Been a long time…

Well, between school, work, family and church, I have been way too busy to even think about logging on to do an update lately.  I have just my final left in my C++ Object Oriented class which has been pulling a lot of my time.  Next week I will be starting Computer Architecture and Operating Systems which sounds right up my ally.  I am putting together a proposal for work which is new to me.  My client is looking at two different security software packages and I will be the test site.  After reviewing what features both products had, I am pushing for the more expensive one, which will be hard to validate, but I’m trying.  If we like the system after my test period, it will be rolled out across the country, so I’ve got a big responsibility in front of me.  The weather here has also finally changed.  The Chicago area set a record for the most days between 70 degree days at 170 something (can’t find the article I read that in now).  Hopefully my time will start to clear up a little so I have some more time to sit and write, but it doesn’t look that way right now.

Jumping in to C++

So, today I will officially get my feet wet in the pool of programing.  I wasn’t planing on taking a programing class for another few months, but after meeting with my dean, he talked me into changing classes this term and taking it now.  I can’t wait!!!

Rings and Vows

Yesterday, I got to see one of my friends get married.  As a married man, this was only my third wedding I have attended with my wife.  The first wedding I attended, I realy don’t count with the other two, as it was only a week after our wedding.  For me, though, I get this re-comitment feeling from attending a wedding.  Now, I have only been married just short of two years, but my wife and I lead very busy lives.  We both work full time, go to school part time, are active in our church, have a part-time job, and we have a two year old daughter.  Some times I feel that we get streached too thin and miss the big picture.  As I was watching my friend and his wife during the ceremony, I saw this spark that they both had.  It’s this spark that isn’t seen often in cuples.  I don’t know how to explain it.  I know my wife and I had that spark on our wedding day, though.  And I know many other cuples who have had the same spark durring their weddings.

Now, as I write this, I compleatly lost where I was going with it, other than the fact that watching my friend marry his wife help bring that spark I felt on my wedding day back into my life.  However, if that spark was always in my wife’s and my relationship, nothing in our house would ever get done, because all we would do is stare at each other, smile, and giggle like little kids.

End of the holidays

Well, today was the official end to my holidays.  I had to go back to work.  I only worked two days last week and four the week before that.  I got thrown right back into things today.  The weather caused mass chaos with 3 foot snow drifts next to our building and planes coming in late.  The holidays were good to me, though.  I got to see my brother who doesn’t come into town near enough for only being a three hour drive away.  My wife and I also got many of the things we were hopping for this Christmas, including a miniDV camcorder, the Wii, Guitar Hero, and a new wide screen monitor.  The camcorder got me to final download some OSS video editing software.  After I get to use all the programs or fall head over heels for one, I will post a review.  I did get use Adiocity just before Christmas to put together some audio for a video for my mom, and thought that was a great program, but again, more of that to come later.

Back to Bloging

Ok, so I have been way too busy lately between work and going back to school to write lately, but I am going to try and find more time to get back.  For my readers that are still around and know me (Nick and Lacey), please stay on my back to write once in a while.  Happy New Years everyone.

All Brand New and Shiny

I got my first new car today.  I’m talking Brand-Spanking-New.  It’s a silver 2008 Chevy Cobalt.  It’s stick and has power nothing, but it’s mine and I already love it, although I do miss my old car (when it worked).

On a side note, I haven’t been writing much, as you can see.  I have been putting in extra hours at my part time job and haven’t had much free time at all.  If anyone has a time shifter, I would love it…

Jury Duty

Tomorrow  I have to do my civic duty to society and do my jury time.  The only good news is that I will be able to bring my laptop and they have wifi access, so I should be able to catch up on some blogs and write a few posts I have had in mind to write.

Harry Potter

Well, I have finally finished the last book in the amazing Harry Potter series.  I must say that they were some of the best written books I have read.  I must now start looking towards educational reading of sorts.  I plan on going back to school next month for Digital Forensics and know very little about programing.  Hopefully I will have more time to write now, at least until classes start.

Gun Control, or Disarming Americans

So, this was a topic that I planned on staying away from for a while because I wasn’t sure if I was ready for the opposition that I may get.  As I got thrown into that with my last post, I might as well get opposition for what I wrote, not what some nut decided was relevant.

 I am very pro gun.  Unfortunately, I live in one of the few states in the contrary where I do not have the right to carry a fire arm.  I am referring to conceal carry licenses.  My personal thought on the subject is that by not allowing citizens (when properly licenced) from arming themselves, you make it much easier for criminals.  If you were an ice salesman, where would you have a better business, in the arctic where ice is everywhere, or in the Caribbean where ice is sparse?  Criminals think the same way; they would be much more likely to commit a violent crime where it is illegal to own/carry a fire arm (oh, wait.  If they are a criminal, they will probably not care and have a gun anyways) than somewhere that any law abiding citizen my have a conceal carry licence and my be carrying.  What are your thoughts on the subject?  Let the comments fly in…

Patriot Day

Today is Patriot Day in honor of all of the public safety personnel who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, especially those on September 11th, 2001. Like everyone else in America, I remember the moment I found out like it was yesterday. I was away at collage at the time. During the beginning of the attack, I was in a Chemistry lecture, and when I arrived at my Art Appreciation class, the teacher made the announcement that planes had crashed into the twin towers and the Pentagon. She then had the audacity to state “While other teachers have chosen to cancel their class, I have chosen to go ahead as planed,” at which point almost 75% of the class, including myself, got up and left the lecture hall. For the first few hours, I kept thinking that it was all some sort of bad dream, that I would wake up and everything would go back to normal. I never did awake from that “dream” and finally came to the realization that the world had changed forever.

Every other blog I have looked at has asked where you were, but my question is how do you plan to remember that dreadful day. I will be taking part in my county’s annual ceremony today, in my dress uniform (oh, how I hate wearing the hat and tie!!), at the county’s Fire and Police Memorial.