From 1aaadf15d5fedc8d8f3b6cdbadf09ac8c8d5dbea Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Blaise Thompson Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2019 16:03:40 -0500 Subject: refactor --- old/ThompsonBlaiseJonathan/2018.tex | 144 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 144 insertions(+) create mode 100644 old/ThompsonBlaiseJonathan/2018.tex (limited to 'old/ThompsonBlaiseJonathan/2018.tex') diff --git a/old/ThompsonBlaiseJonathan/2018.tex b/old/ThompsonBlaiseJonathan/2018.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e743a60 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/ThompsonBlaiseJonathan/2018.tex @@ -0,0 +1,144 @@ +\chapter{} + +Might be neat to have chapter-level table of contents here. + +\section{Final Semester of Graduate School} + +Class TA + +Writing dissertation: small steps, watch YouTube video after each small writing period, try hard not to be a perfectionist---lots of things to be unhappy about + +\section{Defense, Graduation} + +Only debate was if it was appropriate to pass somebody who never mentioned Chemistry in their Defense. + +Afterwards: dinner and celebration. + +Defense: Tyler, Kyle, Jonathan... pictures + +\section{Visiting Tyler in NYC} + +\section{Beginning New Job} + +\section{Sam Visits Madison} + +\section{IMTS 2018} + +On Friday September 14th 2018, Blaise and Steve Meyers visited the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) at McCormick Place, Chicago. +Steve had a connection with faculty in the Mechanical Engineering department, so both of them were able to ride in a chartered double-decker ``Badger Bus'' and enter the show all for free. +The show was truly remarkable in scale, with over two thousand booths, and 129,415 attendees. +Many companies had gigantic building-scale booths where they exhibited their large machines. +Some companies even had bars and multi-story constructions with meeting rooms and offices---all contained within the booth space. +Steve said that a lot of smaller companies cannot even afford to exhibit at IMTS due to the cost of renting space. + +\begin{figure} + \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{ThompsonBlaiseJonathan/2018/IMTS/IMG_20180914_141541} + \caption{ + A large booth at IMTS 2018. + The company, Mazak, manly sells metal-working machines such as lathes and milling machines. + Everything is fully automated and computer controlled. + The sheer size of the conference can be seen here, as this is just one booth in the huge + conference hall---look down the hallway on the right-hand side. + } +\end{figure} + +\section{Thanksgiving Break} + +Fly to Las Vegas. + +Death valley. + +Drive to Roseville---stopped on 80 for chains. + +Large thanksgiving meal. + +Drive to Jim's house. + +Backpack stolen, same place where Betty's car was jacked and Roy was robbed (check this with Nancy). + +\section{Winter Break} + +This was the first Winter Break since starting my new job. +Steve let me know ahead of time that he anticipates a large volume of work being submitted just before graduate students go home for break. +The machine shop actually had a light season, but I was in-fact hit pretty hard with a lot of last minute projects. +This is in addition to preparing for 628 next semester, so I came into break pretty stressed about my work project situation. + +I drove to Iowa City on Saturday, 2018-12-22, and returned to Madison on Thursday 2018-12-27. +As usual, I enjoy the three hour drive each way---an opportunity to listen to music and podcasts. + +My parents have been busy remodeling their basement, and have been getting rid of a bunch of stuff along the way. +I'm glad that they are continuing to downsize, but I worry about starting to work hardcore on the basement when the Barn project (welding machine carriages, wood working space) does not seem to be moving forward. +I worry in general about my parents, and my relationship with them. +I did manage to help David with a lighting project in his new electronics bench area. +He has added some shelves, and his area is coming along nicely. + +On Sunday 2018-12-23 I went with Nancy to Zion, my ``home church''. +I haven't been to Zion for years, perhaps since starting Bates? +It was pretty awkward to attend---a lot of people recognized me and I had awkward interactions with people that I really do not remember. +Still, I'm glad I went and I think I will try to continue attending when I am in Iowa City. +Zion is a frighteningly liberal church (discussions on microaggressions, LGBT issues), so I think I'm not really being realistic by staying away on moral grounds. + +For Christmas presents I gave Nancy a smart phone (Pixel 3) and a dock for her laptop. +I gave David a set of small ESD-safe bits and associated driver (Whia brand), and a label-maker. +All of these family gifts went over well. +I also gave Darien a set of electronic Calipers, Kyle a copy of Horowitz and Hill 2nd edition, Claire the Circle of Magic series books, Ralph the same Whia brand tool set, and Tyler some metal ``ice cubes''. +For myself I received \$1200 from my parents to offset the cost of what was stolen in Oakland, and some fountain pens. + +For Christmas dinner we had choice beef for with pilaf and red cabbage. +Blueberry Julius for desert. +Mom's 75th birthday. + +I was able to declutter quite a bit myself. +I got rid of a large trash-can worth of childhood artwork, toys etc. +A lot of other artwork was chosen for framing, meaning that it is going to be displayed rather than just saved for savings sake. +I also went through some of the things in the attic, and condensed. +All of this is in preparation for immanent destruction of my childhood bedroom. + +% TODO: picture of Christmas tree (?) +% TODO: picture of electronics work bench + +Justin, Boyfriend and Natalia 2018-12-28. + +Tyler, Claire and friends 2018-12-28. + +Tyler, Jessica new years. + +\section{Beginning This Book} + +At the very end of December, I finally began working in earnest on this document, which I'm currently thinking of as a ``book of memories''. +I've been ruminating on this project for about a year now. +It's probably prudent to write down my thoughts at the beginning of this hopefully life-long project---if nothing else they will serve as a funny reminder of just how much the project has changed in scope and intent. +My idea is to create a document that really does contain most everything that I want to remember about my own life. +I'm old enough now that I am already forgetting almost everything about my own childhood. +A lot of my friends' memories, and a lot of my own, have been locked up in various social media platforms that are bound to fail (or worse, succeed---social media is terrible and I hope it dies). + +In one sense, I feel like this project is an exercise in narcissism. +Do I really believe that my life is special enough to warrant a whole hand-made book? +Well, no---I don't believe that my life is special, extraordinary, or even particularly remarkable. +And I'm not necessarily writing this book for anyone except myself. +I want to have a more complete and accurate perception of my own past, and that goal alone is sufficiently motivating as I undertake this project. +I may want to share this book with friends and family in the future, but right now that is not a goal. + +I'm also thinking about sentimentality. +I currently perceive myself to be overly sentimental---I hold on to random objects and obsess about random memories far too much. +I'm thoroughly fed up with this. +I am fed up with having too much stuff---physical items that clutter my environment and weigh me down. +And I am fed up with being paralyzed by my perception of past transgressions and successes. +So this project is also a kind of token against my sentimentality. +I intend to focus my obsession with my own past into creating an ever more complete and accurate description here. +Practically, this book will force me to choose a small subset of pictures and stories that actually matter---and once I collect them here I don't need to worry about keeping them organized in other places. + +Hopefully moving forward I can write this book in semi-real time. +Obviously the big undertaking is in organizing the past. +I hope to not obsess about that. +I don't plan to have any reservations about the quality of the writing here. +To the extent that I have time, I can edit, cut, add etc to any section---I'm not going to treat + +\section{Year in Review} + +\begin{figure} + \frame{\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{ThompsonBlaiseJonathan/2018/yearly-letter}} + \caption{ + My 2018 yearly letter to family and friends. + } +\end{figure} -- cgit v1.2.3