Wow... where does the time go...

OK, I'll admit I been a bit slack in posting... and I don't know what happened to all those drafts I'd placed in here to post later... oh well...moving on...

Since "my big slice" late last year, I've undergone further procedures to remove the excessive skin after my weight loss. All procedures were performed by my absolutely fantastic surgeon, Dr Margaret Anderson under a general anaesthetic.  And her post-op nursing staff are equally amazing.

Earlier this year, I underwent an inner thigh lipectomy and liposuction.  The lipo was performed to remove the excess volumes of fat from my legs and knees.  Following this, the inner thigh lipectomy was done which involved an incision from the crease of the groin region to just above the knee, in my case, and the inner thigh "lifted" and supported into its new tighter position.  It was then just a matter of wearing compression garments for a while AND don't go on any 5km walks a few days after surgery...

That being done, less than a week ago, I underwent my final stage - a Brachioplasty, or ‘arm lift’, as they're sometimes known as. This procedure reshapes the underside of the upper arm from the armpit to the elbow. The surgery removes extra skin and fat to give a more toned and balanced appearance.  Upper arm skin tends to droop with age and after significant weight loss.  Whilst exercise may strengthen and improve the underlying muscle tone of the upper arm, it cannot change any extra skin that has lost its elasticity. 

I cannot praise enough, how wonderful and fantastic Dr Margaret Anderson and her staff are.  She did an awesome job. 

CWC Calendar 2013

In keeping the tradition, the CWC Calendar can be once again available here

[Note: You must be logged into the AUGI Forums to view this the calendar]

thanks to all at #AU2012 who participated in "wearing" the "official AUGI hat"

Project Chronicle - A great tech support tool...

A few weeks ago, "Project Chronicle" came of age and has gone live after being after spending time in the Autodesk Labs area.

What is Project Chronicle, you say - well its an extremely useful tool that allows users to easily capture, share and learn from software workflows.  It allows users to to record and capture information from within Autodesk software thereby creating excitedly useful and interactive video tutorials.

I can see that this technology will be a valuable tool when dealing with technical support issues...

 Check out the Project Chronicles website for some great videos already uploaded...

need luggage tags???

In keeping with previous years', those AUGI members who wish to distinguish their luggage other AU attendees - behold your very own luggage tags - designed to fit on 4.25" x 2.5" laminated luggage tags

Counting down to #AU2012!

With just over 30 days until #AU2012, the excitement and anticipation is well and truly building up....

Apart from the regular things to do, there are some musts IMHO that all good CAD geeks should participate and attend...

• Monday Nov 26: AU Freshman Orientation - not only for first-timers at AU...

must do Exhibit Hall activities, namely

• stop by the AUGI booth in the International Community Pavilion area
• participate in the 2012 AUGI Scavenger Hunt - sounds like an absolute blast!
• AUGI Annual Meeting and Beer Bust - Wednesday Nov 28
• one of my favourite exhibitors - stop by the #IMAGINiT booth for hands on fun & prizes

Counting down to AU 2012 - hope to see you there, for the most intensely insanely busy & geeky week of the year...  

Sharing Files Between Macs...

OK so a number of people recently have asked me, how do I share files between my macs?

There are a variety of different ways to transfer or share files between Macs... here's a few I regularly use...

The Traditional tried n' true way...

AFP (Appletalk Filing Protocol) is the traditional route to share files between Macs, and though it takes a moment or two to setup it has some major advantages like being able to map network drives for constant access and to transfer files between Macs and Windows PC’s as well as across Macs running any version of OS X, whether it’s 10.1 or 10.8.1.

File Sharing needs to be enabled on all Macs that you want to use the feature on, here’s how:

• Open System Preferences from the  Apple Menu, and click on “Sharing” panel, located under the "Internet & Wireless" panel
• Check to enable “File Sharing” on all Macs you want to share files between
• From the OS X Finder, hit Command+Shift+K and then click “Browse” to find and connect to the desired Mac
• Enter login credentials to connect, and now you can use the other Mac like any other folder in OS X, drag and drop files to copy

• If you’re going to move very large files between Macs the traditional File Sharing approach is probably the best method of transfer. It’s highly reliable, and has the greatest range of compatibility between all Macs and versions of OS X.

Using Air Drop...

By far the easiest method is to use AirDrop, and so long as both Macs are running OS X Lion or later you can use the feature. 

 You don’t even need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network, as long as your computers are within range of one another an ad-hoc network will be created between the two Macs to send the file. 

AirDrop is the fastest way to send files between Macs hands down and there’s virtually no configuration required to use it.

From the Finder:

• Select Finder > Go > AirDrop or hit Command+Shift+R to open AirDrop 
• Wait for the other Mac to appear, then drag and drop the file(s) to the Mac to transfer the files to...
• On the receiving Mac, accept the file transfer

Using iMessage...

Want to send a file to your friends Mac in another location? Providing both of you are running OS X Mountain Lion, then Messages is the easiest way to go. From Mountain Lion’s Messages app onward, all you need to do is:

• Open a new Message to the recipient
• Drag and drop the file into the iMessage window and hit return to send
• When finished transferring, the recipient can just double-click the file to open it or right-click to save it

iMessages makes transferring files between remote Macs extremely easy, and Messages will accept just about any file type, whether it’s images, documents, movies, zips, you name it. iMessage will also lets you send the same files to iOS devices like iPhones, iPods, and iPads, so long as iMessage is set up properly in iOS 5 or later.  Cool huh :)

Autodesk University 2012

Whilst registrations are still ongoing for AU2012, as of October 15, they will set up back a further $US500 - the discounted honeymoon period has ended.

If you haven't yet registered, you can do so here... 

If you are attending, are you an AU seasoned veteran or a first timer? 
Either way, check out these great resources... 

• Autodesk University 2012 website
• Mistress of the Dorkness's AU Survival Guide
• The KungFu Drafters's Beginners Guide to AU

A must attend class for newcomers, would have to be the AU Freshman Orientation class

And no AU can ever be complete without visiting the AUGI Booth located in the International Pavilion area, \ attending the AUGI Annual General Meeting and participating along with other AUGI friends at AUGI events, like Top DAUG and AUGI Day

I'm attending... see you there!!!

One week after the big slice...

Wow it's amazing what one week can do...
Over the last three years, I have been slowly losing weight - no special diets or weight loss programs, just eating sensibly, cutting carbs and exercising a whole lot more.  I have lost a lot of weight, possibly in excess of 60kgs (approx 132lbs).  I don't really know the exact amount, but its a heck of a lot and I feel all the better for it.

One thing I couldn't lose however was the excess skin and fat that dominated the area around my middle to lower abdomen... To do this, I needed what is known as Abdominoplasty surgery, or as its commonly known as a "tummy tuck".

This time, at least readers will be spared photos of the surgery... I may post images later of the before and after, if I can obtain copies from my amazing surgeon, Dr Margaret Anderson.

This time last week, I was being prepped for this procedure and the end result is absolutely amazing.  The procedure removed approximately 6.5 kgs. Yes, I'm still a little sore and probably will be for some time yet but it has well and truly been worthwhile.  

Highly recommend for anyone else who find themselves in this situation.