I updated the RAM on my Macbook Pro =|

It's a bittersweet day: I have just prolonged the life of my Macbook Pro by updating from 4GB of RAM to 8GB of RAM. The irrational side of me wants new gear! But the rational side is like $85.00 for more years out of your current system is way more reasonable than spending $2000 on new gear ($2000 because I pay a premium for Apple stuff and because I'm going to max off the specs, duh. I'm eyeing a 16GB of RAM system!). But I want new gear . . .

It was actually on sale for $79.00.

It was a pretty simple process: unscrew a couple of screws, lift the lid, pop out the old RAM, and snap in the new RAM. I'm currently running some memory tests to make sure the RAM is good. But so far, everything seems a-okay.

It's that patch of green with 8 rectangles (ICs).

My current specs for my Macbook Pro stand at:

Processor: 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Ram: 8GB DDR3 1067 MHz
Harddrive: 320GB (5400-rpm)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 320M 256 MB

Yes, everything is on the older side. I could use a new processor and a solid state hard drive would probably make things a lot more snappier and I could probably run more graphics intensive applications with a new graphics card. But it's nothing I can't live with. Despite wanting new gear, I'm pretty attached to this Macbook. It got me through undergrad! So the RAM upgrade was needed. It's also the easiest thing to upgrade; my system was really starting to crawl: I was regularly seeing the beachball of death . . .  And here I am bittersweet.

The Ideal Getaway

I went on a 2.5 day ski trip (I didn't ski; I snowboarded, but ski just rolls off the tongue more eloquently) this past weekend at Stowe, Vermont. It was just the second time I went out to the mountains to snowboard. I've never gone to the mountains in the winter before this year -- my family doesn't partake in sports like skiing/snowboarding/tubing/etc. and they also don't particularly like being out in the cold. But I'm different and adventurous. As long as I have the right gear, being out in the cold is a pleasant time. I've gone snowboarding twice now, and I'm hooked! I'm still a beginner -- green circle status -- but I've got the basic gist of it down: I can feather down a steep hill, ride straight, turn left and right, carve accidentally, and sometimes ride goofy.

During my repetitive ride-fall, ride-fall routine, it dawned upon me how nice it would be to live out there, outside the hub of a city, away from the worldly distractions and constant chatter. I couldn't help imagine how wonderful it would be to live in a small house in the mountains, peacefully watch the snow, sip a hot beverage, and go snowboarding on whim. And then to go hiking and star gazing in the warmer seasons. And of course to take in the fresh growth and foliage of the in-between seasons. It seemed like the perfect place to live, especially since my current life is so draining.

But then I remembered my needs. I need to make a living and contribute to the world in some form. Out there in the semi-isolated world would not be where I would be able to do those things. For other people, yes. But not for me. I am not a writer, an inn keeper, a farmer or an artisan. I am an engineer; I work in teams to design, innovate, and create technology for the betterment of society. No quiet mountain side community would welcome the intrusion of the super contrasting industrial nature of an engineering company or research facility. So far now, I will just have to reserve that wonderful, peaceful, ideal for vacations, escapes, which is quite a luxury in itself, because I get a taste of both worlds.

Edit, March 22nd, 2015: Saw this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sadOfmkTtpw

2015 Offers A Fresh Start

Hello 2015, you wonderful, baggage-free, empty new year. Hello, Hello, Hello.