Camping Trip in Sequim

Went on a camping trip in Sequim on the peninsula. Still kinda chilly out, but the skies were clear and it was nice to take a break from email and the like.

Returning from the peninsula on the ferry.

First Quarter Over

Well, finals are over. Getting back into a school mind-set was tough. Getting back into Calculus after not using it for three years was really tough. But I passed everything. Really enjoyed the class on Rapid Prototyping and Addative Manufacturing. Expect I'll continue to do more in that field in the future.

Just for fun, here's a snowman I drew implicitly with a single equation in Mathematica:

At Mukilteo Beach, after finals.

Live Map II

Ok, I'm trying this again. This time, Brianna and I are driving from Colorado Springs, Colorado to Everett, WA, along with all her things (she's moving to the Pacific Northwest). The weather is not supposed to be as nice as it was for me last time, so it might take a little longer, but ideally it will only be a two day trip. Let's see if I can set the map up correctly:

Update (Jan 16th, 2012, day after arrival): Another successful trip! We had some bad winds (gusts up to 50mph!) going through Wyoming, and Satus Pass through the Cascade Mountains was busy and wet, but we didn't actually hit any really bad driving conditions until the very end. It had snowed in Washington and some of the roads were icy, particularly the side streets. All told, it was a really smooth trip, although we were really glad to be out of the U-Haul cab by the end of it!

View Road Trip - bringing Brianna to Washington in a larger map

Grad School Update

I've been back in Washington State for just about 4 weeks now, and I've just completed my first week of grad school at the University of Washington. I've really enjoyed being back home in Washington, especially for the holidays! Grad school is going well - I have three math-focused classes: Mechanical Engineering Analysis, Finite Element Analysis, and Manifolds and Geometry for Systems and Control; and one fun course: Rapid Prototyping, which means playing with 3D printers :-D

Lots of math, and starting during winter quarter isn't doing me any favors in terms of being up to speed with the other students, but I'm enjoying myself!

Live Map

During the drive home, I'm trying something new with geo-tracking: a live map. As I'll be on the road most of the time, I won't be able to do much trouble-shooting while the map is actually updating, but the testing has all worked out, so I have high hopes this will automatically update during my trip.

UPDATE: That seems to have worked out rather well. Here's a static map of the journey:

View Road Trip - Midland to Everett in a larger map

Moving Home

After three years of wandering in the desert(s), I'm coming home to the Pacific Northwest! I'll be leaving Midland in just three weeks, on December 10th. 

On January 3rd, 2012, I'll begin work on a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Washington.

Over the past several weeks, I've been using Craigslist, Good Will and Best Buy's Electronics Recycling Center (which is a really great program - try it!) to pare down my possessions to the point that everything I own in Texas can fit in my Honda Civic for the drive North-west. It's been surprisingly challenging, given I moved down here with a suitcase and a backpack, but I'm almost there.

The actual route I take will depend on the weather forecast and my personal whims of the moment, so the trip could take anywhere from 2-4 days, depending. I'm looking forward to seeing all my friends and family in the Northwest!

Brian is a Nerd

I'm starting a sub-blog for topics I think are more nerd related that the usual fare on this site. It's a single column design, allowing for larger photos and maps. I'm calling it "Brian is a Nerd" and it can be found at nerd.wheretheheckisbrian.com. There is a permanent link on the left sidebar. The first post is about tracking gas mileage using an iPhone, spreadsheets, and Google Fusion Tables. Check it out!

The Palms

I live at an apartment complex called "The Palms". As part of their shtick, they imported and planted about twenty palm trees throughout the property.

They all died during the drought this summer. 

Undaunted, management brought in NEW trees, just in time for winter. These people have a firm grasp on the reality of climate, and how much the weather cares about their desires, you see. 

Last night we had a pretty impressive thunderstorm: lightning, hail, high winds, rain, the works. Impossible to sleep through. This morning, this is what I saw as I drove to work:

Winter

Winter has finally arrived. It was 32 degrees this morning when I left the apartment, and at 10:45am it's only 37 degrees outside.

The cold front arrived yesterday, and brought a ton of dust with it. Someone snapped this picture while flying into Midland Airport, and put it on Facebook.