I just relaunched my site, now running on Django rather than Wordpress. Some content may be missing or moved while I finish the conversion.
Update: All old content has been imported into the new site excepting comments. I will be installing Disqus soon, and might import comments there.
I built this about a year ago, but thought it might be worth sharing. At work and home, I mostly use my laptop hooked up to an external monitor, speakers, mouse and keyboard. I enjoy the portability of the laptop, but where available I prefer the greater screen real-estate of a large monitor, the feel of a clicky mechanical keyboard, and the tracking of a wireless laser mouse. Before, I usually set the laptop flat on the desk beside the monitor, but wanting to free up desk space I decided to build a stand that held it vertically. Having sweated copper pipe before for plumbing projects, I was itching to build something using the technique. I sketched out a design, picked up some parts from the hardware store, and this was the result.
There is a beautiful caterpillar on my parsley plant out on my porch, and a chrysalis from a similar one a few inches away on my sage plant. Here are a couple photos:
I recently drove to Colorado for the second time this year. The official purpose of the trip was to visit SparkFun for their Exciting Xbee classes over the weekend, but I could not resist spending a couple days in the mountains while there. Rocky Mountain National Park is absolutely beautiful this time of year, and the weather could not have been better. I brought along my Canon Rebel T2i, and was fortunate beyond describing to see many incredible things to view and take photos of. Some came out quite well, and I narrowed down the 1000+ I took over the trip to a handful of the best. Some are embedded here in small forms, but you can view the full gallery at this link.
I tend to go to a lot of events, and often run into the problem of sharing contact information with people. Since I am an independent contractor, and work for a small number of fixed clients, I do not have much need of a business card professionally, but decided that it could be of benefit socially as well. I opted to go with Moo.com's mini cards, since they are more portable and uniquely designed. I set to work coming up with a design, which I reached here (front and back):
I posted the design to reddit's design critiques board, and showed it around the office for feedback. Most people liked the recessed wood QR code on the back, but did not think it matched well with the design on the other side. So, I took some advice and inspiration from everybody's suggestions, and came up with this:
The consensus on the new design was almost universally positive, and I sent it to the printers at Moo. I am happy with the result, and can't wait to see if it helps at events and conventions!
My office chair, which I love, was getting ragged with age. It is very old, rescued from an old job I had where it was slated to be thrown out. I loved it enough that I asked to keep it, and have used it at home for several years. While no Aeron, it is very comfortable and very very sturdy. Built from steel and molded plywood, the frame was solid and designed to last. Unfortunately, the upholstery was not. Pieces of it gradually wore away, and holes began to form in the seat with wear. Knowing I would not likely find another chair like it, and not wanting to spend the money on a much more expensive chair that would be only marginally more comfortable, I decided to resue it and attempt reupholstery.
Here is what it looked like before my attempt:
Reading a few sites online, I made a trip to the fabric store and found some clearance upholstery fabric on sale, and some chair foam marked 50% off. It was a bit ugly, but I was more focused on the feel and comfort of the fabric, and its price. Then, I took the chair to my garage and set to work:
The finished result is far from perfect, I could have done a better job if I had taken the time to sew proper corners instead of just tucking them around, but my purpose was satisfied. Spending very little money, I restored the comfort and feel of my favorite chair, and it should last me years more to come.
