school – The Half Ginger

Oh Man I Am The Worst Blogger

July 24, 2017August 29, 2018 R. Hamilton

Hey Everyone! So, I haven’t posted since my birthday, which is a little sad because I’ve done a lot with every intention of posting what was happening. I posted a short fiction piece but that is about it.

First off to get this out of the way, I’ve changed majors again. I know, I know! I said I was going to keep with engineering, but as it turns out you can’t just wish yourself good at maths and have that be your one plan. So, I’m changing to English (for the 3rd or 4th time). But with that, it means that I’m not going to be in school for 7 more years, I’ve got a year and a half or so and I’ll be graduated. So that’s super fun. I’ve made a few contacts in my field too, so that’s also good for once I’m done. I know I’m not the best writer on the planet, but hey, it’s what I love to do. So I’m going to do it. It opens up positions in Japan as well, which is nice. I don’t need a teaching certificate, just a degree. I’m excited about that.

Speeeeaking of Japan, that is where I spent my spring break this year. Could barely afford it, but I made it work. The ticket and hotel was less than 1000$ so guess who doubled down with their tax refund and took a trip? I did. I will save that for another post though, because I took pictures and videos. For those of you that went along the journey (via Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter) I want to thank you all for your support and love while I traveled. Without a lot of you in my life, I wouldn’t have bit the bullet and done it, so thank you.

The SO and I finally took a trip together too, out of the country. We just went up to Calgary for a comedy show (We haven’t missed a John Mulaney tour since we got together) and crossed the border together. I think it was the first time he’s ever been to Canada, so that was a fun milestone. We got into a huge fight on the way home, but obviously we worked through it. Our hotel was so nice and we had a lovely sushi dinner that I will also be posting about in another post.

I don’t have a few fun posts planned for the coming months (granted I remember) and a few adventures planned elsewhere. I’m working on a few creative projects with a few friends, my Twitch channel should be going live soon, and hopefully I get my Youtube channel off the ground (this century). But school comes first. And then when I’m done I get to start paying off all those loans that I love so much.

I’m still here lovelies, and will eventually get back to this blog regularly.

Life, writing

2017: A Year of Almosts, So Far

February 22, 2017August 29, 2018 R. Hamilton

I’ve been meaning to sit down and post for a while, but adult things got in the way and I couldn’t find the time. And before you go accusing me of watching movies and eating pizza, know that you are right. I have been spending more time just to myself because I think I’ve left part of me somewhere and instead of spending a lot of time going out of my way to find it, I’m just gonna grow a new part. Which sounds super gross if you’ve just watched a certain youtuber play through The Evil Within (Markiplier, it’s Markiplier). Any way, I’ve got a few new projects coming up in the next few months that I am very excited about. I’m not sure how much I can talk about one of them, but the other is pretty cool. We’re putting together a podcast. I think that’s all I’m going to say on that one, specifically because I know I’ll spoil something because I suck like that and I don’t want to do that.

You don’t realize how many people hate you until you update your blog at the library.

One thing that has been really bothering me is people who take creative writing courses because they assume it’ll be easy. That the class will be an easy A and there isn’t a lot of work that go into it. Now I’m not comparing a CRWR (creative writing) course to a 400 level engineering course. But I feel that there are quite a few people that are in my current writing course that are there because they thought it would be easy. That irks me so much. I mean, I don’t care what classes you take, you could take them all, but at least put forth an effort. Especially at university, where you’re paying to be here. If you’re not going to write anything, don’t take the course. I’m in a workshop class right now, and there are a ton of people who never say anything. I’m a little guilty of that, but that’s because there are some people in the class that choose to dominate and refuse to let other opinions stand without argument. Others just try to re-write the story without any actual feedback. Our instructor isn’t the greatest, but he’s not actually a professor. He’s our writer is residence at the college, so he has different ways of looking at the class and our work. I figured it wouldn’t be like the class we took last semester, mostly because of our instructor. But I was okay with that. He tries to lead the class to the best of his abilities, but I feel like there is a dominating force that deserves a punch in the face. Others aren’t going to share what they think as the ass sits smugly at the front of the room interrupting and arguing every point. If the shit he said was helpful then maybe, but it’s mostly just what he wants to hear himself say and I get angry every time he talks. He’s like the guy who joins your DnD session and then tries to be the DM because he’s read all the books and knows exactly how it’s played and obviously you don’t understand what you’re doing. Except I can’t kick him out of the group…

Speaking of DnD, there may be a person I can get a game started with here at school. There is a chance that I’ll get a job here during the summer, which means that I’ll have a place to live and everything, which is super nice. There are a couple of people who seem interested and it would be nice to get into gaming again. It’s a lot of fun and it’s a great way for me to release stress.

I’m working on a new short story. This is a lot different than the last one, there aren’t any creepy monsters or white cats. It’s a story about a guy named Draper that gets a job at an amusement park that is run by an omnipotent god that has no idea what he is really doing. Draper is a sad guy with a pretty complex back story that doesn’t get explored all that well yet. I had the SO read it and he said it works, but he inspired the story so he already understands the backstory. I’ve got to find a way to fit that into it without being blatant. There is a writing competition that takes place on campus that I’m thinking about going for. An former professor sent our old class an email about it with the tag line “What have you got to lose?”. I miss her so much, I wish she taught 340. There honestly needs to be more people like her teaching at the university level.

I like how I can’t seem to write when I need to but then I’ll hammer out a post with over 800 words in a matter of minutes. That has never made sense to me.

Anyway, keep an eye out on twitter/facebook for announcements of my upcoming projects, because I”ll probably share there first and I’m always open to feedback.

♥

Life, Rant, Short Post

The Half Ginger Freaks Out!

January 24, 2016August 29, 2018 R. Hamilton

So, howdy friends.

Today, I decided that I was going to check on my application to MSU (Montana State, for anyone who thought they would check it out by googling it. Michigan State has the web address msu.edu.) I typed in the password and the username that I was issued to check and I couldn’t find it.

A mirror SHATTERED in my brain. Like the scene in the Labyrinth when the part ends.

labyrinth__crystal_ball_by_lizzychrome-d6vyima — The one that happens after this. I couldn’t gif.

Oh, I freaked out. Couldn’t find it. Raced through my old emails, looking for the receipt from when I paid my application fee, couldn’t find it the first go around. I finally found it, I went to look for the confirmation email that should have been sent when I requested the report for my ACTs. Couldn’t find it. Hurried to the ACT website, logged in (after having to request ALL of my login information again, because… ugh, it’s not one I’m going to remember). There was NO record of my ACT scores being sent to MSU. And that’s when the stone drops. BOOM! In the pit of my stomach, nausea, panic, and worry. So I dropped 34 dollars to re-request it. Normally it would be 12 dollars, but being as old as I am and from taking the ACT in 2008, it had been archived and needed more time to process. 34 dollars I wasn’t going to spend.

Ugh! FINALLY, I frantically searched the MSU website for any answer. I found the “MyInfo” page and decided to give logging in a go. HOLY CRAP IT LET ME IN!

RELIEF!

tumblr_inline_nyu7mabguk1s3l0cp_500 planning-a-wedding-reaction

non-boyfriends-3 phew20reszied

SO I GIVE YOU 4 REACTION GIFS! WORTH IT!

Life, Picture Post

A New Phish, Downsizing, and Figuring Out Life

September 1, 2015August 29, 2018 R. Hamilton

So, it’s been a while… and in the past I have said that a lot.

I love that thing. But, life hasn’t done much, and that probably had to do with the fact that I haven’t told it to do anything. Applied to college at MSU, going for Engineering and computer science (double major) with a minor in Japan Studies. I’ve been working much harder on my Japanese than I have been over the past 10 years. I have several conversational partners and I use an app when I don’t speak with them. I also broke down and bought Rosetta stone, which I have found out really helps with my pronunciation. One of my partners said that the phrases I’ve learned through that program are wonderful. I’ve got an American friend over there too. She is from Texas and she helps me figure out A LOT (see above). She understands how my American brain processes learning and knows how hard it is to learn that language. But I’ve learned a ton of stuff from her and from my partners.

So, I have a new fish. He is a betta and his name is Phish.Griff (fish-point-grif).

His name is Griff, because he is red. If I have to explain it anymore, you don’t get the joke. I also added a ‘f’ to his name because I like to misspell things. So yea, he’s hanging out with me right now. He is super shy, but he is bubble nesting so that is a good sign. He is sitting on my side table in the sun so that we can hang out while I’m on the computer.

I’ve downsized over the past month, and I don’t just mean that I’ve lost weight (and I have). I had my appendix removed two weeks ago. So that has been fun. Took us a month to get there, and it took three doctors visits to get someone to understand that I wasn’t faking the pain in my side. Thankfully there was nothing wrong with my appendix, but for now the pain has subsided and hopefully it doesn’t come back. If it does we will handle it then.

I have a few plans laid out for my life, because anyone that knows me, knows that I must be prepared for everything and if I’m not I panic. First plan: I got back to school next fall, study in Japan my junior year, graduate, and then move to Japan to work for an engineering company (not to bad, a little bit of a reach.) Second Plan: Move to Poland. That’s right readers, I’ve applied for work in POLAND. THE COUNTRY! Still waiting to hear from the company, but I am definitely looking forward to working there. It’s such a once in a lifetime opportunity. If I don’t go to school then plan three is that I move back to Portland and just do my own thing there. I miss that city so much and I feel like I fit in the best there. Maybe it’s Powell’s Books that I miss so much, or the locally brewed ciders… or just the fact that I didn’t ever feel the need to be embarrassed about myself because it’s Portland and no one cares.

So that’s how life has been. Still crafting and writing. Now that I own the domain again hopefully I’ll update more often, but hey, who knows.

Later, Peeps!