Theodosis Log

2012-07-25T05:37:46Z

Theodosios Dimitrasopoulos:

== '''Sunday, 1 July 2012''' ==
Just arrived at Factor e farm. It is 23:00 and I had been waiting for 9 hours at the airport before coming here It's been quite an adventure but my first impression is pretty good so I think it was worth the trouble! I decided to take a taxi and come here because I saw three kids in a white van that looked exactly like my classmates, so, since I thought they forgot me, I paid 200 hundred bucks, scratched myself really badly(I still don't know how, I realized it as soon as I got to the farm!) and after a little help by an awesome guy named Walt I arrived! Apparently, I made a mistake since my friends weren't here yet, but I heard that they were coming tomorrow so I would have spent the night at the airport If I didn't come here so, it was worth the money!

== '''Monday, 2 July 2012''' ==
So today the rest of the team arrived at the farm after a terrible delay at the airport in Chicago. They spent the night at a hotel in the city and then took the next flight to Kansas city to come here. They left their stuff at the HabLab and we went to Marcin's hut to meet him and plan our summer. He asked a few things about us and our interests and, based on that, Gabi assigned us tasks to complete. Then we walked around the farm and found a perfect place to setup our tents. It's located in a small grove with thick shade and a lot of trees around. Then we went to buy some groceries for the next days.

First Impression: It was really good, but the facilities seem kind of disorganized. That's what the rest of us said.

To Do List:
Find a job in the workshop
Learn as many things as possible
Meet people!

== '''Tuesday, 3 July 2012''' ==
So today Gabi showed us around the garden and the orchards so that we know where things are for future projects. George found the weed whacker and started work right away! The rest of us worked on the garden, where we uncovered the plants and spread out the hay so that they have more sunlight but also have enough water and humidity around them. Then, I helped Gabi spread hay on a small field in front of the HabLab. I'm not sure what seeds are planted there but anyway. Finally, at noon, we watered them with Gabi. Today was not so productive meaning that I didn't do anything related to engineering and electronics down at the workshop. Everyone seems pretty busy with their own projects and I can't go and bother them with my problems, it just doesn't feel right. Eventually I will have to, but until then I should wait just in case the others make a first step...

== '''Wednesday, 4 July 2012''' ==
Happy July 4th everyone! I finally worked at the workshop today! Me and George Ardamerinos helped Brianna wire up the welders and setup the workshop. We stripped a bunch of wires, soldered some caps on the ends and plugged them to some outlets on the other side of the building. It was quite nice and I think I learned a lot of things, for example how to stay with my head up for half an hour fixing the wires into place! That was definitely something! Later in the day, we took some drinks and hopped on the back of the truck to visit Walt (He is our wonderful neighbor who lives right next door and helped me get to the farm the other day!) because this rumor about a party at his place spread around but, unfortunately it was a bad one and nothing happened there. We drove back to the farm and started a campfire instead! We sat there until early morning discussing and singing. Well we continued our feast at our campsite but still it was really nice! I am hoping I will find more things to do down at the workshop tomorrow and maybe start a project of my own with the rest of the team...I am asking for too much, aren't I?

== '''Thursday, 5 July 2012''' ==
OK so today things started rolling! In the morning I watched Yoonseo's tutorials on YouTube and I taught myself SolidWorks. Well, you know the basics, how to navigate construct parts, make assemblies and other things. He also answered all of my questions and I spent my whole morning working on the software. Then, I went down to the sawmill and I started measuring its dimensions. This way I will be able to make a 3D design on SolidWorks and publish it on the wiki! I am really excited with this and I hope more people will join!

Here's a link to the tutorials:

<html><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed//uosCbYn1jYs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></html>

Thanks to Yoonseo for his great tutorial!

== '''Friday, 6 July 2012''' ==
Today me and George A. went to St. Joseph with Vann. We drove there with his Maserati(YAY!) and our first stop was an AT&T store because Vann wanted to buy a new cellphone. While we were there I saw some cases for my phone and I bought one because the conditions in the farm are not ideal for a phone you don't want to get scratches on! I also met a store clerk named Morgan and we had a long discussion about many things like where we come from, what our future plans are etc. Then, we went to a subway and ate good food! Next stop was a TacoBell for Vann. Last but not least we visited a hardware store called Menards(It was massive!) to buy a steel cutter for Matt. I didn't do anything productive today considering that I wasn't at the farm but I will make it up tomorrow!

== '''Saturday, 7 July 2012''' ==
As much as I wanted to make it up for yesterday's abstinence from work we visited pony express lake! It was really hot today (the weather forecast reported a 105 temperature increase during the day. It was not that hot
but it felt like it was pretty close!) so we wore our swimsuits and left the farm straight away! There, we rented a boat and I rowed all around the lake, which was fun! We also played some frisbee and I sunbathed for an hour or so! Then Chris bought us ice cream and after that we went back to the farm. Since I didn't do anything yesterday I wrote down a schedule for the next Month. It is about time I followed a strict routine and not waste any time at all!

So it looks like this:

'''Goals for this summer:'''
*Learn SolidWorks
*Learn how to program an Arduino board
*Meet as many people as possible while I'm here and do some networking
*Learn some more practical stuff like welding and torching
*And most importantly: Have FUN!

I will make something more detailed in the next days but I think this will do, at least for now.

== '''Sunday, 8 July 2012''' ==
So today looks like a day where everyone relaxes and doesn't do anything specific. Instead, we held the weekly house meeting, where we discussed issues concerning house cleaning, safety at the workspace, storage and many others. I believe that it was really important to express all of our concerns to the rest of the team so that they know. I also watched some online tutorials on YouTube on how to learn Arduino programming. I asked Chris and he gave me his board, so I can start right away! I heard that Yoonseo is pretty good at this and by looking at his fridge thermostat I think I will ask for his help! I'll do that tomorrow though...Anyway, I think that I will take some time to relax and reflect on what I did during my stay not only in the farm but in the States in general(I've been here since the 21st of June), and plan the rest of my summer, which officially ends on the 25th of August when I leave from Germany and go back to Greece. I will make sure that I learn a lot of things during this time and make it a memorable experience!

Here's an example of the tutorials I watched today:

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCxzA9_kg6s Getting Acquainted with Arduino]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LCCGFSMOr4 Buttons, PWM, and Functions]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abWCy_aOSwY Electrical Engineering Basics]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js4TK0U848I Analog Inputs]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bHPKU4ybHY Motors and Transistors]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0pSfyXOXj8 Serial Communication and Processing]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJX0BRUagCg I2C Communication and Processing]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nO2SSExEnQ SPI Interfaces]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKVNmA8C6m8 Wireless Communication]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRJUdf5TTQQ Interrupts and Hardware Debouncing]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v5A3j7Rrco SD Cards and Datalogging]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIlSLwcbeTU RFID Card Reading]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIiDseJO4dM Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs)]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoG_Czyr7z0 Holiday Lights and Sounds Spectacular!]

Thanks to sciguy14 for his contribution!
== '''Monday, 9 July 2012''' ==
Monday July 9th and my day was fantastic! I finished measuring the dimensions of the sawmill and I started assembling it on SolidWorks! I finished making the basic parts and then Yoonseo showed me how to make an assembly out of them! He also set up my account on Git Hub so that I publish my work online! That is so cool! I also told him about my goals for this summer and Arduino in particular and he offered to help. So, I was in the workshop all afternoon working on Arduino and basic circuitry! This was a dream come true. This way, I will be able to gain valuable experience and show my new skills when I go back to school. Since I am a member of the Robotics club, such a thing will be very useful for any project that we decide to start! I'm planning on buying an Arduino board myself but that will be difficult since I'm running short on cash. I also fixed a problem on my computer drivers which wouldn't allow Chris's Arduino UNO to connect, so this is out of the way. For tomorrow I plan on finishing the basic tutorials and move to something more advanced! I'm so freakin' excited!

Here's a link to my Git Hub repository:
[https://github.com/Veradrix90/Dimensional-Sawmill Dimensional Sawmill]

== '''Tuesday, 10 July 2012''' ==
So, as promised, I worked on small 4x4 LED grids, which didn't go that well, but helped me realize what kind of mistakes I did and what I need to work on in the future. One of them is C. I have to know this programming language before doing anything else, so I will read some e-books in my computer and see how that goes. Also, we need to buy more parts for my circuits. For example, we need more LED diodes because most of them were fried. Last but not least, I realized that I should set a time frame for teaching myself Arduino. I will also inform Yoonseo to see if he likes the idea. So I was thinking two hours every day would be more than enough to learn Arduino and SolidWorks. I think it is a great idea and in the future I will try to integrate more teaching sessions on other areas like farming with Gabi or Welding and torching with Aidan and Brianna. I will talk to the others tomorrow and bring it up on Sunday's meeting. I hope this works out!

== '''Wednesday, 11 July 2012''' ==
OK so today I woke up quite early and I started work right away. I took the Arduino board and went down to the workshop. George A. decided to join. We watched some of the tutorials I posted previously and we set up the circuits. Then we copied the code that the guy in the tutorial showed us and we tried to interpret and understand each line. We did a pretty great job and then I wrote down all our observations to a .doc file so that I can create the guides for the Robotics Club next year. I will also talk to Yoonseo about our school project but with all these new ideas here I'm thinking of changing our approach. I will send an e-mail to Mr. Pegiopoulos for confirmation and to inform him about the progress we're making here at the farm. He's definitely gonna like it! Anyway back to our stuff. I also saved many version of the same file and I experimented with some new concepts of the C code. It was really helpful. As far as my itinerary is concerned, I talked to Yoonseo and he is willing to devote a couple hours of his time to help us learn Arduino and C. That is a good start. Tomorrow I'll talk to some more people to see if they have time. This will be so helpful to the team of Greeks and any other students that decide to visit in the future, at least that's what I think. I also jogged with George A. for about four miles or so. I also jog alone sometimes in the morning when no one is up. After I came to the States, I had some time to jog in New York, but I completely stopped working out in Indiana and Missouri, so jogging as little as four miles was awesome! I'm thinking of assigning an hour or so every day for jogging and working out because I feel so out of shape...

== '''Thursday, 12 July 2012''' ==
Today Chris and I went to Maysville to pick up my package from the post office. Then George and I went to the workshop and worked on another video by sciguy14 on YouTube and we followed the same process as yesterday. We built the circuit, compiled the code and uploaded it on the Arduino, saw how it works and finally analyzed each line and wrote comments next to them. I also talked to more people about the itinerary and all of them offered to help us! Isn't that exciting? I asked Vann, Chris, Gabi and Aidan and all of them wanted to teach us things. For the next few days I'm planning on Skyping with Marcin because, let's face it: we're four underage boys in the middle of nowhere and we came to this farm to learn from the experts. I'm not saying that the rest of the team is not supportive but Marcin was the whole reason that we came here, right? Anyway...Today something that made me extremely happy was seeing George K. and Gabi working on land allocation and methods of cultivation! This not only shows that George K. overcame his difficulty adjusting to the place but also he found something that he is interested in here at the farm! I hope he stays until the end...

Here are the tutorials that we watched with George:

<html><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed//abWCy_aOSwY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></html>
<html><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed//js4TK0U848I?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></html>

And here are the videos that Yoonseo told me to watch. He said that they will clear things up in our heads on how electricity works, and they sure did!:

<html><iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed//F1p3fgbDnkY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></html>
<html><iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed//YGvu9iqjJq4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></html>

== '''Friday, 13 July 2012''' ==
Friday the 13th!!! Are you genuinely scared of this day? I'm not. This year is a special one for Friday the 13ths: There are three of them: Jan. 13, April 13 and July 13. The freaky thing? The dates fall exactly 13 weeks apart. That hasn't happened since 1984. Scary, huh? Wait until you hear that: Why does the Friday the 13th superstition stick so firmly in our minds? According to Thomas Gilovich, who chairs the department of psychology at Cornell University, our brains are almost too good at making associations. "If anything bad happens to you on Friday the 13th, the two will be forever associated in your mind, and all those uneventful days in which the 13th fell on a Friday will be ignored," Gilovich said in a statement. Anyway, back to reality. In the morning we had our first course with Marshall and he talked about his job, where he went to college, what he studied etc. Then he moved on to more technical stuff like cooling systems and how they work, storage and insulation, heating systems, building codes and many other thingss! It was a really good start and it is exactly the way I imagined it! I hope it all goes well with the rest of out tutors...Then the entire team came to the workshop and we organized the way scrum will take place and what people will do while they are here. It was really helpful and I think it will boost our progress dramatically. I'm thinking of getting involved with the torch table since it includes programming Arduinos, Torching, Welding and others areas that I'm really interested in. After that I watched the rest of the videos Yoonseo suggested.Then we went continued our Arduino programming courses and we finally learnt how to use a multimeter properly! After that I went to the HabLab to relax for a while and I finished my day with a jog around the farm. By the way, we have established this tradition where we watch a movie every night. I don't know why but this makes me feel like home...who knows, maybe its because I didn't go to sleep before watching a movie with my friends at school every night, so I guess that is why I like it so much...

Here are the videos that I watched today:

<html><iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed//pJ36EtABLAk?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></html>
<html><iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed//5laTkjINHrg?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></html>

== '''Saturday, 14 July 2012''' ==
Today was awesome! Chris took us to Kansas City to exchange our money and chill out for the day! We visited the plaza, did some shopping, ate pizza at a Californian place and sat in a small park nearby. It was kind of disappointing to finally visit Kansas City, a place of non stop entertainment and events going on everywhere and see nothing like that. It is a really spacious one, I have to admit but what are you supposed to do with so much space and no citizens at all? It felt like a ghost city. Anyway, the Plaza was where all things happened and since it was Saturday that would explain why the city was empty. The plaza was this colorful, Times Square-like place, with small Victorian style buildings and wide roads. We wandered around the plaza for about 3 hours before going for dinner and coming back home. On our way back we listened to this comedian and his views on "the Helmet" and the Olympics. He was hilarious! Later in the day the rest of the people played football, but I was so tired that I couldn't move! I took a nap and then I jogged for about 6 miles. Then we ate dinner, and we arranged our plans for tomorrow. We are going to go fishing at 4:30 AM! Isn't that great? We went to a WalMart and bought all the necessary supplies to catch delicious fish! I am so excited!

Project wise, I didn't do anything but I will do some Arduino programming tomorrow or on Monday and try to help the torch table team do their work.

== '''Sunday, 15 July 2012''' ==
Today I didn't do that much, only watched some videos on Arduino from other users this time, and I saw some really complicated projects they did with 2 or even three boards! It was insane...I think that the whole Arduino tutoring is becoming boring if we don't have any teacher to make it more interesting. I've seen that I get tired of it really quickly every time I go down to the workshop and George agrees. I will talk to Yoonseo to see if he can help us...

== '''Monday, 16 July 2012''' ==
Today I went to the workshop again and I finished all the Arduino circuits that I left on Friday. I watched some more tutorials and then I went to the HabLab to skype with my parents. They told me to find more things to do except Arduino because this would keep things interesting for longer. I think they're right. As of today, I am part of the CNC torch table team and I will be working on fixing the program that will run the machine and solving the problems that have arisen during its development. Vann showed us the assembly and the circuits and gave us a brief description of how it works. Then he illstrated the way the whole system works with conversions from one language to the other until the last process, which is cutting. Fixing it involves learning many new things but I am willing to do whatever it takes to make this experience as fruitful and productive as possible...

== '''Tuesday, 17 July 2012''' ==
As I said yesterday I will be working on the torch table. Chris and I installed Virtual box on my computer so that I can dual boot and he also installed Linux Mint so that I can work on programming. Then Vann sent me the necessary files to start fixing the program which is written in PHP a server-side scripting language which is used for web development and for creating dynamic web pages and gcode, which is a torch table specific language that is used by the table to get the data it needs to make precise cuts. He also installed a text editor for me and now I'm all set! I can start work right away! Now I have to teach the others how to do it in their computers as well, since it will be more helpful to have three people working on the file as it will makes things go faster. Later in the day Gabi held a seminar on farming and her future plans here at the farm. It was really interesting to share ideas and learn from her! I hopw we do it again sometime. We stayed up until very late(as we usually do) and we discussed many many things with Vann and the kids. It was really fun! Oh, and tomorrow is my birthday! I have quite a few plans to make it memorable...

=='''Wednesday, 18 July 2012''' ==
So today is my birthday! I woke up early and I went to the lake for a swim. I stayed there for about 4-5 hours swimming and chilling out under the sun. This eventually proved to be bad for me because I got a sunburn on my chest! It doesn't hurt much and I don't think it is that bad anyway! Later I returned to the HabLab and I watched PHP tutorials this time! I don't quite understand it, as it would be helpful to have an understanding of HTML and programming languages in general, but I think Vann will help us do a lot of things and gives us guidance. Also, George fixed a small motorbike that was laying around and we tested it, to see if it works. And it does, quite well I would say! Now we can do more things like going to the lake faster or going for groceries by ourselves. I hope Marcin approves...

== '''Thursday, 19 July 2012''' ==
Today was really hot! I couldn't really do anything because I was unable to do basic mental tasks due to the freakin' heat! I sat down on my computer, found more information on PHP, browsed the OSE Wiki to find more things to do and watched some "How It's Made" videos. Aren't they the greatest thing ever invented? You can see the process of creation of everything around you, from nuts and bolts to cars and hot tubs! It was a lot of fun! At night, we watched a series called the Newsman. I've heard of it before, since one of my favorite actors, Jane Fonda is part of the recurring cast in the series. It is original and I think I like it quite a lot! Anyway...

== '''Friday, 20 July 2012''' ==
PHP Tutorials are going great but I think that I need something more hands on in order to learn all the basic concepts. It seems to me that Vann tutoring us might be the best idea. Anyway today I did some SAT Math, worked on limits and geometric sequences but I didn't understand them that much. At about 21:00 we went to the cinema to watch "The Dark Knight Rises". It was a really good movie but no one has Joker's class! Then we went back home and Marcin was there waiting for us. He came back from his retreat and we intend to ask him a whole lot of questions and guidance. I hope that he gives us useful advice on how to move on from here on out...
kolympi
== '''Saturday, 21 July 2012''' ==
Today we had a meeting with Marcin. He also agreed that there were setbacks and many things didn't go as planned. But we decided to make our stay worthwhile. We were assigned to complete the Trencher. This basically is a device that digs trenches that can be used to bury water lines, power and Internet cables etc. It seems pretty easy but we definitely need some help on fabrication, which I'm sure he will offer to give us. Later in the afternoon I went to the lake again to swim and reflecct on my experiences so far. Being there in such a peaceful and quiet place helps me relax and think clearly. Water is also something I love so swimming is very enjoyable, especially in this heat! Tomorrow I am planning on finishing the design and working on errors. I hope this all works out...
kolympi
== '''Sunday, 22 July 2012''' ==
So today I started my day with swimming. I think that going to the lake early in the morning is much better since the water is colder and the whole scenery is beautiful. Also I don't do many things in the morning so it is the ideal time to go there and relax! Then I went back home and I read one of the books I read called "The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". The author is a genius! This book or series of books is a comedic wonder! Then I studied some more SAT, Physics this time. It seems really hard to understand some of the concepts without someone actually teaching them to you so I guess I'll ask for help. Also Tristan came to the farm today so we moved out of the room we had finally settled down in. That's OK, I mean we got used to being kicked out of every room we put our stuff in! Just kidding...

== '''Monday, 23 July 2012''' ==
In the morning we Skyped with Georgia. It was a big fight between the Georges and her and it ended up pretty badly. I think she is really upset with the situation and we don't help at all...Anyway the boys decided to stay until the end. I don't think its their choice but I think it will help them a lot, staying here and all. I do many things and I feel satisfied with my progress here. What I mean by that is, I learned Arduino from scratch, I understood current and voltage in a way I would never be able to do at school, I met new and interesting people, I visited another place in the Mid West(after Indianapolis), I learned about permaculture and farming, PHP, C Code, Cooking, I improved my time in swimming and so many others! What else can I ask for?! I really don't understand why the others are so dissapointed. Anyway, none of my business. Later on I visited the lake once again. This time I swam all the way to the other side of the lake which I assure you is very long! I was so exhausted at the end that it took me 30 minutes to go back to the farm. This whole thing with the lake is becoming a routine which I love since it relaxes me so much! After that, we met with Marcin again and he gave us some instructions on the Trencher. Based on that, we went to the workshop and stayed up until 2:30 AM to finish the project. We also help Aidan move some of the Power Cubes out of the workshop. It was a really long day and everyone was so tired that we slept in the hab lab's couches, which was really uncomfortable...

== '''Tuesday, 24 July 2012''' ==
I woke up at 9 AM this morning because we scheduled SAT Class with Alex. We did some math and I revised the chapters I didn't understand, like limits and sequences. He helped me understand everything and we worked on other concepts like determinants matrices and other things! I am so excited and I have a good feeling about this exam! Then we had a quick meeting with everyone to discuss the way we will organize ourselves in the next few weeks. Vann instructed us to setup a WordPress blog page so as to write down our success stories and share them with the rest of the world. I also created a GitHub repository as a means of documenting our work. We are going really fast and I feel it will have been finished by the end of this week! After that I was so tired and I took a nap. I woke up just in time for our Permaculture class with Alex this time. He gave me insight on the specifics of this agricultural model and ways to implement it on my own! I think it is some invaluable piece of information that I will take back home! Then we had another meeting with Marcin to discuss our progress on the Trencher. I finished the head with the blades and the others did the motor and the axis. We went to the workshop to see what we already have down there and we did some testing with the Life Trac. We took measurements and decided on the final design of the trencher. I also documented our progress and wrote down our to do list on ToodleDo(I love this tool, I have access to it from my PC and cell phone as well, it's so convenient!) Then we went to the HabLab, where the others watched another episode of "The Newsroom", so I decided to join. Tomorrow I expect to have finished the design and start sourcing for the fabrication. I also want to go to the lake because I didn't go today and it sucked!

Here is a link to the GitHub repository:

[https://github.com/Veradrix90/Trencher.git Trencher]

=='''Wednesday, 25 July 2012''' ==

Theodosis Log

Theodosis Log

2012-07-11T02:53:25Z

Theodosios Dimitrasopoulos:

== '''Sunday, 1 July 2012''' ==
Just arrived at Factor e farm. It is 23:00 and I had been waiting for 9 hours at the airport before coming here It's been quite an adventure but my first impression is pretty good so I think it was worth the trouble!

== '''Monday, 2 July 2012''' ==
So today the rest of the team arrived at the farm after a terrible delay at the airport in Chicago. They spent the night at a hotel in the city and then took the next flight to Kansas city to come here. They left their stuff at the HabLab and we went to Marcin's hut to meet him and plan our summer. He asked a few things about us and our interests and, based on that, Gabi assigned us tasks to complete. Then we walked around the farm and found a perfect place to setup our tents. It's located in a small grove with thick shade and a lot of trees around. Then we went to buy some groceries for the next days.

First Impression: It was really good, but the facilities seem kind of disorganized. That's what the rest of us said.

To Do List:
Find a job in the workshop
Learn as many things as possible
Meet people!

== '''Tuesday, 3 July 2012''' ==
So today Gabi showed us around the garden and the orchards so that we know where things are for future projects. George found the weed whacker and started work right away! The rest of us worked on the garden, where we uncovered the plants and spread out the hay so that they have more sunlight but also have enough water and humidity around them. Then, I helped Gabi spread hay on a small field in front of the HabLab. I'm not sure what seeds are planted there but anyway. Finally, at noon, we watered them with Gabi. Today was not so productive meaning that I didn't do anything related to engineering and electronics down at the workshop. Everyone seems pretty busy with their own projects and I can't go and bother them with my problems, it just doesn't feel right. Eventually I will have to, but until then I should wait just in case the others make a first step...

== '''Wednesday, 4 July 2012''' ==
Happy July 4th everyone! I finally worked at the workshop today! Me and George Ardamerinos helped Brianna wire up the welders and setup the workshop. We stripped a bunch of wires, soldered some caps on the ends and pluggeed them to some outlets on the other side of the building. It was quite nice and I think I learned a lot of things, for example how to stay with my head up for half an hout fixing the wires into place! That was definitely something! Later in the day, we tooks some drinks and hopped on the back of the truck to visit Walt (He is our wonderful neighbor who lives right next door and helped me get to the farm the other day!) because this rumor about a party at his place spread around but, unfortunately it was a bad one and nothing happened there. We drove back to the farm and started a campfire instead! We sat there until early morning discussing and singing. Well we continued our feast at our campsite but still it was really nice! I am hoping I will find more things to do down at the workshop tomorrow and maybe start a project of my own with the rest of the team...I am asking for too much, aren't I?

== '''Thursday, 5 July 2012''' ==
OK so today things started rolling! In the morning I watched Yoonso's tutorials on Youtube and I taught myself SolidWorks. Well, you know the basics, how to navigate construct parts, make assemblies and other things. He also answered all of my questions and I spent my whole morning working on the software. Then, I went down to the sawmill and I started measuring its dimensions. This way I will be able to make a 3D design on SolidWorks and publish it on the wiki! I am really excited with this and I hope more people will join!

Here's a link to the tutorials:

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uosCbYn1jYs Solid Works 101 by Yoonseo!]

Thanks to Yoonseo for his great tutorial!

== '''Friday, 6 July 2012''' ==
Today me and George A. went to St. Joseph with Vann. We drove there with his Masserati(YAY!) and our first stop was an AT&T store because Vann wanted to buy a new cellphone. While we were there I saw some cases for my phone and I bought one because the conditions in the farm are not ideal for a phone you don't want to get scratches on! I also met a store clerk named Morgan and we had a long discussion about many things like where we come from, what our future plans are etc. Then, we went to a subway and ate good food! Next stop was a TacoBell for Vann. Last but not least we visited a hardware store called Menards(It was massive!) to buy a steel cutter for Matt. I didn't do anything productive today considering that I wasn't at the farm but I will make it up tomorrow!

== '''Saturday, 7 July 2012''' ==
As much as I wanted to make it up for yesterday's abstinence from work we visited pony express lake! It was really hot today (the weather forecast reported a 105 temperature increase during the day. It was not that hot
but it felt like it was pretty close!) so we wore our swimsuits and left the farm straight away! There, we rented a boat and I rowed all around the lake, which was fun! We also played some frisbee and I sunbathed for an hour or so! Then Chris bought us ice cream and after that we went back to the farm. Since I didn't do anything yesterday I wrote down a schedule for the next Month. It is about time I followed a strict routine and not waste any time at all!

So it looks like this:

'''Goals for this summer:'''
*Learn SolidWorks
*Learn how to program an Arduino board
*Meet as many people as possible while I'm here and do some networking
*Learn some more practical stuff like welding and torching
*And most importantly: Have FUN!

I will make something more detailed in the next days but I think this will do, at least for now.

== '''Sunday, 8 July 2012''' ==
So today looks like a day where everyone relaxes and doesn't do anything specific. Instead, we held the weekly house meeting, where we discussed issues concerning house cleaning, safety at the workspace, storage and many others. I believe that it was really important to express all of our concerns to the rest of the team so that they know. I also watched some online tutorials on Youtube on how to learn Arduino programming. I asked Chris and he gave me his board, so I can start right away! I heard that Yoonso is pretty good at this and by looking at his fridge thermostat I think I will ask for his help! I'll do that tomorrow though...Anyway, I think that I will take some time to relax and reflect on what I did during my stay not only in the farm but in the States in general(I've been here since the 21st of June), and plan the rest of my summer, which officially ends on the 25th of August when I leave from Germany and go back to Greece. I will make sure that I learn a lot of things during this time and make it a memorable experience!

Here's an example of the tutorials I watched today:

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCxzA9_kg6s Getting Acquainted with Arduino]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LCCGFSMOr4 Buttons, PWM, and Functions]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abWCy_aOSwY Electrical Engineering Basics]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js4TK0U848I Analog Inputs]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bHPKU4ybHY Motors and Transistors]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0pSfyXOXj8 Serial Communication and Processing]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJX0BRUagCg I2C Communication and Processing]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nO2SSExEnQ SPI Interfaces]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKVNmA8C6m8 Wireless Communication]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRJUdf5TTQQ Interrupts and Hardware Debouncing]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v5A3j7Rrco SD Cards and Datalogging]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIlSLwcbeTU RFID Card Reading]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIiDseJO4dM Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs)]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoG_Czyr7z0 Holiday Lights and Sounds Spectacular!]

Thanks to sciguy14 for his contribution!
== '''Monday, 9 July 2012''' ==
Monday July 9th and my day was fantastic! I finished measuring the dimensions of the sawmill and I started assembling it on SolidWorks! I finished making the basiv parts and then Yoonso showed me how to make an assembly out of them! He also set up my account on GitHub so that I publish my work online! That is so cool! I also told him about my goals for this summer and Arduino in particular and he offered to help. So, I was in the worshop all afternoon working on Arduino and basic circuitry! This was a dream come true. This way, I will be able to gain valuable experience and show my new skills when I go back to school. Since I am a member of the Robotics club, such a thing will be very useful for any project that we decide to start! I also fixed a problem on my computer drivers which wouldn't allow Chris's Arduino UNO to connect, so this is out of the way. For tommorrow I plan on finishing the basic tutorials and move to something more advanced! I'm so freakin' excited!

== '''Tuesday, 10 July 2012''' ==
So, as promised, I worked on small 4x4 LED grids, which didn't go that well, but helped me realize what kind of mistaked I did and what I need to work on in the future. One of them is C. I have to know this programming language befre doing anything else, so I will read some ebooks in my computer and see how that goes. Also, we need to buy more parts for my circuits. For example, we need more LEDs because most of them were fried. Last but not least, I realized that I should set a timeframe for teaching myself Arduino. I will also inform Yoonso to see if he likes the idea. So I was thinking two hours every day would be more than enough to learn Arduino and SolidWorks. I think it is a great idea and in the future I will try to integrate more teaching sessions on other areas like farming with Gabi or Welding and torching with Aidan and Brianna. I will talk to the others tommorrow and bring it up on Sunday's meeting. I hope this works out!

Theodosis Log

2012-07-11T02:37:30Z

Theodosios Dimitrasopoulos:

== '''Sunday, 1 July 2012''' ==
Just arrived at Factor e farm. It is 23:00 and I had been waiting for 9 hours at the airport before coming here It's been quite an adventure but my first impression is pretty good so I think it was worth the trouble!

== '''Monday, 2 July 2012''' ==
So today the rest of the team arrived at the farm after a terrible delay at the airport in Chicago. They spent the night at a hotel in the city and then took the next flight to Kansas city to come here. They left their stuff at the HabLab and we went to Marcin's hut to meet him and plan our summer. He asked a few things about us and our interests and, based on that, Gabi assigned us tasks to complete. Then we walked around the farm and found a perfect place to setup our tents. It's located in a small grove with thick shade and a lot of trees around. Then we went to buy some groceries for the next days.

First Impression: It was really good, but the facilities seem kind of disorganized. That's what the rest of us said.

To Do List:
Find a job in the workshop
Learn as many things as possible
Meet people!

== '''Tuesday, 3 July 2012''' ==
So today Gabi showed us around the garden and the orchards so that we know where things are for future projects. George found the weed whacker and started work right away! The rest of us worked on the garden, where we uncovered the plants and spread out the hay so that they have more sunlight but also have enough water and humidity around them. Then, I helped Gabi spread hay on a small field in front of the HabLab. I'm not sure what seeds are planted there but anyway. Finally, at noon, we watered them with Gabi. Today was not so productive meaning that I didn't do anything related to engineering and electronics down at the workshop. Everyone seems pretty busy with their own projects and I can't go and bother them with my problems, it just doesn't feel right. Eventually I will have to, but until then I should wait just in case the others make a first step...

== '''Wednesday, 4 July 2012''' ==
Happy July 4th everyone! I finally worked at the workshop today! Me and George Ardamerinos helped Brianna wire up the welders and setup the workshop. We stripped a bunch of wires, soldered some caps on the ends and pluggeed them to some outlets on the other side of the building. It was quite nice and I think I learned a lot of things, for example how to stay with my head up for half an hout fixing the wires into place! That was definitely something! Later in the day, we tooks some drinks and hopped on the back of the truck to visit Walt (He is our wonderful neighbor who lives right next door and helped me get to the farm the other day!) because this rumor about a party at his place spread around but, unfortunately it was a bad one and nothing happened there. We drove back to the farm and started a campfire instead! We sat there until early morning discussing and singing. Well we continued our feast at our campsite but still it was really nice! I am hoping I will find more things to do down at the workshop tomorrow and maybe start a project of my own with the rest of the team...I am asking for too much, aren't I?

== '''Thursday, 5 July 2012''' ==
OK so today things started rolling! In the morning I watched Yoonso's tutorials on Youtube and I taught myself SolidWorks. Well, you know the basics, how to navigate construct parts, make assemblies and other things. He also answered all of my questions and I spent my whole morning working on the software. Then, I went down to the sawmill and I started measuring its dimensions. This way I will be able to make a 3D design on SolidWorks and publish it on the wiki! I am really excited with this and I hope more people will join!

Here's a link to the tutorials:

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uosCbYn1jYs Solid Works 101 by Yoonseo!]

Thanks to Yoonseo for his great tutorial!

== '''Friday, 6 July 2012''' ==
Today me and George A. went to St. Joseph with Vann. We drove there with his Masserati(YAY!) and our first stop was an AT&T store because Vann wanted to buy a new cellphone. While we were there I saw some cases for my phone and I bought one because the conditions in the farm are not ideal for a phone you don't want to get scratches on! I also met a store clerk named Morgan and we had a long discussion about many things like where we come from, what our future plans are etc. Then, we went to a subway and ate good food! Next stop was a TacoBell for Vann. Last but not least we visited a hardware store called Menards(It was massive!) to buy a steel cutter for Matt. I didn't do anything productive today considering that I wasn't at the farm but I will make it up tomorrow!

== '''Saturday, 7 July 2012''' ==
As much as I wanted to make it up for yesterday's abstinence from work we visited pony express lake! It was really hot today (the weather forecast reported a 105 temperature increase during the day. It was not that hot
but it felt like it was pretty close!) so we wore our swimsuits and left the farm straight away! There, we rented a boat and I rowed all around the lake, which was fun! We also played some frisbee and I sunbathed for an hour or so! Then Chris bought us ice cream and after that we went back to the farm. Since I didn't do anything yesterday I wrote down a schedule for the next Month. It is about time I followed a strict routine and not waste any time at all!

So it looks like this:

Goals for this summer:
Learn SolidWorks
Learn how to program an Arduino board
Meet as many people as possible while I'm here and do some networking
Learn some more practical stuff like welding and torching
And most importantly: Have FUN!

I will make something more detailed in the next days but I think this will do, at least for now.

== '''Sunday, 8 July 2012''' ==
So today looks like a day where everyone relaxes and doesn't do anything specific. Instead, we held the weekly house meeting, where we discussed issues concerning house cleaning, safety at the workspace, storage and many others. I believe that it was really important to express all of our concerns to the rest of the team so that they know. I also watched some online tutorials on Youtube on how to learn Arduino programming. I asked Chris and he gave me his board, so I can start right away! I heard that Yoonso is pretty good at this and by looking at his fridge thermostat I think I will ask for his help! I'll do that tomorrow though...Anyway, I think that I will take some time to relax and reflect on what I did during my stay not only in the farm but in the States in general(I've been here since the 21st of June), and plan the rest of my summer, which officially ends on the 25th of August when I leave from Germany and go back to Greece. I will make sure that I learn a lot of things during this time and make it a memorable experience!

== '''Monday, 9 July 2012''' ==
Monday July 9th and my day was fantastic! I finished measuring the dimensions of the sawmill and I started assembling it on SolidWorks! I finished making the basiv parts and then Yoonso showed me how to make an assembly out of them! He also set up my account on GitHub so that I publish my work online! That is so cool! I also told him about my goals for this summer and Arduino in particular and he offered to help. So, I was in the worshop all afternoon working on Arduino and basic circuitry! This was a dream come true. This way, I will be able to gain valuable experience and show my new skills when I go back to school. Since I am a member of the Robotics club, such a thing will be very useful for any project that we decide to start! I also fixed a problem on my computer drivers which wouldn't allow Chris's Arduino UNO to connect, so this is out of the way. For tommorrow I plan on finishing the basic tutorials and move to something more advanced! I'm so freakin' excited!

== '''Tuesday, 10 July 2012''' ==
So, as promised, I worked on small 4x4 LED grids, which didn't go that well, but helped me realize what kind of mistaked I did and what I need to work on in the
future. One of them is C. I have to know this programming language befre doing anything else, so I will read some ebooks in my computer and see how that goes. Also, we need to buy more parts for my circuits. For example, we need more LEDs because most of them were fried. Last but not least, I realized that I should set a timeframe for teaching myself Arduino. I will also inform Yoonso to see if he likes the idea. So I was thinking two hours every day would be more than enough to learn Arduino and SolidWorks. I think it is a great idea and in the future I will try to integrate more teaching sessions on other areas like farming with Gabi or Welding and torching with Aidan and Brianna. I will talk to the others tommorrow and bring it up on Sunday's meeting. I hope this works out!

Theodosis Log

2012-07-11T02:36:31Z

Theodosios Dimitrasopoulos:

== '''Sunday, 1 July 2012''' ==
Just arrived at Factor e farm. It is 23:00 and I had been waiting for 9 hours at the airport before coming here It's been quite an adventure but my first impression is pretty good so I think it was worth the trouble!

== '''Monday, 2 July 2012''' ==
So today the rest of the team arrived at the farm after a terrible delay at the airport in Chicago. They spent the night at a hotel in the city and then took the next flight to Kansas city to come here. They left their stuff at the HabLab and we went to Marcin's hut to meet him and plan our summer. He asked a few things about us and our interests and, based on that, Gabi assigned us tasks to complete. Then we walked around the farm and found a perfect place to setup our tents. It's located in a small grove with thick shade and a lot of trees around. Then we went to buy some groceries for the next days.

First Impression: It was really good, but the facilities seem kind of disorganized. That's what the rest of us said.

To Do List:
Find a job in the workshop
Learn as many things as possible
Meet people!

== '''Tuesday, 3 July 2012''' ==
So today Gabi showed us around the garden and the orchards so that we know where things are for future projects. George found the weed whacker and started work right away! The rest of us worked on the garden, where we uncovered the plants and spread out the hay so that they have more sunlight but also have enough water and humidity around them. Then, I helped Gabi spread hay on a small field in front of the HabLab. I'm not sure what seeds are planted there but anyway. Finally, at noon, we watered them with Gabi. Today was not so productive meaning that I didn't do anything related to engineering and electronics down at the workshop. Everyone seems pretty busy with their own projects and I can't go and bother them with my problems, it just doesn't feel right. Eventually I will have to, but until then I should wait just in case the others make a first step...

== '''Wednesday, 4 July 2012''' ==
Happy July 4th everyone! I finally worked at the workshop today! Me and George Ardamerinos helped Brianna wire up the welders and setup the workshop. We stripped a bunch of wires, soldered some caps on the ends and pluggeed them to some outlets on the other side of the building. It was quite nice and I think I learned a lot of things, for example how to stay with my head up for half an hout fixing the wires into place! That was definitely something! Later in the day, we tooks some drinks and hopped on the back of the truck to visit Walt (He is our wonderful neighbor who lives right next door and helped me get to the farm the other day!) because this rumor about a party at his place spread around but, unfortunately it was a bad one and nothing happened there. We drove back to the farm and started a campfire instead! We sat there until early morning discussing and singing. Well we continued our feast at our campsite but still it was really nice! I am hoping I will find more things to do down at the workshop tomorrow and maybe start a project of my own with the rest of the team...I am asking for too much, aren't I?

== '''Thursday, 5 July 2012''' ==
OK so today things started rolling! In the morning I watched Yoonso's tutorials on Youtube and I taught myself SolidWorks. Well, you know the basics, how to navigate construct parts, make assemblies and other things. He also answered all of my questions and I spent my whole morning working on the software. Then, I went down to the sawmill and I started measuring its dimensions. This way I will be able to make a 3D design on SolidWorks and publish it on the wiki! I am really excited with this and I hope more people will join!

Here's a link to the tutorials:

<br/><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uosCbYn1jYs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Thanks to Yoonseo for his great tutorial!

== '''Friday, 6 July 2012''' ==
Today me and George A. went to St. Joseph with Vann. We drove there with his Masserati(YAY!) and our first stop was an AT&T store because Vann wanted to buy a new cellphone. While we were there I saw some cases for my phone and I bought one because the conditions in the farm are not ideal for a phone you don't want to get scratches on! I also met a store clerk named Morgan and we had a long discussion about many things like where we come from, what our future plans are etc. Then, we went to a subway and ate good food! Next stop was a TacoBell for Vann. Last but not least we visited a hardware store called Menards(It was massive!) to buy a steel cutter for Matt. I didn't do anything productive today considering that I wasn't at the farm but I will make it up tomorrow!

== '''Saturday, 7 July 2012''' ==
As much as I wanted to make it up for yesterday's abstinence from work we visited pony express lake! It was really hot today (the weather forecast reported a 105 temperature increase during the day. It was not that hot
but it felt like it was pretty close!) so we wore our swimsuits and left the farm straight away! There, we rented a boat and I rowed all around the lake, which was fun! We also played some frisbee and I sunbathed for an hour or so! Then Chris bought us ice cream and after that we went back to the farm. Since I didn't do anything yesterday I wrote down a schedule for the next Month. It is about time I followed a strict routine and not waste any time at all!

So it looks like this:

Goals for this summer:
Learn SolidWorks
Learn how to program an Arduino board
Meet as many people as possible while I'm here and do some networking
Learn some more practical stuff like welding and torching
And most importantly: Have FUN!

I will make something more detailed in the next days but I think this will do, at least for now.

== '''Sunday, 8 July 2012''' ==
So today looks like a day where everyone relaxes and doesn't do anything specific. Instead, we held the weekly house meeting, where we discussed issues concerning house cleaning, safety at the workspace, storage and many others. I believe that it was really important to express all of our concerns to the rest of the team so that they know. I also watched some online tutorials on Youtube on how to learn Arduino programming. I asked Chris and he gave me his board, so I can start right away! I heard that Yoonso is pretty good at this and by looking at his fridge thermostat I think I will ask for his help! I'll do that tomorrow though...Anyway, I think that I will take some time to relax and reflect on what I did during my stay not only in the farm but in the States in general(I've been here since the 21st of June), and plan the rest of my summer, which officially ends on the 25th of August when I leave from Germany and go back to Greece. I will make sure that I learn a lot of things during this time and make it a memorable experience!

== '''Monday, 9 July 2012''' ==
Monday July 9th and my day was fantastic! I finished measuring the dimensions of the sawmill and I started assembling it on SolidWorks! I finished making the basiv parts and then Yoonso showed me how to make an assembly out of them! He also set up my account on GitHub so that I publish my work online! That is so cool! I also told him about my goals for this summer and Arduino in particular and he offered to help. So, I was in the worshop all afternoon working on Arduino and basic circuitry! This was a dream come true. This way, I will be able to gain valuable experience and show my new skills when I go back to school. Since I am a member of the Robotics club, such a thing will be very useful for any project that we decide to start! I also fixed a problem on my computer drivers which wouldn't allow Chris's Arduino UNO to connect, so this is out of the way. For tommorrow I plan on finishing the basic tutorials and move to something more advanced! I'm so freakin' excited!

== '''Tuesday, 10 July 2012''' ==
So, as promised, I worked on small 4x4 LED grids, which didn't go that well, but helped me realize what kind of mistaked I did and what I need to work on in the
future. One of them is C. I have to know this programming language befre doing anything else, so I will read some ebooks in my computer and see how that goes. Also, we need to buy more parts for my circuits. For example, we need more LEDs because most of them were fried. Last but not least, I realized that I should set a timeframe for teaching myself Arduino. I will also inform Yoonso to see if he likes the idea. So I was thinking two hours every day would be more than enough to learn Arduino and SolidWorks. I think it is a great idea and in the future I will try to integrate more teaching sessions on other areas like farming with Gabi or Welding and torching with Aidan and Brianna. I will talk to the others tommorrow and bring it up on Sunday's meeting. I hope this works out!

Theodosis Log

2012-07-11T02:35:12Z

Theodosios Dimitrasopoulos:

== '''Sunday, 1 July 2012''' ==
Just arrived at Factor e farm. It is 23:00 and I had been waiting for 9 hours at the airport before coming here It's been quite an adventure but my first impression is pretty good so I think it was worth the trouble!

== '''Monday, 2 July 2012''' ==
So today the rest of the team arrived at the farm after a terrible delay at the airport in Chicago. They spent the night at a hotel in the city and then took the next flight to Kansas city to come here. They left their stuff at the HabLab and we went to Marcin's hut to meet him and plan our summer. He asked a few things about us and our interests and, based on that, Gabi assigned us tasks to complete. Then we walked around the farm and found a perfect place to setup our tents. It's located in a small grove with thick shade and a lot of trees around. Then we went to buy some groceries for the next days.

First Impression: It was really good, but the facilities seem kind of disorganized. That's what the rest of us said.

To Do List:
Find a job in the workshop
Learn as many things as possible
Meet people!

== '''Tuesday, 3 July 2012''' ==
So today Gabi showed us around the garden and the orchards so that we know where things are for future projects. George found the weed whacker and started work right away! The rest of us worked on the garden, where we uncovered the plants and spread out the hay so that they have more sunlight but also have enough water and humidity around them. Then, I helped Gabi spread hay on a small field in front of the HabLab. I'm not sure what seeds are planted there but anyway. Finally, at noon, we watered them with Gabi. Today was not so productive meaning that I didn't do anything related to engineering and electronics down at the workshop. Everyone seems pretty busy with their own projects and I can't go and bother them with my problems, it just doesn't feel right. Eventually I will have to, but until then I should wait just in case the others make a first step...

== '''Wednesday, 4 July 2012''' ==
Happy July 4th everyone! I finally worked at the workshop today! Me and George Ardamerinos helped Brianna wire up the welders and setup the workshop. We stripped a bunch of wires, soldered some caps on the ends and pluggeed them to some outlets on the other side of the building. It was quite nice and I think I learned a lot of things, for example how to stay with my head up for half an hout fixing the wires into place! That was definitely something! Later in the day, we tooks some drinks and hopped on the back of the truck to visit Walt (He is our wonderful neighbor who lives right next door and helped me get to the farm the other day!) because this rumor about a party at his place spread around but, unfortunately it was a bad one and nothing happened there. We drove back to the farm and started a campfire instead! We sat there until early morning discussing and singing. Well we continued our feast at our campsite but still it was really nice! I am hoping I will find more things to do down at the workshop tomorrow and maybe start a project of my own with the rest of the team...I am asking for too much, aren't I?

== '''Thursday, 5 July 2012''' ==
OK so today things started rolling! In the morning I watched Yoonso's tutorials on Youtube and I taught myself SolidWorks. Well, you know the basics, how to navigate construct parts, make assemblies and other things. He also answered all of my questions and I spent my whole morning working on the software. Then, I went down to the sawmill and I started measuring its dimensions. This way I will be able to make a 3D design on SolidWorks and publish it on the wiki! I am really excited with this and I hope more people will join!

Here's a link to the tutorials:

<br/><html><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uosCbYn1jYs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></html>

Thanks to Yoonseo for his great tutorial!

== '''Friday, 6 July 2012''' ==
Today me and George A. went to St. Joseph with Vann. We drove there with his Masserati(YAY!) and our first stop was an AT&T store because Vann wanted to buy a new cellphone. While we were there I saw some cases for my phone and I bought one because the conditions in the farm are not ideal for a phone you don't want to get scratches on! I also met a store clerk named Morgan and we had a long discussion about many things like where we come from, what our future plans are etc. Then, we went to a subway and ate good food! Next stop was a TacoBell for Vann. Last but not least we visited a hardware store called Menards(It was massive!) to buy a steel cutter for Matt. I didn't do anything productive today considering that I wasn't at the farm but I will make it up tomorrow!

== '''Saturday, 7 July 2012''' ==
As much as I wanted to make it up for yesterday's abstinence from work we visited pony express lake! It was really hot today (the weather forecast reported a 105 temperature increase during the day. It was not that hot
but it felt like it was pretty close!) so we wore our swimsuits and left the farm straight away! There, we rented a boat and I rowed all around the lake, which was fun! We also played some frisbee and I sunbathed for an hour or so! Then Chris bought us ice cream and after that we went back to the farm. Since I didn't do anything yesterday I wrote down a schedule for the next Month. It is about time I followed a strict routine and not waste any time at all!

So it looks like this:

Goals for this summer:
Learn SolidWorks
Learn how to program an Arduino board
Meet as many people as possible while I'm here and do some networking
Learn some more practical stuff like welding and torching
And most importantly: Have FUN!

I will make something more detailed in the next days but I think this will do, at least for now.

== '''Sunday, 8 July 2012''' ==
So today looks like a day where everyone relaxes and doesn't do anything specific. Instead, we held the weekly house meeting, where we discussed issues concerning house cleaning, safety at the workspace, storage and many others. I believe that it was really important to express all of our concerns to the rest of the team so that they know. I also watched some online tutorials on Youtube on how to learn Arduino programming. I asked Chris and he gave me his board, so I can start right away! I heard that Yoonso is pretty good at this and by looking at his fridge thermostat I think I will ask for his help! I'll do that tomorrow though...Anyway, I think that I will take some time to relax and reflect on what I did during my stay not only in the farm but in the States in general(I've been here since the 21st of June), and plan the rest of my summer, which officially ends on the 25th of August when I leave from Germany and go back to Greece. I will make sure that I learn a lot of things during this time and make it a memorable experience!

== '''Monday, 9 July 2012''' ==
Monday July 9th and my day was fantastic! I finished measuring the dimensions of the sawmill and I started assembling it on SolidWorks! I finished making the basiv parts and then Yoonso showed me how to make an assembly out of them! He also set up my account on GitHub so that I publish my work online! That is so cool! I also told him about my goals for this summer and Arduino in particular and he offered to help. So, I was in the worshop all afternoon working on Arduino and basic circuitry! This was a dream come true. This way, I will be able to gain valuable experience and show my new skills when I go back to school. Since I am a member of the Robotics club, such a thing will be very useful for any project that we decide to start! I also fixed a problem on my computer drivers which wouldn't allow Chris's Arduino UNO to connect, so this is out of the way. For tommorrow I plan on finishing the basic tutorials and move to something more advanced! I'm so freakin' excited!

== '''Tuesday, 10 July 2012''' ==
So, as promised, I worked on small 4x4 LED grids, which didn't go that well, but helped me realize what kind of mistaked I did and what I need to work on in the
future. One of them is C. I have to know this programming language befre doing anything else, so I will read some ebooks in my computer and see how that goes. Also, we need to buy more parts for my circuits. For example, we need more LEDs because most of them were fried. Last but not least, I realized that I should set a timeframe for teaching myself Arduino. I will also inform Yoonso to see if he likes the idea. So I was thinking two hours every day would be more than enough to learn Arduino and SolidWorks. I think it is a great idea and in the future I will try to integrate more teaching sessions on other areas like farming with Gabi or Welding and torching with Aidan and Brianna. I will talk to the others tommorrow and bring it up on Sunday's meeting. I hope this works out!