So, it's been a while...

Hello world!

Yeah...it's been, like, 8 months since my last post. Whoops.

I think school just got really busy, and then Winter Break was also pretty busy, and spring semester was crazy too. I think, in all honesty, I just kind of forgot about the blog.

But, here I am, with a MASSIVE status update.

So, I finished last semester with a 3.65 GPA. I got an A in both of my major classes, and I think B's or B-'s in my non major classes. I'm not at all worried about that. A 3.65 isn't bad at all, and the classes that really count I got A's in. It was a pretty fun semester, my first at a real college (after graduating High School I went to a Community College to get my Associate's while I figured out what I wanted to do), and that was neat. My school's campus is gorgeous, and the commute isn't bad, plus it gives me time to devour podcasts (speaking of, there needs to be a cube podcast, maybe I'll start one...). Winter Break was great, I got some serious gaming and cubing done, and my uncle stayed with us which was awesome.

Then, there was spring semester.

Because of getting my Associate's, that first semester was the only one in which I needed to take non major classes; starting in spring I only needed to take major classes, which is awesome. My major, by the way, is ASL (American Sign Language) Interpreting. I go and provide a bridge for Hearing people and Deaf people to communicate. Last semester I did have some major related classes, ASL I and Communication Development in Children, but it wasn't until this semester that I got really immersed in ASL, Deaf Culture, and Interpreting. I love it.

But anyway, with all major classes, this semester was a bit rough. I had ASL II (which was fantastic and I love my teacher), Language Teaching Methods with Deaf Children, the Profession of Interpreting, and Interpreting in Educational Settings. I loved all my classes and teachers, and managed to scrape by with (drumroll please...) a 4.0 for the semester! I think I got A+'s in all my classes, which somehow managed to pull my cumulative GPA to a 3.97. Not to shabby. I think that how this is possible is that, while an A+ can only count as a 4.0, it's weighted more than that. So, while 4 A+'s gave me a 4.0 GPA for the semester, it pulled my cumulative up more like it was weighted as a 4.5 or something.

Anyway though, this is a cubing blog, so lets talk about cubing. I have gotten so many cubes since last post it's ridiculous. I really, really want to post a cube collection video soon, and so there'll be a blog accompanying that. But, here's a sneak peak:

In back is the DaYan + mf8 4x4 I've talked about previously. If you remember, it was super rough and kind of disappointing out of the box. But, I disassembled it, adjusted the tensions, and lubricated both the complicated 2x2 internals (more on that later) and the actual cubies. Now, it's fantastic. It's super easy to turn, that squishiness is gone, and it's just a nice, sexy 4x4.

On the back left, is my pillowed V-Cube 3. It is the most recent addition to the V-Cube family, and it's pretty sweet. I got the pillowed one because that was all that was available, but I like it. V-Cube has tended to release their cubes in both pillowed and cubic, since the pillowed shape is pretty quintessential V-Cube because of the 7x7. It's really neat, but I do definitely want to get the cubic V-3 at some point, because it's a sweet cube.

Front left is the DaYan Guhong. This is the second cube in the DaYan line, and it's great. DaYan is know for being one of the best names in speedcubing, and despite the fact that they have released three since the Guhong it is still held in really high regard. This is my first DaYan 3x3, and I'm in love. It's so smooth and easy and fast and it cuts (and reverse cuts!) like a boss. I'm thinking about doing a DaYan post soon, so more on that later, but it's great.

Lastly is my little V-Cube 2. This one I did get in cubic, and I do like it quite a bit. I think my Lanlan 2x2 is my favorite, but it's pretty sweet. The only problem is that the turning is a little tight, but if I ever muster up the courage to disassemble, adjust and tension it, I think it'll be pretty sweet. The colors on both of these (and all other V-Cubes) is great, they pop really well, and the stickers are pretty good quality.

That's just a small sampling of all of the ridiculousness I have right now. I think, at last count, I had 2 7x7's, 3 6x6's, 7 5x5's, 9 4x4's, 15+ 3x3's (15 serious ones, a few other dollar store or other random, not high quality ones, and that 15 isn't counting shape mods), and 4 2x2's. Plus, 6 or so cuboids, probably half a dozen shape mods, two in the skewb family, 5 minxes, and a few others. I think I have 70-80 in total. :D.

I'll post more detail later, I have a few ideas for some blogs, plus I'll have at least one video coming out soon and have others that need accompanying blogs, so yeah. I'll talk to you soon.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. As I've done in the past, I'm going to try to link to another neat cubing related video at the end of each post, so here's one of the first real puzzle I've made/modded!