Luckily, the Mythbusters was a rerun so I could type and watch at the same time.
I was just sitting here thinking about this blog to date. The conclusion I came to was "what a bunch of crap". I originally set this up to be a rant space where I could go off on stuff. So far, all I have on here is a bunch of masturbatory drivel.
I suspect that this is, partly, a result of my new schedule. When I started it, I was staying at home and had a lot of time on my hands. That is never a good thing for me. When I have time, I begin to think. when I think, I start having ideas. When that meets with my bizarre need to create, I start new projects. Of course, it is very seldom that I ever complete any single project (that is not blacksmithing related.)
I’m beginning to wonder if this is one of those projects. Frankly, if it is, it has some good company. Right now I have the following projects pending completion:
1. Two short stories
2. Five (yes, five) different lines of jewelry I’m trying to explore
3. A stained glass chandelier
4. A stainless steel and chainmail lamp
5. A Twitter story that has stalled out
6. A 17th century stone bow (crossbow that shoots balls instead of bolts.)
7. Two different websites
8. A small D&D based strategy video game
Oh well. I’ll get to them someday. Maybe after I win the lottery and retire.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Curse you Mythbusters!
Yet again, my plans for updating this blog have been foiled by Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Minä puhun suomea! (I speak Finnish)
I have just finished my second week of Intensive Finnish Language classes and it is a bitch.
There are a total of 5 modules of 25 days each. It is Monday through Friday 9:15 - 4:00 with a 45 minute lunch break. I am finding it interesting, intense, and traumatic.
To start with, the instructor speaks almost no English, so it is a total immersion course for me. I’m not having trouble with vocabulary; I’ve always been good at that, but grammar and conjugation will be the end of me. For some reason, I’m just not getting it and my instructor doesn’t seem able to help me out much. I’m confident that I will eventually learn the proper tenses and grammar, but it will be bumpy and unpleasant.
Another difficulty I’m having is in dealing with my aversion to speaking in class. Throughout high school and college, I was able to avoid speaking in class, for the most part. I’m not consciously afraid, but it stresses me out on an unconscious level. I end up being exhausted at the end of the day, even though I’ve sat on my butt all day. We all have to speak quite a lot and work in groups together. If one could design a course that plays on my worst fears and anxieties, it would be exactly like this.
There are some interesting bits, however. Out of 20 students, I am only one of six other speakers of English. The class is comprised of people from Russia, India, Germany, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Estonia, Burma, Iran, Iraq, China, and America. I am the only American currently in the entire school of 200 students. I think it is pretty cool that there are so many different cultures represented. It also presents all of us with greater motivation to learn Suomi (Finnish).
I’ve started my third week and my enthusiasm is waning. The new car smell is gone and all that is left is the musty odor of hard work ahead. On the brighter side, I am actually starting to learn a little Finnish. I just have to keep my nose to the grindstone and it will pay off in the end… I hope.
Just for fun, here is a paragraph from a friend of mine’s Finnish blacksmith shop website.
Seppä Timo Miettinen suunnittelee ja valmistaa tuotteet asiakkaan toivomusten ja näkemysten mukaan "raudanlujalla" ammattitaidolla. Tuotevalikoimaan kuuluvat niin perinteiset sepäntyöt kuin monipuoliset sisustusartikkelitkin.
(Feel free to check out his work at Viikin Paja .)
As you can see, this is not very much like English. I have quite a job on my hands. I’m sure I will have more on this later.
There are a total of 5 modules of 25 days each. It is Monday through Friday 9:15 - 4:00 with a 45 minute lunch break. I am finding it interesting, intense, and traumatic.
To start with, the instructor speaks almost no English, so it is a total immersion course for me. I’m not having trouble with vocabulary; I’ve always been good at that, but grammar and conjugation will be the end of me. For some reason, I’m just not getting it and my instructor doesn’t seem able to help me out much. I’m confident that I will eventually learn the proper tenses and grammar, but it will be bumpy and unpleasant.
Another difficulty I’m having is in dealing with my aversion to speaking in class. Throughout high school and college, I was able to avoid speaking in class, for the most part. I’m not consciously afraid, but it stresses me out on an unconscious level. I end up being exhausted at the end of the day, even though I’ve sat on my butt all day. We all have to speak quite a lot and work in groups together. If one could design a course that plays on my worst fears and anxieties, it would be exactly like this.
There are some interesting bits, however. Out of 20 students, I am only one of six other speakers of English. The class is comprised of people from Russia, India, Germany, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Estonia, Burma, Iran, Iraq, China, and America. I am the only American currently in the entire school of 200 students. I think it is pretty cool that there are so many different cultures represented. It also presents all of us with greater motivation to learn Suomi (Finnish).
I’ve started my third week and my enthusiasm is waning. The new car smell is gone and all that is left is the musty odor of hard work ahead. On the brighter side, I am actually starting to learn a little Finnish. I just have to keep my nose to the grindstone and it will pay off in the end… I hope.
Just for fun, here is a paragraph from a friend of mine’s Finnish blacksmith shop website.
Seppä Timo Miettinen suunnittelee ja valmistaa tuotteet asiakkaan toivomusten ja näkemysten mukaan "raudanlujalla" ammattitaidolla. Tuotevalikoimaan kuuluvat niin perinteiset sepäntyöt kuin monipuoliset sisustusartikkelitkin.
(Feel free to check out his work at Viikin Paja .)
As you can see, this is not very much like English. I have quite a job on my hands. I’m sure I will have more on this later.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
About Me: The Last One
Well, this is going to be my last post of the "About Me" type. Of course, everything here is about me, in one sense or another. But I digress.
I basically lived the normal life for the next several years. You know the kind:
10 Get up
20 Go to work
30 Go home
40 If Not Saturday or Sunday: GoTo 10
50 Have a bar-b-que
60 Watch the game
70 GoTo 10
I have already covered most of my blacksmithing and traveling over at my other site. Feel free to check them out at Dobbs Blacksmithing and Dobbs Family Blog.
I also have a site for my jewelry at Metal Mischief.
I think that this will be the last time I speak about those two subjects. I will try to keep my various streams from crossing. This one is for rants and gripes, not blacksmithing or family goings on.
I basically lived the normal life for the next several years. You know the kind:
10 Get up
20 Go to work
30 Go home
40 If Not Saturday or Sunday: GoTo 10
50 Have a bar-b-que
60 Watch the game
70 GoTo 10
I have already covered most of my blacksmithing and traveling over at my other site. Feel free to check them out at Dobbs Blacksmithing and Dobbs Family Blog.
I also have a site for my jewelry at Metal Mischief.
I think that this will be the last time I speak about those two subjects. I will try to keep my various streams from crossing. This one is for rants and gripes, not blacksmithing or family goings on.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
About Me: Following my heart
Eventually, as with most groups of friends, we gradually moved off to other lives. In my case, my new girlfriend transferred to a Dallas college and I decided to follow. I was told by many friends and family members that moving to follow a girl as pretty bone headed. Luckily, it turned out ok and we eventually got married. Jennifer gave me the motivation to get into school and work towards getting a real job.
Due to her support, I finally graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Information Systems. I had to work full time days, so I went to school at night. That was quite a challenge. For the next five years, Jen and I only saw each other for a few minutes in the morning and on the weekends. Going back to school was a good idea, but if I had to do it over again, I would choose a different field. I went into computer programming because the dotcom bubble was growing and I had an affinity for computers. It seemed like the perfect choice. Little did I know that I would grow to loath working in I.T. and that art can be, with difficulty, a viable path.
I can remember the day that I began to wonder about my choice of careers. While at an arts festival, in Grapevine, Texas, Jen and I happened across a blacksmith doing demonstrations. I was transfixed and Jennifer had to, almost forcibly, remove from the shop. Before I left, though, I noticed that the smith had a brochure advertising classes so I grabbed one on the way out. After much cajoling, Jen agreed to let me sign up for one of his classes. Money was tight, so I had to make sure she was on-board.
As it turned out, things conspired against me and I was not able to take that class. For the next couple of years, life was too hectic for me to think about it much, but it stayed in the dark recesses of my head. Going to college at night, working during the day, buying a house, and having a child can really keep such thoughts out of mind.
Things had settled down a bit when I found a book about knife making at a local bookstore. In this book, the basics of forging steel are outlined. It showed me that I could build my own forge and use pretty much anything as an anvil. Within the month, I had built a primitive forge and mashed my first piece of steel.
Due to her support, I finally graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Information Systems. I had to work full time days, so I went to school at night. That was quite a challenge. For the next five years, Jen and I only saw each other for a few minutes in the morning and on the weekends. Going back to school was a good idea, but if I had to do it over again, I would choose a different field. I went into computer programming because the dotcom bubble was growing and I had an affinity for computers. It seemed like the perfect choice. Little did I know that I would grow to loath working in I.T. and that art can be, with difficulty, a viable path.
I can remember the day that I began to wonder about my choice of careers. While at an arts festival, in Grapevine, Texas, Jen and I happened across a blacksmith doing demonstrations. I was transfixed and Jennifer had to, almost forcibly, remove from the shop. Before I left, though, I noticed that the smith had a brochure advertising classes so I grabbed one on the way out. After much cajoling, Jen agreed to let me sign up for one of his classes. Money was tight, so I had to make sure she was on-board.
As it turned out, things conspired against me and I was not able to take that class. For the next couple of years, life was too hectic for me to think about it much, but it stayed in the dark recesses of my head. Going to college at night, working during the day, buying a house, and having a child can really keep such thoughts out of mind.
Things had settled down a bit when I found a book about knife making at a local bookstore. In this book, the basics of forging steel are outlined. It showed me that I could build my own forge and use pretty much anything as an anvil. Within the month, I had built a primitive forge and mashed my first piece of steel.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
About Me: The Hazy Years
After the military, I moved back to Texas. I stayed with my folks for a few months until I got my “civvy legs” back then moved to College Station. The next three years or so were spent in a bit of a haze. This is when I really started to explore myself. For those that know me as a solid, level headed chap that maintains a fairly conventional life, you may want to skip ahead a bit (I’m looking at you, Mom.)
All of my life, I have always maintained separate groups of friends. You might say I led multiple lives. I think this might be because I get bored easily. While in high school, during the day, I hung out with the nerds. My breaks would often be spent chatting with the science teacher or reading in the library. During the weekends, I would be found running the roads with the “bad kids” trying to buy beer and smoking. In the military, most of my friends broke down into two categories: redneck bikers and closet gays. Some weekends, I would ride my Harley with my redneck friends, the Texas Bunch, and get into fights. Other weekends, I would go down to “The Boom”, let gay men mistakenly buy me beer, discuss philosophy or art, and attend gallery showings.
During the hazy years, back in College Station, I continued to run with different packs. Interestingly, my packs were much more integrated during this time. College Station is a very conservative town so all of the “weirdos” seem to group together. Soon after arriving, I became involved with the SCA and Amtgard, medieval reenactment and live action role playing respectively. Through those groups, I met other people that like to do unconventional things. There is too much to cover about this period to do it in one post so here are the highlights:
It was a glorious and illuminating time of my life. It is because of that time, and people I shared it with, I discovered that life is full of weird and wonderful things.
All of my life, I have always maintained separate groups of friends. You might say I led multiple lives. I think this might be because I get bored easily. While in high school, during the day, I hung out with the nerds. My breaks would often be spent chatting with the science teacher or reading in the library. During the weekends, I would be found running the roads with the “bad kids” trying to buy beer and smoking. In the military, most of my friends broke down into two categories: redneck bikers and closet gays. Some weekends, I would ride my Harley with my redneck friends, the Texas Bunch, and get into fights. Other weekends, I would go down to “The Boom”, let gay men mistakenly buy me beer, discuss philosophy or art, and attend gallery showings.
During the hazy years, back in College Station, I continued to run with different packs. Interestingly, my packs were much more integrated during this time. College Station is a very conservative town so all of the “weirdos” seem to group together. Soon after arriving, I became involved with the SCA and Amtgard, medieval reenactment and live action role playing respectively. Through those groups, I met other people that like to do unconventional things. There is too much to cover about this period to do it in one post so here are the highlights:
- Drank a lot of beer and smoked a lot of weed
- Played a lot of role playing games
- Helped some friends start up an alternative coffeehouse
- Learned how to build leather armor and sew costumes
- Met my future wife and mother of my child who thought I was gay for the first year we knew each other. That is a long story I will tell someday.
- Made friends with people who I only knew as “Wolf”, “Wombat”, and “PBob”
- Lived in a two bedroom apartment with 7 other people and none of us were actually on the lease.
- A bunch of other stuff that is only vague memories now.
It was a glorious and illuminating time of my life. It is because of that time, and people I shared it with, I discovered that life is full of weird and wonderful things.
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