Nathan Hutchinson

English 102

Citing Sources

Laura Darrow

Madonne, Miner. ""Trust Me"Reading the romance plot of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaids Tale." JSTOR 37.2 1991. 148-168. JSTOR. Web. 25 Jul 2010.

I decided to use JSTOR as a reference site. I was looking for a deeper source of material. I found the Handmaids Tale to be a complex story and needed some quality in site. The first title I came to was “Trust Me” and it had to do with uncovering a romance plot between Offred and the Commander. I have to admit I found it to be very interesting the way they broke down the scrabble game. I don’t naturally think like this and come never have come to these conclusions on my own. I will use this resource to better understand some of the symbolism in the story. I guess I can take nothing for granted in a story like this. This series of events will help me explain the simple freedoms that have used as a manipulation tool. These freedoms identify us a humans.

Moreno, Claudia, Henrica Jansen, Mary Ellsberg, Lori Heise, and Charlotte Watts. United Nations. Multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence against women. Geneva: WHO press, 2005. Print.

This next web site I will be using shows how common sexual abuse is in the world today. These are not only situations we find in books or part of history, but a widespread problem right now. I honestly don’t things have changes as much as we think. The have just become an excepted part of life. The Handmaids Tale gives us an option to explore these ideas outside the story. To Quote Sam Hamill, “ we can’t handle much reality”. It think this pretty much sums it up. Unless you are involved you just don’t know. To some extent the societies we live in are not as different as we think.

Nathan Hutchinson

English 102

Laura Darrow

Biography

I am excited to write about a newly discovered author . Well he is hardly newly discovered but definitely new to me. His name is Sam Hamill and from the first moment I read the Necessity to Speak I new that he was a great author and he was producing material that I could get excited about.

Sam Hamill was born in 1942 somewhere in northern California. When Sam was age 3 he was given up for adoption by his birth father. Sam Hamill was later adopted by Sam and Frieda Hamill and raised near Holiday, Utah.(Johnston) Sam spent his youth in and out of jails and spent a lot of time on the streets. In his later teen years Sam decided to join the United States Marine Corps mostly to eliminate his juvenile arrest record. During his time in the Marines he had the privilege of visiting Japan where he was stationed in Okinawa. During his time in Japan he began the study of the Zen Buddhist religion.(Hamill 546)

During the Vietnam war Sam Hamill stood out and took an activist position against the war which would later prove to be the stance he would stand behind for the next 40 years and be the source of up and coming literature.(Hamill) Sam had the opportunity to start Copper Canyon Press with 500$ that he won as an editors award at the literary magazine Spectrum and remain the chief editor there for 32 years. He has also spent 14 years teaching in U.S prisons and worked extensively with battered women. The little money he made working for the prisons and with battered women helped support him with his other endeavors. At this time Sam had teamed up with two other colleagues Bill Ransom and Joe Wheeler. Their newest organization was to be called Centrum. Eventually after the company became a corporation and the whole purpose of the business had gotten lost between the necessity to make more money amongst other corporate values and Sam decided to part ways in 2004.(Powers)

Sam Hamill has been the recipient of numerous awards including a fellowship for the National Endowment of the Arts as well as a Guggenheim Memorial fellowship. After September 11th Sam helped start the Poets Against War which is a society that uses poetry as a voice against war, tyranny and oppression. Poets Against War is still very active and has currently published 6,000 poems.

Sam Hamill has been able to take his real life experiences, through his trails and tribulations and apply them to paper. One would ask, well, what is different about what he does that normally any other author is doing. I feel that what makes this author's style significant, is the ability to take serious problems like domestic situations and bring them to your lap with realistic views that touche base with the average reader. These are not simple problems, anyone can reflect on simple problems. These problems are the break down of society as a whole. These are the things that attracted me as a reader to his writing. When Sam Hamill writes, he writes from experiences, this has the ability to reflect much differently on paper. If a normal person with no related experience was to write a paper on battered women it would lack the life that one with personal stories would share. When the cuts and bruises stare back everything changes. This is the passion a person feels when reading Sam Hamill.

Through the years Sam has been able to maintain a safe distance from the mainstream which has kept his poetry pure. When the focus is lost on financial gain one tends to be distracted by production. During this transformation the art is lost in daily business. Sam Hamill has spent most of his years trying to find a way to keep good poetry alive and away from the muddiness of major publishing houses. This lack of conformity has kept him a sought after poet.

Sam Hamill has become a role model in the poetry community as well as leaving some pretty big shoes to fill for up and coming poets. His moderate lifestyle and his devotion to his principles have left readers in awe for generations to come. To this day Sam Hamill is working with poets all over the world starting new Poets Against the War websites.

Nathan Hutchinson

English 102

Historical Research

Laura Darrow

The war in Iraq started in March 20, 2003 with the allegations that the country of Iraq was in possession of weapons of mass destruction also known as WMD’s. The year before the UN weapon inspector declared Iraq had not been in violation and could not find any evidence to support these allegations of weapons. Later the US accused Iraq of harboring Al-Qaeda which once again had turned up no evidence. Desperate to find resolve for the actions of 9-11 the United States made to decision to send troops to Iraq under the assumption that Sadam Hussein was harboring Al-Qaeda. The war in Iraq still continues on with no end in site and many would argue if any progress has been made. The sad fact of the matter is the amount of innocent people that have had to lose their lives because of the decisions of others. Some estimate the civilian casualties to be around 120,000.(White)

Since the invasion of Iraq people who were told to trust in a cause have been left to out to dry with no hope of what to expect in the days to come. According to the Brookings Institute, Iraq index, Iraqis that strongly oppose the presence of collation forces is at 82%. Also Americans that feel we should have never gone go to war with Iraq started at 50% and had continued to grow ever since.(Brookings Institute) So the biggest question is why are we at war if they don’t want us and more than half of the county opposes. Is the only reason we persist for success of the occupation itself.

Probably one of the scariest things about this war is the amount of debt the country of Iraq has incurred. Within the first eight months alone they were loaned 127.7 billion from 28 different countries.(Brookings Institute) Now the country has absolutely no infrastructure to repay this money. Conveniently they have oil which everyone would like a piece of. Not to mention the debt we have created for our own country. Currently we sit at about 1.4 trillion with that doubling by 2017. These numbers only run second to WWII. The cost of a soldier to spend one year in Iraq is 360,000 dollars.(Englehardt)

The years of 2006 and 2007 were the bloodiest on record for the U.S loosing roughly 6000 soldiers due to injury or death per year.(White) The primary reason for this was that the U.S and coalition forces had no idea who they were fighting against. Between this uncertainty and the spur of a Sunni-Shiite civil war, the streets were an all out battlefield killing any and everyone.

When the Iraq war started the U.S sent 150,000 troops to battle. Currently we have 92,000. 31,822 soldiers have been injured leading to discharge and 4500 have died. In the seven years we have been at war we have only pulled 20,000 troops out of Iraq.(Brookings Institute)None of these numbers reflect the amount that have been discharged due to psychological illness.

So why did we go to war. Why hasn’t anything changed since the beginning. And who is in control of this great nation, the people. I guess to a certain degree we are in control but to what extent and where does our power cease.

After reviewing the research I have done for this project I can only reflect back to what I have read earlier in the course starting with Sam Hamill and The Necessity to Speak. The way he uses his experience to influence and make a change in this world. Words are some of the most powerful tools we have, and yes they means things. Its time to stare deeply into the eyes of the truth. The people of this nation can’t continue to act as if the problems of the world will fix themselves, because they are not, not without the direction of the people. We read stories about the chaotic lives of our soldiers such as in the book by Tim O’Brien The Things They Carried. A compilation of stories about the madness one deals with on a daily basis in the battlefield. The lost souls, the sadness and fear. The phycological warfare one faces each waking morning and the memories he sleeps with at night.

The sadness of war has never been rivaled. Nothing could compares to the innocent lost, the people who were just born and lived, thats all. The people who were just trying to make it on a day to day. The dreams that have been taken for false pride. The hearts that have been broken, and the kids that returned never to be the same.

http://hem.passagen.se/replikant/dystopia_definition.htm

Nathan Hutchinson

English 102

Laura Darrow

7-16-2010

I have decided to do my research on how as Americans we continue to lose rights little by little. Since this country was founded on the bases of freedom, ultimately freedom is a big issue. In the story the Handmaid’s Tale they tell a story about how this dystopian society has been plagued by low birth rates from pollution. Apparently since these changes were taking place society need to change as well. In the current U.S we have a lot of the same situations happening with the way we eat and the way we live which ultimately can lead us to a similar situation with health issues.

When first reading the beginning chapters of the Handmaids Tale I found it very confusing almost as if it started in the middle of the book. How does society ever become like this. In the years of Adolph Hitler it virtually happened over night. This way of life takes decisions from powerful people and when the majority of society is poor changes can happen fast. If society is just trying to survive they are not focusing on the bigger problems in the world.

The book the Handmaid’s Tale deals with a lot of complicated problems. In today’s society we ourselves deal with some very complicated problems and we choose people to make these decisions for us without ever really know who they are or if they have our best interest in mind. In the book they are not really given a decision of whom to elect, the changes just take place. I can relate all of these questions to the Handmaid’s Tale and especially to a dystopian society. At one time things seemed so beautiful but over time they have turned so ugly. Understanding the subtle changes that take place in a society over time helps me understand that people will do anything in times of desperation.

Nathan Hutchinson

English 102

Laura Darrow

7-11-2010

1. In the first example about Darwin, all the writer tells us is that he is going to write a paper and nothing else. Their is no trace of a thesis here.

2. The second statement about college is only stating the obvious. I would have to say that the majority of people already know this.

3. The third thesis is just about like the second one. We already know jean companies target kids almost all business does.

4. Othello is a play about love and jealousy, very good you should know this entering the book. 2,3,4 are all stating the obvious.

5. With this statement about Minor Threat there is way to much personal opinion involved in it.

In the story The Handmaid’s Tale a religious group takes the rights away from middle and lower class people by prostituting fertile women into birthing privileges for the elite.

1. I think this thesis statement is arguable, one could say it was for the greater good of mankind.

2. I think it is very specific to the story. The story is based around this statement.

3. There is a lot of evidence to support this statement especially in the first chapters.

Nathan Hutchinson

English 102

Laura Darrow

7-09-10

Hi my name is Nathan Hutchinson and I am currently a student in english 102 at Yavapai college. I have to admit I have found this course to be rather challenging. I have never been a very efficient reader and I am more than aware of this fact. When it comes to interpretation weather it be poetry or short stories, I feel like this is a talent that I have absolutely no business doing. I feel lost, like maybe I am totally missing the point. Perhaps I am trying to read to deep into stories or maybe not deep enough. This has been the biggest challenge for me during this course. In the past I guess I just read the words, never gave much thought to it. I believe this class has made me a more conscious reader.

I have had the opportunity to explore reading material that I would not have normally read. The poetry section I found to be very interesting. I have always had a love hate relationship with poetry. This course has been a real eye opener and given me some new in site to different styles I would have other wise never been introduced to.

I don’t really have any goals for the rest of the semester other than to keep learning. This course is so much different that 101, I am really shocked. The course caught me off guard, it really has shown me a totally different side of writing. I have found new understanding which in the past never knew existed. I know that this sounds naive, but like I said earlier, I haven’t spent much time with reading or writing.

thanks for you time.

http://www.vietnam-war.info/facts/

Were confused souls, clinging to hope

they said it would be over soon

this was years ago

just grateful to be around sometimes

some days I wish I would die

like a lifeless body with empty thoughts

I am so scared

my mind wanders

will I ever make it out alive

every day they die around me

but I am still standing

I can’t even describe what consumes me anymore

every day I wait

http://www.bookreporter.com/authors/au-obrien-tim.asp

The story of the Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong by Tim O’Brien is about a tale brought to Alpha company by a man named Rat Kiley. The story is about another soldier named Mark Fossie who brought his girlfriend to Vietnam to spend time with him. During the course of her stay she forms a fatal attraction to the county and the war. She learns to live like a soldier and to participate in the duties just like another one of the men. After learning all there is to know from her boyfriend Mark she ventures off to hang out with the Greenies for some new excitement. Upon spending to time with the special forces and going out on secret missions, the call of the jungle eventually entices her in and she is never seen again.

The Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong is a story about a soldier Mark Fossie who has his girlfriend flown out to Vietnam to spend time with him. during her stay she becomes enchanted by the call of the jungle. A person who once started out a innocent girl becomes one of the jungles coldest inhabitants.

I would argue that this story is about the liberation of woman. Once thought to be to soft and fragile to ever survive such a place as Vietnam seems to welcome her curiosity with open arms.

http://www.poetsagainstthewar.org/

The essay written by Sam Hamill in my opinion was very refreshing, and a exciting eye opener. Sometimes I feel like I have never been introduced to the complete potential of poetry. But on the other hand I will admit that I have never given poetry a fair shake.

There is a lot to think about in this reading. There are quite a few ideas that are presented to the reader, one might take offense or not. Sometimes I think people need to be offended to wake up. Many times in my own life I have been offended, then gone home and reflected on the situation. Either found out I was in the wrong or perhaps someone else saw something that I did not. We need people to call us on our wrongs. We also need to become accountable for our actions. This is part of becoming a productive member of society.

We have created a society where if you don’t like something you just walk away and find something else, not everyone has this option. Usually poor societies have to deal with there problems, but apparently when you sit on top of the food chain these issues are passed to someone else to deal with, and we move on our merry way.

I think the media has a lot to do with our misinformation. The fact that only savory info gets reported, and when important issues do arise we just turn the other cheek and be glad that its not happening in our neighborhood. Most of the time the only way people get excited is when problems are happening in the own backyard. Its is just easier that way right!, Its just easier to not deal with things that don’t concern us. Society has gotten lazy or maybe just less compassionate of the needs of others.

I have had to personally call the cops on a friend when he was hitting his wife. The sad part is for the moments leading to my call I was wondering if it was the right thing to do. I think back to my decision and am glad I made the one I did, but why was there hesitation. Was calling the cops not the obvious thing to do.

The author is right, we are controlled by fear. When I was a kid I remember watching my parents argue. My natural instinct was that this was not right. But we are taught to stay out of other peoples business, but at what point does someone else’s become my problem, or my business. These are the questions that we need to ask ourselves.

I am not happy with what is happening in the world, mostly with the U.S’s continuing need to war. Especially when at home we have more that enough problems to deal with. If this was the sixties we would be rioting in the streets. At what point did it all change. When did we lose our voice.

The first poem that I chose to read was the Rite of Passage. What a interesting and dark interpretation of the lives of little boy’s, but even more disturbing was how accurate it was. The poem made me think back to when I was a child running around the yard, with my cousin, playing army. We would shoot things at each other and blowing stuff up, we were always at war. The conversations of little boys are filled with fighting, destruction, death and violence and has been like this since the beginning of time. It is almost like from the first day of birth a young man is set on a mission to find his place amongst his peers.

The boys eyeball around the room sizing each other up and falling into a natural chain of command. Those who do not subside to the given position, will fight for a new one. The arguments never seem to cease about whom is more powerful, and if all else fails there is always “my dad can beat up your dad”.

Finally, like a commander preparing his troops for battle, something powerful must be said soon, “we could easily kill a two year old”(Olds). I can imagine all of the boy’s raising one hand in the air cheering in approval for these profound words, the king has spoken.

The second poem that I chose to read was The Colonel. I had to read this poem quite a few time just to start to pick up on things. It seems like one of the people in the poem is writing it and this is there testimony of what happened that night.

I see two people pleading to the Colonel for the right of there people, perhaps in South America. I get the feeling that this Colonel is involved in some type of underworld element or maybe the leader of a cartel. It seems that the Colonel lives in fear or maybe he receives threats of some kind due to the way his home is set up, with grates on the windows and broken glass embedded in the walls. It is clear that he has all the power in this situation. He has a bag of ears, maybe one from each person that crosses his path. The poem leaves me guessing of what might happen next, kind of spooky.

There is nothing that I can relate to personally in this poem, I just found it interesting. Both of the poems that I chose both stuck me as being out of the norm for what I would expect from poetry. I found it to be refreshing and also gave me some ideas for the future. I would have never expected poetry to be written this way with these topics.

olds, sharon. Poetry Foundation n. pag. Web. 16 Jun 2010.archive/poem.html?id=176440>.

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/205

http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/forche/life.htm

Vladimir Nabokov discusses "Lolita" part 1 of 2

Nathan Hutchinson
Eng 102
6-8-2010

I believe that Nabokov is asking of a reader to be open minded and to really have a thirst for reading. Only the true aficionado’s possess the ability to truly understand what is being said. He is asking when approaching a read to enter it with a blank slate. To approach it as a learning process.
To some degree I agree with what is being said. I think that at times it is hard to not form some sort of opinion, especially with Authors that you have read many times before.
I believe a good reader is someone who is willing to give the time needed to let the author get the point across. Someone who can be patient and understanding. I think a good reader will become a character in the book.
I am a terrible reader. I have a hard time paying attention and get lost quite a bit. I can get frustrated easily with this a will get discouraged and just choose not to do it. Of course I don’t practice very much either. Reading is a skill thats gets better with practice. I have never invested the time. I must admit though, the books I have read I have truly enjoyed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Nabokov

Welcome ENGLISH 102

I choose this video to give another view point of controversies of dam building which is important to my paper. With out research we are just taking other peoples words of how things are which are usually a biased opinion. I think it is important to do research for yourself and form you own opinion.

Lots of interesting facts, also gives you a opportunity to see the dam building from start to finish. The video gives you a idea of how big the project really is. Quite frankly, I find it amazing. I've found most of time change is not always for the greater good, but sometimes a necessity.

I honestly cant do much with this video and my paper, it is more for inspiration!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_engineering

Wikipedia is a great resource for people that want a clear definition as well as facts that pertain to the subject and a little history lesson too. I have to admit that this was my first stop when I realized that I wanted to become a civil engineer. Wikipedia has made it so simple to search within a search by adding definitions which are linked to other definitions. Quite frankly I don't personally think it could have been made any easier. Say for instance you are interested in civil engineering, Wikipedia breaks down every avenue a person could take in the field. Next it gives a little history on how the profession came about and why it became a necessity in a growing society. A person researching a topic can get a little taste of everything on this site alone. My only advice would be to double check your facts with other sites.

http://www.cenews.com/

If you are interested about what is happening in your community, then I have a magazine for you. This publication offers complete and up to date information as well as current affairs directly related to you as a civil engineer. When I read something such as this magazine and become even more excited about civil engineering than I was to begin with, then I have to pass it along. This magazine will reveal the endless possibilities that a career such as civil engineering has to offer. The best part about a magazine is that these events are happening right now. Say for instance the issues the world is facing with clean drinking water and what we are doing about it, or careers in more progressive fields of engineering that involve 3d modeling are all right here. If you are undecided when it comes to what sort of civil engineering you may want to pursue, may I suggest reading these articles to grasp a better understanding of your options. Engineers face real problems on a daily basis, explore the pages to find out where you might fit in.

http://civilengineerblog.com/

The first thing to remember when entering this page is that it is a .com blog so you will find more than enough opportunities to buy something, don't get discouraged. Underlining all those ads are some serious information. The page give tons of helpful pointers for the green engineer who may be considering project management or even starting his own business. When reading through some of the information one will get a feeling that the writer of this blog is really involved with construction, and this is good. More times than not you can find yourself becoming overloaded with information. But these articles are put in lemans terms to appeal to the ever day reader. The articles offer up some helpful questions to ask your local contractor the next time you are planning a remodel of your own home. Once again this is another one of those page you will find really useful, but need to spend more time with it to reveal what it really has to offer.

http://www.asce.org/

This link was probably one of the most helpful links I ran across. It is jamb packed with all kinds of interesting information useful to the up and coming civil engineer. The wed page is very organized and offers helpful insight on current topics in the civil engineering community. It is updated frequently with news, such as the earthquake that just hit Chili and what engineers are doing for the people affected by this tragedy. The web page also offers current events and recent awards won in the world for amazing engineering feats like China's Sutong Bridge. There are also free articles and papers available for people looking for some free literature. This page also has links to career openings and conference info, seminars and anything else one could want out of a web page. If you are considering a career in the field of civil engineering give the page a couple minutes of your time.

Today I had a opportunity to interview the branch manager for a local engineering firm Shepard-Wesnitzer Inc. It was a amazing experience and was the encouragement I needed. The thought of interviewing an engineer was a little daunting especially in today’s economy. For some reason I felt like he may perceive me as just another person trying to take his job away. Thankfully the experience was exactly the opposite. The conversation revolved around the specific duties of a civil engineer and what type of firm to approach depending on the type work you what to do. He gave tons of pointers for the senior student and which tests to take before leaving the university with the reasons why. He also went on to explain which certifications are necessary for which branches of civil engineering I am interested in. All in all I walked away with a better understanding of the civil engineering field. The information I gathered during the interview will help me better explain what it is that a civil engineer does. Mostly you read about how a engineer is working on a new bridge or a high rise building but it goes way beyond that. Engineering happens almost everywhere, from the streets to the sky’s. Almost every construction project on the face of the earth today has a engineer involved in one way of another.

Arthur H. Walz, Jr., "Dam", in AccessScience@McGraw-Hill, http:// www.accessscience.com,

DOI 10.1036/1097-8542.180300

In this article the author gives a very detailed description of dam building from the very earliest of civilizations. These types of dams were primarily used for simple irrigation methods. Now with the evolution of today’s massive hydroelectric power plants the world has become dependent on them to supply a major source of energy in the United States as well as the rest of the world. The author goes on to describe how the physical properties of the land and the environmental hazards must be considered. The hazards of dam building and safety requirements are also outlined. This article will prove useful in describing the reason Dam’s came about in the first place and the many purposes they serve in a modern society. This article was found in Access Science database in the library.

"civil engineering." bureau of labor statistics. U.S Government, 19 03 2010. Web. 5 Apr 2010. .

This article is an informative introduction to anyone considering civil engineering as a career. The article comes from the Department of Labor Statistics. It gives a detailed break down of everything from the professions starting salary to the current medium wages in the U.S. This paper goes on the describe the process required to achieve the degree and what to expect when looking for a job. Being that is article is from the B.L.S web site it is up to date with the current career standing and what the future will hold in this profession. This Article will be helpful in describing what can be expected for the future in the civil engineering field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a credible site from which the job data of the U.S is compiled.

Kenneth Lazuruk, Gerald Palevsky, "Civil engineering", in AccessScience@McGraw-Hill, http:// www.accessscience.com, DOI 10.1036/1097-8542.138500

This article breaks down in complete detail almost every aspect of the civil engineering trade. The paper tells the reader what is encompassed within the many specific fields that fall under the civil title. The author describes how civil engineering has become a mandatory part of the infrastructure of a modern country. It also explains how engineering plays an integral role in insuring the safety of the people and how it promotes safe growth. Modern methods of surveying are described as well as urban planning to name few. I will use the information in this paper to describe what it is that a civil engineer does and the basic principles of why they do what they do. This is another source I used from the Access Science data base which has proved to be very useful for research and is known to be credible.

Yang, Lin. "China's Three Gorges Dam Under Fire. " Time Magazine

12 October 1997: 1. Wed. 6 Apr 2010. .

This article was picked specifically to get the oppositions point of view as well as describe some environmental impacts that follow the blocking of natural water flow. In this instance the Three gorges Dam is used which happens to be the world biggest dam and has been riddle with controversy since its infancy. The article goes on to point out the visible precursors such as algae blooms and landslides. This article will play an importing role in viewing both sides of the controversy of dam building. The fact that in a growing world with every action there is a equal and opposite reaction. This article is from Time magazine which has proven to be a credible source.

Nathan Hutchinson

03-29-10

Darrow

English 101

Topic Proposal

My current challenge is working on a degree in Civil Engineering. This is what comes naturally to me, and has run through my veins since the day I was born. As a child I spent many summers with my grandparents while my mother was finishing her Masters at NAU. Grandfather used to go to the lumber yard and buy wood and nails so that when I arrived I had something to keep me busy for the summer. Since those young days I have worked most construction trades and have been a foreman for the past six years. The every-day challenge of the work place has been replaced by the monotony of repetition. It is time for a new challenge, and this challenge lies in engineering. The desire to build a bridge or a skyscraper has been taunting me for years and now it’s time to make my move. The burning mental challenges as well as complex mathematical equations that are constantly driving a person to the limits of structure design. This is what attracts me to this profession as well as the personal challenge of the demanding course work. As I explore this career through the assignment, I am excited to be able to interview people and research this profession which has been calling me for years.

Some days go by when you really feel that you have a purpose in life, well mine is engineering. For years I sat in a profession not sure which direction I should go. But always in the back of my head I knew that what I was doing was just another job, not my chosen career path. One day I woke and just knew, it was really that simple. Time to go back to school, I love to build and I love math, engineering it is!

the kids and I giving a big "whats up America"

this is one of the last stained glass pieces I did. I am never really very happy with the way they finish. I am kinda of a perfectionist.

Never had a blog before until now, I am so excited my knees are shaking. Jeez what to say!