busy busy busy!

this week was insanely busy. i was all over the burg resulting in buying more gas (before my weekly tank refill curtsey of my grandparents). but, the ending has been wonderful, so let me fill you in.

physics.... how i kind of get you! thank heavens for the book and good notes. actually, my professor tells us all sorts of info, we write the notes, then he says "well, you don't really need to worry about this..." well shoot! one day, the guy next to me forgot his notebook. i took pity and gave him some paper; he wrote one line of notes and the rest of the class was just us staring at the white board. friday was an impromptu biology lesson... he was trying to get us to understand how our senses work because we need to give our robots sensors when we get around to building them. anywho, we had homework due friday and i got mine done by wednesday!!! the few problems i had left were explained to me by the other students who 'got them', well, all but one. i wound up going to the homework help session wednesday night and finished my work with a little help from the professor. now for the next set.

for the lab, i think my partner and i are gonna be the 'teacher's pets'. NOT because we are super smart when it comes to physics, we're just not afraid to say "we don't get it" and we actually follow the diagram directions, so our arduino (mini robot) works. we got all our LEDs to light up, blink, and then fade. we were gonna be the ambitious one's and get a LED with three lights in one.... no time though. lab is only an hour and our professor talks for most of it. my partner and i did attempt to help two other groups with their circuit set up, but like i said, not much time to do anything.

photography has been a blast this week. last weeks assignment to print was 'edges'. i took most of the pictures at my parent's house, a few didn't come out (not enough light). monday was the day to have the professor pick our the prints to make, she picked her two and then i picked two more, the one's i like the best. i cut it really really close, but i got all four printed within the hour and a half i had left of class. the assignment for this week is 'reflection'. as always, the topic is open to interpretation. i decided to do a roll of 'traditional' reflection and the other, not -so-traditional. i got about 10 pictures done and then took another15 wednesday afternoon right before class started. BUT, class was cancelled (no idea why), so i had plenty of time to get more pictures done. i asked my brother, who works at lowes, if i would get in trouble if i took pictures there (remember walmart). he checked with the powers-that-be and said it wasn't a problem. on my way there i decided to get him a 'thank you ' gift at walmart. as i was leaving i noticed my mother in the parking lot looking rather pissed. i drove over to ask why, before i got the whole question out i realized that she locked her keys in the car... the car that i didn't have the spare to in my own car. i stayed with her and waited for my brother to come over to see if he could get the car open, he couldn't. so it was decided that since photography was cancelled, and my next class didn't start for another hour or so, i would take mom home to get the spare and bring her back (this is where the more gas came in). after i helped mom, i went to lowes and took my pictures. finished roll one and started on roll two. i got some great pictures of my daughter reading a magazine, and you can clearly see the magazine reflected in her sunglasses. i also got one of her holding a picture of a younger version of me. but my favorite pictures that i took were of my son looking at a painting of his great-great grandfather in his military best. i was so happy when i developed the film that those pictures came out! so today was spent at the lab developing the film, making contact sheets, and then my filter 'test'. the filters just aid in making the picture have distinct black and white and every shade of gray you can get. i had some fun with this! now i'm completely caught up with this class.

still with me....? cause i still need to tell you about my criticism class. remember when i said that i cut my photo printing close? it was so close that i had to run to my car to get my books for the next class then run to make it to class on time. i was late enough that i got the dreaded seat behind the pillar. i was sweaty, out of breath, and developed a headache. well, it was a good class, good discussions, and the lights were eventually turned off (much to my headache's happiness) for a demonstration in aesthetic scanning, not as hard as it sounds. OH! one of my reading response papers was given back with only one point. when i saw why, the professor changed a word i had intentionally used to another. i wrote him an email explaining why i used the word i did and he responded back with "you have your full 2 points", well, not those exact words, but the exact meaning. wednesday i had my first gallery review due, i sure hope i did it right, and another reading response. it was a light class and we had more good discussions, but i was happy to be done with it for another week.

another week done and i do believe 7 more until thanksgiving break. i think the next post i'll put up some pictures that i'm proud of.... stay tuned!