In the Thick of Things

     Oh I just hate it when I don't have time to update my blog! School has been absolutely insane lately. This semester, the classes are different, 3 are computer classes, and two of them are pretty intense. In particular the Intro to .NET Programming; learning the C# programming language with Visual Studio. Holy Moly, I don't have time to breathe some days. I still love it, but it is very serious learning, lots of homework and a team project to work on, something everyday. And nothing takes half an hour to complete or work on, oh no. Everything takes several hours or days to complete. It is like immersion, only with a computer language instead of a spoken one. I'm fortunate that the instructor is very knowledgeable and thorough, so I am getting my tuition money's worth!

This is a generic user interface (UI) created w/ Visio

     Of course, I believe that you get out of school what you put into it, so I am trying to do my very best, and that does add to the time it takes me to complete things. But I do love it, and that is still a surprise to me somedays. In college, the first time around, back in the mid 80's, I had no interest in computer programming. Of course, all I knew about it was the binary code I had learned a bit about in high school, which I thought was sooo boring. But I am so enamored of the web development and design field, that I want to know everything. I don't ever want a client to ask me a question that I cannot answer myself or know exactly where to go to get the answer. Maybe I am being unrealistic, but I don't want to be a hack, I want to be good, very good. I don't think I'm asking too much, especially since I am asking it of my own self.
     Of course, everything is not about me. My husband had knee surgery today. Had a torn meniscus and it was causing him pain when he ran, and he runs a lot! Came through with flying colors, thank goodness. He is already walking a bit without crutches. He is a very good patient too, I'm so lucky. I skipped two classes today so I could drive him to and fro and play nurse. I still have a ton of homework to complete this weekend, but I did enjoy a book while waiting. Michael Crichton's "State of Fear." What a great book! I have been absorbed with this while taking care of my patient. I really miss having time to read for pleasure. But it won't be like this forever. 
     There is one more thing I have to mention. While I was in Avon Lake, Ohio for the visual journal class with Teesha Moore, I met a woman who was staying in the same B&B. Her name is Sue and she is an amazing visual journal artist and photographer. She went to Egypt to fulfill a life long dream and ended up witnessing the beginning of the revolution. She made it back safe and sound, thank goodness. If you want to see the photos of her trip and read about her experience, you can check out her blog. It is on my list of Blogs I visit, Chez Madame. There are a lot of images, so don't forget to click on the "older" link to see them all. They are really amazing photos.

Web Design and Organization

One of Anne Taintor's fun pieces!

     I am not very tidy. I never have been, and it is one of those things that has caused me great embarrassment on more than one occasion. I am better now than I was a few years ago, but I still don't have a good handle on home keeping and organization. Don't get me wrong though, I appreciate organization and tidiness. I love coming home to a tidy house and working in a tidy studio. Cooking in an organized kitchen is heaven. But the time it takes to get it all organized and sorted, well, that is just something I have a hard time putting on top of my priority list. I was very hard on myself about all this a few years ago, but I finally accepted myself and my organizational shortcomings. I bring other gifts to the party. My true friends don't judge me based on the tidiness of my home, thank goodness. And my family loves me and accepts me too. But what does this mean in terms of Web Design you ask? Read on...
     Organization is incredibly important in Web Design. Crucial. Programs like Dreamweaver and C# rely on good file organization. Things have to be saved in the same folder within the same file hierarchy every time. You cannot just rearrange documents, folders and files when you have the time. It breaks the paths these programs have created and it causes them to complain and throw out messages letting you know things are "missing," links are "broken" and nothing will work quite right until things are rectified. It is a big drag to say the least. But if you planned ahead, created that first folder in the appropriate place, you would be ahead of the game.
     In order to succeed in Web Design and Web Development, I have to be organized. It has to be a top priority. As I create file hierarchies for my classes, I have to plan ahead, anticipating future files that may need folders. The structure of the folder hierarchies has to make sense now and in the future. No more just saving things on the desktop and then relocating them to a more appropriate location at a later date. Tidiness counts in Web Design. I am adapting to it, soaking it up and trying to apply good organization to all my computer files. My brain is being rewired and I wonder if this will affect other aspects of my life? Can organization and disorganization coexist in the same person's head? It would be nice, but I'm not counting on it. Only time will tell...but if I am blogging about my super tidy studio or house a few years from now, you'll know where it started.

"Potential" Digital ATC

Potential ATC 2011

     The day started with a bit of anxious insomnia, but that was to be expected. I was still up and raring to go at 7:15 a.m. I left early to get my books, and holy moly, my C#, aka C sharp, book is the size of a metropolitan area phone book! Only slightly intimidating...and of course it was full price being new, as were all my books, sheesh, no breaks this year. I meant to order them all on Amazon, but ran out of time. Live and learn, again.
     It was nice to have just one class today, especially considering that it was my C# class. The instructor is very knowledgeable and has a great syllabus along with a solid timeline for the class. I enjoyed it, even though I am so taken aback with the size of the text. Overall though, I think this is going to be a great class, learning to write programs in C#, using Microsoft Visual Studio. I'll keep you posted...
     I actually had time to create an ATC tonight. Using Photoshop, I  built it in layers, using several brushes along the way. I made my virtual stitches blurry somehow, so I will have to go back in and figure out what I did and undo it. Troubleshooting is a good thing though, I need lots of experience.
     Can't wait for my new classes tomorrow, so exciting!