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  • Author Author: mrcainscience
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My Get Closer First Post

mrcainscience

I would like to apologize for not getting this entry up sooner. This week was a little crazy since my second child was born early this week. Wife and the baby are doing well, but life with the toddler at home has been a bit hectic. I was very happy to see that my FLORA kit arrived today.

 

Motivation for My Project

 

My wife and I try not to get too wrapped up in the extreme consumerism that is so prevelant here, although I am an Apple fanboi. We value experiences way more than stuff. Our relationship was forged by going on many adventures. These included a 5 week cross country adventure, going to Paris with an infant, and countless mini adventures in and around our city. These exploits are what caused us to #getcloser. The life we want for our family will contiue on this path with our two daughters.

 

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As I write this blog, I am quite close to the Adafruit factory. I got on line for a donut at 6:23am and did not walk out with them until after 9:30am. If i had it to do over again I would probably have skipped it, but it was an exciting to be able to get this sought after treat for my recovering wife for all the hard work she put into the carrying and birth of our daughter. This stimulated my brain to make new conections, something that will hopefully put off senality later in life.

 

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This donut is an example of the countless amazing things happening in New York. So many people vie to be here that they push themselves to greater heights to survive and thrive. This makes it a hotbed for inovation like my donut or manufacturing wearable computers. My wife and I love many things about this place, but we would like to move on now. We would like to have easier access to wilderness for skiing, hiking, camping, canoeing, etc. We also are getting worn down by the lack of consideration so many New Yorkers exhibit(people who litter, don't pick up dog waste, block the doors on the subway) and being ready to fly off the handle in a fit of rage over nonsense. Before we leave we want to visit as many of the treasures/threads that are the tapestry New York. My hat project will be a way to motivate, track, and provide a visual reward for our progress on our list. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and to Element14/Newark/Adafruit for choosing my project.

 

I must go to bed now, here are the rest of my notes for the blog:

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  • Leslie, we are thinking a smaller city might be more our speed. Philly is a lovely city. I will make sure to follow along closely with Drew's glove project.

     

    DAB, that is excellent advice. The very limited experience I have with Arduino was all about splicing together and modding other people's code. My project will be much more doable with the help of the Element14 community.

     

    Linda, thatnks for all the kind words and encouragement. Moms sure do deserve plenty of spoiling.

  • Hi Ryan, first of all.. Congratulations on becoming the dad of another little girl! And waaay to go on getting your wife those yummy-looking donuts! image Mums deserve spoiling after such hard work, well done!

    I like how personal your project is. It'll be so much fun to actually take it out to make your farewell-NewYork-tour.

    Good luck!

    Linda

  • Hi Ryan,

     

    I like your enthusiasm.

    First projects can be a bit daunting at first.  Your best first step is to research all of the issues you want to try.  There are many examples on the web under the topics you plan to pursue. 

     

    My first rule for development is REUSE, REUSE, REUSE!

     

    I know it is very tempting to try to do something unique, but that path can also result in a lot of frustration.  A good maker learns from other peoples mistakes.  I highy recommend starting with the working examples of others.  You can always play around with alternative implementations after you get the basic system working.

     

    If you do a running blog here at Element 14, we can watch your progress and provide suggestions if you encounter unexpected issues.

     

    Good luck,

    DAB

  • Although my husband and I live in Philly, we try to do exactly what you are talking about -- share experiences, especially outside.  Ironically we are a bike ride from the water and can even get kayaks at the canoe club here.  It's pretty awesome.  I like that you are talking about geocaching as I'm a letterboxer myself.  I'm looking forward to seeing your pixel animations and I think you would be a great combo with Drew working on his glove.