hands on labs made it a very worth while experience. I learned more in a week then marty levin taught me in an entire semester. Basically, i sort of feel like i could call myself an expert on Active Directory now. I’ve had a decent amount of experience with it, and this training introduced me to the finer points of OU’s, group policy, etc. I must say 2003 has a much nicer group policy management console than did 2000.

On Friday, i spent my training lunchbreak driving around near the GR airport. This was satisfying for a couple reasons. For one, i made it a point to drive by my old workplace “Progressive Distribution Services, Inc”. I felt a distinct urge to urinate on the building, but i merely smirked at the fact that I don’t work there any more. Secondly, i happened to come across something i never new existed. i just happened to drive right up to the GR Ford Airport viewing area. This is basically a long parking lot where you are situated 50-75 yards from the runways. I didn’t think too much of it until a massive passenger jet took off right in front of me. It was so close and so loud that i could hardly believe it… I really felt like a little kid. I was seriously infatuated watching these planes take off and land. So much so that i failed to even eat lunch, and was ten minutes late in getting back to my class. But, when it all ended I received this certificate.

Friday night i headed to hart mich to help my dad get his 1973 plymouth ‘cuda polished up… He had registered to have it in a local car show, so wanted to get it in ‘ship shape’. It ended up looking pretty damn nice, and i was extremely jealous of that automobile. The Mickster did take me for a ride in it, at which point he displayed to me how easily the beast could liquify its tires. I then took 3 hours or so to hand wash, wax, and completely clean my car as well. It might seem like severe overkill, but my car is 1 year old and it still looks brand spanking new.

The car show was amazing, especially for the city of hart. I have never seen that many people inside that hideous town. Alot of awesome cars… new, old, custom built, etc. Just packed the entire downtown strip of the city. I really like cars :-/

I took alot of pictures at the show, of my fathers car, and of my own car (since it will never look better than it did that day) Feel free to check them out.

My dad didn’t win anything, but it was fun to hang out at the show with him for the whole day. He was definitely in his element, and proud of his automobile. As well he should be, he put alot of blood sweat and tears into that beast to make it run. He essentially rebuilt the entire engine… And he had alot of people come by to talk to him about his ride…. The remainder of the afternoon and the next day were spent backflipping and sunbathing at my parent’s pool. I drank some labatt’s, ate some bratwursts, took some naps… Weekends really cant get much better.

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