My New Box of Crayons

Okay, I don't really have a new box of crayons, but I do have my first ever "art" class. It's called "GRTC 3353 Visual Communications Technology" and I wish I was having it in a not-so-busy semester because I think it's going to be fun. (I also think that I do NOT have really good instincts when it comes to graphics design, so I definitely can use the help!)

Our first assignment is to create 5 different "invitations". Now these are expected to be "amateurish" since we haven't had any training yet. They will be what we measure ourselves against at the end of the semester to see how well we've done, and how much we've improved. Would you like to see my "before" images? Check next to them to see what the assignment was. Also, click on them to see them in a larger size.

1. WEDDING INVITATION
The couple: young, sophisticated, wealthy, upscale
Clients: Daughter’s and grooms parents, who are among New York’s elite
Text: A wonderful day in our lives is drawing near. We would be honored and happy if you would share the joy of this union before God. Our daughter Katy and son Julian will be united in marriage on Saturday, the twenty-fourth of June two thousand and twenty at one o’clock in the afternoon / Saint Francis Church / South Hampton, New York / A reception will be held at 775 Rosewood, South Hampton / Mr and Mrs. Edward Roberts and Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Palmer

2. COLLEGE GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENT
The student: 21 years old male; college student; football player
Clients: student’s parents, middle class; both parents work
Text: Please join us as we celebrate Mark’s Graduation from the University of Houston, College of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Technology Leadership and Supervision on Saturday, the fifteenth of May at seven o’clock The Blue Room, The Hilton Hotel, 2343 Saddlers Way, Sugar Land/ Linda and Steven Johnson

3. 50TH BIRTHDAY SURPRISE PARTY INVITATION
The Birthday Person: energetic woman; lawyer; not shy about her age
Client: Birthday girl’s best friend
Text: The years just flew and before she knew it she's 5 decades old and accustomed to it! Help us celebrate Karen Green’s 50th Birthday and a lifetime of good friendship on October 15th at 7:30 PM / West Grove, Stafford, TX/ R.S.V.P. to Mary Anne 713-555-5555

4. BABY SHOWER INVITATION
Who: 28 years old expecting mother, who is interior designer. The woman is expecting a boy.
Client: A 39 years old co-worker
Text: Diapers and Bibs Bottles and more that’s what Baby Showers are for! In honor of Cynthia and her baby boy/ Friday, February 28, 2020 at 7:30 PM / 222 Sea Drive, Galveston R.S.V.P. to Tina 281-888-8888

5. SUPERBOWL PARTY INVITATION
Client: 36 years old football fan; middle class
Text: It’s a Super Bowl Party! Come cheer for your favorite team. There will be bowls of chips, bowls of dips, bowls of candy/ Sunday, January 28, 2030 / 897 Garden Avenue, Houston, Texas

10 Hours and Counting

I was SO upset when I got to class this morning to find that my instructor was in London and class was cancelled! I wanted to go home this weekend. I NEEDED to go home. After sending Leo on his way home without me, I went to the campus early so I could look over the book and get settled in, so it was 1-1/2 hours later, when class was supposed to begin, that I found out I could've gone home (or Leo could've stayed).

Anyway, once I figured out everything was messed up anyway, I walked over to the library and got settled in for the day. The "last call" was just given, and we've all been run out of the library now. But there's an area just outside the library doors, where the food court is, where we are allowed to stay for as long as we want, so, 11 hours after I arrived on campus this morning, I'm all settled in for a little more work.

I've been asked on more than one occasion recently whether "it is worth it". All these goofy long hours with my nose in books, my fingers pounding away on the keyboard, and my husband far away at home, I have to wonder too. On days like this, I could probably talk myself right out of finishing this course of action.

Oh well, enough dreaming. I'm knee deep in a book called "Engineering Documentation Control Practices and Procedures" where I'm learning all about Configuration Management Systems, which is the topic (I think) of my Senior Project. When I'm done with that one, the next book on my stack is called "Computer-Aided Facilities Planning", and I'm hoping to get a different perspective on the problem from that one. I can't give up and go "home" to Galena Park because there is no computer access there. So, if I really want to get a little further along on my homework, I guess I'm here for a while longer.

Sweetie (note: there are a whole LOT of people who qualify for the "sweetie" status in my book...Leo, Rebecca, Michelle, Rachael, Madison, Mason, you get the picture)...when you read this just know that I miss you lots and can't wait to see you again soon!

City Life, Country Life

With my recent decision to commute from home to work, I've had a little time to examine the two lives that I live and make a comparison between them. On the one hand, I've been living "inside the loop" in Houston, which keeps me in the most populated region in the state. On the other hand, I live in a community located six miles north of Port Lavaca, on a waterfront property in the country. Here are some of my comparisons: 1. High Beams. The first time I took a trip home to the country after a long stay in the city I realized that inner loop folks don't know where their high-beams are as they never have any occasion to use them. It took me a few minutes to locate mine on the way home. Living in the country you MUST use your high-beams if you want to avoid impaling critters on your front bumper! 2. Stars. I had absolutely forgotten about the fact that there are stars in the country. I nearly froze to death when I decided to open the sunroof in order to look at the incredible stars on a beautiful cold night on a recent drive home. 3. Puppy Poop. Even after a full year of being an inner looper, I cannot get over the fact that people in Houston walk around picking up doggy doo every day. The first time I noticed the prim and proper in my neighborhood walking around picking up the droppings from their little jewels, my jaw dropped. Just so you city folks know, we in the country would NEVER stoop so low as to have to pick up dog droppings...it's just not right! 4. Noise levels. If you decide to come and visit me in the country sometime, you may have trouble sleeping at night because it is so very quiet. Absolutely no sirens, car alarms, rumbling trucks, honking horns, stomping upstairs neighbors, or loud music will keep you awake. The occasional hoot owl might be a bit disconcerting however. 5. Convenience shopping. Finally, here's one in favor of the city life. When living in the city, I never have to worry about planning a shopping trip. Anywhere I go, at anytime of the day or night, I'm going to pass the grocery store, bank, post office, movie theatre, and an unbelievable variety of fast food restaurants on the way. Why would I every have to plan a shopping trip? In the country, however, a trip to town is a major event. I first have to decide whether the six mile drive to Port Lavaca will get me to a store that will have what I need, or whether the really BIG trip to Victoria (28 miles) is warranted. I have to make sure I have my list (because I won't be going again anytime soon), and that I have checked to make sure the store is going to be open when I need it. "Going to town" in the country can be a major event and requires planning in order for it to be executed properly! 6. Diversity. Another bonus for the city life is my exposure to the cultural and social diversity that makes life so interesting. In my country home, everyone I meet seems to be cut from a very narrow sliver of lifestyles. We have a large hispanic population in our area (including my husband Leo!), and a small slice of Taiwanese and Vietnamese in the area, although they do not tend to frequent the same places we do. I LOVE the diversity that can be found in all of my classes at the University of Houston, and miss that incredible mixture of people and cultures when I am at home in the country. I'm getting sleepy now, thinking about my 2.5 hour drive back to the city in the morning, so I'm going to bring my list to a close. Look for additional items soon, however, as I'm guessing that my new incredibly long commute is going to present plenty of opportunity for me to work on adding to this list in the near future.