got a cool new gaming laptop

I recently acquired an interest in autonomous vehicles and am considering working with them at my next job. In order to prepare for interviews, I've been experimenting with a tool called CARLA that is used for autonomous driving research. Because this program has high system requirements, my father decided that it was time to get me a new computer. After some consideration, Dad and I agreed that an MSI GL75 Leopard gaming laptop would be the best.

In any case, my new computer has a hexa-core processor, 16 GB of RAM and a 1 TB solid-state drive. It also has a really fast GTX 1660 Ti GPU. This computer is definitely the fastest I've had so far. Thanks, Dad!

Currently listening to: Final Fantasy VII soundtrack – "One Winged Angel" by Nobuo Uematsu

remembering Corinne Rutherford

It seens 2020 just keeps getting worse. I found out last night that my old classmate Corinne has passed away. So far, the cause of death isn't clear. But what I do know is that she was only 33 and left the world too soon. I hate this fucking year.

One of my favorite memories with Corinne was hanging out with her and some mutual friends back in 9th grade. Although we didn't get the chance to talk much since, she was one of the sweetest people ever. We actually just reconnected on Facebook last December. I was hoping to catch up with her in the near future, but some things just aren't meant to happen. :-(

In any case, my thoughts are with the Rutherford family during this incredibly difficult time. I hope they find the peace they deserve.

September 12 update: Corinne's brother Ian has posted a video of the memorial service.

Currently listening to: "Those of Us Who Blossom!" by Phyrnna

challenging times ahead

It looks like the COVID-19 pandemic is now having a bigger effect on my life. I've been told by my manager that I'm affected by a layoff and will be let go in mid-October unless I can secure an internal transfer.

You're probably aware that I'm in the Intel Sports Group. Our organization provides a platform that allows users to experience sporting events in virtual reality. But due to the pandemic, several of our projects have been shelved indefinitely. As a result of these days and cancelations, many people are being let go.

This is unfortunate because Intel has always been one of my favorite companies. Another unfortunate side effect is that I probably won't get to properly say goodbye to my co-workers due to social distancing rules. One thing for sure is that job hunting is going to be much harder during a pandemic. However, the good news is that my boss has told me I don't actually need to work anymore. Hopefully this transition period will give me all the time I need to prepare for interviews. *crosses fingers*

social distancing and staying at home: four months in

It's been four months since I started working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though we're all in this together, things are admittedly difficult at times. However, there have also been positive moments. For those curious, here's what has happened during the past four months.

A series of unfortunate events

As nice as it is to work at home, being away from the office has its downsides:

• Although I have everything I need for my tasks, not having access to certain equipment can be a major inconvenience.
• Our quarterly happy hours for March and June have been canceled.
• It's been a long time since we've celebrated people's birthdays. Posting pictures of cakes on Slack just isn't the same.
• A guy on our team recently left for another job. He took the time to show me the ropes when when I joined the company and was like a mentor to me. It sucks that we didn't get to properly say goodbye.
• During our last call on Skype, my boss lamented that we haven't had a team lunch in a long time. I certainly can't disagree.

Of course, the pandemic has also affected our personal lives:

• I haven't been able to attend my book club since December. Our latest meeting has been moved from March to July and will likely be postponed again.
• Dad had planned to take us to the Southwest U.S. in March but understandably had to cancel the trip.
• A few months ago, my childhood friend Connie came to drop something off at my house. It took all my restraint to not give her a hug after seeing her again for the first time in almost 11 years. Chances are she wouldn't have appreciated it either. Speaking to her over the phone just isn't the same.
• I had also hoped to see my cousin Cathy and her husband Andrew again during the summer. But it doesn't look like this will happen anymore.
• It's not just me as my parents have also had to turn down several invitations.

A new gazebo

However, one positive thing about staying at home is that we have all the time in the world to work on personal projects. Dad recently decided to add a gazebo to our backyard so that our master bedroom doesn't get too hot in the summer. He actually decided to build it mostly by himself so that we could save on the labor. It was hard work for us too because he sometimes needed our help with the heavy parts. On the bright side, our backyard now has a nice new addition. :-)

RuneScape achievements

Although I still have to work at home, the fact that I don't have to commute makes a huge difference. I haven't had so much for RuneScape since my college days. For those curious, here are my achievements from recent months:

• completed the elite Varrock and Wilderness tasks
• 2,700 skill total
• level 99 Divination
• level 99 Magic
• 2,000 and 2,100 skill total on my alternate account Traductus
• 2,000 skill total on my alternate account Ixfd64 Rs2

Even though I can't see my friends and co-workers, staying at home isn't without benefits. One can see why some people want this to last forever. But at the same time, the fact that people are getting sick and dying sucks. I hope things will be back to normal soon.

In other news...

On a somewhat related note: happy anniversary to Andrew and Cathy as they got married a year ago!

Currently listening to: "Crocodile Rock" by Elton John

level 99 Magic in RuneScape

I just got level 99 Magic in RuneScape by killing a cursed energy bot in the Wilderness. Click here for the picture. Bots are a huge problem in the game, so it's always satisfying to kill those in PvP zones. It's too bad most of them aren't attackable. In any case, only seven more skills to go!

Currently listening to: "Flashes" by NIVIRO

an extended long weekend + level 99 Divination in RuneScape

To boost morale during the COVID-19 pandemic, my company recently gave employees an extra vacation day to be used by the end of June. Because the Memorial Day long weekend was just around the corner, our team agreed to take Friday off after deciding it be most convenient for everyone. It's certainly not often this happens!

Dad took us on a drive to Half Moon Bay on Friday after seeing we hadn't been anywhere in a long time. It was pretty fun even though we mostly just took pictures from the car. Otherwise, the weekend was uneventful as I've been doing extra work for my job. Even though a four-day weekend sounds nice, an extra day doesn't make a big difference when you're working from home.

I didn't feel like making two separate posts, but another thing I wanted to share is that I got level 99 Divination in RuneScape four days ago. People generally consider Divination to be among the slowest skills, but the recent double XP event and the protean memories certainly helped. Only eight more skill to go until I get my max cape!

Currently listening to: "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel

2,700 skill total in RuneScape

It's been two months since I started working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the workload is about the same, one nice thing about working from home is that I don't have to commute. Considering that it takes me around 50 minutes to get to the office, being able to save almost two hours makes a huge difference. It certainly gives me more time for hobbies.

I certainly wouldn't have 2,700 skill total in RuneScape so quickly otherwise. On a related note, I'm very close to level 99 Divination and should get there in a few days. Hopefully it won't be too long until I get my max cape. :-)

Currently listening to: "Under Pressure" by Queen