Doing good things for good people.

It might seem strange from the outside but this line of work actually feels like a humanitarian effort in a way. Some of the obvious benefits are there, of course, like the free clean-up and emotional counseling. The not-so-obvious stuff comes in the personal influence of a good crew and the good people we are serving. I am sure most of our relationships will be limited in their scope to this singular experience but I am also sure there will be some positive lasting effects on everybody involved. A positive and important service that can't be measured.

The interesting character of Dayton.

This is a strange, interesting city indeed. It has several elements that seem somewhat disparate in their type or era. The artistic flair of the architecture and surrounding environment is somewhat unique. The people are quite nice, as much as the few that I have met, that is. And I'm a little bit confused what draws people to live in the area in general. Nothing against the place... it is just not readily apparent why people are here. Anyway, I like it... maybe because it is a strange place to me.

A truly depressed place.

As we drove to our location today it became quite the topic of discussion, as we recognized the incredible number of foreclosed, abandoned, vacant, or evicted houses along the way, how shockingly depressed the area is. I have never seen so many dilapidated, empty houses before. It seemed like there were more empty houses than there were inhabited ones. The neighborhood looked like it was quite the happening place at some point in the past, even. Lots of character in those houses. I wonder what their story is? How did this incredible loss take place?

What kid hates magic?!

While I was riding on the tram at the airport today I was sitting next to this little kid who was very vocal about his thoughts about the world. The event transpired somewhat like this:

Little Kid: Look at where the train is going... it looks like magic. (short pause) I hate magic!(only slightly elevated, not quite a full exclamation)
His Mom: Oh, honey! 'Hate' is a strong word. We should say 'dislike' instead. You 'dislike' magic."

The kid kept rambling on but I was basically oblivious at that point. It was such a humorous and, frankly, shocking thing to hear a little kid say that I immediately started musing at the comment with my buddies. Just thinking of his tiny voice expressing such an austere and generally contradictory statement with such indignant clarity makes me laugh a little inside.

I don't know what has happened in the world when a small child takes such a strange, seemingly solitary stance but I find it most amusing nonetheless.

Sleep is for ninnies!

Which makes me a ninnie-wannabe. So I'm not the best sleep schedule keeper guy... and I complain about it disproportionately more than I should... but I think I'm improving, anyway. Slowly. Very slowly improving.(unlike this very boring entry)

The ever-learning process of doing.

It becomes more and more apparent that the doing part of learning is probably the most important. Not only does it reinforce the knowledge of said experience, it brings the opportunity for retrospective and reflective understanding as well as better recognizing how said learning applies to one's self more directly, rather than theoretically. We all experience things differently even if they are ostensibly the same. Plus, if it is a collaborative type of learning, we gain the infinitely valuable addition of interactive, interconnected, and interdependent learning which can strengthen the personal learning indefinitely in ways obvious and imperceptible alike.(<--this sentence has way too many words.) Anyway... doing is good... doing with others is better.

Knowledge and power.

I think it seems a little overstated about the relationship between the two. Certainly knowledge can equal power... but only when it is put into action. When it is not put into action I tend to think knowledge is more of a disease. It condemns the wielder by his or her own device. The tyranny of incompletion... the un-whole state. Nonetheless... knowledge is necessary and vital and the only way one can achieve true wholeness. What a fun dichotomy of life! Hooray for the challenge of it all! Ha.

A day in repose.

Sometimes wasting the day is not wasting life... but, rather, finding a peace appreciated and in some ways necessary. Inspiration can be found in the lowliest of places... in the lowliest of times. A new week presents itself anew. I am beholden to explore its grace and pain alike.

Two more jams.

I am thoroughly pleased to have gotten the opportunity to play a couple more gigs with the boys. If I am very lucky it will happen again but until the Hoarders run is done for this season I am uncertain about the odds. In any case, I guess I need to cherish each gig like it might be my last... weird. Ha. It almost sounds like I am dying of an incurable disease... quite-your-band-because-your-job-is-unpredictabalitosis... or something like that.

Almost in the new computer zone again.

I am looking forward to starting this edit on a brand new computer. One with adequate power to do my bidding in an exemplary manner. I will spend much money on this machine but I know it will make my life MUCH better. And that is awesome.

Position survival.

The meeting where we tried to figure out how to cut out my current position was an interesting one. It may be a lost cause but I think it will reveal a few interesting things along the way. I would certainly be sad to lose the opportunity to be out on the shoots but it would definitely motivate me to press for becoming a shooter with a little more enthusiasm and energy.

Walking is good.

Especially now that I have ballooned up to about 30lbs over my target weight. Oh, the sweets and fatty things! How they tempt me when they are near. Ha. I need more regular exercise, in general, so walking is a fine bridge into that healthier lifestyle I prefer. Now if I can just keep up the motivation.

Further crafting the imagination.

I was offered the role of main editor today, for the feature film I have been a part of working recently, and am quite happy for the opportunity to really help shape the output of this project. Certainly it is an incredible responsibility, considering all the work that so many awesome people have contributed to it, but I feel that I am quite up for the challenge and look forward to doing my part in helping to realize this story in it's intended form.

2nd day off since January 25th.

And I made good use of it for sure. Hanging with a couple of the good ol' boys is such a grand form of stress relief. And the weather was nothing short of remarkable. Technically, it exceeded remarkable, actually... super splendid sweetness is the level of awesomeness it attained. And I got to be out in it for the middle part of the day. Lucky me!

Final day of shooting complete.

There is still some b-roll to get but we can do that just about anytime. It definitely feels good to get to the end of such a crazy, challenging road. We forged many good relationships among the chaos and intensity. I really look forward to working with everybody again in the future!

Pacific standard bedtime.

I am super zapped right now... I have no idea why I'm still awake... eyeballs... closing.

Chasing the sun.

We were high above the clouds, darting through the sky
crossing vapor trails by
Threading hopes ahead of now, fondly singing praise of past
Painting sights a reddish cast
The turbulent beds of cumulous, etched and stretched beyond sight
As slowly fades the day to night
Emblazoned memory all a'light

Wrapping the second trip.

It is definitely an experience when you get to be a part of such a major, transformative event. It is also interesting to learn a bit more about the human condition. We get to see a unique perspective of the fringe in many ways. A treasured experience.

Right under my nose.

The problem may have been fixable and avoidable far sooner than today. I am not entirely sure it is fixed, really, but I am glad for the toughening challenges I had to go through because of it. I am pretty ragged due to the exhaustingly high number of hours I have worked... but I suppose there are many worse things in life.

A team is a family.

And I am quite lucky for the family I have out here. This is hard work and definitely would be harder without the emotional support, despite the job seeming like an entirely mental/physical skill set. And I will work to repay their support as much as I can possibly do... which in its own way lifts me as well.

A new hoard, a new story.

This person is quite aware of her challenges and is pleased for the help. It is a much dirtier hoard than the last one but I still think we can help the situation quite a bit. I look forward to the transformative opportunities ahead!

Sometimes things get better.

And the travel today was actually pretty decent. We didn't escape without any problems but the ones we had were quite manageable and the ones upcoming don't seem so bad either. This looks to actually be a good week, I think!

Fire from everywhere.

Well... mostly everywhere. Precisely as expected, however. I didn't do the work that was expected of me. Partially my fault, partially not. It's all a learning experience. I don't know how much of my 'learning' will be tolerated but I expect to do a much better the next time around.

One-day reality.

I am home from my first epic work trip... but only for another 24 hours or so. I have a lot to do tomorrow but think it will be a reasonable reset to my brain anyway. The next trip is back out east for another week, though, this time will be almost literally polar opposite in the weather department. Good times to be had by all!

Long hours and longer nights.

The nature of my work is strange in a business-hour sense. It essentially picks up where the regular work cycle is ending, sort of making it the dichotomy of said work cycle. Now, I live this dichotomy as I try to live a regular life. Fun times.

Fans, poop, and all that ruckus hitting.

Today 'it' began. This job was never intended to be easy but it certainly held back the tide of crap-flinging a bit longer than expected. I haven't fought so many arguments in my head since I worked at UPS. Luckily, I have kept it all to myself, avoided the passive aggressive retaliation my brain wanted to indulge in, and think it's all just another bump in the road to success. The patience my poo-stained brain doesn't want to cough up right now is just a little jarring on the optimistic path I normally prefer to follow... no bigs.

Doing the good stuff.

Today was one of those shoots that was loaded with fun, challenging, stuff that left me feeling pretty well-suited to my job. Everything didn't happen exactly as planned or anything but we still did pretty well as a team and I think the positive vibe is going to carry into the rest of the shoot. There is never enough to be said for the benefits of positivity!