Pretty cool I reckon, this little application. It’s called C# to go and it does actually work. I’ve used it to test smaller methods, such as the one you can see, if I’m on the bus or tram,- or anywhere where I can’t pull my laptop out.
Nov 132011
I did tell the landlord that attaching a heavy sink to a wall made of plasterboard (gypsum board) was a pretty bad idea and a risky strategy. Her answer, not to lean on it, was erhhh…well,- the sink began to sink as the wall started to give in where the the sink was attached. Today the leakage was worse than ever, and the pipes are just millimeters from snapping. I propped up the sink with my tripod, and I sure hope it can hold up the sink- and won’t break as well. It’s funny how being cheap can easily cost you a lot. If the pipes snap during the night it is going to cost the landlord more than the whole bathroom is worth,- plus a new tripod for me. How the hell do you come to the conclusion that a 0.5 cm plasterwall will hold a 15 kg ++ ceramic sink plus pipes?
This is my second workstation. Just installed Windows 8 and Visual Studio 11 a couple of weeks ago, but this computer is too old and slow.
So many parts have been changed, and only a total renovation would bring this thing back to life. Even my laptop is extremly slow.
Guess what’s on my wishlist this christmas?
It’s good to, once in a while, to take a break- and instead of always looking forward (if that is what you have been doing), take a look back and notice how you got to the point where you are at now. And maybe even give yourself some cred. Next weekend I am helping out the school with an event. The school has booked a stand at a large student and knowledge fair, the biggest in Sweden I believe, to promote their school programs and courses. They needed some students to represent them and I gladly volunteered as I am very keen on trying to get more girls interested in IT and programming, and because I really want to support my school. The thing is, as I was preparing some sales dialogs today (or call them pitches if you want) I started thinking about how I got here. Six months ago I was ‘just’ a self-employed PT and dietitian, still trying to find out what I wanted to do with my life. I had studied for 5 years nutrition and sports (and for the most of the time I did enjoy it,- kind of), but always felt that something was missing, something wasn’t right.
I was very interested in computers, design, and web design, but the most I could code was a sorry little windows for of hello world from a copy and paste tutorial, and that did take me quite a while to put together nonetheless. Fast-forward to August, and school starts. I am loving it from the start, and every day I come to school excited and more passionate than I have ever been about something ever before. The days are long, but I do not notice. It is hard, but I do not notice. I learn a lot, but eager to learn more I do not notice. Until today. I looked at the CRM programme me and my group did only after 8 weeks of school, a REAL programme that REALLY works. And three weeks later, after only three days with WPF I build an educational tool in just a few days. 12 weeks ago I couldn’t code anything. Nothing. Can you imagine what I can do in a month? In a year? In two years? Before I couldn’t, but now I can. And on Saturday I hope this little pdf can help other students imagine their future as a developer as well. And if they do, then this is by far the best school. Hope to inspire!
Started of the morning reading Head First Design Patterns, a well-written book that provides a very good introduction to design patterns. I mentioned briefly that we have started talking about MVVM, which is a design pattern. As Wiki puts it, design patterns are: “ general reusable solutions to a commonly occurring problem within a given context in software design…. It is a description or template for how to solve a problem that can be used in many different situations. Object oriented patterns typically show relationships and interactions classes or objects without specifying the final application classes or objects that are involved.” Any wiser? Well, we are not talking about design as in colors and fashion designers. It is way more exciting than that! When you get over the hobby-level of programming, which I hope I am over by now, you will get to the point where you wonder- how the hell shall I lay out all my classes and objects and so on? Since every application is different, and updates will also require different solutions, there is no ‘This is how you do it’. I was kind of hoping for a: put this here, that there, write a little here and voilà. Nope. Not happening. Instead, it is kind of as with exercise, there are some basic principles that should not be broken and are almost always true. Like the principle of progressive loading to increase muscle mass, and the Open-close principle in object oriented programming. But HOW you do it, see- that is where it gets tricky. We know we all can’t have the same workout program, (you might have a different goal, different tools and maybe even an injury!). I just learned it’s the same thing with programming. And design patterns are, kind of, different ideas for how to solve some problems. And often you will need to use several of them. And as with exercise programs, everybody will claim their solution is the best and will fix everything. Talking about exercise… I’m going out for a run. When I feel more comfortable with Design Patterns I’ll try to explain it in layman terms- right now it is quite new to me, and although I think I get it, – hehe ,- yeah I’ve been there before… 
Edit:
One of my classmates, Daniel F. also wrote a blog entry about Design Patterns, have a read!
I just read Clean Code by Robert C. Martin (Uncle Bob). For one and a half hour my eyes were literarily glued to my computer as I visually inhaled every single word this man had written (yes, I am a pretty fast reader- I inhale,- not read). I scribbled three pages, and used a red pen as everything seemed so important. I totally overused the exclamation mark. If I had written on my computer the never-used caps lock would have had a field day and let me scream out everything Uncle Bob had to say. Why? It has now been about 10 weeks since I started studying programming. The pace has been extremely high with few moments to breathe, and even less time to think. And I’ve loved every single moment of it (The way I see it pressure does make diamonds, when the pressure and the material is right!). From day one our teacher, and I guess his name is not a secret anymore, Mikael Freidlitz (I might as well throw in some well-deserved free advertisement- he totally rocks) has preached the importance of a clean code that follows the highly regarded principles such as OCP and SRP ++. I have to admit, that from the very start I wanted to make poetry when writing code, and keep it as simple and pretty as a Haiku poem. But somewhere, sometime, something changed.
The mistake (by an embarrassed programmer called Iris)
Like a madman blinded by eagerness
The programmer rushes
Basics forgotten
It probably was somewhere between the examination project and the WPF course that the race was on to produce as much code as possible, and sadly elegancy and cleanliness was forgotten- and I am also mortified to admit,- it was knowingly ignored. I hope that being a teenage-programmer such vulgar mistakes and mischievous acts can be forgiven (not talking about my real age here, but my maturity level in programming). The AHA moment came today, I mean the really big AHAAAA moment. I was scrolling through my very lengthy XAML, and scanning different source files trying to locate something. The quantity of code and writing hit me like a fist in the stomach, and I felt seriously ill. ‘Damn,’- I thought. ‘It sure works, but it looks like shit’. I couldn’t face staring at the thing again, so I closed the app. ‘What to do now?’ I thought. So I ran home (kind of), and just did a very fast and furious reading. I am totally blown away. As an added bonus we started learning about MVVM (Model View ViewModel) today, so two big revelations just replaced that fist in the stomach with eager little butterflies. I can’t wait to wake up and clean my code. And keep it clean. As a matter of fact, I have never felt this inspired about housekeeping – it’s a shame it is limited to programming he he 
. Programmers, new, or old. Don’t forget the basics, the fundamentals. And if you have a bad feeling about your code, then you are probably right. Don’t ignore it, because it won’t go away. I can’t believe I am this excited about programming. Seriously, I am not going to be able to sleep tonight Man is this awesome or what?!
Nov 082011
Have you had your workout today? Start early for an awesome start to the day! Me @ the gym this morning 
Nov 062011
And good morning world! A yummy and nutritious breakfast, egg, caviar, aioli, salad and a glass of skim milk and an apple. After a bit of a read it’s time to see some clients and work a little
Nov 052011
I truly love to dance, and last night we went to Park Lane after some nagging from me. I just HAD to go out and dance! I put on a pair of jeans (yes! I do own a pair!) and a shirt, made sure the makeup was light and the shoes comfy. I danced on the stage for nearly two hours and I was shaking it like never before. Oh what a feeling! It was a great evening!
On our way hom a guy was playing the guitar on the street and a crowd had gathered and were holding each others hands and singing a Bob Dylan song together. I’m not sure if he was a homeless person, or an artist – or both.
But how beautiful and inspiring to bring people together like that, and actually get out a beautiful song out of very very drunk people that just a moment ago were screaming down the main street of Gothenburg! How truly beautiful Friday nights can be!
Nov 042011
Just finished a leg and an workout at the gym. Friday night is my favorite time to lift weights, all the big guys are there getting pumped up for the weekend and I always get inspired. If I need any help there are plenty to ask, and since I have no early morning obligations I can take my time. Here are some pictures from today’s session. Notice that I always bring my programming book with me so I can have a bit of a read between sets