Gearing Up

Today I bought a domain name and hopefully will have a website up soon. I wasn't really ready for this stage, but it's necessary for my portfolio. Yes, it does feel a bit forced, like not remembering what it was you were supposed to get at the store and so, in desperation, you grab something potentially needed off the shelf so as not to leave empty handed. It's a nerve racking thing because I almost don't know what I'm doing. It's been so long since I've done anything with web. And being a designing website I can't just use one those cookie-cutter layouts. And annoyingly enough I can't even just quickly modify one of the cookie-cutter layouts. I can't even change the background color! Pbbbt! But hopefully I'll be able to whip up something fast and perfect it sooner. Now the question is to flash or not to flash. Can I handle code? Can I REMEMBER code? I didn't get the result I wanted the last time, stupid cell padding... Well the first place to start is a layout. Nothing like sketching over a strawberry salad!

Shakin It Up

"Early this morning Illinois was rocked with a Magnitude 4.3 Earthquake at approximately 3:59 am on February 10th 2010."

One minute and 22 miles later, I felt it. No, it was not a huge quake. In fact, had I not already been awake, I would've probably slept through it. Or maybe I still have some primitive instinctual reactions to mother nature that woke me up pre-quake. I was not awake for very long, laying there thinking "why am I awake? I should be asleep, I want to be asleep, I will be exhausted tomorrow if I don't get back to sleep." And the rumbling crescendo started. At first I thought it was the train; as far as it is when it's very quiet you can hear my lunch box handles and lamp charms buzz from the vibrations. But this time it got bigger, made the things in my room rattle and I felt the rumble move from the floor through the bed...and it was over. And then for a few seconds my entire body got really hot and my palms felt like pins and needles. Weird.

I've never actually experienced an earthquake before, and delirious with sleepiness, my first thought was I hope no one slid through the snow and hit my house. But waking up a bit more I decided if someone had driven through my living room it probably would have made more crash and less rumble. Maybe I imagined it? No, the snow plows outside had stopped for a bit and then started again; they felt it too. My non-flashing alarm clock said 4:01, which means no one crashed into a light pole or electrical box again (yes, again.) I had to wait four hours for my coworkers to confirm that it was an earthquake.

On a side note I found it disturbing that while looking up info to see details about the quake I found posts and comments about all the calls to 911 after the quake. There were no reports of damage or injuries, so what are these people calling about?
"911? Yeah, my house just shook for a whole 5 seconds...no, no one's hurt...yes, my house is still standing...I guess there isn't an emergency...but the world shook, it WOKE me up! Fox News Studio isn't open yet, I had to tell someone."

A New Year to End Old Things

Welcome to 2010! I actually have some resolutions set for myself this year. Some big, some small, some really easy ones like blinking, just so I can feel accomplished right away. My big ones for this year are to finish school and hopefully get some freelance in, if not something better! Unfortunately with all the advancements of the web, I think my two semesters of web classes from 3 years ago are moot, so I may also be looking into some quickie non-credit brush up classes. But I'm ready for it. I passed the last gen-ed class, biology, with a big fat B and yes, I put it on the frigerator. I got a new desk chair and I am ready to ergonomically take on the world, or at least play the Sims in a less scoliosis inducing manner. The Man and I are even gonna try the whole diet resolution, although I don't have really high hopes for it. He works around pizza and I didn't buy really deep cereal bowls to sprinkle lucky charms on the bottom of them. BUT we do have a wii now (happy b-day to me!) so at least we are getting our exercise during this frigid time of year.