DISCLAIMER: Expressed views on this blog are my own.
Last time I posted was in March? Man, I need to post a little more often...
My curiosity is still insatiable as well as my need to think about things. I feel torn apart at times when I want to learn this and that, but also want to DO this and that. Ask me today what I would like to do and they are things that I've always had in mind, but don't bother to allocate the time to it.
Let's take, one of my defunct projects, Celice and say there was a need for it in my mind since the javascript game engine space was niche (and still is). I should have allocated time to it since I was intensely focused on wanting to build a map with simple (not really) collision detection and eventually add more things to it. There is a new game engine in town and I really feel that it is what Celice could have been, which is why I defunct'ed it.
I have a comment system I want to build, but haven't allocated the time to it. :( I will in 2016 definitely though I hope it does not conflict with my responsibilities/contract at work.
Dark Gale really pushed my HTML/Javascript/CSS skills over the edge. Imagine being able to go from blank page to javascript filled madness and you know it is crazy. For HTML templates, I like loading them via ajax and storing the string. Reusing html elements is important since creating is expensive, so I like to think in terms of pools of elements instead. When it comes to updating that element or elements, I use classes all the time, so I can style the elements and update the data. There were different places where the character attributes could be displayed and updating all of them was required. I didn't want to use a framework such as Angular, or some other expensive library. I wanted an easy way to change things when the model was updated. Today we have React by Facebook that follows what I had accomplished. I haven't used React, but the concepts are the important thing. There are many things that I learned from Dark Gale that stay with me today, so even though it is defunct today it was a great project. It is the kind of experience that you would never get on the job.
Back on topic, well this year I found a new job and live in SF Bay Area, which is a place I never thought I would live in. I am in tech, but honestly just doesn't seem to be my kind of place. Everything is expensive though utilities.. not so much. I think the cost of everything is tied down to the cost of rent. Rent is more than bloated... demand outstrips supply? It is ridiculous. These prices have to fall at some point because everyone is going to be homeless if the rate of appreciation rises. I don't know why people want to live here because I don't. As soon as I find a way to work remote, I will definitely take it and live somewhere cheaper.
2015 has been the year of work, but on the flip side I got my driver's license and a new car. I drove my car from LA to SF about a month after I took and passed the test. Yeah, people say this and that... blah blah blah I take advantage of my time and opportunity. I had the time to drive around and get more confidence in my skills after the test and quitting my job soon afterward, so I took that opportunity from time to time to do so therefore had the confidence to drive 300 miles north. Parking on street in LA is a *****, which is why I didn't practice as much as I would have wanted. Think about it this way, just getting into my car and someone is already waiting to take the space. California has some issues to work out I think, which is why I would say avoid living in the city.
So what's next? Obviously work my a** off to get promoted. It's about time I got one because my skills far surpass a Software Engineer I at this point. I guess switching jobs twice within 2 years span is pretty detrimental to that, but circumstances circumstances pushed me to that. I haven't been to interested in doing anything else as a result.. That's why I have a list of interests, so I can remind myself what I want to do. The one thing I'd like to do most is get a Private Pilot's license and so I want to attempt to pursue it within the next 5 years. It costs quite a bit to get it and with my paycheck coming in bi-monthly and rent and loans pretty much eating it up, it isn't easy for me to obtain. Maybe there will be a breakthrough of some sort where I can just learn to fly. Maybe learn to drive a boat and swim while I'm at it.
When it comes to social life? Do I desire to stare at people all day and talk about stuff? I tire of it quickly (My eyes get tired of shifting that I start staring at things uncontrollably). Sure, once in a while it is nice, but continuously just bores me as I can't/don't want to waste my energy on regurgitating my day or expressing myself. More times than not, I just want to do things and say nothing. Expressing myself about the thing I'm doing is always nice of course. I like to stay detached from people and people will just have to accept that fact. If you are hurt? *shrug* Look for someone else who fulfills that part of you.
Anywho, it's time to create an ssh key (why haven't I done this yet) instead of using a password for my servers now and also set one up to receive my email since MS and Google don't offer free mail for new domains anymore. Why rely on a third party anyway? Maybe time to start creating scripts to auto add an IP to my user but first I'll look into MySQL SSH tunnel.
