Almost to the end.

I am not sure how long it has been since I did my "year in review" posting(I suppose I could easily check but I prefer not to know for sure until after I'm done writing it) but tomorrow I will take an extra moment or two to scrawl one out again. This year, as basically every year seems to be, has been a fairly eventful year of challenges, memories, and adventures that definitely deserve a bit of mention. It's never an easy thing, to attempt to recall so many days of value, but it's always a worthy exercise of the brain. Sure, each day I do this generally gives each possible memory that validity and respect, but the overall memory snapshot of each year has its own value, as well.

Breaking the fever down.

It had its way with my attempted sleep last night but I might be breaking back to normal for tonight's attempt. I actually popped a few aspirin this time(a very rare thing for me) just to see if I could actually improve my chances. We shall see.

The lengthy, feverish battle.

Or... the battle against the fever, at length. I don't feel particularly crummy but it's enough to screw up my sleep and make me cough a decent amount. So it goes, I suppose... touting foes... inside my noes... needing blows.

Always a lot of energy after basketball.

Which technically is pretty much what the body should be doing anyway... I just happen to play semi-late basketball. Sure, it kinda screws up my sleeping schedule for the two days a week that I do it, and if you've read much of my writing you would know how much I preach for the importance of sleep, but I do make some exceptions in this case. I gotta get some exercise, after all! And now I need to lay down and let my body try to heal itself a bit. Ha.

Learning takes away mystery.

Which sort of squelches curiosity, as well. I don't have much of a very formulated thought on the concept at the moment but I am wondering if I've run this one through my mind before... or, if so, why I can't seem to recall doing so. Strangely,(and somewhat coincidentally) I learned today about a comic book super hero that was invented with a nearly identical power to one that I invented about 12-13 years ago. It was a guy who is totally forgotten once he is no longer within direct line of sight. It is strange to be hearing about this character who so closely resembles the one I invented so long ago... it is the first time I have had such a distinct feeling that my idea was directly ripped off... even though I know that is basically impossible since the very few people I described my character to are very unlikely to be connected to the person who created this character for real. Still... it's a strange feeling to have. Fun and strange!

What is a celebrity death?

There seems to have been more than the usual dose this year. Maybe it's just because of who they are that it seems that way. I would think that logically it isn't really much of a different number than the usual crop but logic doesn't always account for luck(or anti-luck, in this case.) In the age of social media and hyper awareness of all things bad and good I tend to think it's generally just that... we are simply more aware of what is happening these days than were were in the past. Either way, it's just the way things are and we all gotta deal with it the same... in our own ways, preferably.

'Tis the season of giving.

Yet, what have I given? In recent years I have acquiesced to the idea of actually giving things in the spirit of the holiday, having been somewhat oddly opposed to the idea of setting a time apart specifically for giving from the rest of the year for as long as I can remember, but I am not entirely sure how much I have really embraced it. I consider myself a fairly poor fellow, financially speaking, but have certainly the means to dig quite a bit deeper into my pockets at this time of year. Doing so would definitely represent the greater sacrifice expressed in the season's deeper meanings. In any case, I definitely feel like I am given much more than I give. I love my family and friends and I offer them my time as often as I can(which, while also on the somewhat sparse side these days, might be the truest form of gift-giving love) but that is not enough. There is always more to be given. And, to whomever takes a moment to read this, whether I know you well or not, I hope you have a great holiday season! You are all basically anonymous to me as I write this(and perhaps forever) but I do write this with the idea that what I write could be somehow beneficial to anybody who might read it. Some of it in the hope that it will reach my(hopefully) future children, wife and family... but I am aware that I might have friends poke in along the way and I take the opportunity of sharing a little piece of myself, a little piece of my life's experience, also bearing a similar hope that by doing so I have somehow given a few beneficial words to the cause of creating a better life. We all connect through communication in one way or another and this is one of my consistently self-disciplined ways of doing it... one paragraph-a-day at a time.

Family is a gift.

And we all should be more grateful for what we have, in my opinion. They're a powerful, important reminder of my history, my responsibilities, my truest self. We learn new things every day about the world, our work, and where we are heading in life but taking in the reminders, and allowing them to enmesh their meaning with every new thing we learn, we can be further empowered to reach the futures we strive to achieve. This probably sounds all high-conceptish for a basically casual evening with my f-crew(most of whom visiting for the holiday) but it does reflect a tiny piece of their importance to me. The simple truth - LOVE is the reason... for the family and the season.

It's a strange end-of-year sort of feeling.

Maybe because of the basically continuous hours spent at work, thinking about work, or planning what work is on the near horizon... I'm not too sure. There's a little bit of family in town, which is cool, though I haven't been able to see them much. I feel a bit disconnected, I suppose. I do still look forward to the new year, though. Lots of cool stuff on the horizon. There's a good dose of cool on the slate and I look forward to all of it!

Don't fight the battle with sleep!

It will always win the war in the end. Sure, you might scoop up a few extra hours of fun, or productivity, or relaxation, or nonsense, but the payment for anything you do end up doing that isn't actually sleeping will ALWAYS come due eventually... and sometimes the payment gets extracted undetectably, forcibly, painfully, even having collateral effects that don't seem related. It's a messy business that nobody should endeavor to engage in, including me! Such is the challenge of an overactive mind, I suppose. Ha.

Willing recipient of infection.

I will always be happy to go where the optimistic people are. They share the enthusiasm like a fuel that, in them, doesn't fade... rather, the act of their sharing seems to multiply it. It is paradoxically given and gained simultaneously. This is why I have chosen, yet am also lucky to have found, the positive to be in my life on a regular basis. The undisease they carry enervates, invigorates, and elevates me in so many valuable, important and necessary ways!

The results of our labor, well-executed.

It was quite fun to sit in a room full of people, many of them unknown to me beforehand, and get a sense of their raw responses to our newest episodes. I think the episodes were very well put together, we have reason to be proud of our work, but you never really know how the authentic(well... as authentic as I will probably ever witness personally. ha) audience reaction will be. We love what we do and it seems we have some actual fans of our work. Luckyboom!

Diving into sound.

I have basically been dipping my toe into it for just about as long as I can remember. Initially as an aspiring musician, later as my band's self-appointed music engineer, further as the occasional field and live switch audio engineer and now as a general audio production and post-production hyperstudent(a new term I'm unsure why it has not arisen in my wordsmithing lexicon previously to now?) There are definitely worse things one can obsess about... things that aren't actually useful, for one... but there are definitely cheaper things I probably should obsess about, to the mind of the logically unobsessed.

Snappy cold weather.

Mid-twenties isn't really a bone-chilling cold if it isn't very humid but I'll still call it a wake up kind of cold. I'd rather not even discuss the weather as it tends to get a little too much love in the small talk of life but I also tend to think that small talk gets a bit too much disrespect from the self-proclaimed(whether verbally or by action) intellectual types and is generally written off as a form of communication below the station of said disrespecter. Small talk reflects the very core of a person's attention as well as the very core of a person's interest. Not to say everybody has the weather at the core of his or her interests... more to say that establishing human connection is and small talk is the standard form of bridge building between two people. Small talk has as much to do about subtext and context as it does the very subjects it commonly elicits. Small talk also provides a somewhat clearer vehicle of emotional expression than the weightier, more deeply drawn conversations often will. Of course, all conversation should not be entirely comprised of small talk, another example of "moderation in all things," but learning to balance, and even enjoy it, will definitely improve one's ability to communicate, in my opinion. There's always so much more to discover in every simple concept!

Winter surrounds us.

But never climbs inside us. We have a great deal of optimistic opportunities in our short-term outlook and all of it excites me thoroughly. I DO feel like it could be unlikely I have ever claimed as much of a generously over-loaded portion for my plate than I have at this moment. Some of that would be in the time commitment section of my plate but some of that would be in the breadth of my responsibility as well. It will be a grand, sometimes painful, sometimes pretty, sometimes powerful experience for sure!

Hanging in the think tank.

Stockpiling the ammunition of invention. Preparing a volley of creativity for the war against mediocrity. Purposeful creativity is offensive by nature, not defensive. It ventures rather than waiting. It is a two-edged sword, poised for potential success/failure(intended use of the slash.) It is pioneering beyond purpose, stumbling in shadows, inviting intuition, staring into stratosphere. And it's guaranteed reward... not victory, not glory, not understanding, not ego, not connection... simply, experience.

Connecting some serious dots.

Or seriously connecting some dots? Dots... connections... happening. Anyway, I think that connect-the-dots is a highly underrated game/experience. Connecting people to other people, people to jobs, learning to concepts, intentions to actions... and there are so many more joyous dot connecting scenarios it's difficult to even list them. I'm lookin' forward to all the next dots I get to connect. Just connectin' 'em all over 'da place!

Business and passion.

Being passionate about one's business is likely a very good idea. Being able to separate the passion from the business is also likely a very good idea. The thought being that it can be very easy to make a poor business decision because of a passionate bias. It's a bit of a strange tightrope to walk, I think. It might be similar to the comparison between discipline and passion. It would be great to have both in large measure but having just one, either over or under represented, will often be detrimental to any sort of consistency or stability. I would say all of these reflect well the concept "moderation in all things."

Selling knowledge.

That might be one of the more base ways to put it... teaching, that is... but I am not inclined to mince words. And one thing I have learned about myself, something that I have begun to feel greater emphasis as of late, is that one of my greatest skills is my ability to learn, synthesize and teach a large variety of disciplines and topics. I enjoy it so thoroughly that considering payment for the act of sharing my talent didn't even cross my mind for many years. It was simply something I enjoyed doing as one who loves helping others. Now, when I consider all the things I need to prioritize about my career and future, I would have to consider it silly/strange not to think of this skill as a valuable, and maybe even critical, way to best ensure a successful reach toward a financially sound future.

Finding more pieces of inspiration/help.

Our company is a very small, fairly redundant crew that definitely needs to stretch out a bit in order to cover all of the relevant needs. I say redundant because we all share many of the necessary skills of our trade(camera operating, audio, editing, etc) but I wouldn't call that a bad thing. It simply reflects a need to bolster our talent pool, whether through recruitment, purchase, training or selective marketing. I almost always prefer the training route but am finally becoming more and more cool with the purchase route(which I have generally overlooked because of my independent and purist tendencies.) I am glad for the change of mind!

Powerful cinema.

Every time I watch a movie that stirs my emotional innards(Sicario, this time) I am reminded of the immense impact cinema can have on a person. I might be a bit more emotionally receptive than the average person, which could influence my opinion of this concept, but I might be less emotionally receptive than the average person and not even know it. I appreciated my experience tonight and definitely look forward to the next time I will be privy to a similar experience again in the future.

A busy new year ahead.

Typically speaking, this time of the year is very slow in the video/film production world and generally stays that way until the early parts of next year. As we may have the opportunity to dive into some pretty serious and valuable projects almost immediately we have quite a different outlook this year. Sure, there is pretty much always a project brewing that we can stay busy with, but I think we have even more on our possible plate than usual in the coming year and I will call that verifiably exciting. Plus, much of it is fairly new to what we have been doing so the opportunity of new challenges just makes it all that much more interesting and exciting to look forward to.

Still gettin' it done.

The work pace could definitely improve but it still continues moving along and I am glad for it, either way. Sometimes it seems like getting everything done all at once would be nice, and I suppose a short break is always a healthy investment of time in its own way, but that is sort of a flawed thought to begin with since I am, by nature, always inclined to create new things or projects to keep myself busy. I guess this is just the way of life for the overactive imagineers like myself.

How many different careers can one person have?

Or is that a trick question? Some might say that your career is simply the entire body of work that one accomplishes in his or her lifetime. Anyway... I think I've had a fairly diverse body of jobs in my short time around the block... and I might even pick something somewhat new up just to fill the gaps... and also because I enjoy it, of course.

The icy fall.

I had to melt the ice off of my car when I got out of work tonight. Cool!(in every way that word is used) Some of my friends experienced snow in various places around the Sound, too, but I was not so lucky, myself. Anyway, I dig the change of seasons in pretty much every form. I dig the metaphorical life changes it all represents, too... you know... just for the heck of it. Ha.

The weekend of basically nothing.

Which is sort of just code speak for relaxation. Ya, I did go into work for most of the day on Saturday but the work was very low-key and the remainder of the day following it was in total relaxation mode. Today was pure relaxation mode. Much appreciated(likely much needed) and I think a nice way to kick off the week. As always, there's lots to do and I look forward to another grand week.

The cold days are coming.

Which is cool for the odd level of social disarray that it tends to bring with it. It always gives us a slightly new appreciation for the warmer days that most of us prefer while simultaneously offering a challenge to our senses and opportunity to rise above it. We always adapt, as we are built to do, whether by natural inclination or determined intention. It's generally a subtle process that doesn't get a lot of attention but I wouldn't say that is necessarily needs it... I'm just pointing out my enjoyment of it and look forward to all that it brings with it.

Always something more to learn.

And some of that learning, for me, comes as I take these moments to recite my thoughts in blog form. It is one thing to gain a technical understanding of a new concept but it is another thing entirely to internalize it then attempt to synthesize it through the process of describing what it is that you have learned. That might be one of the reasons why I probably sound like I repeat certain topics from time to time... it reflects my natural human behavior of forgetting things I once knew and not only reiterates that same thing in that technical way, it expresses that internal synthesis of regaining said concept, likely coming in the form of a slightly newer, possibly more complete perspective. And it probably also brushes up on my basic ability to communicate the idea in writing... which is a valuable skill in its own right. Now if I could only get more motivated to apply all of this to scriptwriting. Ha.

Efficiency in consistency.

When you go two or three days in a row having experienced a reasonably high level of productivity you really start to feel like things are clicking. This is definitely a pleasant thing to experience but it certainly can be the beginning of a subtle internal challenge... the challenge of continuing the attack of productive engagement... the challenge of consistency. It is natural for patterns to rise and fall in waves, and attempting to stretch that wave of productivity(or any wave, for that matter) out certainly defies that convention, which is why it will never be a simple process to change. And why, even though consistency seems like the gold standard of excellence, change might actually be the better standard to follow... change what it is that you are consistently doing and make it better than it was... even more productive than before.

We do what we do.

And it's nice to be working hard even when we aren't necessarily bringing in the dough, so to speak. We are stretching, improving, advancing our skills and gaining meaningful experience. We learn each little step along the way. We establish and build solid working relationships. We hope for more to come... and we expect to meet the challenges that will accompany our opportunities... then, having met them as we have been prepared by our experiences to do so, we will make new mistakes(along with a few old ones) and learn new ways to overcome each one we can identify. I'm not entirely sure how different any of this is from the general concepts of life but, as far as I see it in this moment, they are not actually different at all.

A density of duties.

There is so much to do that it's kinda hard to tell where to start sometimes. Making sure to take a moment to breath and gain a little focus is always a good place to start... or come back to if it isn't the starting point. It's good to enlist whatever help there is once in a while too. I know I can't do it all!

Producing, writing, showing, inspiring.

It is an interesting opportunity to create a production from scratch. There are always a million right and wrong ways to do anything and trying to figure out the best ways is somewhat of an exciting endeavor. It's usually a smart idea to glean as much as is still relevant from past endeavors that closely relate, or originated, the same sort of production. The basics still all apply, regardless of style, and are an important foundation that gives it all the best chance of success in its own way. This is all sorts of obvious to anybody thinking about creating something new but I know it's also very easy to forget when what seems like an original idea starts building its own momentum. Gotta realize that it has ALL been done before, even if it didn't quite look the same before now.

Always learning something new.

Which is one of the most exciting elements to my line of work. Not only does the technology always keep changing but the techniques, methods of presentation and the audiences themselves continue to evolve and expand, further opening all sorts of learning avenues. And anytime I get to explore and challenge my mind, searching and stretching to understand something new, I am generally in my happiest place... a lucky lad in a grand career.

Work and life.

Neither of them ever end, really. Does this make them the same? Maybe. Does this make them equal? Not really. Does this make them identical? In many ways, yes. Relentless are the motions of progress found in both work and life. We always answer to someone or something, wanting to occasionally take a break and never really feeling like we get paid quite enough for all we do. Sometimes, it seems that more than any action of our own doing, it chooses us... whether by design or happenstance, the work and life will always run closely together, friends in their own causes, separate but similar, always reminding us that we can only do anything we do because of them. Thanks, guys. I'm sure you don't hear the gratitude enough.

A break away from broken.

It has been a pleasant day of mostly nothing. I could have kept up my generally intense pace by going into work to do whatever catching up that seems the most useful... but I didn't. I hung out with the family and argued with Pops for way longer than I should have but all in all I quite enjoyed the day. It was a real day. A nice day. A bit of a planning day for tomorrow's mayhem but still a solid day.

Holidays are nice days.

And the days before the holiday days are pretty much the same sometimes. At least that's how tomorrow is shaping up to be. I look forward to the break from all the continuous busy time. Even more, I look forward to sharing the evening with an attractive, cool gal who seems to look forward to sharing the same time with me... cool!

All kinds of potential.

There is definitely so many ways this whole experience can go right and, strangely, not too many ways it can go wrong if we pay attention to the right things and fully understand our expectations going into it. The team seems solid, the idea seems smart, the track record seems well-established enough... I think we would be lucky to engage in such an experience.

Roller coaster fantasy train.

Football day has become a bit of an emotional doozy because of my fantasy obsession, I think. As much as a non-financially invested fantasy player could be, anyway. I have a decent team but when I'm behind in my game until the last few minutes of the last game of the day... sheesh! Fun times! Ha.

First meetings.

They are almost always a bit of a strange experience. The marriage of the digital and physical worlds can be a bit of an emotionally messy transition. Adding a voice, a laugh, the action of a smile, the subtle twinkle... there are few more under-prepared, yet not totally uncommon, situations I have really experienced in life. Today was one of the really good ones. It felt like a merging of presence and optimism. A pleasant emotional exploration. I very much look forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Looking past the Friday.

Because the weekend looks to be exceptionally rad! I have a brunch date with a woman who excites me in all the positive ways. I have a meeting about the possibility of funding and/or working on a feature film. I have an evening party/brief work engagement that should be quite relaxing/fun/entertaining. THEN... on Sunday we got some Seahawks action and possibly a movie and definitely some relaxation. Holy smoly! Time to hit some sack!

Sand bags on my eyelids.

Or whatever it's supposed to be that says I am ZAPPED. Dumb all-nighters and minimal nap incurrence(not a real word, I'm pretty sure) afterward is the formula for the "sandbag eye" I am referring to. It's not particularly painful in a physical sense... mostly in a common sense... sense.

The accidental all-nighter.

So... I thought I would be able to competently complete my recent task much earlier than about an hour ago... but I didn't... so I haven't gone to bed yet. It sorta feels like the night before mid-terms/finals projects are turned in. A nostalgic blah that would have been much better avoided. I suppose the power to choose one's schedule also becomes the curse of it's power over my time when things really need to get done. I'm probably not describing it properly but that is how it seems to be... in my cloudy, unrested mind. Ha.

Still trying to get some stuff done!

I thought I would be finished with the highlight reel last week... but it is still coming together fairly well... just slowly. The website needs to be finished... and be presentably finished. I don't mean it needs to be this colossal achievement with numerous quality pages to behold... just something that shows our presence. We need to appear legit. And when will we make the time to put together our studio?! It might be our most important project at the moment! No answers... only questions... and sighs.

Get onto a scripting track?

I have often thought of writing screenplays for various reasons. I have not done much of any follow up to make that sort of thing happen. I definitely have time on my hands toward the end of each day that I could be turning into productive, creative endeavors. Why not turn it into some screenwriting? Some of it is the simple lack of "already know how to get things started"ness... the rest is just a lack of true passion to give it a stab. Maybe if I DO give it a stab I will find that the passion to actually do it really is there, after all. Probably not... but, maybe?

A possible feature?

It is far from a sure thing but I still feel inclined to mention that I might have the opportunity to work on another feature very soon. I have been informally invited to do the audio engineering for it and think it seems like a pretty fun opportunity. The news is really only hours old and a lot of things need to happen for this to become a reality but I feel confident it can happen if I am just a little diligent about what I need to do.

It has been a decent and unusual kick-off to the week.

A little scatter-brained but functional and productive. I think we have a solid direction where to take things but I definitely need to be more on the ball. Lots of ideas bounce around in my head and my ambition seems well-directed. More self-discipline would be best... perhaps more sleep is the best way to kick that off. Ha.

The loosely decided route.

So... having never actually settled on a specific diet plan, I basically rolled into the "Liquitarian/Pizza-once-a-week" diet in order to enjoy a reward once in a while. I did pizza today, anyway, but it really just stands in proxy of whatever sort of crap food I wanna throw in there, realistically. So, I might be called a Pizzaliquitarian, for short?

Week one as a liquitarian.

I've made it through my first week on the Liquid/Lettuce Diet and accomplished that goal. Doing it wasn't too much of a challenge, however, deciding to continue it is somewhat more of a conundrum. I haven't really lost very much weight, which was the main goal of this strange "crash" diet but maybe that's just a relative opinion. I think I lost around 5lbs but I was hoping to be further down around 9lbs, give or take a pound. I think I might do a mostly liquid diet, maybe add a solid meal once a day or so, this week to see if there are is any further progress. Maybe not, though... maybe I'll just add in more soup. Ha.

Good movies with good laughs.

It seems like a necessary ingredient for the slightly more fringe sorts of experiences. I think of the value it has with comic characters that are lesser known but I think it applies to most other forms of media as well. Comedy is simply an incredible selling tool as well as positive experience generator. Now if I can only figure out how to load up my online dating profiles accordingly. Ha.

Still alive and raising my legs at the usual speed.

It is an interesting battle trying to get something made that truly begins before conception of the thing. Great people fight the battle of completion whereas I tend to think the rest of us fight the battle of simply beginning... and an accompanying angle of said battle that the rest of us face is simply recognizing that we haven't actually started yet. To my mind, to truly start anything you have also committed to finish the battle. Without the commitment combined accompanying it, a start is simply a failed attempt. This begs the question... what have I started... ever.

A bit of an odd feeling.

But I don't actually feel unhealthy. I suppose that never putting any solid edibles in my stomach is probably never going to feel normal anyway. My energy and stamina both seem fine. I played a lot of basketball at close to 100% efficiency, I'd say. I'm not sure I've actually lost much weight between yesterday and today, though, so that's kinda weird. Maybe I'm drinking too many calories or my body just doesn't wanna let any of it go. Oh, well... I'll continue a few more days anyway just in case.

Liquid/lettuce diet.

Don't pronounce the slash in that name or it messes up the alliteration. Now, I did feel like adding in a little lettuce to my otherwise all liquid diet was probably a necessary thing since it seems like roughage is an important part of any diet. But, as I am slowly moving into day four of this weirdo diet, I am actually feeling okay without having eaten anything solid since lunchtime yesterday and I think the fibre can actually come as a part of the liquid anyway. Plus, I like the extremity of going full-on liquid just to see if I can do it... because, hey, why not?(don't answer that. ha)

Back to some sort of grind.

An organ grind? A coffee grind?.. or is it only a ground? Whatever it is, it seems daily. But it's the good grind, I have to say. I love what I do. Even when it's on the mundane side of things. I will actually get to sleep at a decent time tonight, too. That's a big grinding plus in my book!

Round 1 complete.

Well... it's probably more of a round 2 or 3 when you consider the golf thing we worked on earlier in the year. Anyway, it was basically the first round. This weekend was a testing/learning experience for what we think we might be able to do. I think it was VERY(and I don't even think capitalizing that word can express it nearly enough) challenging but very rewarding all in the same notion. We have an incredible way to go to really get on top of our game but I think it could be a great endeavor for us all.

Somewhere in the middle.

It has been a LONG weekend experience thus far but, with one day left to go, the finish line feels really quite close. We have worked and worked and worked with a bit of food eating mixed in there and all of it has been very fulfilling... even when the moments of frustration seemed to find us. It is hard to say what will come out of this whole experience on the other end, as far as a tangible product is concerned, but I know we have become something better in the experiential regard.

Powering into it.

We did our setup today and, despite it basically taking all day long, knocked our work out with fair efficiency. Sure, we ran into a few hitches here and there but I would call it a fine start to what looks to be a very busy weekend. RenCon Max: Beyond Funderdome!

So much done, so much still to do.

So much for a well-prepared entrance into the wacky world of web streaming! Ha. Well, it isn't going to be even a partial disaster... it's just a big plate to handle. It should be fun for sure!

Rolling into the final turn.

Basically just a day left of preparation and I think it still feels like a mile to go. Sure there's pretty much a full day to get it all squared away but I think we should be in good shape if we stay diligent tomorrow.

Pieces slowly come together.

Yet, despite my claimed preference that I would rather already have everything together by now, I seem to be okay with the last-minute sorts of things happening like this. An element of excitement but also somewhat of an internal scapegoat for potentially falling short of the awesomeness I have been planning for instead. It feels a little like pulling the all-nighter to finish that term project. Ugh. Ha.

The exciting tie!

I'm sure a tie football game doesn't sound like it would be all that great when thinking about the more typically exciting game with a winner and a loser at its outcome. I found it to be quite entertaining, however, and look forward to someday seeing such an interesting stalemate happen again. I would normally describe a little bit of my reasoning for this opinion but I waited too long to get to this writing, unfortunately, and am already starting to crash for the night... maybe another tie... m.

Mind twisting.

The complexity of the setup we are attempting next weekend is quite the fun mental exercise, I have to say. I have not done anything quite like it before so the process of visualizing the end result is quite immense and I think it will be quite the schematic when I am done with it.

And now the waiting game begins.

Somewhat for us, mostly for the talent. Sure, we are staying a little busy right now so we can't complain much at the moment. But we still wanna get this thing rocking and we hope it's a short step or two to find the path.

The crunch time is gettin' crunchier.

We are now down to less than a week to really get things prepared. We have what feels like a billion items still left on the docket but I think if we simplify well we should be okay. We can definitely cut that number down to something much more manageable. Bring on the week, maximum power!

Eyelid exhaustion.

I am SO beat that my eyes are fighting for their blankets pretty fierce. The physical toll I have taken from the laboriousness of my work today... I would call it brutal. Good brutal.

The art in my work.

Luckily for my natural inclinations I have undertaken a job which allows a moment of creative expression from time to time. There's also some physical elements which appeal to my athletic nature as well. Could there be anything better?

Every day is an adventure.

And if I haven't already used that title for one of my blog entries already I would be surprised. Today, however, does exemplify the sentiment and I won't make excuses for a potential lack of creativity in said title. Driving around through the city, grabbing snaps and ideas, watching the clouds roll by and working on the interesting things with potential... it was a good day. One of the adventurous days I always appreciate.

Little steps closer to the goal.

Which is definitely something we are also feeling the pressure from more and more each day. There is definitely a good chunk of preparation done but I still think we've got miles of work to do yet. A bit less than two weeks to go and I will be basically out of commission this week due to work commitments. The fun of winding it all up and letting it go will be quite the event!

Trickety trickerson.

I have to say it is quite disappointing to learn that one of the dating apps I have been using has been deliberately tricking people. It is a bit of a relief knowing that my confusion is well-founded but that is quite an unnecessary thing in the first place. Anyway, now I can move on with the appropriate level of expectation(or non-expectation) and actually make a real connection someday... if I am lucky. Ha.

The winds and rains upon us.

Though, thus far, they have been meager and insubstantial at best. The warnings have been basically just as impactful... which is to say, nothing more than a curious conversation to be generated here and there. It might seem strange to say but I am a fan of the chaos the elements of nature can bring. I obviously don't wish death or extreme destruction upon anybody... it's the minor destruction and the motivation for life change that often comes with it that I enjoy. The chaos reminds us of our mortality, of our many 1st-world amenities, of our comforts big and small, and helps us to recognize our place in the world a little bit better. As a person who easily forgets just about anything I am not specifically focusing on(which tends to mostly be whatever I am working on) I appreciate reminders about everything good in life.

The science of interviewing.

Not to be confused with being an interviewee. As in interviewer, the job is to come to know the interviewee well enough to succinctly reveal the most important features of that person's position. And in the context of film/video, it more specifically would be to reveal the most important statements which build/support the narrative. I have gotten to lead a couple different interviews over the past week and I think we were able to get some very quality, very authentic sound bites that will help us to best mold the product the client is looking for. I certainly could have done better, as there is always a better way to do anything, but I feel pretty good for how well we did anyway.

Is there a way to play basketball more frequently?

I think it might be the main thing that sort of staves off any excessive weight gain I probably could be incurring right now. Sure, I only play a couple times a week but I don't think there are many folks out there who really play as hard as I do. I really burn a good dose of energy and definitely stretch my physical limits a bit from time to time because of it. If I played three or four times a week I tend to think that could have a really big impact on all kinds of things in my life. I guess I can only wonder until I actually do anything about it.

Resistance to playing the game.

I continue toiling in the idea of whether or not I should switch my profile up to be more of a marketing pitch than a clear offering of my personality. I seem to get plenty of attention from women I have little to no attraction to but it still seems like I don't really spark much with the ones I would like to actually chat with. It's a strange, somewhat ethical decision that actually may be less of an ethical decision and more of a correct thing to do. Ha. Everyone has a different method of connection, after all.

A busy work weekend only adds to the busy work week that follows it.

But not necessarily in the positive kind of adding(that's a clunky sentence.) Working through the weekend basically bridges two weeks together into one giant week. This means I will need to be smarter about my sleep if I am to be even a little efficient at what I do. Sure, I can breeze through some things if I don't mind going on autopilot but I really don't want to do that at all for the next few weeks. I just need to be sure I take at least one day off sometime soonish. Gotta let the brain breath, too.

Making good use of the weekend.

Which will probably be necessary until we're through the month. I have a good deal of planning, preparing and practice to do and all of it will need to be thorough. I have to admit that when the office is empty, like it generally is on the weekends, I definitely tend to get more accomplished. Tomorrow should be reasonably productive.

The day of a million things.

I went to work, went to a meeting, went back to work, went to a pickup shoot, went to another meeting, went to pickup some gear, went back to work, then came home for the night. I have had days where I've done much more than that but this is one of the more diversely busy days I've had in a while. Good times. Tomorrow will be much more focused, I expect.

Getting the plans in order.

Now we are heading into the sweet spot of the final few weeks before the big event(Renton Comic Con.) I would like to have more preparations in place by now but that hasn't happened as planned so I'll be making due over the coming weeks. Tomorrow we will have a program in place to build around. The rest of the time between now and then will basically be working toward that goal. Foom!

The difference between malapropism and paraprosdokian.

Don't let these words scare you... they're just weird, loosely useful words to describe some oddball humor of various quality. I generally prefer the paraprosdokian over the malapropism but it each have their place in the comedic landscape. I'm not going to define them for the purposes of this post but I definitely had quite a bit of confusion when trying to recall the differences and similarities between them. Now, after all this blustering, I am realizing I don't really have a specific thesis statement I am making here... I guess I'm a bit distracted and tired. But I will leave an example of a good paraprosdokian as my feeble gift for having read through this painful rambling of incoherence and chaos. Ha.

"Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand." - Kurt Vonnegut

Still in the thick of production.

The network hasn't quite finished the schedule for us so I sort of sit in limbo while I wait for the final dates to be worked out. I might go out on another shoot sometime in the next few days or so or I might not even get to do another shoot for this season. It's annoying to be in this position but I'm grateful for the opportunity to do anything at all so I can't really complain. I love my job, scheduling warts and all!

Quantity over quality?

I wonder if the opportunity/successful connection ratio has actually improved with the advent of online dating? Maybe it could be assumed that the quantity of connections has automatically increased due to sheer volume increase but I wonder how quality those increased numbers might actually be? It's a very different science of representation of one's self in the online medium. Not only that, but I wonder how truthful and accurate it even is based on the style of presentation and it's propensity for both anonymity and its natural obfuscation through translation of reality to digital representation. It would be nice to basically ignore all of this... however, I certainly feel somewhat disadvantaged in my attempts to reconcile the online and real me in a truthful, realistic, and attractively marketable way. Maybe I just overthink the whole thing. Ha.

Another busy month ahead.

It doesn't look like I'll get more than a few days off this month. Not really a bad thing, and it's not like I'll be in hyperdrive the entire time, but it should be somewhat relentless for sure. I hope the money that comes with it is somewhat commensurate to the energy I will expend. Ha.

Looking forward to a semi-real weekend.

Sure, I plan to do some work but it will mostly be planning and organizing and cleaning and resetting. Spring cleaning in the fall, perhaps? Anyway, I look forward to sleeping in tomorrow to kick things off nicely. Everything after that will happen as it happens, in easy mode, at the easy pace of regular life. It should prove to be a delightfully fruitful weekend.

Ramping up to the big time.

We had a fairly productive meeting regarding the upcoming comic convention and I think things seem to be falling into place quite nicely. I have a great deal of work ahead of me and I think if we are well prepared for our goal we can knock it out of the park and really make a good name for ourselves. It, like just about any skill-based endeavor one might set out to do, will almost totally revolve around how well we prepare beforehand. If ever there was a key to be recognized... it would be preparation!

The challenges of building a business.

They are SO varied and thorough and often come at you from directions you didn't expect. And, as this is the basic nature of almost any complex endeavor, you really have to learn to adapt quickly to as much as you possibly can. There might be a premium to be put on a quality dose of preparation but simply preparing for change and "the unexpected" seems to be the most beneficial type of preparation, in my mind. Change never stops!(my clunky, non-inspired version of the obviously oft-repeated sentiment)

Basically back in the office groove.

But it is slightly more interesting now that we have a slightly larger crew of folks that we are working with now. There is SO much on our plate for the next couple or so months that we definitely needed the additional help to help us get to the finish line as planned. It's particularly nice because it seems like we have some really quality folks who have joined us, as well. I look forward to going into work despite the lack of field shooting opportunity at the moment.

Back to the office.

I much prefer the work of shooting in the field but I definitely don't mind a break back in the office once in a while. Sure, it's mostly full of busy work and schedule management but it definitely keeps my mind active despite my body's general entropy habit inside my cubicle. Plus, I do enjoy the general socialization that comes along with it. I can't say it really compares to the shoot-style socialization but the change up is still quite quality... just different, really. Apples and oranges... and mangoes and pineapple.

Relaxation and football.

It's nice to get a day off where I can basically do nothing but eat and enjoy a few games of football. Sure, I had to rebuild a new passenger window for my car but that in itself is pretty relaxing too, even though the work of doing it isn't necessarily easy. Now, we're on to a new week of challenges, learning, cool people, good times and fun! Boom.(quiet boom without the exclamation point just for variation.)

20-Year High School Reunion - A unique social experience.

I am probably drawn to the odd situations in life more than the average person. I sort of thrive in uncomfortable situations, if that can somehow make sense. And even though I wouldn't necessarily call this an uncomfortable situation for me, it definitely felt like it was that sort of thing for many of the people that were there. I've thought of a few elements to this event that basically set it apart from just about any other situation in life:

• Many of the people there, despite having been friends in any capacity for more than twenty years, have not actually seen each other very much, in a normal type of social engagement, until now and have thus changed quite a bit since they last saw each other. Their personalities might be totally different or hardly different at all which, having a large group of people that once had a fairly identifiable and distinct identity which was quite familiar, now feels like a totally different thing altogether. It is a group dynamic that, while it looks fairly familiar, feels quite strange at times.

• Most of the people there are basically the same age(within a year or two, excluding significant others that tagged along) and, yet, are all at very different points in their lives. Some folks have children, ranging from newborn to adult, and established families. Some are still single, happily or otherwise. Some have done tremendous things with their careers while some are still struggling to make ends meet(and/or both), either of which might be totally the opposite to how things were during high school.

• All of us have definitely changed in appearance but the degrees of change have definitely been quite varied, as well. Some folks still look quite young, hardly different than their younger selves, while some look quite a bit older. And weight gain shrouds many of us in varying degrees, as age is often inclined to contribute.

• The mix of nostalgia with these totally new perspectives of each other is quite unusual in itself. Remembering things from our fairly deep past as well as learning about the newer and varied events in life since. This sort of thing does happen at things like weddings, funerals, and the like but it is a bit different when noting that these are people we basically spent our childhood with.

All in all I really enjoyed myself and was quite happy to see so many old friends. I really appreciate the reminders of my past and all interesting glimpses into the futures of people I spent so much time with as a young person. Here's to the first twenty and the next ten more!

The happy ending/beginning.

We had a great shoot this week that really seemed to wrap up in the best possible way. Certainly, there is a long road ahead of everybody involved but they all seemed genuinely invested in creating the great future that this jump start seems to have made possible. It's not every day that the end of a hoarding experience draws out a marriage proposal.

Twenty tiny green lions.

I don't remember how it started or who was with me in the dream but I do remember seeing a spontaneous pack of lions(all male) appear in a second-story bedroom all around a king-size bed. They were no larger than a small kitten, colored entirely green, and appeared to be sleeping(or sedated?) and mostly peaceful. My friend immediately exclaimed his fear of the lions stating they could be getting much bigger very soon and that we needed to run away. This turned the dream into a frenzy of escapist moments as I went booking down a steep hill in a somewhat densely wooded forest. It was strange and fun all at the same time. And the tiny lions were incredibly adorable as one might expect. It was the first dream I can remember in quite some time.

There is never a proper substitute for experience.

I have been doing this stuff(film/television work) for a couple years now and I am increasingly impressed by how much I learn and how much I tend to realize how little I actually know during every single shoot I work in. Certainly I find that I am capable of competent task completion but I am always learning the little things and ways to improve in order to polish my skills for this craft and even though they are often just little bits of improvement, they definitely have a positive impact... which is important if I am to actually become better at what I do... and for business, too, of course!

More reminders of the historical me.

It was nearly a decade ago that I left my California home to return to Washington. Between then and now I have not done very much to reconnect with very many of my friends from that time... an error which was definitely unnecessary and somewhat saddening. Perhaps it is not entirely bad, though, as I have to think it has emphasized my enjoyment of the relatively few instances where I have had the opportunity to reconnect with any of the friends of said past life. It is so far behind me that it can feel somewhat like a different life, whenever we reminisce about any of the people or events we remember so fondly, and I think I am quite glad to have a habit(such as journal-keeping) that can help me really dig into some of those memories a little better. Memories are all we really have when it comes to our pasts.

The break of variation.

The shoot before this one was quite a different case, considering volume, and it definitely made for a different challenge than this shoot will have... the challenge of dearth. I expect the rest of the shoot to flow quite a bit differently as well but I welcome the unique angles it will take to make it to the finish line. Yet another reason I love my work!

The beautiful countryside.

Part of the pleasure of my work is seeing the places unfamiliar to me, most especially those with an uncommon and interesting visual appeal. Some of it might come simply in the obvious and somewhat standard forms of aesthetic appeal. Some other parts of it seem to come in the unusual configuration, the slightly different, and the conversely opposite scenery which is striking in its presentation by contrast. Some of it is purely aesthetic while some of it seems somehow romantically or nostalgically influenced. Some of it is beautiful for reasons I don't even understand. Ha. And I quite enjoy the opportunities all the same!

Ramping up for the next shoot.

It made for another very busy day but definitely felt a bit more focused and productive than the day before the last shoot. Even just the one week of experience really polished up my view of what things I need and how to prepare. Of course there is always something new to be learned, and I will likely find out there are certain things I definitely missed, but my confidence and expectation of success will be very helpful in establishing my next steps forward. Just like any sport, so much of the film "game" is mental and that is definitely something I have easily overlooked in the past.

Working with high-profile talent.

It's not an entirely uncommon thing in my line of work but it still does surprise me to work with do any work with internationally famous people in just about any capacity. I'm not one to really ever be starstruck by the experience but it's still pretty cool to see how normal and down-to-earth almost all of the ones I've worked with tend to be. And it's even cool when they give us some free tickets to their concert, once in a while. Ha.

Doing all of the things.

But it's only because I am lucky enough to have earned the trust to do them. And I suppose I enjoy it for the most part. Certainly, I'd like to be a little more focused most of the time but a change of pace and scenery is often a nice break on the psyche. Good times all around!

Gradually building confidence.

I think a big key for me is to actually communicate with women I am attracted to. I generally have a good ability to be engaging and interesting(at least as far as I can tell as an inside observer... I know, naturally very biased) but without getting to either chat online or talk on the phone, I tend to forget what I can do. I know I can be a very attractive fellow. I just need the chance to shine.

Unintentional break.

My recent break in entry consistency was unfortunately caused by the hotel's strange wifi situation over the last week. It seemed to block off my blog's access, whether by firewall or some other unknown means, and I basically had to skip the blog the whole time I was there. Now I'll be getting back on track, though, and I think I might even have a few interesting ideas stored up to roll out over the next few days or so. Hopefully, it will be a fun time for everyone!

Past the half-way point.

Now we are on the back stretch and I think it will be a pretty interesting go. There is SO much left to do and the folks we are working with are somewhat ambivalent about the process in general. The weather should be nice, the helping people are plentiful and things seem at least a little bit possible... but I have a good deal of doubt about how much will actually happen. The mystery is interesting, indeed!

I love's me a good challenge!

And today, the challenges were definitely real! At least, when it comes to the camera work the challenges were definitely real. Now, due to the immensity of the physical exertion(or me just being a little low on the sleep quotient), I am definitely sleepy and ready for bed. Bring it on, dream-style-in-preparation-for-tomorrow's-radness for sure!

Back on the hoard for real!

It is the first hoard back and wow is it a doozy! I've seen a couple at a similar level of intensity but definitely none actually more intense than this one. It will definitely prove to be a challenge over the next several days but I look forward to rubbing shoulders(and piles of stuff) with all the rad people we work with!

Infinite preparation.

Which might technically be saying you never actually do the thing you were planning to do because you get ready to do it forever... but that's not what I mean. I am excited to be heading back out on my first shoot this season and I just want to make sure I haven't forgotten anything. It will be a very challenging shoot, I expect, and every ounce of preparation can really make a difference in how well we execute our objectives. Plus... even though this is pretty intense work we gotta be able to have a little fun along the way.

Digital Dating Theorem.

This will be the first new label since this blog's inception. As it is hopefully clear by it's name, this will refer to posts which represent some of my thoughts about the online dating scene as I attempt to navigate it's intricacies and relate my failures(which will be plentiful and thorough) and my musings about what I might be learning as I go through them. Fun!

Tired as molasses.

I'm not even sure what that means. It is probably a combination of actual physical exhaustion and a little bit of emotional drainage. Nothing crazy but I am certainly not very good at doing the online dating thing. I guess since I'm so new at it I just haven't learned how the heck people are supposed to communicate on there. It all feels like such a game that I can easily get frustrated with it... especially since I can't stand games, when it comes to relationships and people. Oh, well. Just another thing to learn about how I am currently terrible and hopefully might one day be okay at it. Ha.

Staying ultra busy.

I have lots to do and still found a way to add to my plate. It shouldn't be anything too rough but the pressure is definitely on. The good part is that I do usually perform well under pressure so I look forward to giving the client some solid work, for sure, and that is one of the reasons I do love my job.

Just doin' the work.

Today was basically a repeat of yesterday and I was still just as impressed as I was yesterday with the quality of artistry on display. It also had the added bonus of being on an unusually artistic canvas(in the shape of a giant pop can) with tons of passersby throughout the whole day. We outsmarted the weather and had a good time watching the masterpiece unfold before our very eyes. Super cool stuff!

Witnessing the process of masterwork.

I got to shoot a time lapse of a professional graffiti artist and what an interesting and inspiring experience that was! He made every step look so easy and even though it took several hours to complete it was continually improving all the way until he finished it. There were several points where it looked totally awesome and complete and then he would walk back up to it and paint some more and it would just level up and look even better. He did this many times before finally settling on a completed image. It was quite cool. This is definitely something I would love to be able to do in my own way someday... but it will definitely require an immense amount of practice and focus if it is ever to become true for me... such as it no doubt was for this master graffiti artist.

Dental roadmap.

Dental work is almost always a challenge. I can pretty much say it's always fairly painful, too, though I am sure that is entirely my fault more than anything else. Now, at least I have an idea about how much more pain I will need to go through to kind of "reset" my mouth and it doesn't actually seem all that bad. Sure, it will cost a fair amount of skrill but I gotta do what I gotta do to improve my odds in the dating scene, right?! Ha. "What we do for love!"(actual quote from my dentist today)

Experience pays off.

Sometimes more literally than figuratively. In my work with my client over the past couple days I have been able to share my expertise in a variety of areas that it would likely be difficult to find in one person beyond myself. There are plenty of people that might combine one or two of the areas but I was uniquely equipped to handle every area of challenge collectively that my client needed help with, I would say. And I was quite grateful for all those past clients that, individually, provided the opportunities for learning them. It was a delightfully ah ha experience.

Doing the good work.

Any job where I feel like I am actually helping a good cause is good work in my mind. I personally enjoy the opportunities I get across ALL my lines of work these days but some do feel slightly more useful/productive/valuable. I know I have an affinity for teaching so that's always one I am glad for the opportunity to perform. Knowledge is power but knowledge is also valuable and I am always happy to share any of the knowledge I can.

Kids can be so cute sometimes.

I filmed another pre-school play tonight and really found myself missing the kid element in my life. I have been wanting a family for quite some time but seeing so many cute little kids doing cute little kid things really sparked my desire for a family even more. That might not be a good reason for it, and it certainly isn't the only reason I'd like to have a family, but anything to increase my motivation can't be all that bad, really.

Incredible athletics.

It was quite a cool thing to see the titans of the gridiron in person. Bringing them into the realm of reality really changes my sense of the whole experience. And it wasn't something I am immediately addicted to but I am certainly looking forward to making my return some day in the future.

Consulting on a topic totally in my wheel house.

It is one of the times in my life where I feel I couldn't be more perfectly suited to the task. There are elements of my technical knowledge and expertise but there are also elements of teaching and instruction. I seems unlikely to me that there are many more qualified individuals available to assist with this need and even if they don't accept our estimate for the work I appreciate the experience and the perspective, having at least assessed what is needed.

Money sure is something.

I'm sure I had it all screwed up while I was growing up(as if I don't have it screwed up still.) I was basically against money. Probably because I didn't really have any of it but mostly it felt like I was being principled and wise by determining to not care about money. What a false and somewhat destructive way to think! Money is simply an element of life that isn't inherently any different that many other of life's challenges. Mastery of self can be learned in part through master of money. "What a strange thought" my young self would no doubt exclaim.

Doing things all the time.

And hopefully they are "paying" things. I am glad for anythings, really. I like the big and small things. The semi-forgotten things. The project things. I do sometimes fully subscribe to the "life is things" mentality.

Looking forward to a busy week.

Which should be all the fun and excitement I can possibly handle. Ha. It won't be all kinds of lucrative but it will be interesting. I can only be so lucky, I suppose.

Working with a mutant face.

It hasn't really been all that bad, actually. For as much pain as I was in, immediately following my dental visit, I expected my journey through this weekend to be something of a tumultuous one. I know the road to recovery still looms before me a bit but it is seeming more and more like it will be quite a bit shorter than expected. This is all the good kind of news that I didn't expect but am more than grateful has found me.

The pain killers are actually working.

Which is not what I expected after my last trip to the dentist. The pain was incredible during the extraction but the prolonged continuance of said pain, until I was able to get the pain killers, was the most challenging part. I was shaky and weak. Now, I am tired and loopy.

Working through the flaws.

We do our work, share our skills, with the clients and situations of our choosing, always falling short of our best efforts and hoping they will still fit the bill. Generally, despite our shortcomings, they will still provide some semblance of the requested, or required, elements we strive to provide. I think it is taking to the time to recognize said shortcomings, however, which allows us to improve and evolve and increase our future performances quality thereto. It might be simply stated "Never rest on your laurels." Or it might just be a reminder that one is always able to improve at anything.

Work ALL day.

I finished such a huge variety of useful projects today that it almost felt TOO productive. I say TOO productive because I don't think it's reasonable to think I could possibly repeat this level of productivity with any kind of regularity. I do have reasonably high standards for myself but do realize the importance of having realistic goals, too. Goals do need to be achievable, after all.

Budding potential.

I helped film some promotional stuff for a weed-related business venture. It appeared to be an industry-changing sort of product(despite my limited knowledge of said industry) and I wonder how much impact it will actually have over the coming months and years. I can't say much about it now(since it has not hit the market yet) but it seems to have so much potential.

Work can be overwhelming sometimes.

I think it's something I allow to happen more than it pushes into me. Maybe it starts kind of small, in a more subtle intellectual way, and before I know it I'm working late into the morning hours. I suppose it feels good to get things done but what is an acceptable cost? I have a lot of normal life to catch up on, I think. Just relaxing a little to reset the thinker.

Whirlwind weekend.

This was a trip to remember for sure. I'm probably likely to forget most of the people by name(and probably by every other useful way) but the experience was certainly a unique and eye-opening one for sure. There are a lot of people from all around the world who really connect around the topic of film. It is an incredible community of creative and technical people from all walks of life!

The exciting world of film and television.

We have run into this experience headlong and loaded with gusto. The landing pad has been gracious and our opportunities have been enjoyable. It's an interesting thing to meet people from all different places, too, and to see that there is so much common motivation among us is quite inspiring for sure. There will be much to come over the next day or so and I am sure I will have an even further evolved opinion on the whole thing that continues right in line with most of what I have expressed here so far is. At least, that's what I think could happen. Ha.

Slowly pulling it all together.

We are working with a very fickle client, as to what they would like us to do, but I think we are almost buttoned down on what it is we will be shooting for them this coming week. It isn't unusual for this to be the case but adapting like we have had to do was a little tricky at times. It has been a good learning experience for everybody involved and I look forward to seeing what comes out the other end.

It is an interesting thing building a business.

You have to learn about so many different elements. Not only that but the need for almost constant growth and learning is also prevalent. There are some jobs, great jobs even, in life where neither of these things are necessarily true. And maybe we can adapt and learn to knock it out of the park or maybe we don't figure it out and flounder into non-existence. In any case, I am enjoying the ride and really look forward to seeing how the next year shapes up.

Friends are part of my foundation.

So getting the opportunity to see them and socialize with them, even if I haven't seen some of them for quite a while, is an excellent and energizing experience. They inspire and build me simply by being themselves in each person's own way. What a grand and somewhat unexpected experience to catch a dose in the middle of my work week.

Competition is important.

It teaches us how much we can improve to potentially best them. It is an instructive motivating force also driven by the nature of business. Everybody wants the best thing they can get, for the least amount of resources to get it, from any source they can get it from. It might sound trite to put it this way but it feels very relevant after experiencing the losing end of this sort of thing. Maybe it is that, only in loss, can we really understand the important lessons like this. Certainly we had the thought about its apparent truth before having gone through it, however, having a thought and knowing its validity really are two different things. Knowledge tends to present itself without any help once you have it in your head. It doesn't hint or nag... it simply IS.

The ever-lurking presence of competition.

I might dare to say that there is nothing in life with only one source of attention directed it's way... that's a really clunky sentence. Try it from this angle - anything you are attempting to engage with in any way, regardless of how much it might seem like you are the only one doing it, is definitely being engaged by many other sources you may not see or be aware of. This is true in personal relationships, especially regarding any attractive person you might be chasing in one way or another, but is also true of any potential clients. LIFE IS COMPETITION! This is an incredibly easy thing to forget which makes it an incredibly easy mistake to make. But, we must learn from this and move on and always compete for what we want, regardless of how it appears on the surface.

Camping is my friend.

Just about the only thing I don't really like about it is how bright it is in the morning. Even inside my tent it's too bright and I usually have to tuck my head down inside the sleeping bag to get back to sleep. Love everything else, though. And the break from regular life is highly appreciated... and possibly the most important aspect. Just unplug and unwind. Great times, indeed!

The long work week and the delightful weekend after.

I am definitely taking advantage of the opportunity to camp and getaway over the next couple days. Sure, I might head into work when I get back on Sunday night but I am thoroughly anticipating my time until then. Weekend with the music, the river, and the cool people for sure. Sure, I am excited about all the work we have lingering on the horizon at work but I am just as thrilled about the tiny break before it. Long days, long nights, long naps between.

Synergistic business relations.

I think we are quite fortunate to have connected with every client we have connected with through our business thus far. There are some opportunities, however, through connecting to some clients, however, that only occur because of mutually beneficial skill sets that spark together in an almost chemical way. We have recently met a potential client which will motivate and push us to become better at what we do and I believe it can be just the kind of fuel that will propel us much further up the ladder than we might have expected. And all we have to do is comply with the needs of her business as fully as we possibly can. Ha. Small task? No. Important opportunity? Yes.

Another all-nighter?

I did take a few hours worth of naps but basically stayed busy working for the entirety of the last two days. I think I kept up to the necessary pace despite the little road bumps here and there. It probably wasn't "technically" necessary but I felt it deserved the effort anyway. The rest of the week should be a little easier because of it.

The pleasant weekend break.

It is nice to relax once in a while. It isn't just nice, I would call it necessary to relax once in a while. I need to get into a controlled burn with my focus and energy expense in order to make it through the next few months(probably longer) and every little break(not overdone, of course) is a valuable readjustment tool, I'd say. Today was one such day and the coming week should be better for it.

Golf, one of my oldest friends.

I don't get to visit very much but it always offers me quite a barrel of fun. A barrel shaped bag? And we were lucky for some pretty sweet weather, too. I hope we get to make some sort of habit out of this hobby. I know it's a bit on the expensive side but I would like to think we should be able to earn a round here and there. Gotta work hard to play hard, I suppose.

Physical exhaustion.

I am so burned out from sports last night that my performance really took a hit today. I could have been worse but I was hoping to be more productive today. I guess I should seriously consider exploring some kind of quicker recovery method to avoid this happening in the future... Or at least plan ahead better for the reduced output level I might expect. I still don't really think of myself as actually getting old... but I am getting older. Just a little. Ha.

Body still holding together.

Despite the pain in my legs and feet. I played some softball, ran around in the outfield for a couple hours, then played some pretty intense basketball for another couple hours. I'm not entirely sure how I had so much energy, even toward the end of basketball, but I did... and now I'm in pain... good pain. I will probably take a couple or so days to recover but I'm down with that. All for the love of sports, I guess. Pain and smiles all day!

Excitement for our work.

We always enjoy meeting with new potential clients but it is still quite exciting when said potential client has great enthusiasm for what we might do for her. Today we had just that sort of meeting and I think we are well equipped to meet many of the needs of her business, of which they are quite diverse and potentially frequent. Fun!

Honing the focus.

Our business is essentially four people strong and I think there's a lot of potential. Until now, we have had our moments, but generally have lacked a bit of the focus that really keeps us churning into success. I think we are starting to buckle down a bit more, though, and I expect good things on the close horizon. All that remains is to do it and keep on doing it long into the future!

Just workin' all day.

And getting things done. It's a nice feeling whenever it happens. I like to think I'm making a difference in my future, anyway. Just keep working... even with a short blog entry. Ha.

Comedy for the soul.

Comedy is probably specifically intended to inject humorous, or at least generally positive, elements into a persons consciousness which aims to cause laughter or, at the very least, smiles in it's recipients. When it can be used as a force for good, causing an additionally beneficial element such as peace, unity, and/or love it might still be called comedy... but it could be called something else entirely. I don't have a proper name for it but I do appreciate it when I see it. And I am glad to be associated with those who strive to do it. We need more of this sort of thing for sure.

Parades are fun.

I've never been one of the parade participants before today, if my memory is working properly, and it was a fun experience, I have to say! I might not even be considered a participant since I was simply video taping our crew in the parade... but I still had fun. It's cool to see how people react to the fun things in life. It's awesome to see kids smiling and laughing, ever excited for the cool characters in their midst. I should like to do this sort of thing again sometime.

Hard work for hard money.

Actually, I don't really know what that would even imply. I just worked hard all day today and even though my rate wasn't too bad it still doesn't feel like it is enough. Maybe I'm just being over-demanding or I just have a unreasonable expectation of what my time is worth. I know I am appreciated but maybe that's just because I'm probably a bit on the cheap side. Oh, well. It's good I really enjoy my job.

The pains of music.

My fingers, my back, my ears... basically my whole body is in an unusual amount of pain right now. Unusual, in that it's source is simply not one I have experienced much over the last year or so since I exited the band. Music is one of the great sources of said pain and certainly one I have missed for quite a while. It is exhausting, exhilarating, expletive-inducing excellence all-around. Something I will shortly, surely miss.

A concentrated ball of work.

We sat around in our desks planning, plotting, projecting and occasionally playing all day long today... the three of us... plus one for the first part of the day. It felt like motivated, purposeful work that might even lead to some results at some point. I am sure we need to change a few things up to really make business take off but even just establishing a solid habit of working well together is a step toward that right direction.

Advertisement through service.

The idea isn't entirely new but the forms of service, and how I might be able to offer it without too much expectation, is starting to take shape in my planning and theories. It seems to me that the opportunity to build rapport with a potential client is far more valuable than simply impressing them with a well-crafted body of work or demo reel. It's sort of the drug dealer method, I guess, for lack of a better metaphor. Ha. Well... I guess they do it for a reason... it has to be successful in some important way.

Nostalgic opportunity.

For the first time since I left the band I got a call to see if I could sub back in for an upcoming gig. I think it has been more than a year since my last gig with them so I naturally jumped at the opportunity and am quite excited to jump back in the ring, even if it's only for one night. I busted the old bass out of the corner and, after a couple or so hours of trying to cobble the setup back into working condition, jammed back into some jamming like a sloppy jambino. I found a few old tracks online and tried to play along and definitely realized that I am WAY out of practice. I feel confident I can do the tracks justice by the time we're on stage later this week... it's just gonna take some actual practice everyday until then. Weird!

Slowly getting things pulled together.

It is good to enjoy the actual opportunity to take a break. And it is even good to take that time to do some work on myself, even though it is technically work. I sort of feel that when I take a little "me" time to do some cleaning, and/or introspective focusing, that I have a decent chance that life progress is being made. There is still a lot of cleaning to do, of course, but every little step is a positive thing anyway. More swimming, I suppose.

Connections with people are important, too.

After Elisa and her family left, and I left home for work, I basically became an island for the rest of the day. I did eventually participate in a card tournament and obviously this meant I took a few hours to engage with the people of the world. The strange part, and something I've heard in many forms from many different people for most of my life, is that I don't really feel like I was with people... connected to anybody in particular. I felt somewhat alone. It wasn't a totally unusual feeling but it did seem a bit magnified for some reason. I suppose I should be grateful. It does increase my motivation to seek out the opposite.

Family is important.

It is what binds the human race together. Commitment is often lost on the world in so many ways... except through the ties of family. People easily connect with those who are the good among us, however, they still tend to remain connected to even the worst of us when they are our family. And I doubt it would happen any other way nearly as much. We are all truly family, after all. And I am especially grateful for the family I am apart of.

Learning to handle conflict from an outside perspective.

I am not technically totally outside of the situation I am referring to but I do feel almost totally emotionally uninvested in the outcome. It's an interesting challenge to help friends deal with a conflict we all face together. I am lucky my demeanor is calm and my thinking has remained clear on the whole topic. I am not entirely sure it my assistance is all as helpful as I'd hope it to be but I am confident it is positive help in some way... and that's good enough for me. I can only do what I can do.

The turbulent possibilities.

Not in a bad way, though... just a bit fickle and unpredictable. We have a lot of different types of opportunities at work and I think it will definitely be an interesting path to navigate through in the coming months. It makes me curious what things will even look like toward the end of the year. Fun, crazy times!

Planning deep into the future.

It is always fun to dream out loud. When we have our weekly meetings and think about where we'd like to be in the future that can be a great catalyst for said dreaming. And so much of it seems very achievable and much of it even seems somewhat inevitable. It feels sort of like the daydreaming fun from elementary school, even. Ha.

Diversity definitely keeps things fresh.

I have done a fairly wide variety of things in my field and when I get to do something I basically have never done before I am always super excited. Sure, I've done tons of camera operating, a decent amount of multi-cam work, a little bit of streaming, and a great deal of b-roll shooting... but I have never had to do it all during a live broadcast/webcast pretty much all at the same time... with a camera style I've never used before. It wasn't particularly difficult but it was still very interesting to me. Reason #2438950 I continue to love my work.

Recognition of talent... outward and inward.

It is cool to see well-crafted creations of pretty much any kind. They seem to represent all the effort, intensity, passion, and practice expressed by their creators in their creation. And in this, they often inspire those who follow to reach for a similar level or type of achievement. It is very easy to forget, however, that those who follow also include the original creator as well. Everything we create is always a step to something different in the future, hopefully better expressed/realized/crafted in the process. Sometimes my entries here can feel rote and redundant and I am sure they definitely read that way to the outside observer who would casually glimpse at any given entry, or cluster of entries, before finding a personal judgement to suit their appraisal. Every instance, every entry, every creation, is a small piece of a greater work, a greater picture, a greater creation... and the ultimate creation is two-fold; both an archive externally represented and a creator internally changed. We do not practice just to do something. We do things to become someone. I often forget that I am allowed to recognize that I have become someone different through all that I have created. I hope I have chosen good things to create/become along the way.

Doing a little summer cleaning.

I was mostly lazy today, since I actually didn't have to go into work and needed a break, but I did pick up a little cleaning energy and used it to do a bit of organizing in my bedroom. I still have a ways to go before I would call it good but it's definitely improving and that's definitely a good thing. My car will be the next area of attack but that might be on hold until next weekend or sometime later. Organization of my environment is a nice upgrade to life, I have to say.

Hanging with the peeps.

It was nice to relax and hang with some friends in a easy-going environment for a night. It felt like I was being a normal human being again. Chill, eat, laugh, play. It was a great way to kick off the weekend. I look forward to more days like this.

Starting to feel a bit more fit.

I think my recent semi-regular trips to basketball have started to increase my physicality a bit. At least, it feels a bit better and noticing anything at all is something I haven't experienced in a while. My hops aren't totally back but it feels easier to touch the rim so that's cool. I might be able to touch with two hands if I tried hard enough... maybe I'll try next week. I could still stand to lose about 15lbs or so to really feel like I am back in action. Weight loss is a much more difficult thing to do than I ever really expected. Mostly, I just think I don't have enough motivation to improve my self-discipline enough to get it done. Some other time, I guess. Ha.

Focus among friends.

I have been working my brains out for quite a while and I mean that almost literally. My brains are often useful but only when they're actually in my head. So, when I take the opportunity to visit with my friends, to socialize even a little, it really feels like my brains do actually return for a pleasant increase in my focus. It's basically like finding my ground again. A bit of a reset button... and more metaphors as well. I need to socialize more. I'm sure it is actually a need, even. Now to actually implement it, I suppose, is the challenge.

Still feeling a little sapped.

I am not sure my little bout of food poisoning last week didn't have any lasting effects. I've felt a bit lethargic several days since and I don't think it has to do with poor sleep necessarily. Maybe I'm just a little burned out and need a little more slow time to get back in shape. In any case, I wouldn't call it the worst thing... it's mostly just a little annoying. Just keep swimming, I guess.

The unfortunate misses.

As much as I enjoy most of the elements of my chosen career, there are a few things that aren't so cool. The only one I will mention at the moment is the semi-common occurrence of when my work crushes my normal life schedule. I did enjoy my work today but would have much preferred to hang with my peeps in the non-work world. It could have been a grand life memory, now lost in the ether of non-existence and something I could easily regret if I take a negative stance about opportunities missed. I choose positivity, despite my thought that it could be an "unfortunate miss." I am more motivated. This is a good thing.

Doing work that matters.

I saw an interesting commentary about the field of art and the opportunity and purpose for one's work in that field. The remark was made that, in general, nobody really cares about artistic work. That the world doesn't look for specific artistic work to be made. That doesn't mean it shouldn't be made, though, and doing it for a beneficial purpose is always an important goal. At least, that's how I paraphrase what was said. In my opinion, however, doing art/making art/working in an artistic field it doesn't necessarily matter if the world doesn't care about what you're doing(assuming the "care" part isn't technically referred to as money.) The art we do as performers, artists, creatives improves us through the process of creating it, thereby improving everything else surrounding it peripherally. And the value of work is so often and easily forgotten.

The ever-evolving ream of human networking.

I specified it as "human" networking because I am not talking about computer peripherals... this post could have been confusing. Anyway, I think it's cool to meet new people and get to know them somewhat beyond the surface interactions we commonly experience with the most frequency. What sort of experiences get us past those surface interactions, you might ask? Doing work with or for somebody is one of those good ways. It is literally inhabiting the same space with that person for an extended period of time all at once... the added element of labor often spurs more interesting, insightful conversation by its nature, I tend to think. It is all yet another positive element to my job that definitely serves to keep it interesting, in the moment as well as in anticipation of things yet to come.

Become a better ________.

I think it's VERY easy to think we are doing things at a level of quality that will continue to carry us forward. What a dangerous thought that is, though... danger in two forms; the misconception of ability(which is technically almost always present anyway) and the misunderstanding of inertia, or the lack of improvement, which is actually regression. I need to improve my craft continuously. I need to become better at what I do.

Basically back to normal.

I was fairly lethargic all day long but didn't really feel crummy so that's a trade I'll take. My work might have suffered a bit but I don't really think it was enough to matter. It is the middle of the week. A bit on the slow side. I'll take the short pauses as often as they come as long as they don't actually mean our overall momentum is dying.

Holy sick face.

I am not a fan of illness... I don't know who would be. I have been sliding through what seems to be food poisoning for about 24 hours now. It's quite the chore doing nothing in pain. Ha. Anyway, I hope I feel better tomorrow. I can't afford to be missing work.

An actual semi-slow day at work.

And I'll take it again when it comes back around. I could have been a busy bumble bee if I was more energetic and motivated but I don't think I really needed to do that today. I haven't taken many days off lately so a slow day is probably a necessary break in itself. Good times. Good, slow times.

Hot days in Washington.

They do pop up from time to time. We even get several in a row sometimes. In general, I don't mind a good, hot day as long as I have a comfortable place to enjoy it from afar(inside of a building.) I enjoy the sight of the sun, the warmth, the energy it brings. I tend to wilt in the heat when I don't have much of an escape route, and am especially fond of the rain patterns in this area but, despite all that, this latest weekend has been a grand one. And it looks like we will enjoy a hot streak for several days to come. Weirdington!

Helping the car out.

I went several months overdue on my oil change but finally got it taken care of today. My car sighed a breath of relief. I also had my tires replace after having driven somewhere close to 100k on the last ones. My car exclaimed its utter joy loudly. I was informed I have a little work still to take care of but overall I think my car is sort of floating on cloud nine now. I need to be better to my car in the future, however, as he is my only car and he has treated me so well for more than four years. Thanks, Big Blue... this blog entry's for you! Ha.

Slowing down for a day is nice.

And I look forward to a relatively slow weekend, as well. I plan to do some shooting tomorrow but that will be more for pleasure than it will for the pocketbook. Plus, the weather sounds like it should be shaping up nicely. All kinds of pleasant, really.

I probably already say it more than enough...

But I really love my work. There are some tedious, less enjoyable elements to be found from time to time. But, when considering everything as a whole, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities and experiences I have had. It is challenging, enlightening, motivating work and I would hope everyone could be as lucky to enjoy their own work in a similar way.

The fun work.

It's really interesting to learn about a person's history. It's especially interesting when they have a huge part of their life that was entirely unknown beforehand. It's basically fun on any level, though, so I'm sure I'm not saying anything new. It's one of the surprises I generally enjoy in life. Some other types of surprises(like a twist ending in a movie, or a unexpected gift) are generally okay but not as consistently appreciated for me, I suppose. I guess I'm sort of boring that way. Ha.

A piece of my youth revisited... soon to be visited.

Sometimes there are some very cool opportunities in my line of work. One of them includes the occasions when I get to shoot a celebrity or well-known person in a more personal setting. Tomorrow I get to shoot with a musician that definitely influenced my musical enjoyment in my younger years. It would be strange to think, way back in 7th or 8th grade, I would one day meet him at his home. I'm not one to be star struck, generally speaking, but I expect this sort of opportunity to be an interesting one.

Doing just about any kind of work.

I have been doing a bunch of assistant editor sort of work for the last several days and I am definitely not so attuned to that sort of work, lately. It is difficult to do entirely computer oriented work for such long hours. I have done it for many years in the past but, thankfully, have been able to be a bit more active in the recent years and don't really have the endurance like I used to. Anyway, the work is solid despite it being a little far away from my preferred work. I guess I just enjoy doing quality work in general.

The really cool people in life.

Are the ones who seem to get you. They are the ones who share their trials with you, not to weigh you down but to share the burden with you. In reality, every person on earth could have this sort of kinship, in my opinion. It just happens that since it doesn't happen that way that the few I am lucky enough to share life with in that way really do feel special to me. I am a lucky fellow and I'm not sorry to sound repetitive by saying so.

Just workin' all the time.

I don't have much of a social life. Is this because I work so much or do I work so much because my social life doesn't really exist? Chicken or the egg, maybe? It's probably not very emotionally healthy but my pocketbook isn't exactly healthy to begin with. So I work a lot. Luckily, I really enjoy my work! And it's nice that my work can sometimes be a somewhat social experience, anyway.

Slowly returning to normal?

If you think of 3:30am as a normal time to get to sleep, I suppose. I get to sleep in a little so that's the nice part of it all. I have a lot of work to do but at least I can do it at my own pace. I do tend to go at my own pace most of the time anyway but having it not matter that much is the actual nice part.

More all-nighters than I should.

But I did make productive use of the time so that's at least something positive. I really enjoyed the collaboration all around today. Lots of solid plans to reach for with lots of good feedback on every side. More looking forward with a healthy dose of review to guide our direction and pace.

Maximum challenge points.

Which felt like they might be toppling all over me for most of the first half of the day. We had a lot of trouble to be shot but slowly pulled it together. By the end of the day we were wondering where everybody else was, anticipating their arrival with enthusiasm... and cookies. It isn't all about the cookies... but it could be. Anyway, it was a tough, fun day that I hope we are able to indulge in again soon.

Inconsistency due to work overload.

Which isn't necessarily a terrible thing... but I'm sure it would be better to be able to be consistent despite the workload. My priorities could use adjusting for sure. Sleep was the priority that knocked several of my recent entry misses lately which, again, probably isn't necessarily a terrible thing. It was simply the lack of scheduling control that led to even being so sleep-deprived in the first place. A priority I could definitely stand to move higher up in the pecking order.

Potentially incredible opportunity.

We might get an actual episode or two passed off to us(in Creative Media), assuming the numbers line up correctly, and I fully believe we can step up to meet the challenge. The variables are definitely recognizable... I hope we do get the chance.

Business progress.

We are several steps closer to completion of the technical beginning of our new company. It is a very exciting, challenging, interesting experience with all kinds of twists and turns. I am quite excited to see where this could all go.

The highly unexpected game break.

I was privileged enough to spend an evening at the Mariners game with some co-workers tonight, free of charge, and loaded with a dose of relaxation that I was definitely not planning for before yesterday. It was the kind of mental reprieve I have certainly needed for a little while now. I'm sure the inconsistency in my entries here(as well as the lessening quality) has been quite evident. Anyway, I really enjoy my work and more so enjoy the folks I work with. I am a lucky fellow, indeed!

Hot head.

Because, when the sun beams, unimpeded, directly onto my scalp for 8 - 9 hours straight, the resulting burn actually feels as if the temperature has risen... which, I think, it actually has. My brain is sitting in the sauna, I suppose... and I look forward to the regular weather to return.

The busy weekend has already begun.

And it's not even really Friday yet. I'm pretty much going to be in maximum overdrive for the next 5-15 days. It might even hurt a little but I guess that's all just part of the fun! Ha.

Reasonable steps.

I think much of my work over the weekend really helped the forward progress of several different projects today. It is always pleasant to fairly immediately recognize some of the fruit of one's labors. Now there is definitely a lot of things yet to happen that will ultimately tell the actual value of it all but the intrinsic value, such as that usually applied through the mere act of work, can certainly be good enough for me. What is work if not practiced?

Ultra productivity.

Somehow, maybe because I actually woke up earlier than usual, I was able to stay focused and productive almost continuously while I was at work today. I was the the only person at work so that was certainly a bonus as well but today was somehow different than other days like it in the past. I felt very motivated. Now the trick is trying to repeat this sort of performance again in the future... the tomorrow future... and as many days as possible future.

The interestingly complex process of creating a new production.

It always seems to be a bit of learning, problem-solving, discovery and planning. Putting it that way makes it seem somewhat trite and even a bit obvious but actually getting through each process can be quite a tasking experience. I really enjoy the motivation to learn, though, so this sort of challenge is definitely right up my alley... it's definitely another strong reason as to why I enjoy my work.

Rest becomes work sometimes.

Though, today it was only because I didn't plan my rest out well enough to avoid going into work. I got a lot done so I don't mind what I missed out on but I know it would be smart to take a break once in a while. There's an actual, positive reason for weekends, after all.

The unexpectedly un-busy weekend.

For some reason I had the idea that I was booked this weekend. I discovered my error in timing a couple days ago when I realized it is actually next weekend that I am booked. Now, having discovered a bit of free time(technically never really the case but I'll pretend for today), I think I'll relax a bit. It's a nice thing. You'd probably even call it a necessary thing from time to time.

Made it just in time.

So now we have a working production that will be viewed by strangers in less than a day's time. I'm excited for the prospect and look forward to the reactions. I don't expect anything spectacular but I think it'll be decent.

The fruits of a busy day.

They are often delayed by the recovery process... or at least that's how it feels sometimes. I think it should be fun to see our work on the big screen, though... it doesn't really happen all that often for me. I can't even remember the last time it did, off the top of my head. Good times!

Wrapping up the promo.

We only have a couple or so steps of work to finish this thing up and I think we'll be proud of the final result. The edit has definitely been the most challenging I have faced... maybe of any edit I have ever faced... but I would still call that a win. I look forward to seeing it on the big screen.

Whirlwind weekend.

The beginning of the week is normally the beginning of a new whirlwind... this time, however, I'd say that it feels far more like the end of the last one. We had a great shoot over the weekend that was one of those very intense schedules we are used to seeing in film production. It wasn't full-on, Hollywood-intense but it was not too far from that for sure... and it definitely felt like it was, considering how infrequently we run productions at this level. It'll be nice to get back to the regular level of crazy busy now... and by comparison it will feel somewhat like a breeze for the next couple or so days. Ha.

On the horizon of a fairly massive production.

It seems that this production will be the biggest one I have participated in up to this point. There will be more crew and probably more production value, as far as the equipment/gear is concerned, than any I have worked on. The logistics, planning and preparation(along with the potential pressure) are all quite complex... and despite it all I think we'll have a fun time!

Planning for success.

We have a huge production happening over the weekend and there is quite a bit of planning still remaining to ensure it will go smoothly. Tomorrow should be enough time, however, and I expect it to go well. We have a great team of people leading the charge and it sounds like the troops are willing.

Gently pushing for the money.

We are now beyond the point of doing things for free. To be fair, we've probably been beyond this point for a while now. We need to respect ourselves, our value, and our importance to the clients we serve. I know they need us to create the best product we can for them, after all.

Things are changing.

We are streamlining our focus, strengthening our resolve, clarifying our goals and cutting away the dross. We are here to help our company, we are here to help our futures, we are here to engage ourselves in purposeful work and succeed despite our missteps. I could ramble about the incredible things on the horizon, the powerful relationships that shape and build me and all the time that seems to come and go quicker than a blink... but I'd rather send my sleepy head into slumberland to find a lengthier moment of recharge. Sleep is just as important as all of those awesome things and all too often gets overlooked... by me more than most.

Every kind of work is cool.

At least, every kind that relates to my chosen field of work is cool. I like that variety and unusual opportunities we have come across. Things are so unpredictable. I really enjoy the travel, when it appears, as well as the cool people I get to meet and work with/for. I am quite a lucky fellow, for sure!

Rolling through the insanity with a smile.

There is only so much one person can do at a time... so I thought I'd try to do exactly that much at all times for the next couple or so weeks. Sure, it might basically wear me out... but it might be a totally awesome learning experience as well. Boom!

An insane amount of work on the horizon.

For both quantity and quality. I know I am going to be just about knocked flat over the next few weeks and I look forward to seeing the results pop out the other end, for sure!

Making plans for business.

Which is never an easy thing, even more difficult when the plans seem more ambiguous. We are lucky to be friends but that is definitely a potential hazard in the future when things get serious... at least, that's what I have heard from all the common-sense business wisdom we all hear from time to time. I have no reason to think it's particularly wrong... it should be an interesting learning experience for everyone involved.

Mother.

I appreciate what other mothers do, and have done, for the world, for society, for my friends. I don't really know how much my appreciation for them matters... since the only one I know for sure, who has affected the world, society and my friends is my mother. And there's nothing I can say which could truly repay my debt of gratitude for what she has done... but I do love my mother. And I will continue to offer up my love in return, through my interpretation and synthesis of what she has created in me, through the manifestation of her character in mine.

Earning the moneys.

Which often feels like my only goal in life despite my more pressing urge to engage in creativity activities. Thinking forward to those times is pretty fun, though. The hope and mirth I experience just thinking about it almost seems like enough sometimes... which probably isn't a good thing. I think I've heard about a study that points out the dangers of that kind of thinking. More doing and less thinking, I guess. At least, that's what I vaguely remember.

The way things are going.

I am lead to believe many great things are on the horizon for us all. It could just be a generally non-specific optimism that I harbor... or it could be a piece of my vision into the future as it really will be... or delusions... it could be delusions. Anyway, I enjoy positivity so I'll just keep going with that. Good things coming right up!

Deadlines.

Essentially, I could probably just call them goals. I usually set them just to make myself get something done. They do sound a bit morbid calling them deadlines... but maybe that's the way it should be. You're killing the past times of incompletion and uncertainty when you finish it as planned... one of the only positive ways to kill time, I suppose.