integrit

Been ages since I checked LJ.
Hope all is well. Life is good and crazy.

Well, I almost can't believe it.
I just landed my dream job. 3d painter for canada's largest animation studio. They sent me a test a few weeks ago, and today I signed a 2 year contract with them. Here are the two renders i did that won me the job:





The pay is quite a bit more than I was hoping for which is very cool. So starting Dec 19, I'll be working in Toronto, which should make it much easier to start seeing my friends again.:)

I can't wait for life to get a little less nuts.
Finally managed a week in my relationship without divorce induced hystaria creeping in.
It's been very cool, actually.

Work has been interesting tho. It's been dead, so my boss made me take 2 weeks unpaid vacation. I managed to line up contract work worth almost double what I ussually make, so I was feeling pretty good. then he said don't come in next monday. In the last call he mentioned that a few of us will probably be laid off by next thursday.
Feck.

I've been quietly looking for a job in or around Barrie for some time with no luck, so I'm freaken scared of this.
I don't think going broke, losing my house, and living in a cardboard box in the park would impress my girlfriend much, since her ex was a doctor.

I've got no idea why she is in love with a goof like me.

I only worked a half a day Thursday, then had my daughter from Thursday afternoon till Saturday night, which was awesome. Friday night I made a fire, and we relaxed by it till bed time.
Then late Saturday night I met up with a lavagirl for dancing and various mayhem. This girl may be tough to keep at my 3 date limit rule.

Sunday, I spent learning Flash animation which went really well for a change; Completed two lessons.

I missed getting to meet up with a good friend that was in town during the weekend, but we keept missing each other's calls.

All in all a good weekend.

Truly I have the best friends.

It was strangely accurate, though for my sake I would like to think I no longer have those beliefs on marriage.
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A friend sent me a link to an impressive little neural net that asks you 20 questions to guess what object you are thinking of. Unfortunately they don't provide any info on the workings of the AI itself, which would have been cool.

Give it a try though, it's pretty amazing.
I did t.v.

http://www.20q.net/index.html

I just can't beleave it's only Tuesday. How am I going to make it through the week?

I should pray for help.
Know any good religions?

So five minutes before break time, my co-worker George fed his thumb to a table saw. At Neatworks, safety is job 2. Since I'm from barrie, and have no idea where things are in North York, I was naturally chosen to drive him to the hospital. George was having a very difficult time of it, and was showing signs of going into shock. I knew I had to get him engaged into a dialogue to keep him level. It went really well, to the point where we were actually having joking banter back and forth.

Get to the first hospital. We walk in and ask for the emergency room.

Security: "we don't have an emergency room"
Me: "listen my friend needs a doctor, he cut himself rather badly on a table saw"
Security: "I'm sorry, but this is a psychiatric hospital"
Me: "well, my friend also thinks he's a duck"

George was the only one laughing as we headed out to find another hospital.

Things went much better at the next place. After being warned it would be a few hours wait, the doctor showed up in 10 minutes. George was pretty lucky, although he has plastic surgery to look forward to.

I am now the only employee remaining with all my digits intact.

What r people up to saturday night? I don't work this sunday for a change so am up for anything.

What the hell kind of uber coffee table has 46 (46!) pieces??!?

Well, this kind, baby:





It still needs a few coats of laquer, then it's done:)

Well, it's been a strange work week. As in there hasen't been any.
I'm really hoping I don't find a lay off notice in tomorow's paycheck. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in mad, romantic love with my job, but I don't have a replacement job lined up at the moment.

So what do a bunch of handy carpenter type humans do, to while away the time at a workshop when there is no work?
Why, we build stuff of course.
I designed a coffee table on a napkin during lunch, and spent the afternoon cutting all the pieces for it.
46 pieces to be exact. Maybe if I had a longer lunch I could have come up with a more labour intensive design concept, but I doubt it.

Tomorow i'll build the sucker.

oh, wish me luck on the whole, not being laid off thing.

Was so sick at work yesterday, my boss asked me to stay home today before the rest of the employees catch the plague. I don't get paid sick days, so I'm trying to decide whether I can afford to take friday off as well. I guess i'll decide how I feel in the morning.

In other news, I can actually see a patch of grass in my yard, which is awesome. I also had to turn down the heat in my hottub which is a sure sign of spring:) It was 112 degees. heh.

Man, a few more weeks, and I can start having friends over again by the fire pit, ice cold beers in hand. I can't wait.

Two weeks ago i spent 500 on brakes. Last night while driving my daughter back to my place from school, the front axle snapped. I mangaed to manuver the car on the shoulder, so at least we were not hurt. The quote to repair my car is one thousand bucks, plus I dont get it back till tuesday. This, my friends, is a pain when you don't live in a city. Just to take a cab home from the garage cost me thirty dollars. No buses here.

I've been working my butt off at two jobs to try to lower my debts, but thanks to this car of mine I'm worse off than ever.
I'll stop whining now.

What's on for tonite? I feel like getting out, though I work tomorow.

Decided to brave the weather and make the treck to Toronto to hang out with a few friends.
In Barrie, the roads looked really bad, totally covered in snow. After Bradford it was clean black tarmac for as for as the eyes could see. I'm in the center lane, and we are all cruising at about 120 kms. All of a sudden everyone is hitting they're brakes. I apply mine, and for a moment I think, "omg my brakes have failed" because I did not slow down at all. Then I realize no one is slowing down, because we are on a sea of perfect black ice. sadly, the car in front of me managed to find a dry surface with one tire, and is now spinning donuts, and coming at me fast. I look left, but i'm blocked, look right, and a car is along side me there as well. So, realizing it was the only way, I floored the gas, and sped towards the car spinning towards me. Just as we were about to hit, I was ahead of the car to my left, and turned in front of him into the fast lane. The spinning car took out the car that was behind me in the middle lane.

Crazy driving, kids. Can't say I recomend it.

So I get a call asking me to come fix "a serious problem" with a database I built. This is strange, since it's been working great for everyone at the company for months.

Me: "ok, tell me what's happening."
New Guy: "Well, the database doesnt seem to know which fixup I want added to the delivery schedule"
Me: " Ok, show me"
He clicks away for a sec..
New Guy: "See? It just sent the first fixup on the list, not the one I wanted"
Stunned silence for a full minute.
Me: "um, you know.. you need to select the one you want added to the schedule"
New Guy: "Select?"
Me: " Yes, you know, click on it"
New guy: " Oh, ok thanks!"

Aparently, my database was supposed to tune in to his brainwave energy, and determine which fixup out of thousands he's thinking about at the time. I guess I'll have to add that to the next build.
Of course I had to charge my 3 hour minimum fee for tech support.

Have a wonderful holiday.

Man, I picked the perfect day to stay home and program. Freaken cold outside in cottage country. I've been at my computer for 14 hours so far, and I'm almost finished. I really need to learn how to market my business. I just earned in 14 hours what it takes 2 weeks to earn at my day job.
Crazyness.
I have a house guest this week. My neighbor asked if I would take care of his cat, and I said "sure, no prob". I came home the next day to find a cat, a bag of cat food, and a bottle of Crown Royal at my door. lol.

Zen and I made a gingerbread house last night:)
I am so not ready for christmass. I need to finish building my mom's gift, and shopping for Zen, once I get paid for this database i'm coding this weekend.