Desperately grasping at flying time
The semester's over. Unbelievable.

It was almost 4 months ago that I got back from Scotland, and I still haven't properly documented it. I suspect I never fully will, partly because some of the details are starting to evade me, but mostly because the most memorable parts of the trip were so utterly indescribable. I definitely have to go back again. Absolutely amazing time, amazing places, amazing people, both those we travelled with and those we met along the way.

There was a moment on our bus, driving through twisted roads through a lush green set of hills, when Donnie (our bus driver/tour guide/trivia master/full-time private entertainer) put on a CD of traditional Scottish songs (with none too little bagpipes). Everything just crystallized at that moment. The sounds, the sights, the emotions, all just utterly overpowering. I can't thank our hosts (my aunt Carla and her husband of 10 years Bill) enough for making this happen.

When I got back, I threw together a fairly quick-and-dirty, but basically functional website for the trip and everyone on it. A number of us have been sharing a few of our best photographs there. Just hit 71 pictures, with a little over 10 of them mine. You can view all of them, or just mine (Browse by photographer.)

They're all available at http://scotland.rifetech.com/. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

That also means I've been back at school for 4 months. A course in web technologies, a course in non-procedural programming (Lisp, Prolog, and Crystal, a pet project created by our prof), a course in databases, and a random history of physics course. I had alot of fun, even if I was utterly exhausted from time to time. I spent alot more time with UACS, the undergraduate computing science social group on campus. We hang out anywhere and everywhere, geeking it out, gaming, coding, and occasionally drinking. This has been a very social semester, and I'm pleased to find out that I can actually have a life on campus without sacrificing my education.

Two exams I wrote in class last week, both of which went very well. (A+ and A- for final grades). I wrote my last two finals of 2006 today. My Lisp/Prolog/Crystal test went great, I know that stuff way better than I thought I could 4 months ago. My database test was tough, but fair. Depending on how the rest of the class did, I may be looking at A- as my lowest grade this semester. Whoohoo!

Now for a few Christmas events, a few New Years events, and before I know it I'm going to be back in the thick of it again. Expect another approximately 4 month hiatus from blogging :) I can't wait to be in Calgary again for New Years. Still not sure what my plans are going to be that far ahead. Right now I'm just happy letting my brain decompress a bit. Watched Short Circuit 2 today (Johnny Five is Alive!), and will probabbly go on to watch more Babylon 5 tonight before getting a good nights sleep. Lots of shopping to do tommorow!

Good night, and in case I actually don't get around to posting again in the next week, a merry Christmas and a fantastic new year to everyone!