R/C Car Project

BrieAnne and I got our car, for our project class, to go forward last week! We were excited that things were finally starting to come together. We just had to get it to turn and store data... and a few other things. The other teams group had a member fall out so we combined forces! Yeah recruits! This weekend some group members worked on project while I worked on the report. Today was are big demo day and we had to have it all working. Well, now nothing works. It doesn't even go forward. Well, sometimes it does but most the time it doesn't!!! We have beening working on this all semester and spending any spare time we had on trying to get it to work and NOTHING! We kept trying to fix it and still NOTHING!!! Thankfully the teachers gave us a grace period but the moral is so shot that I don't know if we even want to try to continue, especially because we have to finish othe stuff.

The most interesting thing about it though was for the first time I experience brianne snap. She was not a happy camper! Sweet, quiet BrieAnne. And Jeff wanted to take a slug hammer to the project.

Anyways, I am a failure. Yah. (Said with the most lack of enthusiasm possible).

For those who car about the technical aspect: We are trying to create an inertial naviagation system in an RC car. We are using an accelerometer and integrating it's output to get position. The data from the accelerometer is compared to an predetermined "flight plane". If the car is off course the program corrects it by sending a signal from a microprocessor to a relay (with a transitor inbetween) to the motor or cervo (which turns it right or left). Data is stored in the EEProm to create a "black box" system that is intended to servive a crash. We are having lots of trouble with our code.

Buying a House

Why we should buy a house:

• Just as cheap as rent! (The housing market is down! Yeah for us first time homeowners)
• Our money will go towards something that we can keep
• Build equity
• Talmage will be closer to work
• I have my eye on a house with a great price out in Queen Creek
• It looks like it is in great condition and the previous owner took great care of it
• We’ll be closer to some of the family. Ex. Caleb & Nikki, McKay & Brandi, Taylor & Erin, Lincoln & Melanie

Why we shouldn't buy a house:

• We love our ward and we don’t want to leave our new found friends
• We like our neighbors and our little house that is like a piece of the country in the middle of the city
• We’ll be farther from my parents and siblings at home, Rick & Alyssa, Jana & Art & kiddos.
• We will be driving with traffic to go to school.
• I will be driving with traffic to go to work (Assuming I get the job that I have an interview for tomorrow)
• We will have to go through the rigmarole of getting financed
  
  Is there anything I’m forgetting?

Whine & Complain

My institute teacher said that he would give us anything we wanted because we are such good students and come to class all the time (because he is cool like that and because the institute at ASU Poly is small ). One guy in the class instantly said food. BrieAnne (yes that is how she spells her name) asked for a blank check. I asked for a signed check with everything else blank. He didn't fall for the blank check idea. I sat there and thought about it for a while. An opportunity like this doesn't come around every day! I double checked if he really would give us ANYTHING we wanted (Other then a check). Finally, I told him that he could finish writing all of my reports (come on, no one would know the difference). ...He laughed and then declined. It was worth the try.

So, I am too brain dead and stress to do any more homework right now. So I am just going to whine and complain about all the home work I have to do. Study for 2 finals, write to 2 power points and present them, and finish 6 reports (yeah! 6! Killer!). And I only have about a week and a half to do all this! I can't seem to get more done then I get stacked on! OK, that's all the whining I can handle for now. ...back to homework :(

Imaginary

I was talking to my writing tutor friends. They mentioned something about imaginary writing. I said, "Wait, I know what imaginary numbers are but imaginary writing...?" They got a kick out of it. I found out that imaginary writing is just another way of saying creative writing, basically writing using your imagination. Makes sense. Yeah sometimes I am not the brightest crayon in the box.

What I learned...

Yesterday, Talmage asked me what I had learned that day in school. The conversation went a little like this:
"i learned how to find the eigen vector and the basis for a matrix. i learned how to check and see if i had the right value for the lamda, the eigen vector and the basis. i figured out how to hook up a transistor, relay and resisters to a chip to control a motor. i learned how to create a portfolio for proving i know various skill. i also researched single-side, double sided and multi-layered printed circuit boards. i learned what silk screening is and how pattering(etching) is done when manufacturing a printed circuit board."
He was more then half asleep by the time I asked him what he had learned that day. ...unfortunately, he probably won't ask me that question ever again.

For those of you who are still awake here is my question for you:
Do you ever feel like you have two sides to your lives?

For me it would be my school life/job and my home life/family life; generally they seem to fit well but once in a while they seem completely separate.

My Prince Charming

I am sensing a pattern. Isn't he cute!

Easter!!!

Every easter we have a easter egg hunt at the with the Wilkin's Family. They adopted us in and we are practically family. Every year we have a big treasure hunt. Last year I dug up a Grandma Helen's whole backyard searching for the key to the treasure. The highlight for me was playing poker with jelly-bellies. Talmage taught me and my siblings how to play. When it was all said and done I had a big ol' pile of jelly bellies right in front of me!