I am awesome at computers. This blog you’re reading has become quite a monster. I’ve folded all of my regular site into it except the contact form that no one ever used. Up there to the right is a link for the things I’m planning on doing, a link to the photos I’ve taken or that are about me, a link to the music I’m trying to figure out, and a link to a bunch of links you should like. All of which are wholly contained on this blog. I even made automatic redirects using .htaccess and Apache web server’s built in rewriteEngine to point the old html pages to the new blog pages. But that’s not all! I started with a basic theme provided by WordPress (phoenixBlue if you’re curious) that did not support widgets in the sidebar. Then, I made it widget compatible. So all those things on the right wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for my excellent hacking skills. I also used my CSS skills to make the fonts bigger and the links bold so that even my dad could read this if he knew how to use a computer. I’ve been uploading images from my favorite photo editing software that include all the titles and descriptions in their metadata (in case something goes horribly wrong, I’ll have local backups that way). The NextGEN gallery I installed is the thing that shows them to you. There’s a bug I found and reported about single quotes in imported metadata, though. And, in the image viewer, it didn’t show the title like I wanted it to, so I hacked the php file to include the title and description instead of just the description. I am awesome at computers.

I am making progress on playing piano. Just last night, I looked up the guitar chords for “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Ben Gibbard and in about 10 minutes I learned that song. Including the arpeggiation of the chords, fools. While singing along. I know the exact difference between D and Dmin. If you tell me a root note, I can play any major or minor chord. I could probably play 7th’s even. I am making progress.

I am proficient at working on cars. As you may recall, while driving home from the Carousel Festival, my muffler fell off. I circled around and picked it up. After removing the other piece of the exhaust that was welded to it, I sent it with my dad to a welding place up in Lynnwood to be repaired. He dropped them off and I skillfully installed them this morning. I’m hoping my installation will also fix the incessant rattle that the exhaust used to make as well. I did all of this independent of any assistance, in my driveway, with my tools. I am proficient at working on cars.

I am quickly becoming a svelte individual. 159. That’s right, a 5 in the tens place, not a 6. That’s about 8 excess pounds I’ve removed since I started skating and eating less garbage. I’m aiming for about 150, depending on how things look. I might just bulk up and start playing football instead. (That was sarcasm). The nutrition tracker and exercise tracker on this site have been helpful (iphone app anyone?). Svelte, I tell you.

So, that is how I am still awesome. I’m headed to school now to prepare for a new year, once our contract gets figured out that is. Or once the strike is over, depending on how things work out.