So, my sister's birthday passed recently. One thing she really wanted was a frame for a Che Guevera (sp) poster that she has, which is quite a bit larger than any generic sized frame we could find. After consulting some framing places, we discovered that a basic custom frame would cost about $140 and would take 3 weeks. This was a week before her birthday, and kinda pricey. So, I decided I would try my hand at carpentry and just make a frame.

Let me tell you now boys and girls, it is definitely not the easiest thing to do. But, after a bit of struggling I figured out that you need to cut wood for a frame flat, instead of on an angle, to make the 45 degree angles work properly. Thankfully I noticed this right away and was able to save the wood I was working on. A miter saw would have been very helpful, and it will definitely be a future investment if I decide to become a picture frame maker, but my trusty hand saw did the job this time.

I used a simple corner clamp to hold the peices at their 45 degree angles and glue them, and when I went to glue the last peice... Even to my surprise, it fit. I was expecting a little work to get it in there but it was just perfect.

After letting all the glue dry sufficiently, I sanded away the extra on the corners, and began painting today with a basic flat spray paint and then a low gloss finish. I must say it looks pretty neat, and my sister seems happy with my progress so far.

All that is left is to get the glass or plexiglass for the inner section, and then make some kind of device to keep the picture within then frame (like those little plastic things? I'm not sure yet)

So far I have spent about $65 on materials and $12 on the corner clamp. So assuming that the glass/plexiglass isn't more than $45, it will be worth it! And it only took about 2 weeks... Well pretty good for my first attempt right!

Frame building? Check!

Opportunities

Before I say anything, I want everyone to know that I am 100% committed to returning to school next September to finish my degree in my final 8 months of school, so I can graduate with all my friends, my sister, and ensure that I actually get my degree. It's what I do after that which I'm wondering about.

I can't give much for details, but in essence I've been offered to buy into a company owned by a family friend, and basically co-manage it. I would learn all there is to know between February and September, at which point I would go back to school, finish my degree, and then graduate and... not work as an engineer? Is this an option? Did I go to school for 4 years to do something else almost entirely? It's not like I won't be able to put my computer engineering knowledge to work in other aspects of my life, keep learning and gaining computer related skills, they would/could be relevant for this business, as well as for my paintball one (but that's very hush hush). I could even front the money a few years in the future to start an engineering related company, and then hire a P Engg, and subsequently myself, so that I can get my P Engg, as starting an Engg company was what I meant when I said I wanted to start another company. It would thus bring my number to 3... Yikes.

It doesn't really scare me though, which in turn scares me. I mean, I love working with computers and code and integrated circuits and all of that fun stuff that I signed up to do for a living. But there is so much other stuff I love to do too that I could do for a living. Perhaps that is what has always bothered me, is that while some people have a dream job, be it Professional Swimmer, Electrical Engineer, Furniture Maker, or Porn Star, to name a few, I've always been eager to do one of many jobs, like Teacher, Writer, Actor, Director, etc. And it doesn't come down to choosing one, but rather, finding a way to choose all of them and still have time for myself.

Leastways, I haven't made this decision yet. To clarify for anyone interested, the monetary reasons for either choice are similar, if anything the business has potential to earn me more over time than being an Engineer, but as such it's not like a guaranteed raise. The business is also an established one, it has been operating for more than 10 years and is financially stable. The choice is really just coming down to how I want to live my life.

As per usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or advice, comments please.

What is This Crap?

Well, to answer that question... it's a bit of everything. Perhaps I don't know how to start this, maybe I'm on the edge of a major self breakthrough, or breakdown for that matter. Maybe I just want someone to tell me that I'm insane, or maybe I'm looking at the multiple choice of life and trying to find the best answer, even if they're all right, but in a nutshell... Well I want to do everything.

To even list briefly all of the things I want to do before I'm 30 (because it's a long list) would be excessive, but I'll just make note of a few of the bigger ones.

• Expand my business to the point of autonomy
• Start another business
  
• Write and publish a novel
• Learn how to swim, and subsequently do stuff that requires swimming skills
  
• Obtain my bachelor's degree (and decide if I want to attempt to get my master's)
• Become a Professional Engineer
• Write a song (lyrics and notes)
• Run for Mayor (winning optional)
• Join a band
• Make a video that is shown at the Toronto Film Festival
• Get married and start a family

Like, really? Are these goals realistic? Well there isn't anything impossible in the list, but many of the points contradict each other. For all the good it has done in introducing me to people who have had a huge affect on my life, Engineering actually hinders many of my goals, specifically if I want to become a Professional Engineer. Strangely enough, becoming a P Engg is likely at the biggest risk of getting the axe. I mean, there is so much I can do in those 5 years becoming one. I don't really want to work for someone else for the rest of my life, so it seems silly to get too deeply involved in a career that requires that.

But back to the matter at hand. There is a lot I want to do, and a lot that I haven't even thought of too. I have until September 2010 to get as many of these goals out of the way as possible, and perhaps some others too. If you have suggestions for stuff I should do or learn in my time off, comment with your ideas. They must be moral and legal ideas as well. Aside from that, this blog will update the whole interwebs with my progress in self development and fulfilling these goals, one by one.