Back In The Day

Got to into bed last night and having one of the “remembering something random” episodes. I remember sending a letter to the Head Teacher of the Primary School I attended as she was retiring to wish her well. This was last year and I remember receiving a letter back.

This got me thinking. I have had this before. My memory is not that good before I was 13 for one reason or another. But this was interesting. Slowly I was piecing together bits, events that happened when I was at primary school.

I remember the final term in year 6 receiving an endeavour award. I was sitting at the top left of the assembly hall and remember getting up to walk to the front to receive the award with the students and teachers clapping their hands.

Then I started to remember other things. In year 5, I sat at the back right of the room near the green door. Back then, if I was to walk out of the door, turn left, directly to the left was where we kept our bags and lunch boxes. A small wall separated that from a PC and shelves cover in green trays that held paper clips, rulers, etc.

In Year 4 I sat at the back, middle of the classroom. I remember with 2 of my friends (who I am still in contact with today) drawing cars on 2D graphics paper and colouring them in black felt tip, over and over again. Lol

There was a lot more I could remember but I cant be bothered to write all the information here. Then I kind of snapped out of it, feeling really, really hot. Next thing I was probably asleep.

Well I can say on that is, if the mind is piecing fact together, or, filling the gaps with fiction to continue the story line, all good fun……….

Good Luck Sis. :(

MS can cause a wide variety of symptoms. Many people experience only a few symptoms and it is unlikely that anyone will develop them all.

People can have different symptoms at different times and, although some are very common, there is no typical pattern that applies to everyone.

Symptoms of MS usually appear in episodic acute periods of worsening (relapses, exacerbations, bouts or attacks), in a gradually-progressive deterioration of neurologic function, or in a combination of both.

MS is not considered a hereditary disease. However, genetics may play a role in determining a person's susceptibility to MS.

Abort, Retry, Never Fail

I have not updated my blog in a while. My reasons were simple. Too much going on.
I got so enthusiastic of doing different things, I lost touch on my own priorities. I did not go swimming last week as I got my new graphics tablet.

So I took time out over the weekend. I pulled from the music archives some really old hip-hop, rap, garage and new-metal albums. Everything from Missy Elliot, Nas, Puff Daddy, So Solid Crew , Limp Bizkit, Slipknot and listened away.

Why did I like this music? Lol. I think a few years ago I was going through the stage of not knowing what music I liked, so I listened to what ever was in the charts at the time. From there, I moved on to progressive music, Mr Scruff, Rob D, Dillinja, Lemon Jelly, etc.

Oh how the times have changed. I think I will stick with One Republic, Linkin Park, Arctic Monkeys and Snow Patrol for the moment :)

Besides that. I re-addressed what I wanted to do. I dont seem to have enough hours to do everything so i got to manage what I can do better.

1. Play with wife (easy tiger)
2. Maya/Zbrush all the funky modelling stuff
3. Swimming/Football
4. World of Warcraft, other online games.

Cycling. Off the list at the moment till next year. Too cold and I am still doing round-robin to work in the morning. Pool, not sure whether to do it each week or not at the moment.

Did I miss anything off my list? :)

Woot

I got my graphics tablet, woot! :)

I am now going to model and draw for hours. Bring it on Zbrush, muahahahaha.

Can I borrow someone for "reference" material?

Tarots Know Best

Seriously I am kidding.

Yeah I had my life mapped out on 10 cards over the weekend. I dont believe a bit of colour on a card with words that could mean a 100 things actually say anything about my life.

But it got me thinking. Whether you believe in what the stars are telling you or not, I take it with a pinch of salt. With a bit of pepper and grill thoroughly until hot then eat :)

But this is a new week. The graphics tablet will arrive tomorrow, then we start getting serious with this modelling something special lark.

My next target is to buy a 2nd HDD, whether it be internal or external. I am now working out how much I have spent on equipment so I can do this 3D modelling stuff.

Details available soon. Ssssh, just dont tell the other half :)

Dinner Party - What Class Am I?

So we go in. No mucking about. The jackets are left with the female at the door who greats everyone and wishes them all a very good night. There are 4 people serving champagne and there is complimentary food provided by the hosts.

The atmosphere gets interesting as more and more people start piling in to the venue. Its comfortable, there is enough people to fill up the venue without it being cramped.

As more people come in, groups start to seperate off. There is a few minutes while everyone works each other out and some try to mingle, others just chat with their partners or friends they know from work or other activity.

All this interests me. I am in the corner with a champagne flute in one hand dressed in a tux, with parnsip crisps in the other. I watch as people start chatting about their, jobs, their social lives and James bond stuff.

I can tell you the woman in the opposite corner with her dark purple dress, aged between 40 - 45 has probably two kids. Both have been to University and she either works as a PA or head of a respectable organisation. Her Husband is also fairly well off working as either the owner or Director of a Insurance Broker. The young male walking with black trouers and purple striped shirt is probably at Uni. His girlfriend (no rings on) is probably doing an art degree or studying English/History. I made that decisiong based on the black dress she is wearing which is comfortable with a suitable brown/red scarf that hides her insecurity in what she is wearing.

By this time, I can tell you that most of the females in the room I have segregated off in to categories. The ones who seem older who have children and have dinner parties all the time, those slightly younger who join their families for get togethers frequently and those slightly worried about what they are wearing and are trying to fit in.

And there is always one. A young lady dresses as a bond villain in a quite revealing blue/white dress with blonde pigtails. She provides some much needed conversational topic for the night.

I start to mingle and watch peoples eyes as they meet new people and you can tell when they want to talk to someone else. They say nothing but their body language towards that person switches off and in the opposite direction. And those you switch away as you run out of things to say. The champagne and orange juice is in full flow and the atmosphere is getting louder as more people are chatting.

The majority of the males in the room are not alpha. They have either been there and done that or I just charmed to be there. I joke with a fairly old man in his late 40s, early 50s about joining the local rabble to the cinema to watch the Quantum of Solace. We discuss (and with his wife) kemosabi peas and the rice chilli bites on offer. A charming chap.

So while I am doing all this figuring out and enjoying the fravolities of the evening, I wonder who was doing the same?

Could I host a dinner party with the same kind of open ended execution where the people create the atmosphere and make it comfortable and charming? Well only one way to find out. Another time to roll out the tux/suit for another evening.........

Not Giving It Up

34 lengths last night, woot.
36 next week. It's all good.

One small step at a time. I plan to go swimming twice a week. Get in the mindset of doing x amount of lengths and just do it.

So this modelling lark. Its going well. Zbrush is soo cool to use. I can understand why 3d artists use it so much.

My plan today is get stuff done. If its needs doing, do it and move on to the next thing. What more can you ask for.

Workflow

So I was up late last night. I am watching videos about 3D modelling workflow. I have a better understanding on what type of modelling I should use to get the best results for any model.

So now I have got that sorted, carry on modelling and add something new, Zbrush. Now that looks like fun.

Give me a peice of clay and I will build you a blob, give me Zbrush and I will create a master piece. Give me a few weeks though :)

I spoke to Portsmouth University yesterday. They have a Maya Guru starting soon. I am going to suck out all his knowledge, put it in a can and keep it next to my PC for future use.

Going back to workflow, what am I doing today?

Epic Fail

"to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved"

Darn it. Sat in front of my PC last night for 4 hours trying to get something in Maya. Could I do it, could I see what I wanted to model. Hell no. The mind is running tricks on me as I get something down I think looks good only for me to delete 30 seconds later shouting "its pants".

I call it modellers block :)

Dont know what was wrong with me. I usually get in the zone and just do it. Oh well, it happens. Roll on tonight, I will design the APU (Armoured Personal Unit). Just get back up and try, try again. If anything, I am not short of persistance this week.

Relax, Chill... It's Only Monday

It's a new week. When I commented last week that "something random would happen", it did.
A lesson learned.

Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton winning the Formula One Championship. I feel sorry for ITV in a way, losing the rights to broadcast. I am happy that its moving to the BBC though as no more adverts!! And unlucky to David Coulthard. Once again the love affair of crashing with Nakajima continues.............

I am assuming that Martin Brundle and the rest of the team are not moving to BBC which is a shame. The team have done an amazing job over the last few years.

Can not wait for Thursday, watching James Bond "Quantum of Solace" at a charity ball. This week will be a lighter, fluffier one I hope. Less intense and more, whats the word I am looking for...........relaxed

And I Quote

“Chess problems demand from the composer the same virtues that characterize all worthwhile art: originality, invention, conciseness, harmony, complexity, and splendid insincerity”
- Vladimir Nabokov

"Play the opening like a book, the middle game like a magician, and the endgame like a machine"
- Spielmann

Anger

"to arouse anger or wrath within"

We all have been there. You have fun you play games, but something triggers an incident that has unsuspecting consequences. You try and understand what triggered the scenario, why you feel the way you do.

Then some people see a different side of you.

You dont like showing it, you have no remorse, just unconditional rage and you sit back. But you take time to think of all the different ways to handle a situation, you brace yourself for almost immediate destruction. You dont like the anger within but need to find a release mechanism. Looking under every stone until you have the answer and when you have the answer, spontaneous combustion. Letting rip of all the anger, that rage and why?

Because sometimes these things happen. Normally you let it drop, you attempt to resolve the situation methodically and with thought. For once that large wall between reality and self-control are merged, the catalyst has suffered cataclysmic meltdown.

But I am not like that. Time has passed and the anger waits. It bides its time to execute the next move. And when it does it will be done with control, without subsidence and without remorse.

This time, this time, its gone too far.