Nick’s Blog

So Thanksgiving break is over…

Before diving in to a blog post thats utterly fueled by procrastination, let me share with you that the Thanksgiving Bacchanal was a lot of fun, and Skip did not lose his temper (even after identifying that several of the guests had broken his almighty decree).

Anyways, now I’m back at school, and I’m doing my best to push through till the end of the semester. This week is going to be one of the busiest ever for academic work. Ugh, philosophy papers, numerical method tests, Red Rover presentations, disgusting heat transfer homework, and many other terrible fates.

There is a bright side though; Thanksgiving break kinda gave me a recharge. I’m a little more organized and motivated now, and theres only two weeks of school left (and five finals).

In order to save the question 1000 times:
- My last day of classes: Friday, December 7, 2007
- My last final: Tuesday, December 18, 2007
- My last day of break: Sunday, January 13, 2007

So plan on the Christmas break being full of mischief and mayhem. Anyways, I’ve put off studying for numerical methods for long enough. Back to the salt mines…

“I don’t want to see a gazillion kids here tonight. And I better not see any fucking alcohol. I’m not loosing my god-damned house because some fucking kids want to get drunk.”

- The famous last words of the evening.

So the evening begins. Night is falling… the Thanksgiving Bacchanal approaches hastily.

Break has been great so far. I went to our annual Eat’n'Park invasion, played some Halo with the gentlemen, had a fabulous Thanksgiving feast with the family, and spent a grand amount of time doing the one thing I can’t do down at school - nothing.

I shall report back later with evening festivities…

So yea, I’m home for the holidays. I have a bunch of plans for this week, and the best part is that school is not one of them. Tonight (actually very soon), I’m headed to Eat’n'Park with a bunch of people to disrupt the local restaurant community.

I’m on my laptop for the first time in ages, and its not working right and its really aggravating me. I thinks that the backspace button is actually the right-click button, and I can’t explain that. Oh well, at least I’m not disconnected from society while I enjoy the comforts of home.

The Bacchanal is only like three days away!!! How fun is that?

Oh, I saw the Trans-Siberian Orchestra this weekend. Apparently, I’m getting old. As much as Smarto loves lights and explosions, he started getting sick when he was pelted with several hours of strobe-lights and percussion blasts. Still, it was really a great show!

Anyways, I’m headed out to Eat’n'Park in a few minutes! Everyone have a great holiday!

I feel like I should announce this special tidbit of information:

Be cautious. When you accidentally delete your numerical methods homework from your USB key, it doesn’t get sent to your recycling bin, it gets sent to hell.

Last night, I finished my homework assignment that took around 3 or 4 hours to do. The last step was zipping the files up and submitting it. Of course, I didn’t want to send the backup files also, so I just decided to select them and erase them. Well oops, accidentally selected one of the big pieces of code that I needed to submit. WTF? My recycling bin is empty?

So I downloaded some emergency recovery software. Found the file, but when I restored it, it was just a jumbled mess.

So, warn yourselves, be wary, I guess the only files that go to your recycling bin are ones from your permanent drives, not flash sticks… or something like that.

Anyways, week is pretty much done. Done for homework by the way, and WOOOO!!! because its only a week until Thanksgiving and associated Bacchanals! See everyone from home soon!!!

Well, here I am again…

I was stupid and thought that coffee was the answer, my source of infinite energy. Little did I know that apparently I’m a caffeine-lightweight and would be up till 4 trying to get to bed. I have maybe the hardest test I’ll ever take at CMU tomorrow - heat transfer with Professor Yoed Rabin - an ex-Israeli tank commander (no joke). By the way, I do like the class, and I think the professor might be the best prof. I’ve ever had at CMU. The guy is tough, but a great teacher.

Anyways, since I was going to be up late no matter what, I put some work in on coding MysteryTricycle.com. I can’t wait to get it up and running for real.

PS - I dunno why I decided to begin blogging again. Is it the insatiable urge to publically announce my accomplishments? Is it a grand calling out for someone to listen? Is it repressed childhood urges left over from the third grade? No, not really. I just get unspeakably bored, and if I type to myself, I feel like I’m not accomplishing anything. At least if I babble here, someone might read it.

So yea, whats new in my life, since I have your attention? I am now on the Google Lunar X-Prize team, so I’m helping to design a lunar lander thats actually going to the moon. Thats really exciting. I’m also still really involved with rowing crew, and dare I say, I’m actually pretty good at it. Nick Smarto? Good at a sport? What a novel thought.

Well, maybe I should actually try to get some shut eye before my big exam tomorrow. I’m looking forward to getting out of that room and starting my weekend extra early. By the way, if anyone is in Pittsburgh this weekend, come see me race and whoop Noah Brode’s ass up and down the Allegheny River!

Just say no to coffee next time…