Entries this day: Answers_to_marble_track Applied_for_new_passport Money_meeting Pre_14,000_Party Work best_14,000th_Day_Party_ever!!1 bonus_earthquake bonus_email

Answers to marble track

9:01am Wednesday 23 July 2008 (My 14,000th Day! woo!)

I got a message from someone named Josh after seeing my Marble Track vid(s)

 I honestly have lost my marbles over your marble tracks. They
are a great inspiration and i am seriously considering starting to
make tracks. I have a lot of free time on my hands and i have nothing
to do so i think it will be great.

I was just wondering what you use to make your tracks and if the
materials are easy to buy, also i was wondering if you could explain
to me more about the switches as they didnt really appear clearly in
any of your videos.

Loving the work, so sad you still dont do it,
yours,
Josh.

My reply

Hey Josh

I'm glad you like the marble track!  I'll probably make another track
or more tracks, but for now I've been painting..  (not quite as
exciting, but it takes less room in my little room!)

Yeah, the materials are all easily available; I basically used
popsicle sticks and toothpicks for that track,.. there's a healthy
number of ice cream spoons in there as well.  And there are two wooden
chopsticks too.

When I made my previous marble track, I was in the US, and bought a
box of 1000 popsicle sticks from an art supply store.  Then just some
wood glue to put them together two at a time, bit by bit, day by
day...

I've got some photos of the track in progress so that will give you
some better idea of how I made it and the switches.

http://robnugen.com/images/art/marble_track_2/ just click on the
directories, and click on the pics for larger versions.

and then I have a few pics of my previous track:
http://robnugen.com/images/art/marble_track/ I made it back before the
days of the intarwebs.

The main thing you need is just patience.  People laugh at me because
it took 8 months to do.  Most of that time was *not* spent working on
the track, but doing other stuff while waiting for the glue to dry!  I
just used Elmer's Glue, so it took a bit for each piece to be dry
enough to add the next pieces.

And then just test the track a million times as you're making it.  The
"success rate" on my track was about 80% because I tried not to use
many walls to guide the marbles, and I tried to squeeze tracks through
pretty tight spaces.

I'd love to hear how yours goes!  Or if you have more questions, feel
free to ask.

   - Rob

Applied for new passport

12:20pm Wednesday 23 July 2008 (day 14,000!!)

Just applied for my new passport. I'll leave out the part where I had to rewrite the form after writing my address in kanji the first time and had to rewrite it in good ol' English. I wrote the shit out of it, nearly breaking the pen, which I subsequently swiped. For their 2000 yen fee to change 8100 yen into $75, I figured I was due a pen, especially considering the check was written without any information but the price, so I had to rewrite the information on the check after having just written it on the form. To what end did I pay them 2000 yen? Gah.

But, I shouldn't have to do it again before I'm almost 18,000 days old!

Money meeting

1pm Wednesday 23 July 2008 (day 14,000!)

Had a meeting with Malek and determined what will be my first payment, though it amounts to what he said is a consulting fee of only 150,000 yen for the month, but it's untaxed, and that's fine by me.

We're hopin' to get this product out the door soon and money comin' in so that payment can be augmented and I can be a properly paid employee.

Pre 14,000 Party

4:44pm Wednesday 23 July 2008 (day 14,000!)

I'm happy to have gotten several people asking about my attendance, and RSVPing their attendance. Natalia, Kevin, Maruan, Natty Nat Nat,... woo!

Work

6:10pm Wednesday 23 July 2008 (day 14,000!)

Have gotten a good start on the next phase of programming stuff here. Had a bit of a progress-hiccup with my computer going to the shop, but I'm glad to have my backup computer (purchased from Jason) on hand. Took a second to get it set up, but anyway, we're coding and going.

Have included a page that looks like it's designed to do just what I need to do next, so that should work nicely. I just need to write the database code that goes along with it.

best 14,000th Day Party ever!!1

11:52pm 23 July 2008 (day 14,000)

Best party ever!

I'm really happy that so many people came... First Travis and I were there, with a bunch of empty chairs, and then Ami brought two friends and then a few more people came (detailed below), and I thought we had reached max capacity when in rolled a buncha peeps from ultimate!! Woooo!! Jenny with a G, Doug with a G, Mira with Ellie, plus Luke from outside the city, and Hisa which means knee! They were hot n sweaty after the weekly night game, and fortunately got to sit in front of the air conditioner, so that worked out well.

Earlyish in the evening, Keiko from PB 49 brought me a present as well as her friend Mari, and they sat at the table with Ami's two friends and had a lovely time in Japanese (I imagine). When I narrated my paintings to Keiko and Mari, I found out that Keiko lives super close to me! Wow!

A bit later Maruan with two of his friends arrived: Aika and Jeff (sp), and a bit later lovely Kyoko came to fill out their table.

Natalia had to work late; she came just after Maruan had been wincing until the Dr Sketchy's model was all-but nudely posed on the front stage. She welcomed the good fortune of fleshy eye candy then met everyone and joined the table with Ami and friends.

Natalie had to work even later; she finished out the guest list and arrived before 11pm (as promised by phone today) and I super hugged her sooper hugely! She bought _Two Weeks_ while Natalia bought _Alone on the Alien Highway_. So those are in addition to Ami buying _Heart Center_, Akiko buying _Party_, Rimi starting off the sales on Sunday by buying _Blind Lines_.

I must say, the most comments were received on _Blind Lines_, which quite surprises me, cause it's one of the least imaginative. I wonder why it seems to draw so much attention. It's definitely bold in its orangeness. Could that be it??

I also noted that _Island_ got the most comments in terms of what I agree was artistic in its creation. A lot of people were attracted to that one, which is my favorite of the big pieces. I can totally see why: it's got details and details and details that just keep coming out. Jenny with a G said she liked wondering what I was thinking with the various shapes and curves. She saw a bunch of sea life in its swirls. Natalie liked it best, citiing its detail. Mmmm good to know.

I think Megumi was lookin' at that one pretty closely as well on Sunday.

Doug liked _The Pen Slipped_, but chose to let it stay available for another buyer. I'm glad he likes it, though I wonder if he'd like it more if it was more technically perfect (though it would then need a new name).

Everyone seemed to have a great time, and I certainly did, flitting around the various tables and chatting with peeps and generally having a ball of it all.

And the presents; oh the presents! Ami got me one of the thin new Apple keyboards, which I'm using now to type this entry. It's the big full keyboard, with wire so it's lighter, larger, and needs no batteries. She also got me a set of Japanese study books, geared toward passing the annual Japanese proficiency tests (level 3 and level 2). Hmmmm.

AND, Ami got me a secret, though I know not what, yet.

Everyone rolled home around last train, and I got some bonus hugs from Mari after I noted that her hugs were quite huggy compared to most I-met-you-today hugs. Natalie was last to leave; we got some bonus minutes together walking to the Tokyu Toyoko line with PB's boarding limit on my brain, and Ami's new shoes keeping her lagging behind us. Natalie made her train, and then I went back to get Ami. We made Natalie's train as well! So some extra bonus minutes with Natalie as we rolled home to Kosugi singing "don'tcha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?" and me-n-Ami おりました in Kosugi and waved waved waved to Natalie on toward Yokohama and home.

bonus earthquake

12:15am 24 July 2008 (day 14,001)

AND, on the way home from Hirama, with ice cream in hand, I suddenly heard the nearby building squeak. I stopped in time to feel the ground wiggling a bit. Whooohooo!! My first noticable outdoor earthquake!

And this was just after Travis had been telling me Tokyo has massive stockpiles of food and provisions in case of a natural disaster. Whoohooo! I needn't worry about such preparations!

bonus email

12:45am 24 July 2008 (day 14,001)

Hey Rob-

Its Katherine ____ from Emerson's YRUU.  I just wanted to let you know
that my students have become utterly obsessed with silent football.
Last week I had over half my class missing and couldn't teach new
material, so I taught them silent football (with a few minor adaptions
to make it classroom appropriate) and they LOVE it!!  I had forgotten
the beauty of Silent Football, and it brought to mind many a fond
memory!

Ms. ____
Physics and Math Teacher

- - - -

Katherine!

That's fantastic!  I'm glad you were able to dip into a fond memory
for use as a classroom resource!  Congratulations on that.  What age
are your students?  Havest thou pictures?

Thanks for getting in touch; I'm glad you're well!

Today I celebrated my 14,000th day, which happened to be during the
month that I've got some paintings on exhibit at a local chillified
restaurant/bar here in Tokyo (so I had my 14,000th day party at that
restaurant).  http://robnugen.com/wiki/.

I, for one, had a particularly nice time.  Your email is a lovely
super bonus for my special day!  Thank you!

   Love and Light
    - Rob!