Goals 44 & 64: Back to School

They said the day would come, that the shuffling would have to end...

I moved from Orlando to Palo Alto in a swift 9-day coast-to-coast roadtrip (spending 3 days in New Mexico).

 I turned 24 in the process, which reminds me of a quote I read once but cannot find now that went something like:

"Everything you will become, you will be by the time you are 25."

Probably horseradish, but I still am going to do my best to become quite the person over the next year.

So anyway, I went to Disneyland (for free because I was still a castmember at the time). The greatest thing about it was going to the new Little Mermaid ride, which I worked on extensively back in Florida. It was such a trip! Like fast forwarding into the future, I saw it all put together, finished, where I had been watching the gradual completion at WDW.

I arrived in Palo Alto after a short stay with my friend Chandra, who I met in Sweden. When I got to Palo Alto, I called housing to find out about how I move into my room. Fun news, my room wouldn't be ready until Friday morning...it was Tuesday.

I didn't know anyone in the area, actually, since I was just getting there, so I had to call people I thought had people in the area. Well, my network won me three places to stay over the next three nights, one with a friend of a friend, one with a sister of a former co-worker (and friend), and one that I had met on my visit day to Stanford. Didn't had to sleep in the car once!

Goal 44: Start Grad School or Begin a Career

Well then I started school. My first class was ARTSTUDI 160, a course on visual language. The teacher was intimidating, saying things like "This will be the hardest class you ever take." At first I scoffed, thinking these were probably mostly first year undergrad students, but then when nearly everyone raised their hands in response to "How many of you are graduate students," the sir was not surprised in the least...in fact, he expected everyone to be graduate students... He spent an hour and a half going over the syllabus thoroughly, explaining the difficulty with each project. I was effectively frightened, and was more than happy to not get in.

My final schedule consisted of a class that took me to factories and manufacturers in the Bay Area every Friday, a design class, and a product management class. Here's some camera dissection at IDEO.

The rest, in brief, goes like this:

1. Started classes

2. Joined a dozen clubs to get free food everyday

3. Attended classes I wasn't taking

4. Watched classes online

5. Ran out of time for all the extra stuff (except free food) when paper bikes kicked into gear

Goal 64: Build Something I can Fit Into

That shit is a bike. A bike made of paper. It has a converting feature, allowing it to go from sliding to rolling, and its chassis is a tank. Here's a time lapse of the whole thing being built.

Our mega-team was victorious, winning 2 out of 3 in the paper bike rally of 2011. 

(New Orleans Skybridge)

Status: Tired of writing...

Goal 34 & 73: Farewell Friends

My time at Walt Disney World was amazing, spectacular, shufflicious, and all too short. My crew there was easily the most energetic and exciting group of friends I've ever had. As the summer came to an end, I transitioned from coast to coast, from industry to academia, paid to poor. But there was plenty of fun before all that..

The shufflin' crew's very own Sydney Moeller planned a trip to Savannah, Georgia one weekend. A beautiful place of Southern charm, we were all drawn to the Craft Brew festival that would occur there. I didn't buy an advance ticket for $10 off online, which ended up being an advantage, because Jimmy managed to find his way in without using his, so we split the cost of one. Once inside, we drank the finest brews from around the country.

After a while we were feeling pretty confident, and started touring behind the scenes of the conference center. I found an inspiring doorway.

The brewfest was quite nice, but there were more important things to be done whilst in Savannah...

Goal 34: Get Crabs at THE Crab Shack

For many years my parents have told me about The Crab Shack in Savannah, and I've always wondered what it might be like to actually go, with the garbage can holes, and the platters of crabs. If we were going to Savannah, I simply had to go.


We ordered blue crab, dungeness crab, and snow crab, and they arrived on platters of delicious. We spent over an hour devouring the crabmatter. Dungeness crab is what I grew up on, so I'm drawn to it as the delicacy of my youth. It has substantial meat in the legs, and is sweet with a savory finish. Snow crab is the most common, and tastes very sweet. It's delicious, and I've sometimes compared the taste to fresh shrimp. Blue crab...well, um...I dunno. In all honesty, I don't remember the blue crab, except I know the legs were small, and had appropriately sized chunks of meat, resulting in a relatively low efficiency scour.

The next day we went to the Lady and Son's restaurant, the one chef'd by Paula Dean. I buffet'd the crap out of myself.

We also went to the beach to play some baller volleyball, and we toured around Savannah. It was a great final trip to take with the crew. Once we came back, it seemed like the final weeks flew by. They were filled with shuffling everyday, 80's nights, dinner out, goodbyes, and even....

Goal 73: Go Paintballing

A group of co-workers invited everyone out on a paintballing expedition. It may have had something to do with Livingsocial, or Groupon, but I don't recollect.

I had a rootin' tootin' 'ol time, shootin' up the place.

A nice overcast day, by the end of it we were all soaked from sweating through our clothes in the humidity.

(Savannah Skybridge)

Status: Overdue

Goals 5 & 92: Spare Time Staycations

It's hard to define anything I do in Orlando as anything less than a "staycation." I go to work, and I'm on staycation, surrounded by hundreds of people on vacation. Well, staying in and around Orlando has lead me on a few on a few adventures.

Goal 5: Go Skydiving

Last month one of my officemates mentioned that one of her roommates found a Groupon for skydiving, and was gathering people to go. Not really knowing her roommate at all, I decided to invite myself and hope that it was ok (it was). Many weeks later we went to a little garage outside of Tampa to use those coupons.

It was a very neat environment. Lots of colors. Lots of culture. When we arrived, there was a crew about to do a big jump together to celebrate one of the dudezes 1000th jump.

This is how I practiced.

The brave crew. We started with a few more people who were going to go with us, but ended with just four of us (the man on the left was a Brit from the skydiving company).

They take you up in a rinky dink plane. You get to the drop point, and then you scoot out to the edge of the plane with your feet dangling out of the plane like you were sitting on the edge of a cliff. Before you really have a chance to consider the fact you're about to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, you get pushed out and go tumbling. You tumble for a few seconds and then stabilize and free fall for a bit. Eventually the chute gets pulled and then you just chill a few thousand feet up in the air and enjoy the view.

In a tandem jump you don't have to do much.

After skydiving was over, I decided I'd sustain the intensity of the day by spicing it up with Lady Gaga.

Goal 92: Take a Course Not Affiliated with a University

A course in dance, that is. This is the second dance class I've taken since moving to Orlando. The first was a Michael Jackson dance lesson. They have both been fun and entertaining, and given me a new appreciation for strictly choreographed dance. I have learned some sweet new moves to add to my toolbox.

Skybridge Tampa

Status: Spongy

Goal 69: Kissing the Keys

First of all... Happy 4th of July!

And lastly, but not leastly:

Goal 69: Drive to Key West, FL

I had a full month of visitors. It all started with a mostly nice CP reunion, and then transformed into Whit and her friends, and trailed off with just Whit. On the last weekend she was here, we decided to make the road trip to Key West.

The first night we stopped at Whit's aunt and uncle's house. It was kinda neat, but her aunt didn't like me. We drove on a road that was inhabited by bajillionaires, and shaded with their green.

Then we made it to the Overseas Highway. Driving this was the actual goal. It was awesome. We saw endangered Key Deer that were about 4 feet tall, and key hopped all day.

I would love to swim out to one of these and set up shop... and by shop I mean retire.

We arrived in Key west, and you instantly pick up on the gay vibe because there are chickens that run free, and spectrum flags about.

I visited the Southernmost Point in the Continental US. Which, now that I've thought about it more, doesn't make any sense, because Key West is an island, not really continental...

Even more paradisy.

We got eaten alive here trying to sleep in the car. When we rolled up the windows to keep the mosquitos out, we sweat buckets. With no vacancies from there to the mainland, we bought a bag of ice to try and keep cool... It didn't work great.

The next day we went on a snorkeling trip out in the Atlantic. It was awesome. They took us to one of the only coral reefs (maybe the only one?) in the USA. it was beautiful.

It was good to be with the ocean, and see the endless seas. I miss the blue, and this area of the country really is paradise-ical. I hope to someday own a shack on these shores.
Status:

Overworking

Some Graphics

This is a flier I made for the welding workshop, put on by NMT ASME every semester.

This was the poster I designed for my design team presentations. I didn't have to put too much on it because our exhibits would speak for themselves.

These are the graduation announcements I designed for myself.

Goal 48: Ta ta for now

Bachelor degree? Sure, as long as I pass all my classes. Including this one, which just happens to be MY LAST CLASS AS AN UNDERGRAD.


My mechatronics project was baller, but we had a lot more programs with the mechanical system than we could have imagined. Then we had more problems with the sensor. But we built our own mouse, and designed a totally new product that we plan to test and possibly commercialize.


Senior design was quite a time dump this year. As the leader of a project that had to design and build all in one semester, I had quite a challenge ahead of me.

After nights of coding and wiring, and days of building, we had a near-final product to display at final design presentations. I had a team of bosses as people played with our exhibits. In the end, we won with the highest scores across the board from all reviewers, professional and students.

Because of all the work, I was still working past the last day of finals, past the parties, and past graduation. So walking was for fun. It was a nice act to crown the previous five years, but not as satisfying as any moderately conclusive event that had occurred during those years.

Goal 48: Graduate and Earn my Bachelor of Science Degree

Mostly symbolic, and not really a release of any sort, I graduated. Nonetheless, I graduated.

"The Friendamily"

The days and week after I graduated were pretty hectic. Graduation parties in Socorro and the Jemez, and moving EVERYTHING from Socorro to Albuquerque, and saying goodbye to good friends like David Stockavas and Chris Santiago. I also had to quit Sandia, which is no easy task.

Six days later I left for Florida. I packed everything I would need for the summer the night before. I drove 17 hours, and then 18 hours, to arrive in two days. I moved my carload into the empty one bedroom apartment I was subletting from my dear friend Felicia Provost. I did all my paperwork, picked up my ID, and then had my first day at Walt Disney World Ride & Show engineering a few days later. It's like a dream.

I couldn't have been happier that things worked out with me at Disney. I love it, and I'm very excited for what the summer holds. I'll be listening to audiobooks, reading real books, and making graphics in my spare time. By the end of the summer, I anticipate I'll be moving to California to start the funding hunt at Stanford.

Goal 52: Georgia Tech through the Last Days of Undergrad

Georgia Tech treats its visitors like kings. I had a bed for a king, and a corner room with an awesome view of the city.

I had a lot of free time whilst in Atlanta. I explored the city, walked around streets, and looked at what the area might be like to live in. I liked Atlanta. I liked Georgia Tech. They had some very cool programs, and great architecture and design programs. But what really set Atlanta apart was its skybridges.

For the first time, I was able to take a picture of a skybridge...FROM ABOVE!

I had lots of time to contemplate the choice at hand: Georgia Tech, University of Michigan, or Stanford. I met lots of really cool people at Georgia Tech, but the most interesting, and most helpful, was a chap by the name of Leo Blanchik. He will be attending MIT in the fall, and we discussed in detail the issues of grad school, what it means, and how to decide.

I loved Georgia Tech, but it just wasn't where I wanted to go.

My last day was spent looking at a student car show and wandering around town in thought.

Since visiting Georgia Tech I have accepted enrollment at Stanford for the fall.

Since visiting Georgia Tech I have also completed a goal.

Goal 52: Eat Food I've Hunted and Killed

So Brian Kemper, Matthew Aurand, and I decided it was time to prove our self reliance by going out into the mesa and hunting ourselves some hoppity flesh: wabbits.

Typically, we drive around the back roads until we see a thick-legged daredevil run across the road. We hit the breaks, and sprint out into the hunt. After two nights our death squad returned with spoils hailing from two different species: jackrabbit (Matt's kill) and cottontail (my kill).

We brought our edibles back to the house for eating.

I equipped myself with surgical equipment: 1 X-Acto Knife, and 2 Latex Gloves.

Then I threw my tender little cottontail on the fire-grill, smothered in BBQ sauce and a bit of champagne, and waited a while.

Long story short: it was delicious, and everyone who later came was disgusted.