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Sunday, the 30th of June, 2002

Saturday, the 29th of June, 2002

Friday, the 28th of June, 2002

This is what space travel ought to look like.

Thursday, the 27th of June, 2002

Milestone!

Houdini generated its first working REALbasic app about twenty minutes ago.

I signed on at REAL Software fourteen months ago specifically to develop this compiler. Today I've driven the wire through, from beginning to end, turning a project file into a finished, running application.

The compiler is fleshed out and waiting to go. We've been using it as a plug-in scripting engine along the way, so users have been running my compiler (probably without knowing it!) for around nine months now. It's solid, stable, and has plenty of room to grow.

I have been dreaming of this moment for seven years. Ask me about Object Basic sometime, if you want the story. This project, the object-oriented Basic compiler, is the star my entire career has orbited.

In a piece of synchronicity, the final chorus of VNV Nation's "Genesis" was pouring out of my speakers at the exact moment my little Hello World came to life.

Here's another sample from the ongoing tattoo project. I imagine the shaded areas might be rendered as contrasting colours. This is from a different series to the last one, so the only common element is the central flame, and even that I may redraw. Its solid contrast definitely draws your eye to the center, but it feels a little harsh. Still, I like the way this is going. A really glittery compass rose looks a bit like a star, which I suppose is appropriate given the traditional use of stars in navigation. This links back to the fire motif; heat and energy, exploration and discovery.

Sunday, the 23rd of June, 2002

Saturday, the 22nd of June, 2002

After several dozen iterations my compass rose designs are starting to diverge in some interesting ways. I'm borrowing liberally from old maps and have been experimenting with other symbols. I would like to use some colour, but right now I'm more concerned with form and layout.

This design is a bit "lo-fi" in order to look good at small sizes. I'm not sure yet how dramatic an effect I'm looking for, so I'm working on designs with different levels of detail. The flame is nice and robust, but the central circle is still a little emptier than I had in mind. Still, I'm happy with the way this is going - this design looks like something I wouldn't mind wearing.

Friday, the 21st of June, 2002

Wednesday, the 19th of June, 2002

I finished this project a couple of weeks ago, but didn't think to photograph the results. This is a pair of "stompy" rivet-girl boots I made for Kelly. Ingredients were a cheap pair of second hand platform boots and a few spools of 16-gauge galvanized steel wire. Each boot has a toe cap and a heel guard made of 6 in 1 pattern mail. This feels solid and looks dense, though construction is fairly time consuming. The metal should be able to stand up to some abuse, but it is really just for looks.

This is the largest chain-mail project I've undertaken so far. I discovered by the time I finished the first heel guard that the techniques I've been using would not hold up for a larger project - I developed a blister on my right ring finger that took almost two weeks to heal. Thus I ended up making a ring-cutting tool by filing down the lower jaw of a pair of metal shears. This gives a lot more leverage than the wire cutters I had been using and lets me slice rings almost without having to work at it. The resulting rings are split farther open than with the wire cutters, so I have to twist them back into shape, but it's still less work overall.

Tuesday, the 18th of June, 2002

Monday, the 17th of June, 2002

Sunday, the 16th of June, 2002

Wednesday, the 12th of June, 2002

Tuesday, the 11th of June, 2002

Todd at Guitar Center was most helpful. I once again have a working MIDI keyboard. Guitar Center's 30-day replacement warranty expired a month or two ago, but he decided to crack open a box and give me a new unit anyway. I took it home, plugged it in, hit a few keys, and sure enough everything works.

I've lost the creative inertia I'd built up when I first got the keyboard, but I doubt it will take too long to get back into it. I have a couple of pieces to finish and a few faint scratchings of melody to sequence.

Monday, the 10th of June, 2002

Saturday, the 1st of June, 2002

My legs ache, my back hurts, my eyes are a little sun-blind, and I need a shower. The fire troupe just arrived and the first guests will show up in an hour. Thanks to several hours of my family's efforts, the decorations are nearly finished and the preparations mostly made. Andrea is doing Kelly's makeup while Kelly burns the CDs we're giving away as party-favours. About all that's left is to scatter bags of rose petals all over the deck, tables, and planterboxes, light all the candles and torches, and stuff the CD liner sheets into the jewel cases.

Oh, and I should probably put on something nicer than jeans.

One year after we got back together, Kelly and I are getting married again.

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