I really can't tear myself away from the news. With all the destruction and loss of life just a few hundred miles away, it was a surreal feeling to have had a nice day outside here in town. By all accounts, things around here in north Alabama are normal. If it wasn't for the news, you wouldn't have known anything was wrong. My day was pretty normal - work at the office, lunch with my sister, visit some clients and then run some errands after work. Somehow, I just appreciated evertyhing just a little bit more today.
Some of my family called in to check on me. My parents sent me an email from the other side of the world checking in as well. I assured everyone that I was okay. Kelsey (my dog) is fine too. She still doesn't have the sense to go in her doghouse to stay dry but insists on sitting out in the rain getting soaked. Whatever makes her happy I guess.
Oh... here's something interesting that happened today - as I was heading to Huntsville, I thought I'd fill my car up with gas. I still had 3/4 of a tank but filled it up anyway. I paid $2.49 per gallon at the Texaco near my office. This was at 1:00. By the time I got back in town around 4:30, the price at the SAME STATION was $2.79!?!? Glad I filled up earlier!
Sheesh. I was ALMOST an SUV owner last year around this time. While I wouldn't mind having a large vehicle, fuel prices just make them too expensive to drive. One of my friends wives drives a Ford Excursion... with a V-10 in it. That's gotta be painful. My car holds a tad over 17 gallons of fuel. At $2.79 a gallon, that's $47.43 for a full tank. Holy crap. My friend's Excursion has a 44 gallon tank... $122.76 for a fill-up.
That's crazy stuff right there I tell ya.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Leaves, limbs and crap.
I went to bed last night with a whopper of a headache. Ugh! I did hear the wind howling outside and got back UP out of bed to move my trash bins inside the gate and up against the house so there would be less of a chance for them to blow over.
Woke up this morning with no real damage to the house I could see. There were lots of leaves and small branches everywhere though. There was crap all over the car too - I spent several minutes picking off leaves and acorns before heading to the office. Big props go out to my local utility company - even in last night's high winds, my power never blinked off.
On the way to the office, I did see lots of downed trees and much larger limbs. I really did luck out at my place.
I have nothing to complain about though. I've been watching the news all evening taking in all the destruction to my south. I'm in shock over how bad things were and even more, how much worse things are getting.
Woke up this morning with no real damage to the house I could see. There were lots of leaves and small branches everywhere though. There was crap all over the car too - I spent several minutes picking off leaves and acorns before heading to the office. Big props go out to my local utility company - even in last night's high winds, my power never blinked off.
On the way to the office, I did see lots of downed trees and much larger limbs. I really did luck out at my place.
I have nothing to complain about though. I've been watching the news all evening taking in all the destruction to my south. I'm in shock over how bad things were and even more, how much worse things are getting.
Monday, August 29, 2005
Busy past few days.
Today was the day of the event our agency put on for a large auto manufacturer. I spent Saturday, Sunday and of course today photographing the process of setting it all up. Stage, trusses, lights, video, sound, projection screens, flat panels - it was quite an operation. Thankfully, it all went off without a hitch. Our client was pleased with how everything went. Made some new friends in the process also so that's another plus.
One thing I learned is that shooting photos under stage lights can be tough! I was having to make all sorts of adjustments to keep up with the changing light conditions. Got lots of practice in though.
On the weather side of things, Katrina is kicking up the wind a bit here now. I suspect that as we go into the night, it'll pick up even more. I hope it doesn't get too bad though.
One thing I learned is that shooting photos under stage lights can be tough! I was having to make all sorts of adjustments to keep up with the changing light conditions. Got lots of practice in though.
On the weather side of things, Katrina is kicking up the wind a bit here now. I suspect that as we go into the night, it'll pick up even more. I hope it doesn't get too bad though.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Oh THAT'S what I was supposed to be doing...
It's late Friday night and I just realized what I completely forgot... I was supposed to join up with rest of the fellas at Jack's for music and good times. See? This is what happens when I don't write things in my planner. All my work stuff is in there but I neglect to write in my personal things... now I've pissed away a Friday evening. Grrr.
I've got some photo work to do this weekend. Monday, our agency is putting on a sizeable event at a facility in Huntsville. There are several elements involved that will need to be set up and tested beforehand: stage, lighting, backdrops, projection screens, food service, etc. I'll be on hand to photograph the process leading up to the event. Should be interesting. I've got to be be there at two different times tomorrow so I'll probably end up finding something to do in between. I may look around for other photo ops to add to my portfolio if the weather cooperates.
I've got some photo work to do this weekend. Monday, our agency is putting on a sizeable event at a facility in Huntsville. There are several elements involved that will need to be set up and tested beforehand: stage, lighting, backdrops, projection screens, food service, etc. I'll be on hand to photograph the process leading up to the event. Should be interesting. I've got to be be there at two different times tomorrow so I'll probably end up finding something to do in between. I may look around for other photo ops to add to my portfolio if the weather cooperates.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Playin with 'tricity.
First off, my photo shoot in Tennessee got pushed to next week so I was able to sleep normally last night. Whew!
Now then to this evenings events. My buddy Cameron has always been tinkering around with electricity and electronics ever since I met him years ago. The latest project he's been working on much to the chagrin of his wife - is a tesla coil. Why? "Because". He's been working with other people he's met online that have successfully built coils for quite some time. Tonight, he joined their ranks and I was there to record the event.
Now then to this evenings events. My buddy Cameron has always been tinkering around with electricity and electronics ever since I met him years ago. The latest project he's been working on much to the chagrin of his wife - is a tesla coil. Why? "Because". He's been working with other people he's met online that have successfully built coils for quite some time. Tonight, he joined their ranks and I was there to record the event.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Miscellaneous ramblings.
Remember a few weeks ago when I did a photo shoot at a swimming pool under construction? The next big step where I'll be involved is this Thursday when they spray the gunite on the rebar. What's NOT going to be fun is that the gunite crew will be starting at 5:30AM to prepare for the first concrete truck's arrival at 7:00AM. I figured I'd get there a bit before the concrete does... I live a little under 2 hours away. You do the math. That's EARLY. I sincerely hope the weather cooperates. It would be a shame to go to all that trouble and not have anything to shoot.
I'll be clicking away this weekend too. Our agency is putting on an event for a large company over in Huntsville this coming Monday. Setup for it will start Saturday and run through Sunday. I'll be taking pictures of things as the workers take the empty area and transform it with a stage, trusses, lights, huge projection screens, sound systems and seating. At the actual event, I'll be sitting in the press area photographing all the activities. I'll be behind my camera a lot for the next few days. Looking forward to it though!
There's a possibility I'll be involved in some aerial photography sometime soon. A client of mine owns (and flys) a twin turbo-prop plane. I also found out that when he's not using it, it's leased out two 2 NASCAR drivers to use to get from home to the tracks. This might lead to some other cool possibilities, we'll see.
On another note, this is the THIRD month in a row I have gone over on my cellphone minutes. They really stick it to ya when you go over. As such, I've been trying to find a cell plan that fits me better. Right now I've got a Blackberry 7100. I like it for it's email and web connectivity. I was considering getting a Motorola RAZR because of it's size but I'm afraid it doesn't have the functionality I need. T-Mobile gave me a deal on the phone but I told them I'd think it over and didn't make the change. Decisions...
I'll be clicking away this weekend too. Our agency is putting on an event for a large company over in Huntsville this coming Monday. Setup for it will start Saturday and run through Sunday. I'll be taking pictures of things as the workers take the empty area and transform it with a stage, trusses, lights, huge projection screens, sound systems and seating. At the actual event, I'll be sitting in the press area photographing all the activities. I'll be behind my camera a lot for the next few days. Looking forward to it though!
There's a possibility I'll be involved in some aerial photography sometime soon. A client of mine owns (and flys) a twin turbo-prop plane. I also found out that when he's not using it, it's leased out two 2 NASCAR drivers to use to get from home to the tracks. This might lead to some other cool possibilities, we'll see.
On another note, this is the THIRD month in a row I have gone over on my cellphone minutes. They really stick it to ya when you go over. As such, I've been trying to find a cell plan that fits me better. Right now I've got a Blackberry 7100. I like it for it's email and web connectivity. I was considering getting a Motorola RAZR because of it's size but I'm afraid it doesn't have the functionality I need. T-Mobile gave me a deal on the phone but I told them I'd think it over and didn't make the change. Decisions...
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Sunday fun and games.
I was up in time to watch the Turkish Grand Prix. Wow! That's a nice track. It's brand new and reportedly cost around $120M to build. Great looking facility for sure. The race was another exciting one. Kimi's McLaren held together and he finished in 1st while Alonso who was destined to be 3rd actually popped into 2nd when Montoya (who was in 2nd at the time with just a lap or so to go)had braking problems and let him slip by. In two weeks they will be racing in Italy where Ferrari hopes to put on a good show. They sucked today.
Church today was centered around the children's ministry. Kids were everywhere. I had my camera along of course and got several good shots. The band was minimal - just me on the djembe and Kevin doing guitar and vocals. It was a good time.
Sushi. I was hopeful that with the opening of Kyoto here in town, I'd have a place to go for good sushi. After my last dining experience there, I'll have to stick with Edo's over in Madison or preferable Miwon over in Huntsville. I keep hearing good things about Surin in Huntsville as well so I'm going to have to give that a try. I'll need to get my "sushi friends" together for that one.
Church today was centered around the children's ministry. Kids were everywhere. I had my camera along of course and got several good shots. The band was minimal - just me on the djembe and Kevin doing guitar and vocals. It was a good time.
Sushi. I was hopeful that with the opening of Kyoto here in town, I'd have a place to go for good sushi. After my last dining experience there, I'll have to stick with Edo's over in Madison or preferable Miwon over in Huntsville. I keep hearing good things about Surin in Huntsville as well so I'm going to have to give that a try. I'll need to get my "sushi friends" together for that one.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
It's about dang time.
Originally I had plans to do stuff today but luckily, that didn't materialize so I had my Saturday ALL to myself! Started off by washing the new car while my elderly neighbors watched from their porches. I think I provide the entertainment for those guys sometimes.
I was hungry afterwards and met up with Bubonic Root for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. He's forgotten to wash his hands after using the bathroom and now has some sort of disease to get over. Food was good as usual.
Later on, I needed to pick up something at the auto parts store so I thought I'd drive the old car. It was uncomfortably hot with no A/C but not unbearable with the windows down and a breeze blowing. Granted, I would have been more comfortable with the windows down and going 80 but they kind of frown on that here in the city. Finally made it home and parked the hooptie.
It's actually so hot and humid out that my house feels downright freezing when you go in even though my thermostat says it's 76. I'm not complaining though. I'm all about some A/C.
I ventured out late in the afternoon over to Home Depot to try and find one of those plastic bins with a handle on top, kinda like an open-top tool box but they didn't have any. Went over to Lowe's next and still had no luck. I did check out some gas grills though. Heh.
It was nice having a day with no schedule... very therapeutic. I think I'll kick back with a Corona or three and finish off the evening in front of the tube. Yeah, that's what I'll do.
I was hungry afterwards and met up with Bubonic Root for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. He's forgotten to wash his hands after using the bathroom and now has some sort of disease to get over. Food was good as usual.
Later on, I needed to pick up something at the auto parts store so I thought I'd drive the old car. It was uncomfortably hot with no A/C but not unbearable with the windows down and a breeze blowing. Granted, I would have been more comfortable with the windows down and going 80 but they kind of frown on that here in the city. Finally made it home and parked the hooptie.
It's actually so hot and humid out that my house feels downright freezing when you go in even though my thermostat says it's 76. I'm not complaining though. I'm all about some A/C.
I ventured out late in the afternoon over to Home Depot to try and find one of those plastic bins with a handle on top, kinda like an open-top tool box but they didn't have any. Went over to Lowe's next and still had no luck. I did check out some gas grills though. Heh.
It was nice having a day with no schedule... very therapeutic. I think I'll kick back with a Corona or three and finish off the evening in front of the tube. Yeah, that's what I'll do.
Whew!
What a week! I think I've been running close to non-stop since last Friday. I'm SO glad it's the weekend...
Last night, Dave and I checked out this singles get-together thing over at Java Jaay on the Beltline. There were 2 church bands and one independent one there. Eh... it was okay but nothing to write home about. One thing I did like was the guitarists were putting their effects to good use giving the music a nice texture besides simply "clean" and "distorted". Sitting there listening, I kinda got the feeling that contemporary Christian music does seem a bit hokey. It's like the genre is trying so hard to sound like secular music but it falls just a hair short. This is just an observation though, I'm not particularly soliciting a solution. One thing though, is that if you're going to be playing this type of music, play it well. If you're out in public, you've got a skeptical audience already so don't make things worse by taking a pseudo-genre and pairing it with bad playing. That would suck.
Switching gears to Formula 1 now.
This weekend's race is in Istanbul, Turkey. It's a brand new track that's incredibly nice! The downside is that to watch it live on satellite, I have to get up earlier than for the European races which already are at the crack of Dawn. For the Turkish race, I gotta get up at her sister Betty's crack. I may end up taping it if I can find some blank tapes today. Tivo would be nice, but I don't need another subscription in my life. Anyway, I saw the last bit of qualifying this morning: Kimi in his McLaren Mercedes is on pole, Giancarlo Fisichella is 2nd and Fernando is in 3rd. The last two are the Renault guys - my favorite team. Should once again be a new race. Michael Schumacher hosed up and somehow starts in 17th position. Yikes!
Looks like I'll have my day to myself. Originally, me and the band were going to record a track with Charity today but the plans just didn't materialize. She really needs to pick up the ball on her end and drive this project. I'm not going to coordinate things for her. I was happy to help the first time, but it's time for her to step up.
HNT was spiced up this week by Mel's entry. JaB and Heather also had some shots up on their blogs as well. None of the locals here has come up with anything yet - I'm not holding my breath either. We southerners can be duds sometimes. LOL!
Last night, Dave and I checked out this singles get-together thing over at Java Jaay on the Beltline. There were 2 church bands and one independent one there. Eh... it was okay but nothing to write home about. One thing I did like was the guitarists were putting their effects to good use giving the music a nice texture besides simply "clean" and "distorted". Sitting there listening, I kinda got the feeling that contemporary Christian music does seem a bit hokey. It's like the genre is trying so hard to sound like secular music but it falls just a hair short. This is just an observation though, I'm not particularly soliciting a solution. One thing though, is that if you're going to be playing this type of music, play it well. If you're out in public, you've got a skeptical audience already so don't make things worse by taking a pseudo-genre and pairing it with bad playing. That would suck.
Switching gears to Formula 1 now.
This weekend's race is in Istanbul, Turkey. It's a brand new track that's incredibly nice! The downside is that to watch it live on satellite, I have to get up earlier than for the European races which already are at the crack of Dawn. For the Turkish race, I gotta get up at her sister Betty's crack. I may end up taping it if I can find some blank tapes today. Tivo would be nice, but I don't need another subscription in my life. Anyway, I saw the last bit of qualifying this morning: Kimi in his McLaren Mercedes is on pole, Giancarlo Fisichella is 2nd and Fernando is in 3rd. The last two are the Renault guys - my favorite team. Should once again be a new race. Michael Schumacher hosed up and somehow starts in 17th position. Yikes!
Looks like I'll have my day to myself. Originally, me and the band were going to record a track with Charity today but the plans just didn't materialize. She really needs to pick up the ball on her end and drive this project. I'm not going to coordinate things for her. I was happy to help the first time, but it's time for her to step up.
HNT was spiced up this week by Mel's entry. JaB and Heather also had some shots up on their blogs as well. None of the locals here has come up with anything yet - I'm not holding my breath either. We southerners can be duds sometimes. LOL!
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Finally!
After a long and arduous process, my decision finally came down to my experience with Honda and gas mileage. The latter is pretty significant as there's talk of gas hitting $3 a gallon soon. If I had bought the Armada I was looking at last fall, I would be kicking myself now!
Anyway, I went with a new Accord. Picked up my tag today and also made sure all my insurance information is accurate. I get a multi-car discount now! Whee! Seriously though, I'm relieved that all this is over. I hate car shopping.
Anyway, I went with a new Accord. Picked up my tag today and also made sure all my insurance information is accurate. I get a multi-car discount now! Whee! Seriously though, I'm relieved that all this is over. I hate car shopping.
Monday, August 15, 2005
The shopping continues.
Okay... I got a quote on the '05 Honda from a dealer up in TN. It's a good bit less than what I got quoted here in town but I can't get a copy of their quote without going to see them. Grrr. Anyway, I used their info to get the local store to knock off about $600 off of what they gave me Saturday. I still stand to save a few hundred by going to Tennessee though so we'll see.
I drove a silver '05 Maxima but I just wasn't feeling it. Something about those orange lights and funky console design didn't sit well with me. Oh, add to the mix an '04 Pathfinder.
That's where I'm at... it's between the 05 Accord or an 04 Pathfinder. If I get the Pathfinder, it will be one of 3 at the office.
I hate car shopping.
I drove a silver '05 Maxima but I just wasn't feeling it. Something about those orange lights and funky console design didn't sit well with me. Oh, add to the mix an '04 Pathfinder.
That's where I'm at... it's between the 05 Accord or an 04 Pathfinder. If I get the Pathfinder, it will be one of 3 at the office.
I hate car shopping.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Another HOT day.
SMOKIN' hot outside - that's why I'm inside.
Man... Eric's new bass is a looker. Nice antique sunburst finish - very classy. After church, a whole bunch of us ate lunch at Quizno's. I ended up riding around looking an photographing some of the cars I looked at yesterday to give me more to think about. I *did* discover that Honda has a dealer promotion going on where they have a cash to dealer incentive of $1250 through September 6. I didn't know that yesterday when I was talking to them so I'm glad I found that out. Hopefully, I'll have decided on something by mid-week. I should also know what the deal is with my A/C on my current Honda.
At least while I was spending the remainder of the afternoon inside there was a race on TV. The NASCAR Watkins Glen one. That's more exciting to me than the regular oval track stuff.
Man... Eric's new bass is a looker. Nice antique sunburst finish - very classy. After church, a whole bunch of us ate lunch at Quizno's. I ended up riding around looking an photographing some of the cars I looked at yesterday to give me more to think about. I *did* discover that Honda has a dealer promotion going on where they have a cash to dealer incentive of $1250 through September 6. I didn't know that yesterday when I was talking to them so I'm glad I found that out. Hopefully, I'll have decided on something by mid-week. I should also know what the deal is with my A/C on my current Honda.
At least while I was spending the remainder of the afternoon inside there was a race on TV. The NASCAR Watkins Glen one. That's more exciting to me than the regular oval track stuff.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Have I mentioned how much I dislike car shopping?
My car thought that the best way to start my day Friday was to have the A/C stop working. Ah... and the forecast high was 95 to boot! The folks that usually work on my car can't get to it till Monday so I rented a nice '05 Camry for the weekend. I can't complain though, it's been time for me to get a new vehicle but until my Honda started giving me problems, I was fine with keeping it. Now the time has come to shop for a new car. It's not something I look forward to, that's for sure. Here's what I've got on the table to consider so far:
2005 Honda Accord EX V6 (White)
2002 Cadillac Deville (Red)
2002 Cadillac Deville (Pearl White)
2004 Nissan Armada (Grey)
2004 Nissan Armada (Silver)
2003 Nissan Murano (Silver)
2003 Nissan Murano (Dk. Blue)
2003 Cadillac CTS (Silver)
2004-2005 Toyota Camry
At this point, the Armada's are most likely out since gas prices are ridiculous. I just though since I almost bought one last fall that I'd check into them. The Deville's have a SUPERB ride to them. The Honda was nice, plus it was the only new one I drove today. All the other cars are used. My last Honda I bought new and have had no trouble with it up to now. It's a 92 so 13 years without any big problems is nothing to sneeze at.
Decisions, decisions....
What I REALLY would like is a Lexus LS430 - used prices are more than I want to pay though right now. Sigh.
2005 Honda Accord EX V6 (White)
2002 Cadillac Deville (Red)
2002 Cadillac Deville (Pearl White)
2004 Nissan Armada (Grey)
2004 Nissan Armada (Silver)
2003 Nissan Murano (Silver)
2003 Nissan Murano (Dk. Blue)
2003 Cadillac CTS (Silver)
2004-2005 Toyota Camry
At this point, the Armada's are most likely out since gas prices are ridiculous. I just though since I almost bought one last fall that I'd check into them. The Deville's have a SUPERB ride to them. The Honda was nice, plus it was the only new one I drove today. All the other cars are used. My last Honda I bought new and have had no trouble with it up to now. It's a 92 so 13 years without any big problems is nothing to sneeze at.
Decisions, decisions....
What I REALLY would like is a Lexus LS430 - used prices are more than I want to pay though right now. Sigh.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Happy birthday...
to my mom! I called her this morning over on the other side of the globe to wish her a great day. It's time's like this that I think about the distance between me and my parents. Lots of you live close by yours some even in the same house with them (LOL). I can't just hop in a car and go see them. It's a major operation plus almost 20-24 hours of flying time. Anyway, they're doing great which is always good news. I wish my dad would use his digital camera more. I'd like to see more of what's going on there.
Mom clicked up another year today... I click up another year tomorrow. Sigh. I can't believe how quickly time seems to be going by!
Today was HOT. I had to do a lot of running around again but I got plenty accomplished. After a meeting this morning had to take a photo of a building for one of our artists to use. I couldn't find a good spot on the ground to take a shot from so I called a friend over at the Museum of Art. She let shoot from one of their upper-level private rooms that face the building I was shooting. That did the trick. Next, met up with Dave and Donovan for lunch at a hole in the wall diner. That was a different experience. Next stopped in over at a company we use for lighting and sound productions to tour their facility. LOADS of concert lighting gear. It was cool to see all that equipment getting staged for upcoming productions. The rest of the day was spent back here in town.
Shifting gears, it looks like we might be getting together with Charity to record a song or two next weekend. I talked to Belinda also and she was interested in singing as well. Hopefully everyone's schedules will work out and it'll happen. I'm gonna try and use part of my acoustic kit as playing on the pad (like I used last time) just doesn't "feel" right.
Mom clicked up another year today... I click up another year tomorrow. Sigh. I can't believe how quickly time seems to be going by!
Today was HOT. I had to do a lot of running around again but I got plenty accomplished. After a meeting this morning had to take a photo of a building for one of our artists to use. I couldn't find a good spot on the ground to take a shot from so I called a friend over at the Museum of Art. She let shoot from one of their upper-level private rooms that face the building I was shooting. That did the trick. Next, met up with Dave and Donovan for lunch at a hole in the wall diner. That was a different experience. Next stopped in over at a company we use for lighting and sound productions to tour their facility. LOADS of concert lighting gear. It was cool to see all that equipment getting staged for upcoming productions. The rest of the day was spent back here in town.
Shifting gears, it looks like we might be getting together with Charity to record a song or two next weekend. I talked to Belinda also and she was interested in singing as well. Hopefully everyone's schedules will work out and it'll happen. I'm gonna try and use part of my acoustic kit as playing on the pad (like I used last time) just doesn't "feel" right.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Rackin' up the miles...
I have been all over the place the past few days. Very little time has been spent in the office which in my case, is a good thing. Unfortunately, going off to client meetings gets tiring when it's one after another so by the end of the day, I'm worn out. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so hot and humid out.
I finally went back over to my friend's place and got her wireless router working with her DSL service. What a pain in the ass that was. The key piece was setting the Westell DSL router to "Bridged Ethernet" then connecting it to the Linksys wireless router and let it handle all the authentication and DHCP stuff. Oh, she uses a Mac laptop so I had the added fun of learning how all that is setup. It's a no-brainer if you're a Mac person but as a PC guy, things look a little different than what I'm used to. I didn't have any success with the wireless print server though. Of course there's also no information from Linksys on how to set it up for a Mac but I'm sure I'll Google something up that will help.
On the upside, it's HNT tomorrow! Hopefully there will be some things posted out there. I can't wait to see what Mel and Grace to unleash on us this week!
I finally went back over to my friend's place and got her wireless router working with her DSL service. What a pain in the ass that was. The key piece was setting the Westell DSL router to "Bridged Ethernet" then connecting it to the Linksys wireless router and let it handle all the authentication and DHCP stuff. Oh, she uses a Mac laptop so I had the added fun of learning how all that is setup. It's a no-brainer if you're a Mac person but as a PC guy, things look a little different than what I'm used to. I didn't have any success with the wireless print server though. Of course there's also no information from Linksys on how to set it up for a Mac but I'm sure I'll Google something up that will help.
On the upside, it's HNT tomorrow! Hopefully there will be some things posted out there. I can't wait to see what Mel and Grace to unleash on us this week!
Monday, August 08, 2005
Ugh.
I had the most horrible time sleeping last night. I spent most of it tossing and turning and could never get comfortable. I rolled over and saw the clock - 4:30am. As I expected, I had a splitting headache when my alarm went off at 6. Things FINALLY got better around lunchtime.
Spent the afternoon working with a light meter a friend loaned me. I have an important photo shoot at the crack of dawn tomorrow using studio lights and this meter will save me lots of time getting everything right without a whole lot of trial and error. Eventually I'll get one for myself but as with most things of high-quality, it ain't cheap so I have to work it into the budget.
After I left the office I went and took care of a double-charge that happened at CVS Pharmacy. I was in there a week or two ago picking up some Mt. Dew that was on sale when the first register I was on messed up (or so they said) and they rang me up on another one. Guess what? I got charged twice. It was a bit of a hassle, but I got my money back. Is there a lesson to be learned here? Yeah - check your bank statements closely. As much as I use my debit card, there's plenty of chances for errors.
Gotta go to bed. I have to be at the office at 6:00am!?!?!
Spent the afternoon working with a light meter a friend loaned me. I have an important photo shoot at the crack of dawn tomorrow using studio lights and this meter will save me lots of time getting everything right without a whole lot of trial and error. Eventually I'll get one for myself but as with most things of high-quality, it ain't cheap so I have to work it into the budget.
After I left the office I went and took care of a double-charge that happened at CVS Pharmacy. I was in there a week or two ago picking up some Mt. Dew that was on sale when the first register I was on messed up (or so they said) and they rang me up on another one. Guess what? I got charged twice. It was a bit of a hassle, but I got my money back. Is there a lesson to be learned here? Yeah - check your bank statements closely. As much as I use my debit card, there's plenty of chances for errors.
Gotta go to bed. I have to be at the office at 6:00am!?!?!
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Sunday Follies
Had a mad rush to get to church this morning because I tried to do all the little things I had promised people at the last minute... copy some media for Sharon, print out a picture for Dana and make a CD of photos for Eric. In addition to that, I had to bring a bunch of extra hardware along as I was adding two smaller toms to my drums that morning so my arms were full as I went out the door. After getting there, I had to carry all my crap in then shift the rest of my drums around to make room for what I was adding. FINALLY I got everything in place. I was really diggin having the smaller toms on there. They cut through a little better than the bigger ones do tone-wise. All the music went off without a hitch. Even "Carl's" solo. ;-)
Today was the day I had to make my dreaded trip to Wal-Mart. What a cluster that always is. My main business there was to pick up photos but while I was already in there, I went ahead and bit the bullet and suffered through the shopping experience. Again, I can't wait till we get our Target store built.
Next stop was Publix for groceries. A much more pleasant experience all-around... till I got home and realized the checkout girl didn't apply my coupons. Grrr! To their credit, I stopped in later and pointed out the problem and they made it right, even doubling the value of the coupons. Sweet!
This week looks to be a busy one. I'm ready... bring it on.
Today was the day I had to make my dreaded trip to Wal-Mart. What a cluster that always is. My main business there was to pick up photos but while I was already in there, I went ahead and bit the bullet and suffered through the shopping experience. Again, I can't wait till we get our Target store built.
Next stop was Publix for groceries. A much more pleasant experience all-around... till I got home and realized the checkout girl didn't apply my coupons. Grrr! To their credit, I stopped in later and pointed out the problem and they made it right, even doubling the value of the coupons. Sweet!
This week looks to be a busy one. I'm ready... bring it on.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Day of domestication.
Had some rough weather last night! I woke up to thunder and heavy rain around 3 this morning. I was doing that counting thing measuring the time of the lightning flash till the sound of the thunder (geeky I know - and I was halfway asleep) and realized the storm was moving closer. Reluctantly, I got out of bed and unplugged all my important stuff: entertainment center, subwoofer, computers and the sound gear in my drum room. I flopped back down in bed and just a few minutes later there was a HUGE clap of thunder and the power went out. Looks like I did all my unplugging just in time. Slept through the rest of the night. Power was back on when I woke up. Lots of laundry to do today so I got started on that. I kinda wanted to get out on my bike for a ride this morning but I was groggy from being up in the middle of the night so I didn't. Luke called later asking if I wanted to go riding at Point Mallard but I was already into all my domestic stuff.
While I was trying to get my house back in order, I was amazed by just how much paper stuff I have... junk mail mainly but still, catalogs, magazines, coupons... I'm just inundated with stuff! BTW, I wanted to get your opinions. If you have a magazine subscription - how long do you keep your back issues? Do you chunk them when the next one comes in? I throw a lot away but I keep all the ones that have useful info in them. For example, my Bon Appetit and Food & Wine mags. They've got all kinds of great recipies and entertainment ideas in them. Anyway, I just have to start getting rid of more stuff or I'll run out of room. Another thing, how long do you keep boxes for stuff you've bought?
Enough of that.
Spent the afternoon on the drums working on different things. Got sleepy and took a nap. Then it stormed again. Sigh. Despite that, it's nice to be able to just conk out in the middle of the day.
Ate a late dinner at Logan's with Jeff and Kyle. There was some fat drunk guy there that kept talking too loud. His friends were getting embarassed by his actions and were "shushing" him a good bit. Finally the manager came over and said something. I also got a visit from the manager but for another reason. It's been awhile since I've had a jacked up meal so tonight it was my turn. I ordered a filet done medium and a few skewers of grilled shrimp. My filet came out almost well-done and my shrimp were room temperature. I wasn't happy but I did get them to re-do my whole order. I eventually got things done the way I wanted but now I spent a whole lot more time at the restaurant than I meant to. Such is life.
Once again, it's time for bed.
While I was trying to get my house back in order, I was amazed by just how much paper stuff I have... junk mail mainly but still, catalogs, magazines, coupons... I'm just inundated with stuff! BTW, I wanted to get your opinions. If you have a magazine subscription - how long do you keep your back issues? Do you chunk them when the next one comes in? I throw a lot away but I keep all the ones that have useful info in them. For example, my Bon Appetit and Food & Wine mags. They've got all kinds of great recipies and entertainment ideas in them. Anyway, I just have to start getting rid of more stuff or I'll run out of room. Another thing, how long do you keep boxes for stuff you've bought?
Enough of that.
Spent the afternoon on the drums working on different things. Got sleepy and took a nap. Then it stormed again. Sigh. Despite that, it's nice to be able to just conk out in the middle of the day.
Ate a late dinner at Logan's with Jeff and Kyle. There was some fat drunk guy there that kept talking too loud. His friends were getting embarassed by his actions and were "shushing" him a good bit. Finally the manager came over and said something. I also got a visit from the manager but for another reason. It's been awhile since I've had a jacked up meal so tonight it was my turn. I ordered a filet done medium and a few skewers of grilled shrimp. My filet came out almost well-done and my shrimp were room temperature. I wasn't happy but I did get them to re-do my whole order. I eventually got things done the way I wanted but now I spent a whole lot more time at the restaurant than I meant to. Such is life.
Once again, it's time for bed.
Friday, August 05, 2005
Friday at last!
After an event-filled week, I couldn't be happier that it was finally Friday. After leaving the office, I picked up laundry then headed home. As I was sitting around trying to decide what to do, I remembered that Eric was going to be getting inked this afternoon. I had promised to go by and take some pictures of it for his blog so back in the car I go and head to the tattoo parlor. When I arrive, Eric's in back chair about 2 hours into it. I meet Adam, the artist that was doing today's work. I also got a close look at the tattoo guns. They are a lot simpler than I thought but have a distinct look of something made out of old machine parts. I learned a lot though from observing what was going on. Pics posted below.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Hangin out by the pool on a hot day....
Not as refreshing as it sounds when the pool's under construction and nothing but a gravel pit with rebar all around. Wednesday started early for me as I headed out for a 9:00am shoot in Franklin, TN - about 15 miles south of Nashville. On the way up there I was driving along going pretty fast but nothing crazy. Got up behind these 2 trucks that were going my same speed so I sped up to pass them. Well... Ms. Speedy Speederson gets all on my bumper in her BMW and is all bent out of shape that I'm going too slow or something. I'm running around 86 or so to pass at the time. I clear the trucks then move over as Speedy shoots on by me. About 2 miles down the road we have THIS SCENE (3.5mb download). Heh. I actually would have had more video if my small camera wasn't down in by briefcase. I had to dig it out while not looking suspicious as a certain car was passing me (not wanting to give away what's on the video).
Spent all dang day at the pool with a short break for lunch. I did get to go to Joe's Crab Shack and at least have a proper lunch. Melted the rest of the afternoon away before calling it a day around 4. Since I was there anyway, I stopped in to see my friends at Fork's to pick up a few things I was needing. Along the way, I called up my friend Johnny to see if he was in town so we could grab some dinner or just hang out. No dice. He was in Dayton, OH. Found out he's touring with Deana Carter right now. Cool. We'll catch up next time he's in town though.
Made the almost 2 hour drive home. Lesa sent me a text to come join the fun at Simp's. I stopped in and had a drink with them before heading over to Applebee's for dinner. Charity was there hanging out with her friends. Talked to her about finishing up recording another of her songs. I hope that happens soon. That last song turned out pretty good.
Today I was running all around town. I was at the printer several times checking on the progress of a sizeable print job they were doing for me. We're about there now so I think they'll be able to run it first thing tomorrow. I sure hope so.
Band practice was tonight. It was fun playing again but I definitely enjoyed my 3 weeks off of drumming duties. It was hot in our building though. That sucked. Ate dinner later with a few friends before coming home finally. Ah... almost time for bed.
Spent all dang day at the pool with a short break for lunch. I did get to go to Joe's Crab Shack and at least have a proper lunch. Melted the rest of the afternoon away before calling it a day around 4. Since I was there anyway, I stopped in to see my friends at Fork's to pick up a few things I was needing. Along the way, I called up my friend Johnny to see if he was in town so we could grab some dinner or just hang out. No dice. He was in Dayton, OH. Found out he's touring with Deana Carter right now. Cool. We'll catch up next time he's in town though.
Made the almost 2 hour drive home. Lesa sent me a text to come join the fun at Simp's. I stopped in and had a drink with them before heading over to Applebee's for dinner. Charity was there hanging out with her friends. Talked to her about finishing up recording another of her songs. I hope that happens soon. That last song turned out pretty good.
Today I was running all around town. I was at the printer several times checking on the progress of a sizeable print job they were doing for me. We're about there now so I think they'll be able to run it first thing tomorrow. I sure hope so.
Band practice was tonight. It was fun playing again but I definitely enjoyed my 3 weeks off of drumming duties. It was hot in our building though. That sucked. Ate dinner later with a few friends before coming home finally. Ah... almost time for bed.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Almost the middle of the week already?
I fianlly had time to post a few shots from my Sunday excursion to the track. I've got plenty more posted HERE in my regular galleries if you'd like to check that out.
Nothing too exciting going on the past 2 days, just been really busy. I've got to get up early to do a photoshoot in Nashville tomorrow morning so I best be getting in bed. I hope the weather turns out decent tomorrow or I'll have a whole lot of nothin' going on.
Nothing too exciting going on the past 2 days, just been really busy. I've got to get up early to do a photoshoot in Nashville tomorrow morning so I best be getting in bed. I hope the weather turns out decent tomorrow or I'll have a whole lot of nothin' going on.
