Arduino 2.....

Tonight, under Tim's tutelage, I built my first Arduino-based project!! Using a shift register we put together a device that would count from 0 to 255 and eight LEDs would flash in binary sequence. Following a map of instructions I put in the LEDs, resistors and a series of other connections that now I cannot remember. :) Next I wrote the code to tell the Arduino in what sequence to turn the LEDs on and off. In the end I didn't have any errors in the code and only one incorrect resistor (it's corresponding LED would not light because of this). Pretty good for my second lesson in this new language. :)

Zombie Washer......

I hate that I have to add another chapter to what is becoming the ongoing washer/dryer debacle at our place. Sigh. Sigh. Several weeks ago our washer/dryer decided to continue drying until the end of time. In essence it cooked and burned two of our bath towels. Not okay. After that we contacted Wingrove Appliances to schedule a time when they could come and look at the machine. In the meantime I continued to wash and dry clothes while watching the machine carefully to make sure they weren't over-dried. After a week or so the repairman was able to come over and requested that I be there to answer any questions he might have. Note that after talking with them on the phone multiple times I realized that they thought we didn't understand how to use our machine properly. Thanks guys, I've been using this machine for over a year without problems - I'm sure the issue is me. Sigh. So I chatted with the repairman as he pulled the machine out of it's home in the kitchen while simultaneously knocking the box of laundry detergent on the floor. This scattered detergent all over but didn't seem to bother him. Great. During the conversation where we determined that the machine had a faulty switch he called me "mate" no fewer than twenty times. :) He pushed the machine back into place over the pile of spilled laundry detergent. I know, she'll be right.

Next, I explicitly asked if I could continue using the machine on settings that were not related to the faulty switch (as I had been doing with great success). He said no problem and would arrange to order the part and install it. Wonderful, right? That night when I got home from work I put a load in and started the machine same as always. About twenty minutes later it clicked off like it does at the end of the complete wash/dry cycle. Initially I was optimistic that if I turned the machine 'off' at the wall and restarted it that some miracle might happen and all would be well. The first task was to pull the machine out from it's cubby hole. This is not an issue except when it is full of water. Several minutes of struggling and sweating and walking it back and forth an inch at a time I was able to get to the switch on the wall behind the machine. Alas, that didn't work at all so I proceeded to scratch my head while reading the "Troubleshooting" section of the manual and trying various combinations of  button pushes. But all of this was for naught and I was out of ideas. So I was faced with a front loading drum full of water and clothes. For some reason the door wasn't locked so I figured I should bite the bullet, open the door and deal with the water as best I could. It was this or wait for the repairman to come back and make a mess like he did the last time the machine decided to stop working. I WAS NOT going to do that again.

I began by piling all of our extra kitchen and bath towels around and under the front edge of the machine (no easy task with the extra water weight). The moment had arrived when I opened the door slowly and water began to pour out. I shut it quickly and readjusted some of the towels to make a moat of sorts to catch the deluge. My heart sunk as more and more water poured out. Then I took one of our clothes drying racks and wrestled it into our shower (stall not full bath surround) and creatively half set it up. I figured I would wring out the clothes as best I could and then leave all the stuff hanging in there. Each garment was sopping wet, of course, so I'd give it a cursory wring while still in the machine and they hop around the corner to wring it out in the bottom of the shower and hang on the drying rack. This took at least an hour and actually made me glad, for the first time ever, that our machine isn't any bigger than it is. More frustrated than ever I then set to work mopping up the water from the floor. This took another hour to make sure that I got all of it from around and under the machine as well as wringing out all the towels in the shower. After all this I still had a washer drum that was full of water so I grabbed the smallest Tupperware container we have and bailed water out into a larger container, filled and emptied it three times and mopped up the remaining water in the drum. SIGH. I can't tell you how annoyed I was after all of that. I pushed the machine, so much lighter now, back into place and had to sit down and take some deep breaths.

The next day I contacted Wingrove Appliances about this latest misadventure only to get voicemail and, imagine that, no response because it was Friday afternoon. Like many NZ businesses Wingrove Appliances isn't open on the weekends. I called again when Monday rolled around. In the meantime I requested the use of a machine in another unit so we could attempt to catch up on laundry yet again.

When I spoke to Wingrove Appliances on that Monday I was condescended to because they claimed that the repairman didn't tell me that I could use the machine. I was livid as I told them that if I had known that I couldn't use the machine I wouldn't have touched it. That is why I asked specifically about using while they were ordering the part.

This past week the part was replaced and I've been doing laundry ever since. So far so good. I relayed how poorly Wingrove Appliances had treated us to our property management and asked that they deal with them in future matters. OMG. I sincerely hope we are at the end of our issues with this machine! If I had my way it would be replaced (as it should be) and I would be allowed to chop it into a million pieces. All this drama for a machine that doesn't even do a very good job of cleaning clothes, towels and sheets. I'm dreaming of the day when we have a real washer and dryer (separate machines that work). I know, dream big, right?!

A bizarre aside in all of this was that the day when the machine was fixed we came home to find a jam smear on the kitchen counter. Neither of us did this - we left the kitchen clean before we went to school that morning. What's more is that we found a big dent in our kitchen trash can. So what do these things mean? My thought is that the repairman helped himself to a peanut and jam sandwich and, for some reason, he got really mad and kicked the trash can. Who are these people??

They Might Be Giants.....

A couple months ago Tim and I saw a poster advertising an up and coming show for They Might Be Giants. As fans of their eclectic and truly bizarre style of music we decided to get tickets.

We arrived early because we can't help it and even if you arrive late in Kiwiland you will probably still beat the crowd. Surprisingly you could actually walk right up to the stage so we were able to stand ridiculously close to the action. As the place started to fill up the temperature began to climb. Before They Might Be Giants started we had already shucked our sweaters which we stuffed into my purse. I rooted around in my overflowing bag for a ponytail holder only to come up empty. This does not happen - I usually have five or six rolling around the bottom of any handbag I carry around. What I did find was a single bobby pin. Immediately I dismissed it since I didn't have a ponytail holder to corral my hair. That only lasted a few minutes as more and more bodies packed into the place. Searching again for the bobby pin now I couldn't find it! Determined I kept on until I found it. I'm no goddess of hair design but somehow I managed to tie up all of my hair with one bobby pin!! I have to say it really made all the difference in world because the place only got steamer (bleh...) as the show progressed.

The moment arrived, after an absurd number of sound checks, double checks and triple checks on all the equipment, They Might Be Giants took the stage!! Now unless you've heard their music there is no way to describe it. But let's just say that the show was amazing - you can't go wrong with a grimacing drummer who won't stop, ridiculous electric guitar and bass solos as well as a guy playing the accordion. They played many of the classics like Istanbul (Not Constantinople), Particle Man, Birdhouse in Your Soul and The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas mixed with newer material from their newly released album Nanobots. So. Good.

And you know what I noticed more than anything else about this concert?? There were exponentially more nerds in the audience than those at Nerdnite. :) Needless to say we felt quite at home.

 

Nerdnite....

Everyone knows that Tim and I are nerds. We even confirm the stereotype that nerds wear glasses and like comic books. We also love school and seem to be attending indefinitely. Only people who truly love it would spend so many years pulling in relatively little income to conduct research, read articles and write manuscripts.

With that said we got wind of something designed especially for nerds right here in Wellington: Nerdnite. We weren't sure what to expect but decided to venture out this past Monday to Hotel Bristol (a bar, because nerds like to have a drink just like everyone else) to see what this was all about.

It turned out that Nerdnite is quite popular as the house was already packed when we arrived (a few minutes early). And, mind you, this says something as Kiwis are not the most punctual bunch. We squeezed in towards the front and waited for the three talks to begin.

The first was a structural engineer who specializes in a type of construction called Post-Tensioned Timber. In short, this setup allows a building some 'give' when an earthquake occurs - it can move from side to side with less damage than might be sustained from traditional concrete foundational supports. The difference is that cables stretch throughout the building allowing it to move and then return to 'center'. As you might imagine this is highly applicable for NZ as we have many earthquakes each year. I found the talk interesting and the concept elegant in that this type of construction isn't necessarily cutting edge. I mean you're using post-tensioned wood to construct portions of buildings. Hopefully, this catches on here in Kiwiland.

The second talk gave a glimpse into the cycling trip of a guy who decided to ride solo over the Andes Mountains. It wasn't what I would expect for a 'nerd' topic but I think he made a really good point. That is, we dream about taking extended trips to faraway places all around the globe but we forget that there are 'micro-adventures' to be had right in our own backyard. So he encouraged people to capitalize on the time when you're not working (5pm - 9am) and try something new. I think this is something we're learning since coming to NZ - we've traveled half way around the globe but are still finding new and exciting things to do right in the city.

The last speaker didn't really give a talk but instead tackled the task of building an Arduino board in twenty minutes. They had rigged up a camera so you could see as he put the components together. He was able to build it and use a simple program to turn on an LED and then to make it flash on and off. While I've never built any type of electronics it was interesting to see how he each component played an integral role in the end result (illuminating the LED). After seeing this we agreed that we would build something with the Arduino board that Tim brought along from the US (see below).

A few days later we tried building something together for the first time. I had to smile because today, coincidentally, I had my first tutorial on using/writing/programming with Med PC (a system that runs our equipment in the lab). After seeing the code for Med PC I could immediately see similarities in the language commands that we used to write a little program for our Arduino 'music player'. After wiring up the components we typed up the code and were able to play the tones that made up Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I realized two things after doing this: 1) I can build and program simple electronic systems! and 2) it gave me a new appreciation for the complexity and sophistication of modern day electronics.

Yay nerds! I know other people think we're insane but I wouldn't have it any other way.

E-brake abuse....

I know we've been slowing down on the blog but I want to get back into writing about the little, day to day, things that I notice. So this is something we noticed as soon as we arrived. Okay, in your car you have an emergency brake, right? It will be no surprise to you that cars in NZ also have e-brakes. The difference lies in how people use them. We see this situation all the time where cars will come to a stop at a light and you will hear the distinctive 'pop' of the e-brake being engaged. At first we thought nothing of it until we realized that most people are doing this at every stop light. Mind you we observe this for manual and automatic as well as for vehicles waiting on a hill or not. Yeah. I'm assuming that this is something that parents do and their kids pick up on it and start doing it when they learn to drive. Before now I've never seen such flagrant abuse of the e-brake. Why would you need to set it for ten seconds while you wait for a light? It boggles my mind. I have delicately asked my Kiwi friends about this, because I'd like to understand, but they just shrug and say they've never thought about it, it's just what they do. They are also shocked to find out that we don't engage the e-brake when we park a car. We responded that you don't need to unless you are on a hill or if you have a manual transmission and you want to make sure that the car isn't going anywhere. I guess it's just one of those things that differs for no apparent reason. So if you drive in NZ and have the desire to overuse the e-brake - you'll be in good company. :)

The Big 3-0....

Not too long ago I crossed over from my twenties into my thirties. I don't believe in the BS that causes people to worry about getting older especially when milestone birthdays roll around. At the same time I was wondering if I would feel any different because people really do make a big deal about turning 30. In short, I don't feel any different and in truth I haven't noticed a difference ever since I turned 25. For some reason that one felt a little more 'adult-like' than previous ones. :)

On the day I had the pleasure of staying up late the night before because I love being a night owl and a colleague gave me the gift of running my experiment so I didn't have to climb the hill and spend three hours collecting data. I'm back to the seven-days-a-week data collection - hooray! 

In the morning we slept in late and then Tim had one surprise after another. He kept asking me if there were treats (candy) that I would have if we were back in the US. After mentioning Starbursts and Hot Tamales he produced both from some tucked away stash of birthday gifts. :)

Later we were talking about the hobbies that we would like to pursue while we're here in NZ and I mentioned that I wanted to spend more time practicing my ukulele. He bought it for me for my birthday last year and I've been teaching myself, slowly but surely. What he did next brought tears to my eyes because it was so thoughtful. He said, "Well, honey, it might help if you had a strap for your ukulele" and produced a little strap especially designed for my tiny instrument. Like he said I had wanted to fit it with a strap so I could more easily hold it and have correct finger placement on the strings to produce different chords. He hears everything that I say and remembers the things that will encourage and help me to pursue my goals. :)

Tim then whisked me out to get a chai latte from Starbucks - I cannot get enough of them. Then, in true sneaky Tim style, he said he had to go to the bathroom but I should order our drinks. I didn't think anything of it until he found me browsing in the bookstore next door. He had a cake box in his hands and a classic smirk on his face. :) Chocolate cake with buttercream frosting!

We took the cake home and were talking about the fact that I want to learn how to play the piano. I recently learned that he wants to do the same and so we spent part of the afternoon looking at pianos and keyboards! I was shocked to find that, if we decide to pursue this, it would be financially possible  (since so many items are ridiculously priced here in NZ). We're carefully looking at the budget but I think we'll be able to purchase a reasonably priced digital piano that is slim enough to fit in our little apartment. Needless to say I was tickled pink to be out with Tim looking into this shared interest of ours. :) 

The day was absolutely gorgeous and Tim told me later that he had ordered it special for my big day. :) We spent some time walking around and stopped in at a Belgium restaurant called Leuven. We had the most delicious chicken stuffed pancakes with a selection of croquettes on the side. Talk about your comfort food. 

Later when we were home I opened gifts that had been mailed from family in Canada - with such expensive clothing here I was delighted to find several tops, scarves and some cool jewelry. :) Next had me close my eyes as he dug out a present that was carefully hidden in the closet. I wasn't sure what to think at first when I laid eyes on a black tube about two feet long. I wondered if it was a print - we had been discussing what art we would like to put up on the walls so this seemed logical.

I opened the end of the tube and peered in to see the end of a sunshine yellow umbrella! I had been meaning to buy one ever since we arrived here last year but I was always hesitant because Wellington is famous for it's extreme, almost constant wind. I've been weighing the pros and cons of getting one all this time and had decided that it was time. Leave it to Timmy to do the research and find an umbrella that was specially designed for Windy Welly!! It's hard to explain but this may be the best umbrella ever made with reinforced spines to make it extra strong. Since my birthday I've used it several times, we are going into 'winter', and it is amazing!! I feel like I have a fighting chance to stay dry despite the rain - you don't know how much of a relief this is when you have to walk everywhere for everything. :) So just like Tim is amazing at listening and remembering what I say he's also incredible at finding stellar products that really do the job. He is the most thoughtful person I know. :)

Soon after we headed out for dinner at The Fork & Brewer - a cool, upstairs bar/brewery with restaurant and balcony seating. I had the opportunity to try a new cider, a new found passion since we arrived in Wellington last year, that was brewed right there at the restaurant. You have to understand what a novelty it is to have a tap beverage when you don't ever drink beer. I've become so used to the fact that I order a cocktail or something premade in a bottle (Mike's hard lemonade). A year later this is still fun to be able to order something and say 'on tap'. :)

For dinner we ordered the grilled halloumi for me and a burger for Tim. I had never tried halloumi before we moved to NZ and for those that are wondering it is a salty, dense cheese that is grilled and served on bread, toast, garlic bread, or on a sandwich as a vegetarian option. Both dishes were delicious and yet we were unable to resist the dessert doughnuts. I'd say they were the best part of the meal and like no other doughnuts I've ever tried. They were made with a chocolate batter base and drizzled with more chocolate, sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with a side of cream. Because, you know, everything is better with cream. It must be a NZ past time because you see if everywhere. When you order a dessert they'll ask you whether you want yogurt or cream on the side. I can't say that I order the yogurt much. :)

In the end we had a great day and I learned that my birthday would continue beyond the day. Tim is taking me to the next opera that is coming to Wellington - The Flying Dutchman!!! Again, this is something I've always wanted to do and now we have put this into the schedule. I cannot wait to see what it's like - I'm sure it will be amazing!!! And that's Timmy - he continually finds ways to surprise me whether it's some small like a type of candy that I like or taking me to the opera because I've always wanted to go. More than anything I couldn't be happier to be embarking into my 30s with my partner in crime - I'm the luckiest woman on the planet! :) True story.

Australian Rules Football.....

Okay, if you read my post about netball and thought that was strange then get ready for another jaunt into bizarre sports. Australian Rules Football. A few weeks ago we had the chance to see two Australian teams, the Sydney Swans and the St. Kilda Saints battle it out at our very own Westpac Stadium here in Wellington. Naturally curious we bought tickets and met up with our friend, Phil, to take in the game. Arriving at Westpac we first noticed that the field is completely different from what you would see in rugby (similar to American football). This AFL setup was basically a HUGE oval flanked by goal posts with no cross beams. Instead of two goal posts there were four so if a player kicked the ball through the middle two (the tallest of the group) you would gain more points than if you kicked it through on one of the sides.

 

The differences didn't end there. So in rugby you have thirty players on the field at one time (15 per team) but in AFL each team has 18! Yeah, it looked like total chaos out there at all times during the game. So the goal, as you can imagine is to kick the ball  through the uprights at the ends of the field. When a player kicks the ball through, the goal officials wave either one or two white flags in a bizarre, choreographed motion to signal where the ball passed the uprights (middle or sides and points are awarded accordingly). That way everyone, regardless of where you are seated, can see what has happened at the other end of the field.

Players move the ball by passing, running or kicking it. What happens when the ball goes out of bounds? One of the officials stands on the sideline where the ball exited the field and, I kid you not, he turns around with his back to the field and players and proceeds to chuck the ball backwards into the scramble of players.

To start the game or second half, in the middle of the field the players line up to get at the ball and one of the officials bounces the ball as hard as he can straight up in the air. When this happens  he gets out of the way and the players fight get at the ball.

 

In the end it was interesting to see such a different game from anything we know. I'm planning on spending some time in Melbourne next year to visit a lab and complete some of the molecular analysis for my project. After seeing this game it makes me wonder if people will invite me to AFL when I'm there. :) We'll see.

Book love....

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.