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Brought to you from the farm.

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California Fires Update 2

The fire that was threatening my local area is mostly contained. Actually it has been for two weeks or so. Evacuation orders are probably almost entirely lifted by now except for some small area. So that's mostly good. It did not come without losses for many people, though. But it's California, and we're a box of matches when it comes down to it. Hotspot detection satellites are lighting up the state like a Christmas tree. That's why even though we (folks in my area) aren't being immediatel

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

California Fires 2020 Update 1

Work on Wednesday was agonizing. It was really hard to get anything done while keeping the burn map open and watching it spread closer and closer to my girlfriend's place of residence. They were never under mandatory evacuation, but everyone around them was so they left anyway. It did end up jumping the highway, leaving a whole new range of people in danger and forced to evacuate. We were not one of those groups, but its still terrifying to watch a fire line inch closer and closer to your home.

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

California Fires 2020

I was really happy when we got some summer rain earlier this week. I can't remember the last time that ever happened in my life, and it came with thunder and lightning which is also a rarity. It was cool at first, until I got to work on Monday and heard that it started a fire. It was small at first, but two days later, like all of them, it erupted into a monster. 32,000 acres burning, and although it started really far away its now threatening the home of some family friends, and where my sister

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

New Job

A little over a month ago I started a new job. After over a year of searching, it was exciting to finally throw away the part times I've been working and start full time doing work that, maybe technically isn't what I studied in school, but still uses what I learned in school. My first instinct is that how great it is to finally, after years and years, have a job that I don't hate... and sometimes even really like. Sure the commute sucks, and they aren't paying me enough that I can afford to mov

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

California Fires 2019

Almost exactly a year (and two weeks) after writing a blog entry about the 2018 California fires, more are breaking out and the dry October winds we tend to get are certainly not helping . There are probably a few officially labelled fires, but the two I'm reading about are the Kincade Fire, because its closest to me, and the Tick Fire near Los Angeles. Unlike last year's fires which came too close to comfort, we are at no risk from the Kincade fire. Unfortunately many people (39-50,000 dependin

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

Moving Back to the States

It's been a truly wonderful and blessed experience to live in a country that's not my own. But while it was an adventure, all adventures have to end, and I have officially hopped back across the equator (into winter, glorious winter) to continue my life. Now time do all those fun things like... finishing school and finding a new job.

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

Vacation

After several months of encouraging teaching moments, discouraging teaching moments, flu, dengue fever, various colds, loud music, bad food (my fault), and (failed?) weight loss endeavors, I finally got a much needed vacation to see my family and girlfriend. Parts of it were great. The weather was (generally) cool for a California summer. Of course the day I had to go to an outdoor wedding ended up in the high 90s, but the rest of it was pretty okay. Fourth of July evening was actually pretty co

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

2017 Book Challenge List

Since the nature of my work means I have way too much free time, I decided to participate in some random blog's 2017 book challenge, because why not? The way the challenge works is that there are 50 or so categories, and during the year you have to read books that fit in each of the categories. The rules don't say that reading one book can satisfy multiple categories, but it doesn't really say it can't either. So I did the challenge that way.   So how did I do? Got everything except three. The n

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

Progress on Fighting CA Fires

It was really hard to be optimistic on Wednesday when I made that blog entry. The fire was huge, the area had doubled overnight, strong winds were expected to pick up again. And after posting that entry, the area where my girlfriend lives was advised to evacuate. But hey decided to stay until until it was mandatory, which fortunately never came, and as of now even the recommended evac has been lifted.   Since then, things have been optimistic. As of now most of the larger fires seem to be at lea

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

California Fires

There are a lot of fires in northern California right now, but the one I’m paying attention to is being labelled the Atlas Fire (for whatever reason, I don’t know). Firefighters have been battling them all week, but the dry conditions and winds (which are expecting to pick up again) have been making it difficult. The winds are making it especially dangerous. I continue to hope for the best, but it’s a really big fire. Every hour it’s getting closer and closer to my girlfriend’s family’s home, an

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

I Do Need Vacaciones

Living away from your loved ones and having limited communications with them can take a huge toll on you. So can going months with hardly a good night's sleep, ridiculous heat, and speaking a language you aren't comfortable with. So after almost a year abroad I am taking my first vacation back home, about a week and a half. And man oh man has it been a wonderful experience so far.   In addition to just spending basic quality time with my family and girlfriend, I've been eating all the food I've

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

Assassin's Creed 3- Initial Impressions

In between work, travel (for work), reading mountains of books and watching whatever movie I happen to be able to get my eyes on (the last was Hannah Montana- don't judge), I decided that I wanted a selection of video games for entertainment, because I'm not always in the mood for reading or watching movies, especially when I can't sleep at night and I end up staying up till 1 am or later. My computer does come with a solitaire collection and Candy Crush for free, but there are only so many card

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

Man It's Hot

And it's only gonna get hotter.   Hi, BZP. Have half decent internet for a few hours. Just browsing and checking in to say hi. Making sure the place hasn't burned down. At some point in the nearish future I'll write a real blog entry but for now there's lots of things to do now that I can use internet on a laptop.   Carry on.

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From the Southern Hemisphere

I wrote up a nice entry yesterday before I left, but was unable to post it due to errors. As such, we're skipping the "I'm leaving" and going straight to a quick "I'm here." I'm blogging this now because I'm not sure if that will be possible tomorrow? The Internet situation is up in the air. I'd say expect less activity from me, but I'm pretty inactive to begin with so no one will notice or care.   First day was interesting. I'm intimidated by the fact that I'll need to learn two languages, but

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

New Laptop

I've had a MacBook Pro since I graduated High School just over seven years ago. It has served me very, very well, and for the most part it is still a functional laptop. However, recently it's been having issues where it will not work unless it's plugged in, and sometimes even then it will just turn off. No, replacing the battery did not help. And it's waaaay out of warranty and too old for Apple to even bother trying to fix it.   This isn't necessarily an issue, except that starting next week I

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

San Fran Comic Con- My First Convention

My girlfriend is a huge nerd, and she's enjoyed going to conventions for years. I have never been to a convention before. So when the San Francisco Comic Con was set to take place at the beginning of September, it presented her an opportunity to be around a bunch of fellow nerds, and an opportunity for me to see what a convention is actually like. As a bonus, Ian McDiarmid was set to make an appearance at a Q and A session, so we made seeing him our primary goal for the day.   Naturally, my firs

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

First Year Over

So my first year of graduate school is over. It was actually over a month ago, but I'm lazy and just got around to writing this now. I don't really have a whole lot of thoughts on it that I feel like puting down this minute, but I'm glad it's over and can put school out of my mind for another few years. I'll be spending this summer getting ready for my stint out of country.   I had a nice week long break after finals where I went home to celebrate my birthday. Sure I spent the week trying to get

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

Indiana Jones 5

From the Walt Disney Company's website news page:     I know I'm not supposed to get excited about a film until proudction stills are released (because they can always get cancelled), but TOO LATE I ALREADY HAVE ALL THE EXCITEMENT.

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

Winter Break

Wow it’s been a long time. Over four months since I posted something here. School does that to you. I don’t really feel the need to narrate the last four months here (and I doubt anyone would want to read it), so here’s a brief summary: Took five classes while working part time at a local museum. The job isn’t great, but it’s in my field and I’m learning (or will learn) things that should become valuable so I’m game for continuing it. And it pays me so there’s that. I got four A’s and one AB, wh

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

And So It (Almost) Begins

A long time ago in a blog entry far far away, I mentioned how I was accepted into graduate school. Well, a couple of months later here I am, sitting in my apartment and waiting for orientation stuff to start tomorrow. I have to confess that leaving home was kind of difficult. I love my family, and while we tend to appreciate each other from a distance, I still would rather be closer to them. I’m kind of far away. Like, over half way across the country kind of far. And, on top of that, on a campu

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

Accepted Into Graduate School

three and a half months ago I nervously submitted applications for graduate school (and then after that waited for my letters of recommendation to be written). Yesterday, after a month and a half of waiting (and one rejection) I recieved word that I was accepted into my first choice school. Normally I prefer to write more detailed entries, and perhaps later on I will, but for now all I care to say is that I am simultaneously excited and incredibly nervous. I'm stepping very much out of my comfor

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

Raise This Shed!

A bunch of years ago my Dad bought my Mom a shed where she could put all of her storage stuff. It was a store bought metal shed of decent size, but it wasn’t quite water or weather proof, and it was on a wooden foundation that trapped water. So a few weeks ago he decided that he would build her a new shed from scratch that was bigger and sturdier. She was scheduled to be at a conference from Thursday through Saturday, so in those three days he was going to build that shed and have it be a surpri

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

Films I'm Stoked For: Tomorrowland

I almost devoted this entry to the news that Frozen 2 was announced and my thoughts on it... but Tomorrowland is coning out soon and it looks awesome. And I've had this in my 'blog drafts' document for a while now and it should have been posted weeks ago.   Anyway, Tomorrowland. Movie trailers have always had issues, but the one that nags at me most is the one where trailers show way too much. Even teasers can have an obnoxious tendency to tell you the whole movie (see: Prometheus). What I love

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

ONUA!

When I went out shopping yesterday I had three goals:   1.) Buy my sister some ceiling stars 2.) Find her a desktop fountain 3.) Buy an iTunes giftcard.   But when I was strolling through Target I decided to check out the LEGO sections to see if Onua and Gali where there on clearance. Sure enough, they were! There were a decent number of Galis for ten dollars, but I got the very last Onua which was priced at 13. So of course I wasn't going to pass up this opportunity. Throwing caution to the win

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

Donating Blood

I know I should say that I like donating blood because it’s a generous thing to do and it saves lives, but honestly I just do it for the free cookies and movie tickets.   The first time I donated blood was several years ago- 2011, I think? Prior to then, it's something I had always wanted to do, but despite how ridiculously easy it is to donate blood, I kept putting it off. Even after my first donation, I didn't donate again until 2014, and still only did three donations total that year. I had n

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Vorahk1Panrahk2

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