Good work makes good sleep.

Not only is the body prepared with the gift of exhaustion and sometimes even pain... but the conscience, heart and mind can become eager for the break as well. We dream at times to realize the possibilities in concept. The past can also sense its conclusion, retired to memory occasionally called back for another trip to the stage. Memories in motion from a day well spent.

A simple sort of Saturday.

It is nice to have a break from work once in a while. It happens on occasion, however, that after more than a couple days things tend to get a bit lean on the excitement factor. Sure, it's nice to be lazy once in a while but that's not always the most enjoyable thing when it's hard to forget about all the projects you could be working on. In any case, I won't complain about a moment of peace and rest... I'll just work harder at enjoying it.

The blackest Friday.

For my crummy little smart phone, that is. It recently started corrupting my life(the alarm clock stopped working, calls were being missed, etc) so I had to let the little guy go. Retirement, I suppose. And with that inevitable demise came the birth of a new digital smart-chapter in my life. You might call it an iChapter 6s Plus. I decided that since I am now going whole hog on the business part of my life that going whole hog on the single most used tool in that part of my life would be appropriate. Sure, my phone bill will more than double but with it comes a certain business-reliability, stability and efficiency that I have not previously experienced. Which, indeed, makes this the blackest Friday I have ever had.

Gratitude in general silence.

I try very hard to express my gratitude as it comes upon me, for things, opportunities, and various kindnesses I have been given as well as for help which has been rendered on my behalf. I even recognize the myriad blessings I have in life which do not come through the purpose of others directly, things like my skills, my health, the place I live, my enjoyment of food, sports, music, art, games, and perspectives of the world and my place in it(even this being a list pale in its scope of my blessings, understood or not). In short, my position in life is something I should cherish and respect... the magnitude of my blessings far exceed my ability to properly acknowledge and appreciate them. Thanksgiving seems like an important holiday if for nothing else but that reminder. Its importance is increased, however, if the impetus to respect those gifts by responding in kind is acted upon and concurrent changes become the operational motion of life. I am sure I could have paraphrased all of this in a much simpler, clearer way. I needn't apologize for trying to improve myself, though, so I'll just be thankful that I can at least understand what I have said right now and hope that if/when I review this in the future it will imbue a similar effect and feeling upon me at those future times. Future win!

Reliable technology.

Without it I become a less reliable human. I had this epiphany this morning when I woke up and learned I was missing an important work meeting due to my unfounded trust in my phone alarm, computer alarm, and iPod calendar alert. The last two were intended to be my failsafes when the phone alarm didn't do its job... except I accidentally sabotaged those backup plans all by myself. Anyway... the simple lesson is this. If I am to be a reliable, trustworthy individual there is no expense too great in procuring the tools to enable that facility. I went cheap on my phone, assuming it was merely a communication device, and failed to recognize its greater role in my attempt to become the reliable human. I will not make this mistake again.

The evolutionary band.

I guess they haven't been practicing much over the past couple months(mostly due to the "main man" getting married) but they still seem to have progressed since the last time I saw them. I am sure it happened when I was with the band but was certainly more difficult to recognize looking at it from the inside out. I think the bulk of their progress might be founded on the drummer's increased comfort and fluidity with the material. It's an awesome thing to behold! I look forward to seeing further progress moving forward! Also, I do miss being a part of it all. It makes me want to start composing music just so I can have a piece of that outlet in my life once again.

Brainstorming for things I don't know much about.

It is one of those activities that I enjoy no matter the topic of exploration. This is probably just the bliss of any active mind as the opportunity to flex the thinking muscle is always just that... an opportunity. Perhaps it is even more an opportunity when working in unfamiliar territory. Or maybe it just feels that way since the quickest learning often takes place in the beginning stages of any particular topic. Though, not to presume contemplation and hypothesis is, in itself, a form of learning... it it, however, a function of "greasing the wheels", so to speak. And prepping the ground in which one intends to plant is often just as important as the fruit that eventually springs from it. Each is a part of its process... its journey. I obviously enjoy brainstorming a lot. Ha.

Life alone is a difficult thing.

I know this from personal experience to some degree. It is something I have witnessed in the lives of a few of my close friends, though, with a couple of them to an even more isolated state than I have ever experienced... I still have my family even though I lived quite far away from them for a time. The holiday season is a time of year that we who connect to those who lack those other meaningful connections need to be more conscious and hopefully more willing to reach toward them. It is the time of the year that is physically darker due to shortened days but often feels emotionally darker as well. And, despite my general enjoyment of the season, this might be one of the reasons I am so annoyed by the increasingly early capitalization of the Christmas season(Halloween just ended people!)

Day 30 of the web series shoot.

I have only participated in about half or so of them but it has still been quite an experience. Some of the crew faces have changed but we've maintained a fairly consistent core for a good chunk of the time, as well. It has been interesting to see all the different actors come and go and a few of them come back again. Mostly this would be due to scheduling and scene order but it seems we have had some parts re-written on the fly to accommodate scheduling challenges, too. I think we only have a few or so shoot dates left and I look forward to joining as many as I can... and they will come and go far too quickly for my taste as usual.

The colden days are upon us.

And whether you enjoy what they bring or not, the world definitely feels like a different place during this time of year. It's sort of like traveling to a different place altogether. People act differently, the environment looks different, and many basic habits(such as getting ready to leave for the day, which now includes warming up the car) even get tweaked a bit. It is all just the normal flow of life's seasons that remind us how ever-present the driving force known as change really is.

Is editing sort of like truck driving?

I think that sitting behind a desk is not a very positive way to spend your time. Certainly there are lots of good things that can be done but the act of sitting must have an erosive effect on one's health. I wonder how many hours I have spent sitting behind a desk? At least if you are driving a truck you are moving your arms around a bit and you are likely more consistently mentally engaged in your task at hand, namely driving on pavement instead of people and lines and other vehicles and such. I really don't mind working a long edit once in a while but it always reminds me why I much prefer more active lines of work, like camera operating.

My last shoot day of the season.

So began the last shoot of the season as I, the single participant in today's work, worked a full day shooting b-roll for the story. The work was brisk and pleasant. The weather, despite it's generally chilly disposition, cooperated as much as I was hoping it would. I made the appropriate hand-offs before heading out and the drive home only required a 20-minute nap about half way here. I think the people we are helping are great folks and I look forward to seeing how everything turns out once it finally airs on television sometime next year.

Getting the ball slowly rolling.

We have now had two meetings about the creation of a new media division at the Flea. It feels like we are better understanding what it is we are trying to achieve and now the plans for how to do it are starting to formulate with a little more clarity. This is an exciting endeavor to undertake, for sure, and being able to see a little further down the timeline certainly increases my enthusiasm in almost measurable ways.

Hiding in my own face.

This sort of thing seems to happen just about every time I shave all my hair off. I do it with somewhat consistent regularity but people almost always seem to forget what I look like anyway. It's just part of my regular habit as I have always enjoyed changing things up, though, I guess age has started limiting the options a bit. Luckily for me, change is something I have learned to enjoy... most of the time.

Rolling into a fresh week.

There are always fun things lurking about on the horizon. This week looks to be an interesting mix of fun and work, too, and I think it will turn out some solid results in a few different areas. I get to do a couple different shoots, crank out an edit for a customer, and cap it all off with payday on Friday(with the possibility of another shoot or two on through the weekend.) And the weather is doing some sort of winter thing lately and I've seen rumors that it might be pushing on into the next few days or so. Fun!

Sometimes football gets in the way, though.

Even though I have been awake since before the football games started playing I didn't really jump on my writing soon enough to get to this before getting distracted. No matter, I have had a pleasant weekend. It was nice to visit with some of my old co-workers from Borders Books at the annual Piemas party. It's strange how it seems to come and go so quickly. I actually missed last years one and still it felt like I had seen most of the folks very recently even though their lives have changed a fair amount in that time. I do look forward to next year's event in any case.

Sometimes sleep comes quicker than writing.

And even though I usually do the writing when I am already pretty exhausted I guess it's fine to do it the next morning when I am supposedly more refreshed. I do see writing as an element of stability in my life but it is also an opportunity, so having regular experience with it, whether at night or in the morning, I shouldn't worry much about when it comes together. Nothing teaches one better than the actual experience of doing something. Something I have begun to really understand as it applies to my filmmaking endeavors.

There are always steps forward.

And even though today wasn't exactly a slow day it certainly felt a little stale. I think I would have to attribute most of that to the lengthy battle with my video editing program since I didn't actually conquer the problem I was(and currently am still) trying to fix. Spinning wheels or something like that. Anyway, tomorrow looks much more promising than today felt. This brings me to the reminder that even though things my feel a certain way reality of the situation might actually be something totally different and, in this case, good. Logic vs. Emotion: Round 13,799.

Getting new things off the ground.

There's always a lot of learning involved to actually build any momentum. Sometimes it comes at the cost of a few mistakes(or many mistakes) but hopefully it adds to the knowledge base required to increase and sustain the momentum. Luckily, in the case I am thinking of as I write this, there is an excellent group of minds involved which each add their perspective and experience and definitely increase the potential success of every step along the way. What a cool opportunity this becomes!

Technically almost done.

The travel day was definitely the least difficult, though, it could be simple to think it would be considered "easy" instead. Travel, when handling several large cases of gear, is definitely an experience that teaches one about focus and multi-tasking... and planning(the smartcart is an essential tool of the trade!) Now I will settle back into the more static way of life and look forward to the next changes to come.

And that's another wrap.

Even though it's the first wrap of this kind for me. I think I did some good work but definitely have a lot to learn and expect I can improve quite a bit if I am offered another chance to prove it. It was a very enjoyable challenge and I am grateful for the people we were able to serve. It has been a great week.

Hard work accumulation.

Due to the difficulty of the physical elements of my work, if I don't fully recuperate between shifts, the work seems to become even more difficult as each day passes. My muscles are actually aching. My back is not in pain but definitely feels fatigued. Luckily, this shoot is down to it's last day. Tomorrow will certainly have its challenges but I feel confident we/I can get through it in one piece.

Physical and mental work.

It was an incredibly challenging day of work today. Almost equal parts physical and mental, with an extra portion of intensity heaped into both. My body feels the effects of such a challenge while my brain seems to have mostly recovered by now. Tomorrow should be a similar experience with a slight increase on the complexity which will luckily be helped a bit by my early entrance into slumberland tonight. Rare but true.

Day one in the books.

And with it my hope and dreams. Ha. No... just my dreams. I had some really weird dreams last night and I hope they don't come back. Centipedish bugs crawling into holes in my skin and stuff. Probably kind of a nightmare but strangely not scary... just whack weird.

Travel, work, and comradery.

This is the exciting part of my life. The travel and the comradery are the obvious inclusions to that sort of a short list... the work part, however, is possibly the highest actual candidate to appear there. I really love my work and thrive on the challenges and opportunities found therein. Excitement is merely an aspect of my emotional response to it.

Tomorrow it begins.

It was originally scheduled as a travel day but due to the somewhat extreme expected workload they have authorized me to start shooting shortly after arriving at the location. I am quite down with any schedule help I can get in order to accomplish said goals and look forward to the challenges before me this week!

Relative performance.

It is not something I am normally into evaluating. It takes some of the onus of self-measured quality away and I much prefer the absolute performance quality to shine, regardless of what it might be measured against. Tonight's showing, however, felt like a win nonetheless. I objectively don't think we were clearly the best or anything like that... but I think we could be considered in the top three or so candidates reasonably fairly. Now to see what the actual judges think about it all.

Rampling up to the big time.

I'm down to only a couple days before I travel to my first shoot as an actual camera operator. I have a good deal of brush up to get my game into gear but I expect good things as I know my effort will be increased leading up to the shoot. I look forward to the challenge and the opportunity to succeed!

Working hard to play hard.

Though, I am not entirely sure what my play objective is since my work is so satisfyingly play-like already. I am working hard to work harder, perhaps? Cooler, more interesting toys, I suppose. Eventually it will lead to more than that but that is where it leads for now. Building a future takes starting with a foundation.