In a Western Place

I’m currently developing a graduate class on Welding. Bear in mind that I develop classes for our students to take online. Welding, online? I guess the school didn’t expect anyone to actually enroll in online Welding, but surprise! we've got a few students registered for fall. I've already spent too much time today determining whether #FFFF66 will be an effective, but subtle shade of yellow for all of the warning messages I need to post everywhere. Blowtorches and laptops – this should be scary interesting.

Needless to say, work has been keeping me very busy this summer. In addition to the course on Welding, I’m developing an grad/undergrad After Effects course, a graduate introductory Illustration class AND a graduate/undergrad Photoshop course – all launching this coming Fall semester. There's certainly more on my plate than my first semester here, a sign that I’m doing a good job or I’m just a sucker that can’t say no. Regardless, I’m enjoying my work and I cannot believe that I’ve already passed the 6 month mark.

Our weekend trip to up to sunny, smoggy, warm Sacramento to visit our friends Will and Rachel was very lovely. We spent most of Saturday at their home in suburbia, relaxing on their back porch. It felt so good to sit outside and feel the warmth of the sun! And bonus, even though the weather was hot, dry heat = no bugs! A few other pals joined us later in the night for drinks and a rowdy game of h.o.r.s.e. After seeing the amount of beer that Matty and Will consumed, I have no idea how they managed not to impale themselves on the either the neighbor’s fence, or worse, on the birdhouse placed next to the basketball hoop. Oh my nerves.

On Sunday, Matty and I explored the city for a bit, mostly concentrating on Old Sacramento until it got too hot. Then we went back to Will and Rachel’s to chill in the AC and I finished my submission for CYOB (more on that in a second). Matty and I left for San Francisco later in the evening – but only after stopping for a few hours in suburban plaza heaven (they have an Old Navy and Target right-next-to-each-other, crazy!)

Anyway, remember CYOB? I'm participating again this Friday -- but you'll need to start here first otherwise my post won't make any sense. If you don’t hear from me until then it’s because I’m spending all of my time trying to communicate how not to set a dorm room on fire.