Meeting others in the business.

I think tonight's excursion into the wild world of film production was a fairly eye-opening experience(as if I am somehow used to getting around in life with my eyes closed in the first place.) I enjoyed meeting many of the folks as well as the learning that came along with it. Lots of food for thought. It looks to be a solid, purposeful experience with lasting effect.

The week should be interesting.

I have a couple different events to enjoy this week and one of them is a social sort of activity which could lead to all sorts of interesting networking connections. This is the kind of thing I am generally pretty good at so I expect some good things to come of it.

Beyond all that, I think there is something to be said for looming life changes. I'm planning to move on June 1st and am still not entirely sure where I will end up. I will hopefully have that determined over the coming week or so, though, so that should be interesting as well.

Not as bad as expected.

Tonight I went to my first "single adult"(not 'young') fireside/activity. It seems like I would be dumb to not at least go, even though I do not feel particularly suited to the scene, so I gave it a shot tonight. I am glad I went nonetheless even though I don't see anything in particular happening therein.

Admittedly, it is certainly a somewhat difficult thing to grasp as a personal choice. Identifying myself in that group is not something I am really willing to do, even still, but I am not totally averse to it like I was before today. I guess that means it was a different sort of progress and something I am glad for.

Still learning and never stopping.

It is a wondrous thing that we have the capacity to always learn something new every single day. It does take some effort from time to time but it is pretty much always worth it.

I can't say I learned a ton of new stuff today but I did learn a few things that are valuable. Most of it was the practical experience of video editing but there were a few little things as well.

Now, even though it is way past my bed time I will be happy to crash and look forward to tomorrow evening's challenges. They will no doubt be challenges to teach me something new... even if my sentiment about all of this is something quite old. Ha.

A variety of experience.

I am quite glad more and more of my fellow students are asking me to help them with their projects. In pretty much every instance I am offered the opportunity to teach as well as learn. Every little thing helps me to become better at my craft. Plus, I think I am helping my fellow students to actually improve themselves at the same time. I am sure this all seems quite obvious but the measure of improvement all around is seemingly more dramatic than I normally expect. It's very valuable experience indeed!

Being from Washington.

I suppose it has a certain set of features that comes along with it that it almost seems most people, including those actually from Washington, are fairly proud to admit.

1. That the rain really isn't a big deal. This is actually one of the secrets that most people in Western Washington are already aware of since it doesn't really rain all that intensely as much as it just rains more consistently than other places.

2. The sun is kind of bright. This is mostly due to the overcast nature of Western Washington skies. Not that we live in a cave or anything but we don't always have sunglasses handy when the powerful beams of sun come a' glarin'.

3. Coffee is not the primary beverage of choice. Nor is it even necessary for survival. It just happens to be very accessible. Not something I am interested in personally but whatever floats a boat or two is fine.

This list is FAR from exhaustive but it felt appropriate for today. Tomorrow will certainly be something different so I guess I will just look forward to that now.

A day without a nap just isn't the same.

I think I have already written on this topic but it feels especially present right now so here it is anyway.

Today was the busy day of my mid-terms and I was quite productive compared to what is typical for me. I haven't written any serious papers in a while so I guess the one I wrote today had a certain kind of responsible feeling to it. I normally would have napped during that time, thus my somewhat alternative feeling for the day.

I think a decent nap every day is actually a very good idea. It is just a good way to unwind the challenges of life a little that I usually need it more than I would like to admit. Now, however, I am actually quite ready for a bed-time that is more like what I should be doing on a regular basis anyway. So it is a more positive twist in the fabric of my day's experience... and soon the night will gain the benefits.

The continued learning of life.

It never ceases to teach me how much I really don't know about just about anything... which is a bit of a tough thing to accept at first, but eventually begins to just make sense after a while. In reality, I have been quite aware of how little I know about women for as long as I can remember, but I have certainly fought the idea that I can't live without a significantly connected woman in my life far too vigorously for my own good. And only now do I feel like I have been wandering in the dark all this time. How strange and partially annoying.

So, I guess I need to forget about making friendships, with girls I might be attracted to beyond friendship, since it is basically a technical impossibility. I should have realized this long ago when my attempts to do such failed pretty much every time without exception. I'm not exactly sure what I will try to change about the whole thing but at least knowing that I probably should change my approach is at least a small step in the right direction.

The sun is a powerful ally.

Though, I am sure most people don't really think of it that way.

Anything which improves the frequency of a smile, encourages one to step out into nature, and lifts the attitude and feeling of those around you is always on your side. Encouraging thoughts, hope, optimism, humor, friendly feelings, and the quickest way to forget the gloomy past.

It really makes for a good Monday and certainly makes for a better week in general.

Closer to home.

Cancer is one of those things that nobody really likes to think or talk about much. And today it became one of those realities that I have not been particularly fond of lately as well. My brother was diagnosed a day or so ago and will soon be going in for surgery. The only way it could get any more directly relevant is if/when I am diagnosed with it myself.

To be honest, I am not entirely sure how to respond to this news. I naturally have the feelings of trepidation about what the future holds for my brother and family... but I somehow feel like I am not appropriately emotional about it. I think my self-defense mechanism has simply cut most of the emotion out of this whole experience. It is kind of weird.

Well... now I move forward in life as if nothing has changed. In reality, my plans are not affected much by this but I think I need to pay close attention over the next few days because things really could make a change in direction quickly.

Loaded from front to back.

This has been a busy day, indeed! I had a good club meeting, got some client work done, played some good magic, socialized and watched a movie with friends. My healing tooth did not really bother me much, the weather was pleasant, and I am even quite tired and likely to be hitting the sack quite soon. I know it isn't exactly early or anything but I often am inclined to just stay up anyway for no good reason that I can make sense of.

Now, the day can be unloaded back into my dreams and mental musings. Which, in itself, is also a form of productivity of some type.

Turning the tide in no time!

Well... I think that seems to be the case. I am not really sure how but my dental pain has been an extreme minimum compared to how I was feeling last night. I haven't taken more than the anti-inflammatory steroid stuff since the middle of last night and, even though I think I am still bleeding a little, it has basically left me alone for pretty much the entire day. Weird! Awesome weird!

I guess I will know more tomorrow morning for sure.

Dental doomishness.

Okay... So it isn't really that bad, but I am certainly feeling pretty much like somebody crashed a semi-truck into my jaw... a semi-truck with a trailer full of explosives that went off when it hit me... or something like that.

I think I'll be complaining less tomorrow... though, that could be entirely false. Anyway, I look forward to seeing this all in retrospect. That'll be a nice war story of some sort.

Acceptance in abundance.

Positive interaction with people is a totally common thing for me. I think it is a blessing associated to my own positive nature but it certainly is not an automatic thing. And even though it does happen so normally for me I do still appreciate and am grateful for it happening in my life.

When girls are in the picture I am even more grateful. This area of life has been such a bleak and challenging subject for me for well over a decade and even if I am only offered this kind of positive interaction for one day I am quite grateful for it! Every little piece is valuable. All the way down to a simple, beautiful smile.

A swift and poignant term.

I think there might be some more important things in the works this term than I initially thought was the case. Most of it has to do with direction... something which I am sometimes confused about, though I generally have a good idea where I am going.

Lots of 'ism' to go around, too. I like the 'optimism' type the best.

Learning the new things daily.

I am glad for the critical, constructive people in my life. They are the ones that push me to improve and become a better person. It can happen in any area of life, too. Artistic, personal, emotional, ethical, and technical areas of life all get their respective work-outs, so to speak. A personal sort of polishing I suppose.

So I need to take advantage of it more often... though maybe not constantly... which could be sort of a downer. I hope I can do the same for others in return!

Changes are on the way.

Though, to be honest, I am not entirely sure how most of it will go down and exactly where I will end up. I think I need to make a move soon but it will be difficult to discern the best place to go. I might have more than one good option.

This week should be an interesting one. I have a mind that we will see a decent amount of sun even though I have not heard or seen anything about the weather forecast. Maybe that is just a piece of my optimism for things manifesting in the expectation of something that I really have no idea about. Though, to be fair, the weather folks do not really seem all that knowledgeable on the topic as well at times.

Winter in the middle of spring.

I was extremely reluctant to go to work this morning and when I got there and was standing out in the freezing cold wind I was seriously wondering why I didn't call in. Some point later in the day I realized, as is often the motivating factor for why I do just about anything in life, that I can not afford to miss any days of work at all... even if I am only plus $10 or so after working that shift. Every dollar counts!

Never giving myself enough time.

I know this is a choice. I just need to actually make it, rather than the choice being made for me because of my inaction to choose!

Forgetting every once in a while.

I think I was so wiped out last night that I actually forgot to do the online entries of my journalling... so I now feel way further behind on any sort of quality entries for the week. Too bad I am several hours past my bedtime now and will be skipping another quality entry opportunity. Whoops!

Tons of gizmos and goodie.

Yet... the real report(or something more substantial, anyway) will arrive sometime later than now. Whoops!

The technological embarrassment of riches.

I think there are few places in the world with more attractive technology available than that of the NAB convention which I am attending for the first time this year. If I was not so tired I might do a proper write up on my experience today... but I think I'll have to do a proper write up when it is all over so maybe that will cover it nicely.

Preparing for the blitz.

I don't really know what will happen over the next several days as I make my way to the NAB conference in Las Vegas... but... I believe it will be a tremendous learning experience which can affect my life forever. Though I guess that remains to be seen.

Man and wife.

It is a beautiful, blessed thing. I am quite happy for my friends who have been blessed by it in their personal lives. I am inspired but certainly could stand to act more on the good things than I do.

One thing after the next, ad infinitum.

I have no understanding of why I am actually still awake right now. None. So, I suppose I will make the choice to go remedy that problem right away.

Busy day!

Work, thinking, excitement, play, learning, driving, food recovery... and lots of smaller, cumulative things as well. I was running around pretty much non-stop. I think it was probably a good thing. I am certainly looking forward to the sleep recharge tonight!

The money spending whirlwind.

I know I am generally foolish with my money and today has been no exception. It seems that I have been planning how to spend it for so long that it really stood no chance of lingering in my accounts for very long at all. I do, however, feel pretty good about my purchases and payments today.

A new camera and various peripheral accessories, rent, back-rent, software(which I have been pirating for 15 or so years) and that's pretty much it. Now I feel like a contributing member of the economic society once again… even if only for a moment.

Now, I just need to pay off a grip load more of debt and I'll be set for quite a while!

I guess I am older than I realized.

I noticed that a certain actor had his 36th birthday today and it made me realize, after a bit of introspective thought, that I am basically in the same age bracket yet have not really considered myself to be anywhere near it yet. I thought of this guy as somebody older than me so it is sort of a surreal feeling to have, equating his age to mine.

I also think I really like reading nicely written articles. They make me feel like I need to improve my own writing quality way more than the very slow pace that I might be improving it. Consistent writing certainly does help, but consistent effort makes much more of a difference, I tend to think. I should be more deliberate about timing things better at night so I don't always feel like I am rushing things. As the Jamaicans always say... haste make waste.

Listening to inspiring people is a good activity.

I think it is their energy for life, their enthusiasm and motivation, their insights, and all of their quality ideas that really get me going. They seem to have a different kind of work ethic which comes through in the manner as well. Something of an obsession in some cases but always a powerfully effective force in their lives. It makes me hope to become something like them in each case.

And, if I practice enough, I know I might be able to achieve a measure of that quality in my own life... a blessing of their examples before me.