Amon and I spent Thanksgiving at her Aunt and Uncle’s house in Omena (Michigan), and had a really wonderful time. We both took Wednesday off so we could leisurely drive up to the Detroit area and stay with her cousin Jenny and family. Thursday morning we ate cinnamon rolls at Jenny and Dustin’s house before heading out for Omena.
By 2:30pm we were in Omena and ready to eat Turkey. Amon’s Aunt Julie and other relatives did not disappoint with a beautifully set table and delicious foods. I couldn’t decide between turkey and duck so I had a bit of each. After Thanksgiving proper we sat around the table and talked. All told it was a pretty nice evening talking with various aunts, uncles, cousins, and even Amon’s Grandma Krist. I forgot to get the recipe for the sweet potato rolls.
Amon had agreed to show me around the area so on Friday Amon, her cousin Shannon, and I went out for some site seeing. There was a light snow the entire time we were there so the ground had a pretty even cover of snow, though not too deep. We saw a light house, the world’s largest pop bottle collection, bought some heirloom apples, went wine tasting and bought some great cheese.
Saturday we drove back to Ypsilani to stay with some of Amon’s friends who graciously put us up for the night. Sunday we drove back home along with the rest of the Mid-Atlantic Seaboard. It was a long slow drive about which I won’t speak.
All in all it was a wonderful holiday weekend with much good food, great company, and wonderful scenery. Pictures will be posted soon, hopefully.
Cheers!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Camping on Cloud 9
Just a short post today to celebrate the news I got yesterday. While working furiously on some drawings, an Outlook window popped up temporarily blocking my view. In annoyance at all the incoming emails, my cursor darted down to close the window. Before I could click though, something caught my eye and I opened the message.
It's official. I passed my CTS-D certification. For those that didn't know back in September (23-29), I took a week long course followed by a take home test on a Friday night, and a10 hour (straight, no break for lunch) test on a Saturday that involves creating an entire Audiovisual design package (plan views, device locations, elevations, reflected ceiling plans, device wiring, heat load calculations, equipment rack layouts, siteline calculations, sound level calculations, brightness calculations, and more) as well as an oral evaluation where you get interegated for ten to thirty minutes depending on how well you're answering the questions.
You then wait over a month not knowing how you did. So after over a month I know, I passed. Not too shabby either, 80 on the practical (giant design package); 92% on the take home and 95% on the oral. Considering how short a time I've really been doing AV (as distinct from acoustics) I felt really good about those numbers.
Oh, and I FINALLY ordered my digital SLR I've been drooling over for 3 years. Amon told me to, and I found a good deal on an entry level SLR from Nikon (D40) that I've read excellent reviews about. It isn't a cadillac, but it should do everything I need it to, it's a huge step up from a point and shoot, and it's in my budget. I'm very happy about that.
So I'm a happy camper right now. And I get to go to small group tonight and be with all my fellow Narnians.
Mike
It's official. I passed my CTS-D certification. For those that didn't know back in September (23-29), I took a week long course followed by a take home test on a Friday night, and a10 hour (straight, no break for lunch) test on a Saturday that involves creating an entire Audiovisual design package (plan views, device locations, elevations, reflected ceiling plans, device wiring, heat load calculations, equipment rack layouts, siteline calculations, sound level calculations, brightness calculations, and more) as well as an oral evaluation where you get interegated for ten to thirty minutes depending on how well you're answering the questions.
You then wait over a month not knowing how you did. So after over a month I know, I passed. Not too shabby either, 80 on the practical (giant design package); 92% on the take home and 95% on the oral. Considering how short a time I've really been doing AV (as distinct from acoustics) I felt really good about those numbers.
Oh, and I FINALLY ordered my digital SLR I've been drooling over for 3 years. Amon told me to, and I found a good deal on an entry level SLR from Nikon (D40) that I've read excellent reviews about. It isn't a cadillac, but it should do everything I need it to, it's a huge step up from a point and shoot, and it's in my budget. I'm very happy about that.
So I'm a happy camper right now. And I get to go to small group tonight and be with all my fellow Narnians.
Mike
Labels:
Photography,
Updates
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Love that Quote!
I was watching a Lewis documentary covering Narnia and some of the material from Surprised by Joy which prompted me to go look up this full quote. I think it's great so I wanted to share it with you.
“One word, Ma’am,” he said, coming back from the fire; limping because of the pain. “One Word. All you’ve been saying is quite right, I shouldn’t wonder. I’m a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed or made up, all those things – trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play-world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the your lady are ready, we’re leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for the Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that’s a small loss if the world’s as dull a place as you say.”
“One word, Ma’am,” he said, coming back from the fire; limping because of the pain. “One Word. All you’ve been saying is quite right, I shouldn’t wonder. I’m a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed or made up, all those things – trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play-world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the your lady are ready, we’re leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for the Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that’s a small loss if the world’s as dull a place as you say.”
Labels:
literature...or not
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