So, I recently…

…graduated!

Yes, that wonderful point where one exits from their education and enters the real world, having been completely ill-prepared for the things said real world will throw at them. =P

Job hunting is always fun. Working on building/expanding a web portfolio, which is going slowly. In the meantime I’m looking to find some form of co-op suitable for IT to officially complete my degree and get a diploma.

…started a relationship with a beautiful, amazing, woman! Liz, I love you! =D

…moved back to Connecticut! I’m currently living with my parents in the NE corner of CT, so if you’re up in my neck of the woods, throw me a line…

…finished Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series! All I can say is…wow. Amazing stories, and Goodkind is a genius. Reminded me a lot of reading Atlas Shrugged, which I also loved. I really enjoyed the detail that went into fleshing out the characters and plotlines… Alas, finding another series to match it will be tough. If anyone has any recommendations…

…decided to post on my blog! Those are some of the main highlights, and I figured I’d keep it short, so so long! Farewell! And you know the rest…

The Prodigal Son Returns

I haven’t written here in a while, and heck, I probably shouldn’t even be doing so now, but I need a break from staring at code for a while so what the heck, a little procrastination never hurt anybody. (I’m sure that’s a false statement, but oh well.)

As for me, life’s been going pretty well. I’m in love with a fantastic, adorable, amazing woman, I get my degree in May (provided I survive that long…), I’m healthy, I’ve got great friends and family; what more could I ask for?

I think the biggest thing right now would be a job… I’ve got a few prospects, but nothing certain. There’s a position at WPI as a Ruby on Rails/Javascript programmer that would be awesome: close to home, doing what I want to be doing, good pay/benefits. Haven’t heard anything yet though. So we wait.
Also have an interview in a week or so for a co-op in Buffalo, but I really don’t want to be stuck there for the summer. As in, I can’t tell you how much that would suck. Part of me is tempted to cancel, but I need a co-op to graduate, and it’s just an interview, not a ball-and-chain, so unless I hear something between now and then, I guess I’ll look into it.

The classes I’m taking now are pretty interesting.

• 536 – Client-side (Javascript) Programming – An easy A; prereq for the others
• Arts of Expression: Computer Games – A look at computer games as a field of cultural study. Pretty laid-back course for the most part. Lots of reading and writing though. Needed 4 credits, sounded interesting, and Wines/Foods/Beers of the World were all full… =/
• 590 – iPhone Web App Development – Possibly the fun class of the bunch, although I usually end up half-asleep in it. Too bad I don’t drink coffee…
• 546 – Client/Server Programming – The “capstone” course of the Web development track, wrapping up everything we’ve learned so far into a single 10-week project-driven course. This one is a sweet class, and I love the professor (who also teaches 536). He’s a no-nonsense, focused guy, who may be a little intimidating at times and expect a lot, but those teachers are the best kind. Dan Bogaard, you’re the man. =D

Overall, things are good, and though I grow restless in anticipation for May, and the self-diagnosis of a mild case of Senioritis (likely due in part to the ever-nicer weather…), I am happy. Which is a good thing, because with an iPhone project, a 5-page essay, a JS project, and the beginning stages of my 546 project all due within a week, it’s gonna be a long weekend…

Perfectionist

I’ve come to a realization: I clean when I’m frustrated.

I think it’s my way of trying to make my surroundings representative of what I want my head to be: organized, neat, a place for everything and everything in its place. A dirty house is the product of a dirty mind (no, not like that).

It probably doesn’t help that I’m a bit of a perfectionist and get annoyed when things aren’t done to my specifications. I suppose if you want something done right…

On the other hand, the manual labor involved in the process is amazing in terms of working through the frustration and cleaning up the mind. A clean house is the mark of a contented and well-arranged mind.

In other, completely unrelated news, my apartment is now spotless.
And I feel pretty damn good.

Stress Levels

I’m going home for break tomorrow. I almost couldn’t.

Tuesday of week 1, I lost my wallet. I’m 95% sure it was in a classroom, locked overnight, so I couldn’t get at it, but when I went back the next morning, it wasn’t there. My theory, such as it is, is that the FMS cleaning person who found it never turned it in, conveniently for him. Leaving me without my driver’s license, debit/credit cards, some cash, and a few gift certificates. Thank you, sir.

After going through the ringer with Public Safety/FMS and having no luck, I cancelled my cards, and was told it’d be 7-10 business days before new ones would arrive. Fine, I still had my student ID, so I could use Tigerbucks to get by.

Week 2 brings sickness. A wonderful onslaught of what is now identified as bronchitis.

Fast forward to week 3. Every day this week, I’ve cursed the mailman as he brought me nothing. I’ve watched my stress levels go through the roof as my health continues to be poor, my pockets continue to be empty (along with my gas tank), and my plans for going home remain uncertain.

Last night, I talk to DCU, the credit union I belong to and the ones sending the cards, and they tell me that I can go to a credit union building a mile away and withdraw cash.

WHAT?!

So I’ve been ripping my hair out the past two and a half weeks, living off of pasta and pizza, not going anywhere because of gas conservation, and the whole time I could have walked down the street, and gotten as much money as I needed to get by?

Why the hell didn’t anyone tell me this before I had to put my life on hold?!

Whatever, past is past. I’m just glad I can get home.

Day 6: Grand Cayman

2:26 pm – Swimming with Stingrays was cancelled because the cove was too choppy. =(

Instead, we did some shopping, got a tour of the island, visited the Tortuga Rum Cake factory, went to the Turtle farrm…

…went to Hell…

Welcome to Hell.

…then headed back.

5:18 – Just left Grand Cayman. Awesome place. Best island out of the three so far. Dad wants to move down here…

Interesting thing is, they’re very strict about who they let in; you have to be married to a Caymanian, there on a work permit, or rich enough to prove that you’ll never ask for a cent of government assistance, otherwise, they deport you. Because of this, there’s virtually no crime.

8:43 – Waiting for the show to start in about 15 minutes. Just got done with a Rock Band competition. Only lasted a half-hour, and only played one song, but it was fun. We should totally have more Rock Band parties…Hmm…Small group after-event! Speaking of which, I wonder what the latest is on that…no! Must not think about anything responsibility-related!

Ship’s rocking again. Odd, because when we left, the sea was pretty calm. As long as I get to swim with dolphins in Cozumel tomorrow, I’ll be happy. I definitely want to check that off my list.

Anyway, show’s about to start…

10:04 – Show was cool. It was a fairy tale-themed performance, with a lot of modern songs built in (i.e. “You’re So Vain” for Snow White’s Queen [random thought: did Disney create the name Maleficent for her or was it preexisting?])

Pizza time, then probably gonna go back and read for a bit, then sleep. Throat’s a little rough, so I’ve taken massive amounts of vitamin C, and am probably gonna call it a night. I am NOT getting sick. Not for the next two days, anyway.

Day 5: Montego Bay, Jamaica

11:00am – Rain.

On the plus side, I probably won’t be getting sunburned further today.

Probably gonna get off, just to say I’ve been to Jamaica, but likely won’t stay long.

12:54pm – So, Jamaica wasn’t overly impressive in my book. I mean, it was cloudy and ouring rain while we were off the boat, but once we got wet, we didn’t really care about that anymore. We checked out the Jamaican Bobsled Cafe, Margaritaville, and did some souvenir shopping, but beyond that, I can’t say that I liked it, or would go back.

Let me tell you, the roads? Nuts. For one, they drive on the left, which would throw me for a loop. For another, the streets are total zoos! It’ll be hard for me to complain about New England drivers once I get back. I’ll still do it, of course, but at least it’ll be tougher…

The boat’s got a pretty good sway to it, and has since we left port. So far, we’ve had pretty calm seas and smooth sailing, but now the movement is definitely noticeable, which made the “Dancing Like The Stars” event an interesting time…

It was great though; they had the ship’s band playing Big Band music, and a quick swing class and everything. Tons of fun. After that was the “Dancing Under The Stars”, which was supposed to be on deck, but ended up being mroe of an “under the ceiling” affair. The wind outside is insane, especially on the top decks.

Ended up being a hero though (at least in my own mind). We were doing the Electric Slide, and the ship must have hit a good wave or something, cause it came down hard on one side, and this older lady toppled, but I caught her. She was fine. Where’s my medal?! =P

The Lava Flow (like a strawberry-banana pina colada) was delicious. I like being inebriated enough to complement and unlock parts of my personality that don’t usually come out, but not enough to affect my motor skills or thought processes. In other words, I’m glad I’m a silly drunk.

Drink of the Day: Terrific Tuesday (Bacardi rum, sweet & sour mix, grenadine) – SImple, tasty, but didn’t go well with the superb lamb we had for dinner.

Shot of the Day

• 1/2 Butterscotch Schnapps
• 1/2 Bailey’s

Irish creme is my favorite liqueor, and I love butterscotch, so this was great.

Day 4: Labadee, Haiti

7:39 PM – Ow, ouch, OOH! @&%#! Sunburn!

Today, I laid on a Haitian beach and did nothing. It was fantastic…

So today we arrived in Labadee, Haiti, a portion of the island that is owned by Royal Caribbean. That being the case, you didn’t see quite the natural culture found in other parts of the island, but it was still really cool to set foot on foreign soil (and sorry to Canada, or U.S. North, but you don’t really count…).

So yeah, Labadee involved a lot of sunbathing, some swimming, some shopping, some eating, some cooking (of my own flesh), and was generally a relaxing time. The Haitian Flea Market they had was interesting. For one all the guys would be like “Sir, let me show you something.” For another, they all had the same stuff. They all had the same wood-carved jewelry box (basically all of it was wood-carved) that said Haiti on it, the same tribal masks, etc. I eventually ended up getting a necklace that I don’t think was made in Haiti, but was still cool.

8:58 – OK, so I’ve come to a conclusion: cruises are a horrible idea for single nightowls. As I said before, days are great and sailing the Caribbean is awesome. But unless you have a companion, you’re shit out of luck for a dance partner, or anyone to share any sort of romantic moments with. In short, nights fricking suck. There’s only so much stargazing a guy can do alone.

9:26 – Great. Now I get kicked off the deck at the front ’cause they’re closing the heli deck. It’s not even windy… Wonderful.

9:31 – As I’ve said before elsewhere, it’s not easy to make me angry. In fact, I’m an extremely patient person. But right now, I’m fuming.
…
…
I’m not even sure what I’m mad at.
I think deep down I’m pissed at everyone who’s having a good time. Sure, I’m happy for them and all, but everytime I see a couple dancing, or holding hands, or laughing or something, I can’t help but flare up with a tinge of…jealousy, I suppose.

I think I’m going to go hang out in the coffee shop and read for a while. I’ve heard the coconut coffee is really good.

11:49 – So the coffee was really good. The night’s gotten better to. They had a big “Dancing in the Streets” dance party out on the Royal Promenade, which, although disco isn’t really my scene, was fun. Now I’m sitting in the theatre waiting for the late-night comedy show to start. Hopefully will be funny; the guy’s been on the Tonight Show 11 times. Could use a good laugh…

1:33 – Yeah, he was funny. Not the best by any means, but got a few chuckles and guffaws.
Good night!

We’re in Montego Bay, Jamaica tomorrow. Got nothing planned, so I think we’ll be checking out the town.

Drink of the Day: Marvelous Monday (Sex on the Beach)

Shot of the Day: Italian Stallion
1/2 Frangelica
1/2 Bailey’s Irish Creme

Day 3: At Sea

2:30 – Today is a good day so far. Did a bit of sunbathing; I have a feeling I’m going to stick out when I get back to RIT. =D

Again, the Flowrider is totally sweet! I managed to show off a bit for the guy taking pictures (and the crowd )…right before screwing up a barrel roll. Almost had it though…

Heading to a dodgeball tourney at 3.

4:00 – Lost the dodgeball tourney, but had a blast! Won 2 games, lost 2. The second game, it was down to me vs. 4 big guys, and I ended up taking all but one down until he got me in the gladiator match. So much fun. But now I’m all sweaty and tired…shower time.

Ooh, and it seems I’m sufficiently red… =)

1:08 (AM) – In short, today was great; tonight sucked. Dinner was phenomenal, the Oxtail Broth was very good (I don’t usually eat soup, but this was yummy). The Filet of Beef was nice and tender, and the Cherries Jubilee was a great dessert. I love cherries, can you tell?

The after-dinner show was called Somewhere in Time. I didn’t quite pick up the plot much, other than this guy was travelling through time to find this woman… It was good; no Phantom of the Opera or Spamalot, but good nonetheless.

Even the Battle of the Sexes game show thing was fun, even though clearly rigged in favor of the women. Go figure… =P

But after that, things started getting sucky. I had some time to kill so I checked out Boleros, the Latin dance club/bar, because after all, I am a ballroom/Latin dancer; I enjoy it. Unfortunately, as a solo flyer, it’s really awkward when everyone is already coupled. I did end up dancing with a crew member; I definitely needed that, but it was somehow less than satisfying…

So I went to check out the single’s mixer at the Catacombs. Complete bust. There didn’t appear to be anything at all going on; just the typical nightclub scene. Smoke, booze, and “dancing” are not particularly of my idiom.
So basically I walked around for a bit, but due to “high winds,” I couldn’t even go to the front of the ship to wrestle it out with God (Yes, I know I can do it anywhere, but there’s just something about that space that makes me feel closer.)

So yeah. Tonight sucked. Tomorrow is Haiti so hopefully that will be better.

Drink of the Day: Sunday Sensation – not sure, but whatever it is, it pretty efficiently screws you up…

Shot of the Day:
1/3 Creme de Cacao
1/3 Amaretto
1/3 Irish Creme

Day 2: Leaving Port

The Liberty of the Seas…

160,000 tons floating–no, gliding–on the ocean. This ship is amazing. It’s opulent, beautiful, and elegant; a supreme example of human engineering. An example that serves as a frame for the portrait of God’s creation.

As I write this, I’m sitting at the front of the ship, looking out over the nighttime Caribbean Sea, watching the waves roll by, as a nearly full moon reflects off of them. Patches of cloud drift in the sky, highlighted by the moonbeams, and serve to accentuate the stars as they shine above. It’s an extremely romantic scene (of course, I’m a bit of a romantic at heart), and I can easily see why cruises are so popular as honeymoon destinations. Alas, for now I quietly enjoy it by myself…

The ship itself is gorgeous. Many different archictural styles are represented, and it is all pulled together tastefully and nearly seamlessly. Some of my favorites are the Sphinx, an Egyptian-themed lounge, the Catacombs, the Norse/Medieval nightclub, and the Hoof and Claw, the Irish pub.

The Flowrider, the surfing area at the back of the ship, is awesome. Basically, they pump massive amounts of water, nearly 30,000 gallons per minute, up an incline, and you surf or boogie-board in place. It’s so much fun!

The ship’s shows are really good so far too. Tonight’s “Welcome Aboard” show featured a hilariously funny and incredibly talented juggler.

And the food…
Oh goodness, the food is absolutely delicious. Tonight at dinner, I had a Strawberry, Kiwi,and Pineapple starter, a Black Angus Top Sirloin steak, and a slice of Chocolate Cherry Cake for dessert. Let’s just say anyone who goes hungry on a cruise ship has only themselves to blame.

Well, that about covers today.

Ooh, I see the lights of another liner in the distance. Hi!

Day 1: Flight

I love flying. I love it so much I put up with the long delays, the cramped seats, and the horrible pretzels they serve. I deal with the overbearing security and the stuffy cabins. I endure it all for the pure joy of speeding down a runway and severing your connection to the earth. The sight of rising above the clouds, even out a tiny window, is simply astounding.
My heart is overflowing with joy and anticipation of where this gorgeous journey is taking me…

…and no, I don’t mean the stopover in Atlanta.

P.S. Ooh! Lightning in the distance! This flight just keeps getting more and more awesome!

P.P.S. It’s so weird seeing a small bit of cloud hovering in midair when you’re level with it.

P.P.P.S. This will likely be a teaser post. The hotel has free wi-fi, and the Wordpress app for iPod/iPhone is awesome. The ship on the other hand does not have free wifi, but I can still write and just mass upload at the end.