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.