Weblog

As you can see, I have finally gotten around to posting all of the photos I took over winter break. The vast majority of them were actually taken on my way home - an ice storm rendered a good chunk of western Nebraska in stunning condition, as ice clung to the trees despite the sunshine and clear blue skies. The sunset in Colorado was also beautiful, as most of the state had just been hit with a good deal of snow. There are also some miscellaneous pictures of my dog and my family, and finally some photos from my visit to a winery in Canon City, not far from Colorado Springs.

I also started classes again today - fun stuff. Only one semester to go! However, I do have quite a bit to look forward to. In June, I will be visiting Australia and New Zealand, for a period of three whole weeks. Then, on the 16th of July, I will be starting work for IBM. Orientation will be held in Washington D.C. Needless to say, I am quite excited for graduation in May.

Well, finals are over, papers are written, and the semester is over! I could hardly be more happy. I am staying in Lincoln next week for work, but I shall be headed home to Colorado on the 23rd, where I shall remain for two whole weeks. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest.

I did decide, however, that I needed to get out of Lincoln for a bit, just to get away, and also to take some pictures. After all, it was a good excuse to break in my two new lenses, the EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, and the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM. The 17-85mm lens replaces the kit lens that came with the camera, which I sold on eBay. The 50mm is an upgrade from an older (and cheaper) 50mm f/1.8 lens. Overall, I am impressed with the lenses, and also with Canon's image stabilization abilities. Hopefully I'll be able to get a new zoom lens in the future with it as well.

Anyhow, getting back to the pictures, you will find them below. After my jaunt to Nebraska City, I went to Omaha for Mark Antonson's graduation party, and as I had some time on my hands before the party started, I took some nifty pictures of Christmas lights.

Well, seeing as how I haven't posted on here in nearly a month, it's probably time for an update. First of all, I have accepted a job with IBM Global Services. I will be starting next July. I had two other offers on the table as well, and deciding between them wasn't easy. But, I think that I made a good decision, and I am happy with it, and it feels good to know that I have somewhere to go when I graduate.

And what will I be doing between graduation on May 5th and July, you ask? Well, I have already been asked to be in two weddings - Tracy's and Matthew's. Congrats to both of you! Second, I am planning on going on a nice little vacation in June. The current possibilities include Australia/New Zealand and Brazil, though I am leaning towards the first. After all, it will be a long time before I will be able to take that much vacation. Plus, I think that after five years of college, including going straight for a year, a summer, and another year, I deserve a break.

And after my little jaunt, I'll be starting my job (based in Denver), which will require me to travel around the country. In Global Services, as an "IT Specialist," I will be working with client organizations to develop IT-oriented business solutions. In other words, I'll be writing software for them. So, I'll be flown out to them every week, get a hotel and a rental car, and see the country in the process. My plan is to take my camera with me; I should get plenty of night photos.