In Closing

Finals week was one of those weeks where I wish I could have seen the sun, the people, and the sanity in my life. Needless to say, that didn't happen. It was a little painful and I literally spent two whole days in my room writing finals. From Monday to Wednesday night I wrote over 10,000 words in essays, exams, and other assorted documents for my classes. But I still managed to make it through with a pretty good GPA, so it wasn't all bad.

Then came closing for Skarland. That was insane. So many checkouts, goodbyes, projects. It consumed my life. But then everything stopped for a moment. Nothing to do, no expectations, just waiting for a call on my job and then doing whatever I want on top of that. Its been pretty good. Yesterday I was really, REALLY sick though to the point where I couldn't stand up for more than a few minutes at a time due to the pain in my kidneys, but I think I'm almost over it. I'm pretty sure there is nothing that Gatorade can't fix.

So now here I am waiting for that call still and hoping that this summer stays as fun as I hope it does.

Time flies when you're busy

Man, I've been really bad about being on my computer lately. I'm on every so often for a game or two with my residents, but most of the time I really haven't been on my physical computer. That's really why I haven't been posting lately, but now I'm hoping to be back here more frequently than I have been.

I also realize I have like 3 blog drafts that I never actually finished, so here goes this one!

So a lot has happened in the past 3 weeks. First off, I didn't end up getting the ARD position for Nerland, but I am going to be a RA there! I'm pretty excited for that to happen because that's really where I want to be for next year. I've really enjoyed working with freshmen this year, but I think it will be good for me to be in an upperclassmen dorm with some of my friends from here in Skarland and some I've met along the way. My staff ought to be pretty fun as well, so I really don't have any complaints with my position. I mean, I really enjoy being a RA as well, so could I really complain anyways? But Nerland is basically perfect for me. Its a gaming hall (not actually, but that's the tendency), its a dry dorm by choice (which means no alcohol), and I know a lot of people that are going there.

Music in my life is also going pretty dang well. The Wind Symphony also had a couple concerts in the past couple weeks which were really fun to play in. I've had more 1st horn parts lately, so I've been making some rapid improvements in terms of my playing. I think I'm going to go get the recordings of our concerts sometime this week so I can go listen to how we did from another perspective and see if I can pick myself out in the music. Jeremiah and I are also nearing completion of the Zelda Medley we're transcribing for a horn quartet (hopefully to be performed early next semester). I'll hopefully put up the arrangement we've done once we finish it but we do know at least what songs are going to be in it. We have (in this order):

- Zelda's Awakening (Windwaker)
- Ocean Theme (Windwaker)
- Song of Storms (Ocarina of Time)
- Song of Healing (Majora's Mask)
- Midna's Theme (Twilight Princess)
- Ballad of the Goddess (Skyward Sword)
- Zelda's Theme (Ocarina of Time)
- Epilogue (Windwaker)

I'm really excited to get it finished because then we can start playing it as a group and it will be AWESOME. Plus, if we can manage to have one of the faculty give us permission to play it in a Music at 1 I'll be ecstatic. I mean, how often would I have the chance to play a Zelda medley that I've created in a public setting? Basically never.

My new computer is almost complete as well! The last 3 pieces of the machine are now on their way to me after I got my wonderful tax return in the mail. I'm really excited to finally build this massive beast of a computer. Hopefully I'll have it up and going by the end of the weekend next week, although that is SpringFest and project weekend so we shall see how that goes. I know I really need to get those projects done and SpringFest is all hands on deck for RAs, so I know I'll be super busy for the entire weekend... Hopefully I'll still have some time to myself so that I can stay sane, but who knows.

I'm also changing my major soon. I still love Computer Science, but I have a ton of trouble with coding. I have neither the attention span nor the will to just do coding. So I'm hopefully going to change my major to Systems Administration instead. That way I can pursue what I really love about Computer Science, which is the Information Technology side of it, and hopefully end up as a Sysadmin sometime in the future. I think its a good choice for me and for my GPA, plus that kind of work is super awesome.

So that's my life as of late in a nutshell!

The waiting game

So I was trying to wait to write this until I had heard back about the job I applied for (so I could have some exciting news), but that obviously didn't work. Maybe I jinxed myself... Because last Thursday I applied for the Assistant Resident Director position here at UAF for Nerland Hall and then I was told "You'll know the result early next week." Needless to say, that didn't happen. Next came "Well, you'll hear this week" (again, didn't happen), followed by "You'll hear in the next 48 hours" (see where this is going?), and now it has hopefully stopped at "You'll hear on Monday." Now this doesn't seem too strange at first, but tomorrow we have RA Rush. Its the time when all the new and returning RAs come together and find out what hall they're placed in and meet their new (or old) pro staff member. That confuses me because someone who applied is going to be pulled and there are several halls who won't know who they're working for. Now, I know I'll find out eventually so this really isn't anything to get too worked up about, its just a minor inconvenience and a stress tester. I guess tomorrow I'll just find out where I'll be working if I don't get the ARD job.

Now for some old news.

Last week on Thursday I had my soccer finals for the first Spring quarter league and we won the championship! Hopefully we will have our shirts at some point this week to go with our team shirts that we have already, because we are just that cool. I really enjoy soccer, so I'm really glad that its offered here at UAF (but it would be better if it were a Varsity sport).

And now I'm just cleaning my room and then hopefully getting some more Subway later tonight before crushing Robert, Andrew, and Skye at Mario Party again :P

Midterms and programs and break time, oh my!

Its been a while since I was last back here... About 2 weeks I think. Its been a hectic couple of weeks as well.

So not this previous week, but the week before was midterms week. That. Was. Hard. The biggest pain was my 8 page single spaced Computer Science midterm. Luckily it was a take-home exam, but it took me over 8 hours to complete it... But, I got a 98% on it! WOO! The rest of my midterms/group projects went by pretty well too, that CS one was really the midterm of note though. So after that week of torture and work and not having time to do anything it was Spring Break!

Break started off with a bang as I went down to Nerland to do a full playthrough of Heavy Rain. Heavy Rain is an interactive drama for the PS3, and let me say: it is intense. The crazy kind of intense where everyone who's watching is having a good time and the one playing it is scrambling like a madman to keep everyone alive through 8 hours of quick-time events... That is a lot of quick-time events. A lot. But I finished it in about 9 hours with the happiest ending possible, so I can take solace in that. The rest of my break was really comprised of work and video games with some of my awesome residents. So it wasn't too terrible.

And now school has started back up. Time to get that brain working again.

Going full circle

Hooray! I know I'm a few days late on this, but my blog has made it a full year with me actually updating! How odd. I don't really see it as something that a whole ton of people read, but its still a place for me to share some thoughts about my life and just have them out there. The implications of this kind of blog are interesting though... If you think about it, I'm writing all of this personal information in a public reading space. Honestly I don't mind though. I don't put anything TOO personal in here (I don't think...) but I'm sure if I did my mom would call and tell me (yes I know she reads this often). As for this post, I should really try to sum up my first week of school now that the "blogaversary" has been properly celebrated.

Classes this semester are great. I've got a much more balanced schedule in terms of the actual scheduling (time) of the classes and the credit/time ratio. Last semester I was taking 8 classes for 15 credits and this semester I'm taking 6 classes for 14 credits. See a better work load there? My favorite thing though is easily the fact that none of my classes start before 11:30am or end later than 6pm. I get to work and sleep this semester! The classes themselves are awesome too. I have 2 computer science classes, 2 English classes (bleh), and 2 music ensembles. It's looking like a bright semester.

Work this semester will be a little different too. We had to say our goodbyes to Kristine as she moved away to another building while we happily welcomed Ruby to the Skarland team. My admin job for the building also changed which I'm a little sad about (in a joking way). I can't call myself "The Keeper of the Keys" anymore.... Now I'm just the guy checking the work order request lists and processing those. It's not a bad gig, but I have yet to assign myself a pompous title yet... So I'm having a little less fun with it. But only for now I promise!

Here's a couple other fun work facts. I had the first Skarland situation this semester and, on an unrelated note, I got to drive a bus! Since I can actually talk about the second one, I'll do that. So I signed up for 2 shifts of the Nanook Express which is basically an airport shuttle for students that Residence Life puts on as a service to students. I think its awesome personally. But back to the important part, they let me drive a bus. Through a town. To the airport. To pick people up and drive back through a town. How awesome is that??? I was pretty stoked and honestly it was one of the funniest things I think I've ever done.

My bus. It was awesome.

Here's another thing that has become a point of interest to me. By now I'm sure everyone who's going to read this has heard of it, but I'd just like to put on the record that I oppose the SOPA/PIPA legislative pieces. Rather than babble about it I'd advise you to look it up for yourself, but its pretty terrible and I hope nothing like that ever manages to pass... Ever.

Last but not least, I'm doing the unthinkable tomorrow. I'm..... COOKING. In my house for about as long as I can remember I've been a notoriously crappy cook. Baking isn't so much of a problem, but when sustenance is on the docket everything seems to crash and burn. Last time I tried to make the dish I'll be preparing tomorrow night my chicken was frozen on the inside, the lettuce of the salad wasn't cut through all the way, and the pasta was permanently bent and hardened at 90 degree angles... But, like the fool I occasionally am, I'm trying again. I even bought a full 18 piece cookware set at the store today so I can make it! Considering the fact that a pretty girl will be eating this food as well, I really hope I don't watch my meal crash and burn again... Here's to hoping that whatever minute culinary prowess I have decides to work for me!

FOOD FOR THE FOOD GOD!

A strange Muppet fetish

So today I finished my first day of the Spring 2012 training for my RA position. It was a long day, but luckily I like this training MUCH more than the training in the Fall. For some reason it seems a little faster paced, a little less boring, and a little more kind. Now we get to wake up by 10 instead of 8! That's a huge improvement for a night owl like myself. Although there is something odd about training....

Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is Muppets.

You may be wondering "What does that even mean???" Well, it means that our schedules are based on Muppets. Our new door decs from Res Life are Muppets. Our pens have Muppets taped to them. Our notebooks have Muppets taped to them. Our presentations have Muppet-themed pictures. Our plates for meals even have Muppet designs. EVERYTHING IS MUPPETS. As Jamie put it "We will shove Muppets down your throat!" What has caused this is still a mystery to me, but at least its entertaining.

Plus, this time around, training is only 5 days instead of 2 weeks and we already know quite a lot of material, so its more laid back than it was before. Here's for hoping I manage to survive round two of training. Don't worry, its not that bad.

As for the past few days I've just been relaxing in Fairbanks and I finally got to go skiing when it warmed up to 20 from -30 for just a day before getting cold.

Now to sleep for another 11 hour day of training tomorrow.

I spy with my little eye....

It's been a little while since I last posted anything on here... I guess I've just been busy. Most of that time has probably been sucked into these new projects I have for CS and practice time for my music jury (which is about 3 weeks away....) and some of it has obviously been eaten by all the new video games that I bought in Game Season 2011. They are FANTASTIC.

So the games came out in this order:
1. Sonic Generations (11/1)
2. Modern Warfare 3 (11/8)
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (11/11)
4. Assassin's Creed: Revelations (11/15)

And I must say, I'm really sad that Sonic didn't get the spotlight that he deserved. The re-imagining of older stages and music along side of glitch-less gameplay made for a very happy and nostalgic Quinn when playing that game. I thought it was a fantastic addition to the Sonic franchise, and it was a step in the right direction in terms of game design. Because let's face it, the last 5 years of Sonic games have been complete crap (other than Sonic Colors).

But all that nostalgia couldn't stand up to the overwhelming fanbase of the Modern Warfare series and Skyrim.... Which is sad.... Not to say that they aren't excellent series, but I do think that the little blue hedgehog should have had his time in the spotlight.

As for the college aspect of things, my jury absolutely frightens me. Those of you who saw me last year on the two days before juries know exactly how I feel about them.... I basically turn in to a huge stress ball and do nothing until they're over. My mock jury yesterday didn't go so hot either, which means MOAR STRESS for me. If my lips spontaneously explode at the end of the semester, that's why.

Pie Your RA is tonight too from 8 - 9:30 in the Hess! From what I can tell, I'll be pied quite a bit.... SO BRING IT ON FRESHMEN! Cheeto Face (during RA training) was only the beginning of my whipped cream shenanigans apparently, which I don't mind. This just means some unexpected dry bystander is going to be chased down like a fleeing gazelle for a sticky sugar hug.

This is what happened last time whipped cream and I had an epic battle.

 Life is good.

So I heard you like training....

So here I am at UAF with (GASP) free time! Now what in the world is that?

For those of you who don't know, I'm currently in training to be a Resident Assistant (RA) up here at UAF and I'll have my own batch of freshmen on the 3rd floor of Skarland Hall. I have been since last Wednesday and if I didn't know that fact I would have NO way of knowing how much time has really passed... It's been very long. Most days, including the work I have to do for my floor, last from 7:30am when I wake up to 11pm when I finally stop working on door decs and other assorted tasks.

That's a LONG time! It isn't necessarily hard though, most of it is just listening to presentations and then taking some tests. Like today, for example, I took my RA final exam and my Desk Attendant final exam and yesterday I took my policy final exam. Sure the presentations aren't the most interesting things in the world, but at least I'm learning some things? I think? Anyways... My door decs are going to be pretty amazing, I love my staff, and actually getting to do this RA stuff is pretty interesting.

I feel like I fit well in this Residence Life community.

Also, here are a few of the funnier pieces of information that I've learned while in training:

-Res Life does not like children or dirty people.
-A squirrel running around inside is WAY more interesting than Equal Opportunity training
-Iris and Amber should never be allowed to fight EVER.
-Running around drenched in whipped cream is fun
-Driving a UAF van really isn't that difficult.
-Ergonomics are EVERYWHERE (and a part of 5 different safety tests we had to take) GAH!
-Fire hoses are fun
-Crystal meth looks really interesting....
-Playing in vomit is frowned upon by staff
-I'm looking forward to actually having a life

And that about sums up my life since arriving at college. Training, more training, MOAR TRAINING, sleep, repeat.

Yup. Delicious sugary Quinn was delicious.