Absent

I know I've been absent from here lately. Seems like I really haven't had time to get online and enjoy it like I used to - I'm working so many hours through the week and now also on the weekends. I took on a second job doing maintenance work at a conference center for the weekends. It's not a fun job, but anymore, you have to do what you can to keep up. We're not struggling financially at home, but this second job will make it even more comfortable, and it's only temporary. We'd like to be able to buy the kids their own car(s) and I am in desperate need of a new computer. My shitty little Dell has kept me afloat for over 10 years, which is almost unheard of, but I won't get another Dell, or Windows-based computer for that matter. It's strictly Mac for me from now on. I am so spoiled from having a MacBook Pro and a Mac Pro at work that there's no way in hell I'd ever go back to Windows.

I've been contacted by Rupert again to participate on a collaborative video. I'm anxious to get started and see this project take off and of course, the end result. I'm sure it will be amazing. There are so many creative and seriously talented people out there shooting video - I hope I can hold up my end of the project. I really need to shoot more. I have some video I need to edit that I shot earlier this summer that will tie in to an upcoming event this month.

Well, gotta get some sleep - 5am rolls around way too quick and I have to work Saturday and Sunday as well, but I'm determined to shoot video and/or photos this weekend.

Really Cool Fountain

I found this online this evening... um, I mean this morning (it's now 3am) and thought it would be good to post here. This fountain is located in Canal City Hakata, in Japan. Leave it to the ingenuity and creativity of the Japanese people to develop something like this. The video lasts almost 6 minutes, but you'll be surprised how fast it goes by given the subject matter.

Hell Week ... and Another Year Older

Seems like life is yet again getting the best of me. Through the week I dream about the projects I want to start or finish at home for the weekend, and as usual, I am so burned out from the long days at work that I have no motivation when the weekend comes around. Saturday was spent sleeping until noon and then I watched old movies for the majority of the day. I stayed up Saturday night until 2:30am working on the computer, and then slept in until almost 10:00am today. Other than watching more old movies, my wife and I put up 5 dozen ears of corn for freezing. After she cooked all that corn, I used this handy gadget from Lehman's to remove the corn from the cob. We then bagged it up and put it in the freezer. On a side note, if you ever have the opportunity to visit Lehman's up in Kidron, Ohio, it's a trip you won't soon forget.

Our garden is doing quite well this year. The raised beds have worked out great. We've been harvesting lettuce and potatoes, and occasionally hot peppers. Once this odd weather gets back to normal, we'll have a huge surplus of tomatoes. We have lots of green tomatoes, but it just hasn't gotten hot enough for them to ripen.

This week will be the worst of the summer for me at work. I have a huge project of printing and assembling over 200 3" binders for a conference that takes place in Columbus the following week. It's an annual event and I'm given this project with only a little more than a week to prepare. This includes several brochures to design and print, and this year, they have requested 125 copies of the annual report for our organization that my daughter designed. I simply did not have time to design it and she did an outstanding job. I also have 200 wedding programs to fold right when I get into work, as I brought them home to fold, but just couldn't get motivated to work on them.

My high school reunion is this coming weekend. I'm going to the get together at a local bar the day before the actual reunion, but skipping the actual dinner the following day. I haven't seen 99% of my class since graduation 30 years ago. Those I care about I have remained in touch with and will be happy to see that night.

Time for some sleep - it's going to be a rough week. And, tomorrow is my birthday. After work, the day will be spent with those who I truly love and who love me. I am so blessed with the best family in the world. They are who I can always depend on. My wife and kids are all that matter to me.

Superbikes

Video I shot on Saturday at Mid-Ohio Race Car Course in Lexington, OH at the Honda Superbike Weekend. I didn't get nearly the shots I wanted - it was my first time for this race. Next year I'll be better prepared to shoot the action where it happens instead of taking what I could get.

Don't Pass This Opportunity By!

Recently, I have been attending training classes offered through CreativeTechs. Once a week I am in Seattle, Washington acquiring cutting edge training on software such as InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Flash, and even classes dedicated to retouching photos using Photoshop.

How am I able to afford to visit Seattle once a week for these classes? It's simple - while my body is here in exciting Ohio (as if), my Mac is connected to a LIVE and INTERACTIVE webinar held way out on the west coast. So, in the virtual world, I AM in Seattle.

As you sit there scratching your head, you can't help but ask, "Jim, how much could these weekly webinars cost? How can you afford to take training on all that software? Are you made of money - good god man, HOW DO YOU DO IT?!?!

I am able to do it, just like you are - it's free! FREE? Nothing is free - there has to be a catch. No one offers free training!! Oh... but you are so wrong good reader - so very wrong. CreativeTechs.com offers free training because they are trying to buy their way into heaven!! No, that's not true, the reason they do this is to be the first company you think of when it comes to quality training on software like Photoshop, InDesign, Flash, Illustrator, etc. Let me tell you firsthand that the training is outstanding, and very enjoyable. Not only are they highly qualified professionals, they present the material in a way that makes it enjoyable to learn.

I've enjoyed the free training so much, that I purchased the entire 10 week InDesign training for myself. This purchase is not required, nor do they guilt you into buying it. I wanted it because it's THAT good. Just remember, this training is FREE in every sense of the word. Each session is 90 minutes long.

But how can they be interactive? When you log on to the actual webinar, you are able to ask questions through a separate dialog box, or you can ask through their Twitter account. This in no way holds up the class ... a moderator assists with relaying the questions during the training.

Bottom line: Visit their website, register for a class, and attend it FREE online. Keep in mind, their time is Pacific, and if you're here in exciting Ohio (as if), we're 3 hours, (and several decades in style) behind them.

When you sign up for the training, rest assured that your email address is NOT given to anyone, nor will you be spammed. So go... NOW, go and see for yourself!

One other thing ... I am not a paid spokesperson for CreativeTechs.com, nor do I receive credit or a kickback in any way for mentioning this in my blog. I mention them in order to keep their attendance high and thus prolonging these free training sessions. If you know of anyone that would benefit from learning more, PLEASE pass along this information or link them to CreativeTechs.com.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!

Total Eclipse of the Heart - Literal Version

It's been awhile since I've posted anything here. I have really been working a lot lately and there's also been a lot of activity at home. With kids home from college and the weather much nicer, I find my visits to this blog have decreased considerably.
I have been updating Facebook more, and yet still thinking about deleting the account. It's nice to be back in touch with old friends and family, but I still have issues with the whole privacy thing. I know this is all determined by me and what I put on the website, but I still feel as though I can't open up as much as I'd like. This blog is also under consideration for termination. While I see so many people putting way too much personal information about their life, I can't help but think that it's going to bite them in the ass at some point. I try to be a very private person and value my privacy. I have nothing to hide - I just feel that the world doesn't need to know everything about me, and especially my family. I believe some people are genuinely curious and will take the time to see just how much they can find out about others. This is not to say that everyone is nosy, because I think some people really don't give a crap and use these tools to merely stay in touch. Unfortunately, there are those who use the internet for darker purposes.
Anywho, I'm not going to get into one of my usual rants and waste time. The sun is shining and I have some work to do outside, and then it's back to the Mac for more work. I am so damn tired I don't know what to do. There simply aren't enough hours in the day. The amount of time I spend working clearly isn't healthy for me ... and while I do enjoy what I do, it's starting to take it's toll on my body and my mind. I've noticed that I've begun to look more my age than ever before. I've always looked younger than my age ("don't drink, don't smoke, what do ya do..."). I think it's stress that's doing me in, and carrying around a few extra pounds as I age isn't helping matters. Ugh.
So, here's something to bring a smile to your face. I found this video on a Facebook friend's listing (thanks Jeanne) and thought I'd share it.

Autumn Story

Incredible music video chalk animation for Firekites’ Autumn Story, directed by Lucinda Schreiber and Yanni Kronenberg.

Netflix

I recently signed up for Netflix. I was somewhat skeptical at first, but I am really happy I made the decision to take advantage of the free trial.

We have DirecTV, and I'm finding the movie selection is starting to suck out loud. It doesn't make sense why you're not able to watch a movie during certain times on DirecTV. They decide when it's appropriate for you to watch a movie and the selection of movies is beginning to look like Showtime, with some really old crap running time after time.

With Netflix, I have movies set up in my queue to watch in the order I want. They leave it up to my decision and I can keep the DVD as long as I want. There's also an added benefit to watch a DVD online on my computer if I want to - I can watch it immediately if I want - how cool is that?

I'm currently set up with two DVD's out at a time, and it's been great. We don't have to wait for something to finally make it to Pay Per View. With Netflix, the movies arrive in 1 day. If you haven't taken advantage of the free trial, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot. It doesn't cost a thing unless you decide to join after the trial period. I'm thinking of going back to the basic package for DirecTV and totally avoiding their PPV selections. Bottom line: Try Netflix - you will become a member!

Pitiful

I've really let things go lately. I haven't been updating this blog or doing much of anything. You'd think that with the change in the weather that I'd have more energy, but sadly, I've actually become more fatigued. Work has really been kicking my ass. I've been able to purchase QuickBooks to set up a reputable invoicing system and I've been training another person to help out in the shop. The thought behind the training is to free me up to do other things like web design, graphic design and marketing our services, but there's been so much hand holding for the training that it's put me further behind. I'm taking someone who knows nothing about printing and trying to educate them about the process and how to use the various machines. Each day has been on different machines, so there's not been much consistency or repetition to become proficient.

I've also basically stopped shooting photos or video. My creativity for either has been shut down because I'm so consumed with so much work or from pure exhaustion. When the weekends come I am worn out and find myself parked in front of the tv or sleeping ... just anything where I don't have to think. It's been a sad way to live, and I hope it's only temporary. I've become a sloth and have no energy or motivation. This past Friday, I was in bed by 9:00pm. I simply could not keep my eyes open.

On Thursday I took my camera to work for a project. After work I thought I would shoot random photos of what I see on my drive home. The photos were so terrible and lacked any consistency. So I tried to do the same on Friday except shooting video. I thought I'd document video of what my day was like. Dear God what an exceptional boring life I lead. I scrapped every bit of footage and have resigned myself to the fact that I live a dreadful life. As far as work goes, I work far too hard for far too little pay. I get little satisfaction from my work and I get no satisfaction from my own free time. I've reached a point where I am simply burned out. Nearly every day is a 10 hour day and it's finally catching up with me.

When I am home, I find myself looking up boring shit on the internet when I manage the effort to get online. I read countless blogs and see how so many others have so much fulfillment in their lives, yet I can't muster enough to shoot a decent photo or video clip. I wanted to edit old video that I shot of the family from the time when the kids were born up to today, but my motivation is waning. I've recently been trying to teach myself LiveType for movie titling, but I just don't have the time to devote to learning. I'm going to keep at it and probably work on it during my lunch hour in hopes that it will spark something inside me, and I can crawl out of this funk.

I've really got to get through managing the files on my computer. It's running so slow right now from all the downloads I've acquired. Tons of stock photos, my photography, vector artwork, PDF manuals and music. It's a wonder it doesn't just shut down. When I think about it, it mirrors my own life right now.

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