Laugh to beat the band

This week I discovered that my radiator has developed a leak. I found out purely by accident, and I'm lucky I figured it out when I did - there was barely any antifreeze left in the reservoir. I could've ended up in a really ugly situation... I should probably sign up for AMA one of these days. Anyways, I got a quote for ~$300, which includes parts and labour. Sigh, get 'er done and out of the way, I suppose. At least it's still drivable in the mean time. I'm gunna need summer tires soon too. Bah.

I was thinking about getting a scooter for the summer. With the initial cost of purchase and the needed supplies/gear, it won't pay for itself within the next four years. I thought about maybe just uninsuring the car over the summer to save some cash (I figure it costs me ~$150/mo, not including maintenance). Alas, my company is moving, and I don't think it'll be easily accessible by bus or bike. I'm thinking I'll work 10hr days this summer (arrive an hour early, work an hour late), and those extra two hours a day will more than make up for car expenses. Still...

It occurred to me this week that next semester, with five studio classes a week, pretty much means I won't get to work at all on weekdays. That leaves Saturday for 8hrs or so of work, and I try to avoid working on Sunday if I can. I usually end up using it for school assignments. I need to tally up the costs of the last 12months once this semester ends, so that I can get an idea of what I'm up against next year if I don't work. I have the unavoidable desire to go through school without any students loans. And, if I could maintain 10-20hrs of work a week, like I've done this past year, that'd be doable. But if I can't work at all next year... Maybe I need a raise. Or two.

There's now thirty days left in the year. I'll be glad to have it over with, but at the same time... There's no way the summer can possibly live up to what I hope it will be. When you go so long without doing the things you want to do, you build a fairly unrealistic expectation for your first shot at free time. It's getting to the point where I'm prioritizing the games and movies and shows and books I want to get through, because there's no possible way I can do it all in two months.



It makes me feel so restless and nervous. The next twelve months scare me, never mind the next forty days.
-Cril


Look at yourself, if you had a sense of humor
You would laugh to beat the band
Look at yourself, do you still believe the rumor
That romance is simply grand?

Since you took it right on the chin
You have lost that bright toothpaste grin
My mental state is all a-jumble
I sit around and sadly mumble

Billy Holiday - Glad to Be Unhappy

Mixed with stale gasoline

As of today, I'm a month away from the end of the semester. Then I get a week to put together my portfolio, and then I start classes again. The spring semester only goes from May to June, though, so July and August should be school-less. I'll obviously take the opportunity to work and save up what I can for the following year, in case I won't be able to work. I have no idea what I'll do with myself, there'll be so much free time. I'll need to prioritize what I want to tackle so that I can get as much as I can out of it.

So, yeah. A month from the end. Still lots to do, I need to go in tomorrow and work on my jewelry project (setting a gemstone on a ring). I've been having a rough time with that course. Just gotta keep chuggin' though. Lots to do in the next four weeks.

I got my income tax return this week. It's a significant chunk of cash. I think I'll blow it all on my savings account.

I finished up a figure in environment (narrative) composition this weekend for drawing. It took 6hrs to do the render, and another ~15hrs of process and linear work. I recorded the rendering, though, and for whatever reason... The files are useless. I can view them fine, but one I try to edit them in any way, strange things happen. Handbrake starts and finishes in an instant, without doing anything. When you import the files into Premiere, it only shows the first 15s of the clip. Gah, I dunno what to do. Maybe I'll take the files to work and try them in Vegas.



In other news, I gotta get back to work.
-Cril

Please take a long hard look through your text book
'Cause I'm history
When I strap my helmet on I'll be long gone
'Cause I've been dying to leave
Yeah, I'll ride the range and hide all my loose change
In my bedroom
'Cause riding a dirtbike down a turnpike
Always takes its toll on me

I've had just about enough
Of quote, "diamonds in the rough"
Because my backbone is paper thin
Get me out of this cavern
Or I'll cave in

If the bombs go off
The sun will still be shining
Because we've heard it said that every mushroom cloud
Has a silver lining
(though I'm always undermining too deep to know)
Swallow a drop of gravel and blacktop
'Cause the road tastes like wintergreen
The wind and the rain smell of oil and octane
Mixed with stale gasoline
I'll soak up the sound trying to sleep on the wet ground
I'll get ten minutes give-or-take
'Cause I just don't foresee myself getting drowsy
When cold integrity keeps me wide awake

Get me out of this cavern
Or I'll cave in

I'll keep my helmet on just in case my head caves in
'Cause if my thoughts collapse or my framework snaps
It'll make a mess like you wouldn't believe
Tie my handlebars to the stars so I stay on track
And if my intentions stray I'll wrench them away
Then I'll take my leave and I won't even look back

I won't even look back

Owl City - Cave In

"Second year will be easier"

That last plant-study project really took a lot out of me. I was really banking on the hope I'd get a brief chance to recoup. Alas, twas not meant to be. I had a couple hours off last Sunday where I had finished all my homework, and they were all spent finishing up my taxes. Oh well.

I found out this week that next year, assuming I get into design, there will be 6 courses I have to take each semester. One will be liberal studies (3hr, lecture/academic based) and the rest are design studio classes (6hrs, hands-on/project based). I've signed up to take both my second-year liberal studies courses in this spring semester (3hrs every Mon/Tue/Wed/Thurs) to get them out of the way. That ain't going to make things much easier, but it's all I can do.

Next year is going to be really difficult. It's like I'll be taking my hardest course I'm taking this semester and multiplying it by five. That's thirty hours in-class, plus probably fifty hours of homework a week. I'm crossing my fingers that, because we'll start using computers, the projects can be finished quicker than they have been this year. Probably a naive inclination.



I find this whole ordeal incredibly disheartening. Maybe I'll get lots of time to rest over July/August, and so I'll be fully recharged for the upcoming year. Heh, right.
-Cril

Ludovico Einaudi - Giorni Dispari

Let it Go

As they say, there's no rest for the weary.



And I'm so very, very weary.
-Cril

You know you can't keep lettin' it get you down
And you can't keep draggin' that dead weight around
If there ain't all that much to lug around
Better run like hell when you hit the ground

Ok Go - This Too Shall Pass