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Angry Art, Fuck Microsoft, Life, Music, Sketchup
The chances of anything coming from Mars…
09.07.10 | Permalink | Comment?

…Are about as good as the chances of one of my peripherals lasting more than six months. My previously unexplained remedy to an unknown problem decided to completely fail on Sunday morning, leaving me with no choice but to make a trip to Future Shop and buy another new mouse. I picked up a Logitech LX8 which fires red lasers with deadly accuracy. It, mixed with the fact that I’ve been repeatedly listening to The War of the Worlds on my mp3 player (it would appear that I have yet to mention how much I love this album on here… weird, it’s one of my all time favourites) while working on the book, lead to me needing to model some tripodal Martians with deadly heat rays. I also needed a new desktop background since mine got deleted recently.

I also decided to mess with some animation things, and see if I could create one where the lasers appeared to be firing. I only spent a few minutes, but I have figured out how I could make some cool animations fairly easy. Currently I’m rendering a version of the above image in Indigo, but it probably won’t be ready until tomorrow.

I have finished rebuilding all the tools I lost last week, and now I just have to redo all the structural engineering crap for the last part of the appendix. James has started sending me photos he wants to appear in a spread somewhere in the middle of the text, but so far none of them seem appropriate. I’m going to get Naomi to send me all his photos, then I’ll have to go through them all and find some that will work. I may even just end up using my own photos from when I took P&B at the ISBA. I wonder if I do, if I get credited as photographer as well?

I also sent James an email yesterday with links to sites where he can secure an ISBN number (or series of numbers since we’re creating multiple volumes now) and UPC codes. Hopefully he gets that sorted out soon, because once the appendix layout is complete it’s just a matter of correcting some text and redoing the Table of Contents (booooo!).

*click either image for a larger/cooler version, unless the small ones already have you crapping your pants (in which case, you better go change your pants).
Life, Sketchup, Timber framing
Cobra appendix take two (get it?)
09.04.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Today I finished correcting all the text in the Post and Beam book (remember, we’re back to 3) and making it all uniform size. I finished two full days ahead of schedule, which might be the first time I’ve ever been in that position on this project. I sent James a draft to look over this afternoon, and checked to see how he was coming along with the edits to the manuscript. Since flip-flopping back to the original 3 book idea, the main thing that needs to be changed is the introduction. Other than that, the text stays fairly close to the same (or at least that’s what I’ve been told…).

I then moved on to laying out the first part of the appendix. I spent most of the evening fixing models of tools and remaking a calculator that got eaten by cyberspace singularities last week. I was going to stop there, but I kept going until I had the first page of the appendix roughed out (above). Then I emailed it to James and called him to get his opinion on the layout.

He had a brief moment of terror when he turned his computer on and saw that his email inbox had 4o11 new messages from someone named Facebook. A minute or two, and a bunch of confusion later he figured out he was signed into his teenage son’s account and he managed to calm down a bit. A minute or two after that he figured out how to sign in, and we were in business. He said the layout looked great, and to carry on with what I was doing. I told him I was packing it in for the night, but that I would be back at it first thing tomorrow.

An hour after that I finally walked away from the computer (no, not this one) having completed the rest of the text layout for the entire first section of the appendix. Tomorrow I have to model a new electric hoist, and block and tackle (fuck you cyberspace!) before I can finish the next part of the appendix. Hopefully they are both easier the second time, because I just realized I also have to redo these. Fuck.
Life, Sketchup
Cobra cash-flow cures Cobra woe
09.01.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Yesterday I finally got paid for the hours I submitted on the 20th of August. It took forever, and I got dinged $30 because it got wired as opposed to direct deposited, but at least it’s finally here. I can now put my mind at ease, and also start to pay back Holly for all the help and support she’s given me since we’ve been together.

It turned out that the bank had given me the wrong account number, and Naomi had added an E to the end of my last name. Once that was all sorted out it didn’t take long to show up in my account (minus $30 though). I’m a little confused as to how the first direct payment actually came through, as she would have used the wrong account number that time too, but it still worked. I asked the bank, but they seem to never give me a straight answer (plenty of attitude, but no answers).

When Holly got home from work she handed me 25 resumes and cover letters she had printed for me, then helped me fold them after I signed each one. Then she took the boys and I to her friend Heather’s house for a barbecue and swim. We relaxed on the patio and had some drinks while the boys swam, then Roan taught me how to properly eat a “wish-chip” (above) while Holly and Heather got dinner ready.

This morning I had to email Naomi some images of the log house they build at the ISBA log course (can YOU spot the Cobra?). She had called last night, after we got the bank stuff figured out, and asked if I had any images so she didn’t have to use the same old shitty pictures they had on file. I sent her a few different views of the project building, then sent her a bunch of my notes from when I took the course. I’m not sure if they’ll use the notes, but I know if I was a student and I had the option of James’ two second chalk drawings or one of my highly accurate (and detailed!) renderings, I’d choose the latter every time.

After that, I rode my bike over to the bank and got money, then mailed all those resumes. Now I’m blogging for an hour or so while I enjoy a coffee and some sanity, then it’s back to perfecting the first, of what could possibly be many, volumes of the Master’s Guide to … Everything.
Life, Timber framing
3 books, 1 book, 3 books, 1 book, fucked up notebook
08.31.10 | Permalink | 1 Comment

We went to see Jon on the weekend, hoping he’d be able to rescue some of my lost data on my laptop, and so Holly could go to her favourite Mexican restaurant. We were there until almost 3am and had no luck at all trying to find any of my files, or repairing the file system. So now I have officially lost about 30-45 hours of work for James, about 30 gigs of photos/videos of Holly and I, about 400 hours of personal work, 2 complete sets of questions for Dallas and Roan, and who knows what else (I’m sure plenty more, but I can’t be certain because I don’t even remember all of what was there.

Even though it wasn’t good news to find out, I’m still glad I know that it’s gone. I have had a rough couple weeks now, and I need to sort my life out. When I thought there was still hope to save some of that data I was avoiding redoing the work and carrying on with other important things. Now that I know better what I have to do (work-wise) in order to get back on track I can start moving on.

As for my financial stress, it hasn’t been even remotely alleviated. Last week I applied for social assistance, got home, got a phone call from James assuring me he was depositing money in my account, called and cancelled my welfare claim, and rejoiced slightly. That was last Friday. As of this moment there is still $5.07 in my bank account. I’m doing my best not to stress, but I’m about ready to give up. I can’t seem to get ahead of the game at all, no matter how hard I work.

So, as it stands now, I’m currently continuing to work on the book (possibly for free it seems) and actively seeking a job in Timber Framing. I most likely won’t be attending Disney with Holly and the boys in November (mainly because of money, but also because I spoke with some Ontario TFG members who said they’d have a booth setup at the Royal Winter Fair, which takes place the week we’re supposed to be at Disney.

James has told me to go easy on the number of hours I devote to the book (or should I say BOOKS, as he’s once again changed his mind and decided to go back to the original plan of 3 separate books – makes perfect sense considering how close we are to finishing the project as one book), so I’m taking that as more incentive to seek out the job I really want when I’m not working on the book(s) (which could be pretty often if that fucking money doesn’t show up soon).

I’m trying my best to stay positive through all this, but with a lack of money comes a lack of pot, and therefore a lack of patient, calm cobras. Thanks to everyone who has helped me out over the last week, and an extra big thanks to Holly for not only helping and providing for me, but also enduring my insanity (something no one but me should ever have to cope with).
Life, Love
Cheer up Cobras
08.26.10 | Permalink | Comment?

In the last 3 days I’ve gone from being extremely motivated and positive about the future, to wanting to curl up and die while the things I struggle to cope with overwhelm me.

First I lost an enormous amount of data and work, that I doubt I’ll be able to get back. This happened with one little click at around 12:30am Tuesday, while I was wrapping up a 12-15 hour work day (I suck at keeping track of hours). As a result I had a massive episode of panic, fear, anger, and suffered a huge blow to my motivation. I slept like shit and woke up completely devastated. I was already getting down about my money situation (nothing new really), and this was just something I didn’t need to have happen.

I decided to call James and let him know that the next deadline he and I had just discussed, was now going to need reevaluating. I was hoping he’d be supportive and maybe provide a little bit of a pep talk (something he’s done in the past when I was struggling), make things seem not as bad as the are. Instead I got to hear about his financial misfortune, and how I shouldn’t expect to see another paycheque for a while. He then said that the way he sees things, I can either put the project on hold until his funds are sorted or I can continue to work on it and get paid when he can afford it.

I’m not sure if I was just shocked, or if I’m as big of a pussy as Holly thinks I am, but I didn’t even think to ask him if I would be getting paid for the hours I had submitted the week prior (about 130 something hours). Instead, I just told James how badly I wanted to finish the book after investing so much time and energy into it thus far, and said – “Well, I really don’t want to pass this off to someone else, nor do I want to put it on the shelf with the intention of coming back to it some day (in case it never happens), so I guess I’ll just try and get it done as fast as possible, so you can start printing it and generating some money.”.

That would be fine if I still had some savings, but I don’t. I literally have $5 to my name, and even that should belong to VISA. I’m starting to bring Holly down with me, as she’s always willing to help me out. I feel like shit because I constantly fuck up, make wrong choices, and then I let it get so out of control it starts making the lives of the people I love difficult or miserable. I want to be a contributing factor in this family, and I feel like if that doesn’t start soon I need to remove myself before I do anymore damage. Holly shouldn’t have to worry about anything other than Gage and Roan. Me being in the equation just over-complicates things. I don’t want the boys missing out on anything because Holly had to cover my share of something. That’s not fair to her or them.

Today I officially stop working on the book (which is also sad because it so close to finished), and start looking for a job. In the meantime I’m hoping Social Assistance will be able to offer me some help. Holly sent out a couple resumes last night while I sat and tried to figure out how she writes cover letters so well and hated myself for sucking at it. There really isn’t much around here, but a couple positions we saw looked ideal for me. It may just be my negativity talking, but I really don’t expect to hear anything from anyone.

I have to find something positive in the immediate future. I can’t hide my misery at all and that’s not something the boys or Holly need to be exposed to. The only things that made me smile in the last two days was this card and a couple videos of the boys.

Roan is such a sweet kid, and I often give him a hard time because I’m an idiot. He spent an hour yesterday making me a card to cheer me up. It may not have solved my problems, but it definitely made me smile and melted my heart.

It’s things like this that make me think working a shitty job can’t be that bad if it means I get to still be a part of Holly and the boy’s lives. Now I just have to find a shitty job. Wish me luck…
Life, Photos, The Mighty One
Cobra clan celebrations
08.23.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Around noon yesterday we went to Holly’s brother’s house for his daughter’s birthday party. We had barbecue and cake, then had to leave to go celebrate my mum’s birthday, where we had pizza and cheesecake (was it my birthday, or my mum’s?), then played a couple games of Pinochle (an old tradition in my family). My dad and I owned the first game, but the second game was a very close loss (if it wasn’t for one card, we’d have had it!).

Also there to celebrate was everyone’s favourite little warrior, sporting a fashonably mighty hairdo. I only got to hold him for a few minutes before he started unleashing his mighty battle cry and I turned him over to someone with bewbs. He calmed down once Holly walked around with him for a bit. She tried to convince me to do it, but I’m still terrified I’m going to drop him and would be better off with him on my lap.

Unfortunately Felix had to leave before the cards started, but before he did he posed for some photos.

Rock beats scissors everytime.
Life, Sketchup, The Mighty One
Cobra clamps
08.20.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Today I sent James a revised edition of the entire book (minus the appendix and glossary), and set the record straight on how to properly spell diaphragm (I swore there was a “g”, James told me on two separate occasions I was wrong… currently my spellchecker has my back). I also modeled a couple of bar clamps I need for the appendix. I’m not sure if I need both, or just one (and if one, which one?) so I just made both. Neither took me very long so I won’t feel bad if I only use one, but James pays me for both.

After I did all that, I submitted my hours and went to see my friend Andrew (who I have seen, in person, twice in the last five years or so) and his newest addition to his family (both his boys are named after Stargate characters!!). He had a barbecue in his backyard this afternoon, and I saw a couple friends I hadn’t seen in years. It was really fun hanging out with all these people I used to see daily, and now rarely do. I also got to have some of Andrew’s famous Ceaser salad, which I have been missing for years.

Today is also my mum’s birthday. She went and hung out with the Mighty Felix this afternoon, while my brother and Lisa cleaned their old place. Sunday I will go visit her with Holly and Roan, after we go celebrate Holly’s niece’s birthday. We’ll have lots to celebrate that day as my brother also got news that he landed the job he was hoping for, securing his future apprenticeship. You can read all about that over at his new blog.
Life, Sketchup, Timber framing
Cobras keep on truckin’
08.13.10 | Permalink | 2 Comments

It’s been a while since I posted anything regarding the progress of the book (not to mention a while since I posted much of anything – I’m a slacker), which I’m still working on daily. Just yesterday I received my latest revised edition of the manuscript in the mail, and now it’s a matter of editing pretty much the entire book (images and text). I’ve already finished editing the first half of the book – the Timber Post and Beam section – but didn’t bother with any of the images. I’ll finish the second half of the text – the Timber Bents section – by Monday hopefully, then I’ll start redoing basically every image from scratch.

I’m hoping it won’t take too long because, although I love that I have a job, I want this job to be over. I have been working on my lesson plan and handouts for the course James is interested in having me teach at the ISBA, and it makes me want to be out there teaching, and learning more. I think I might post a tutorial on here when I finish it, in case any of my cobra colleagues have constructive cobra criticism for me.

Along with my revised manuscript, I also received a new version of the appendix and glossary via fax. When I scanned through the appendix I noticed James had included some tools he neglected to mention to me when he originally assigned me the appendix drawings. I immediately started working on them because I love modeling, even though I’m sure he’d rather I focus on correcting the text and images already in the book. Above are a few of the smaller things I needed to model (I left out the really small ones, as well as the really big ones). Later I’ll post some pictures of a neat model I made of a sight-level, but at the moment it’s rendering.

There are still a few models I need to make (an electric hoist, and some clamps) but they are ones I might leave for now. I might also just get some models out of the 3d warehouse and modify them accordingly, but that all depends on how much time I have I guess. I prefer to model everything myself, but occasionally I can’t be bothered to spare the brain-power or the time.
Life, Photos, The Mighty One
Mighty Monster, Noble Nan and the X-Fam
07.11.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Holly and I finally got over to see the Mighty child on Friday afternoon. It was the first time we got to see him outside of the hospital. I saw his little bracelets on the coffee table and I had to grab a picture. Hopefully this child shares my brother and my personality and when he gets older he will love to see these things and appreciate their awesomeness in the same way.

This is me nervously holding the most delicate thing I’ve ever touched. I was terrified I’d drop him or squeeze a little too hard. He’s only 8 days old in this photo, and he is huge. His legs were all wrapped in his Snugli® and he lied perfectly still for the first five minutes or so. When he finally kicked his legs slightly and I immediately thought I was getting pooped on.

I held him a little while longer, then handed him back to Holly. I think girls are more connected to babies. Or maybe I am just bad at babies.

Holly is great at babies. She’s had tons, and is already an aunt. She’s assured me Felix is nowhere near as delicate as I think he is, and I’m sure she knows. Plus, he’s Mighty. With a capital M.

Yesterday I went back to visit while Holly watched the boys, and I saw my cousin Cory I hadn’t seen since my Gram died, as well as my parent’s (and their awesome car they really want to let me drive). I got a picture of Mighty Felix with his Noble Nan, then shortly after we all left and let the parents have some time without visitors (something I think they’ve had a shortage of recently).
Life, Movies, Roanisms
Not Another TEAM Movie
07.11.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Thursday night Holly took me and the boys to the drive-in. We decided to see Knight and Day and A-Team, although Roan would have preferred to watch Karate Kid and Grownups. I told him the old Karate Kid movies were awesome, and that my “cobra” moniker was inspired by them so now I have to download them.

We took bets that Roan wouldn’t be awake for the second movie, but he managed to see the first ten or fifteen minutes. The next morning, he told Holly why he fell asleep.

Roan: Mom?

Holly: Yes love.

Roan: So, like, the reason that I fell asleep during the scond movie is that I just wasn’t into a team. Like, the first movie was good, but like I just didn’t care about a whole team.

Holly: Yea, Okay!

Roan: What?!? It’s true!

In my opinion the A-Team was the weaker of the two movies, but I’m surprised both boys passed out during it. It definitely had more action and less romance or adult humor than Knight and Day, yet both boys barely lasted the first act. I actually enjoyed Knight and Day, and I’ll probably watch it again some day. I hate Tom Cruise, but it was like a Bourne movie that wasn’t so serious.