you may have noticed that i haven't shared any updates on the basketball story that i had been working on. there is a reason for that. i wrote a game sequence as i felt that a basketball story without a scene on the courts would not be much of a basketball story. the problem is that i never played the game. so i relied heavily on my imagination and flavoured it with things that happened in games that i had watched.
'getting it right' is important to me and i felt it prudent to share that chapter with someone who played collegiate basketball competitively. sadly my story still seems to be loitering somewhere in her in-box. i have yet to hear her thoughts. if you know me well you know that i have pretty much convinced myself that she thinks that it is all garbage and she struggling to fine a polite way to suggest i take up knitting.
yes i confirmed she received the document. on one had it has been a little over a week. i am trying like hell to remain positive and to remain patient... but it is a struggle.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
opinions are like assholes...
there are many things that are wonderful about the internet and there are some that are not. one of the downsides of the internet is that it allows people the opportunity to say pretty much whatever they feel like anonymously. some of it can be very hurtful and not accidentally hurtful but hurtful by intent.
i frequently talk about my lady vol basketball team. the lady vol nation, the fan base is an interesting animal. we the fans have our favourite players and many fans feel better qualified to coach the team than the four people who are being paid by the university of tennessee. the lady vol nation loves their lady vols to death and yet they can viciously tear into these young women.
as a sport fan you have to be able to recognize that on any given sunday a team that shouldn't be beat can be beat. a player that usually hits shots can suddenly have trouble hitting the broad side of a barn. when the wheels fall of the proverbial bus the lady vol nation is almost collectively suicidal. the critique of players, their game, the coaches and coaching decisions can often be brutal. but you know what is most unusual? when the team still manages to secure the win and the critique is no less brutal.
we have a message board that we post on. what i think many people forget is that not only do the fans have access to the message board but so too do the friends and families of the players. two weeks ago a poster appeared on the message board. from the language in her posts two things were quite clear; one was that she was quite young and desperately trying not to sound young and two that she was quite close to meighan simmons the lady vol shooting guard.
for reasons that i have never been able to understand meighan, who is and always has been one of our more consistant players has been decimated on the boards. she is unfairly accused of being a ball hog and when she isn't having a good shooting night they tear her apart for not having a shot. there are many of us on the board who defend the player who, on many nights, is one of the only things keeping our team in the game. but as it often happens the squeaky wheel makes the most noise and sadly that seems to be the voice heard the loudest.
during the post game interview after meighan had been named player of the game for the sixth time this season, she said that she wanted to prove that she was a team player. she said that not once by twice. so clearly the message, as undeserved as it was, had made it's way to the player's ears.
this supposed ball hog is third on the team for assists sitting behind the two players who's primary role is point guard. for those unfamiliar with the game of basketball the point guard is the floor general who is most often responsible for dishing the ball off to those in position to score. it is usually the point guards with the highest number of assists.
meighan if fast, she it talented and she is a very passionate player. she is a freaking joy to watch. i mean she literally disappears she moves so fast with the ball. i am thrilled that she plays for my favourite team. i just wish people would remember if you can't say anything nice, shut your festering gob.
in case there is any doubt meighan simmons is my favourite player.
go meighan simmons, go lady vols!!!
i frequently talk about my lady vol basketball team. the lady vol nation, the fan base is an interesting animal. we the fans have our favourite players and many fans feel better qualified to coach the team than the four people who are being paid by the university of tennessee. the lady vol nation loves their lady vols to death and yet they can viciously tear into these young women.
as a sport fan you have to be able to recognize that on any given sunday a team that shouldn't be beat can be beat. a player that usually hits shots can suddenly have trouble hitting the broad side of a barn. when the wheels fall of the proverbial bus the lady vol nation is almost collectively suicidal. the critique of players, their game, the coaches and coaching decisions can often be brutal. but you know what is most unusual? when the team still manages to secure the win and the critique is no less brutal.
we have a message board that we post on. what i think many people forget is that not only do the fans have access to the message board but so too do the friends and families of the players. two weeks ago a poster appeared on the message board. from the language in her posts two things were quite clear; one was that she was quite young and desperately trying not to sound young and two that she was quite close to meighan simmons the lady vol shooting guard.
for reasons that i have never been able to understand meighan, who is and always has been one of our more consistant players has been decimated on the boards. she is unfairly accused of being a ball hog and when she isn't having a good shooting night they tear her apart for not having a shot. there are many of us on the board who defend the player who, on many nights, is one of the only things keeping our team in the game. but as it often happens the squeaky wheel makes the most noise and sadly that seems to be the voice heard the loudest.
during the post game interview after meighan had been named player of the game for the sixth time this season, she said that she wanted to prove that she was a team player. she said that not once by twice. so clearly the message, as undeserved as it was, had made it's way to the player's ears.
this supposed ball hog is third on the team for assists sitting behind the two players who's primary role is point guard. for those unfamiliar with the game of basketball the point guard is the floor general who is most often responsible for dishing the ball off to those in position to score. it is usually the point guards with the highest number of assists.
meighan if fast, she it talented and she is a very passionate player. she is a freaking joy to watch. i mean she literally disappears she moves so fast with the ball. i am thrilled that she plays for my favourite team. i just wish people would remember if you can't say anything nice, shut your festering gob.
in case there is any doubt meighan simmons is my favourite player.
go meighan simmons, go lady vols!!!
Saturday, February 09, 2013
what the hell did i just watch?
it was just another dull saturday and i thought i would entertain myself by checking out some of the on-demand offerings from the movie network. i struggled with my selections as my options really embodied the concept of slim pickings.
the first movie i am almost ashamed to say i sat through. it was 'goon' staring seann william scott. i generally enjoy sports movies and figured that even i would like a hockey movie. i was very, very wrong.
determined to salvage the night i thought i would try a movie starting stephen dorff, a very talented actor who's work i frequently enjoy. this picture was called 'somewhere'. after 98 minutes, i would really like to be able to tell you what the movie was about. and you would think after 98 minutes i would have some sort of an idea.
i think the problem was that i wandered too far off the reservation. i typically enjoy movies in the action genre. the kind of movie that would pit the hero or heroine against a battalion of terrorists. the hero or heroine would be armed with the equivalent of a starter's pistol while the terrorists would be armed to the teeth with every form of automatic weaponry known to man.
armed only with the starter's pistol, their cunning and an almost completely unrealistic amount of luck the hero or heroine would begin to systematically dispatch the terrorists one by one. the hero or heroine should only sustain minor injuries no matter how violent the scene. there should be hand-to-hand combat, explosions, fire fights and car chases.
the kind of movie that i enjoy is not likely to debut at a film festival nor is it likely to win a motion picture award. well unless it was for special effects.
so with that regard it does make sense that i didn't enjoy the stephen dorff movie. somewhere debuted at the venice international film festival and it won the golden lion award for best picture. all i can tell you about that movie is that it shot right over my head.
in other news 'a good day to die hard', starring bruce willis, opens thursday night!
the first movie i am almost ashamed to say i sat through. it was 'goon' staring seann william scott. i generally enjoy sports movies and figured that even i would like a hockey movie. i was very, very wrong.
determined to salvage the night i thought i would try a movie starting stephen dorff, a very talented actor who's work i frequently enjoy. this picture was called 'somewhere'. after 98 minutes, i would really like to be able to tell you what the movie was about. and you would think after 98 minutes i would have some sort of an idea.
i think the problem was that i wandered too far off the reservation. i typically enjoy movies in the action genre. the kind of movie that would pit the hero or heroine against a battalion of terrorists. the hero or heroine would be armed with the equivalent of a starter's pistol while the terrorists would be armed to the teeth with every form of automatic weaponry known to man.
armed only with the starter's pistol, their cunning and an almost completely unrealistic amount of luck the hero or heroine would begin to systematically dispatch the terrorists one by one. the hero or heroine should only sustain minor injuries no matter how violent the scene. there should be hand-to-hand combat, explosions, fire fights and car chases.
the kind of movie that i enjoy is not likely to debut at a film festival nor is it likely to win a motion picture award. well unless it was for special effects.
so with that regard it does make sense that i didn't enjoy the stephen dorff movie. somewhere debuted at the venice international film festival and it won the golden lion award for best picture. all i can tell you about that movie is that it shot right over my head.
in other news 'a good day to die hard', starring bruce willis, opens thursday night!
Friday, February 08, 2013
snowmageddon 2013
they said it would come and i for one did not believe them. at least once every winter they predict a crippling snowstorm. one that is supposed to tie the handcuff the city. they would promise hip-high snow drifts, traffic snarls, freezing rain, locusts, skurvy and pestilence.
what usually happens is a flake or two and a half an inch of snow in lieu of the predicted twelve. so yesterday when the news of the storm to end all storms came down, my reaction was simply... yeah, whatev's.
it did start to snow last night and it kept at it all through the night. i woke up this morning and they reported white-out driving conditions. they recommended people stay home and stay off the roadways as there had already been accidents and several vehicles stuck in the ditch.
i sat at home and i tried to decide whether i'd brave the elements or going back to bed. suddenly i heard a cacophony of sirens. it didn't sound like a single vehicle, it sounded like it was a fleet. it was at that moment i decided to become one with my sealy posturepedic.
two hours later i once again toyed with the idea of going to work. one look out my bedroom window cured me of that thought. the street in front of my house had not been cleared and there was a substantial amount of snow piled onto it. my car with its low profile tires was buried in the driveway. it my dad and i two hours to clear the snow and free our vehicles. my father armed with his trusty snow thrower and me with a shovel.
there is something about large quantities of snow that increases the idiot factor. allow me to cite some examples from today:
as i mentioned my dad and i were trying to clear the snow from our driveway. the woman next door jumped into her suv and backed out onto the roadway and promptly got stuck. by the power of 'rock and roll' she was able to make her way back into her driveway. my father and i went over to provide neighbourly back-up. she was determined to leave and i was perplexed. if she couldn't get her car out onto the street how was she going drive on it? i asked her if she had four-wheel drive. apparently it did and i suggested she put the vehicle into four-wheel low. she asked me to show her how to do that. what is the point of having four-wheel drive in your suv if you don't know how to engage it? i pointed out the switch marked all-wheel drive. she started the vehicle pressed the button and slid out of the driveway like a greased pig. last i saw she was happily motoring up the street.
my dad got it into his head that he absolutely had to go shopping. my dad's vehicle does not have awd or 4wd and the street in front of the house had yet to be plowed. my dad was out of the house for three minutes when my mother called me. i looked out the window and my dad's car is on a 45 degree angle in front of the house. he isn't going anywhere. i got back into my wet snow clothes and i went out onto the street to give my dad a push. no dice.
i grabbed a shovel and i was out there shoveling the street in my effort to dig my dad's car out. i alternated between pushing the car, shoveling the snow and i may have said some unpleasant things about the car's mother. i definitely remembered making the suggestion that my father's car was a female dog.
eventually we got the car back into the driveway. the entire vehicle and all its windows were completely snow covered again. my dad couldn't see shit in any direction. once we had the car in the driveway i wanted him to turn off the engine and call it a day. my father in his infinite wisdom wanted to try to blindly back his car around mine. the experience ended when i stood in front of his car screaming and gesturing wildly with the shovel. suddenly he saw the light, parked the car and got out.
there is a rule on the iternet "pics or it didn't happen." so to that end:
what usually happens is a flake or two and a half an inch of snow in lieu of the predicted twelve. so yesterday when the news of the storm to end all storms came down, my reaction was simply... yeah, whatev's.
it did start to snow last night and it kept at it all through the night. i woke up this morning and they reported white-out driving conditions. they recommended people stay home and stay off the roadways as there had already been accidents and several vehicles stuck in the ditch.
i sat at home and i tried to decide whether i'd brave the elements or going back to bed. suddenly i heard a cacophony of sirens. it didn't sound like a single vehicle, it sounded like it was a fleet. it was at that moment i decided to become one with my sealy posturepedic.
two hours later i once again toyed with the idea of going to work. one look out my bedroom window cured me of that thought. the street in front of my house had not been cleared and there was a substantial amount of snow piled onto it. my car with its low profile tires was buried in the driveway. it my dad and i two hours to clear the snow and free our vehicles. my father armed with his trusty snow thrower and me with a shovel.
there is something about large quantities of snow that increases the idiot factor. allow me to cite some examples from today:
as i mentioned my dad and i were trying to clear the snow from our driveway. the woman next door jumped into her suv and backed out onto the roadway and promptly got stuck. by the power of 'rock and roll' she was able to make her way back into her driveway. my father and i went over to provide neighbourly back-up. she was determined to leave and i was perplexed. if she couldn't get her car out onto the street how was she going drive on it? i asked her if she had four-wheel drive. apparently it did and i suggested she put the vehicle into four-wheel low. she asked me to show her how to do that. what is the point of having four-wheel drive in your suv if you don't know how to engage it? i pointed out the switch marked all-wheel drive. she started the vehicle pressed the button and slid out of the driveway like a greased pig. last i saw she was happily motoring up the street.
my dad got it into his head that he absolutely had to go shopping. my dad's vehicle does not have awd or 4wd and the street in front of the house had yet to be plowed. my dad was out of the house for three minutes when my mother called me. i looked out the window and my dad's car is on a 45 degree angle in front of the house. he isn't going anywhere. i got back into my wet snow clothes and i went out onto the street to give my dad a push. no dice.
i grabbed a shovel and i was out there shoveling the street in my effort to dig my dad's car out. i alternated between pushing the car, shoveling the snow and i may have said some unpleasant things about the car's mother. i definitely remembered making the suggestion that my father's car was a female dog.
eventually we got the car back into the driveway. the entire vehicle and all its windows were completely snow covered again. my dad couldn't see shit in any direction. once we had the car in the driveway i wanted him to turn off the engine and call it a day. my father in his infinite wisdom wanted to try to blindly back his car around mine. the experience ended when i stood in front of his car screaming and gesturing wildly with the shovel. suddenly he saw the light, parked the car and got out.
there is a rule on the iternet "pics or it didn't happen." so to that end:
Thursday, February 07, 2013
contemplating the navel
sometimes while i sit at the lights i look around and check out the businesses in the area. if there are signs and i have the time i might peruse them. earlier this week i was looking at the sign that detailed all the services provided by a north york wellness centre. of all the signs i was most perplexed by the one that said "navel therapy." as i continued on my drive to work i couldn't help but wonder exactly what navel therapy might entail.
since i have a rather warped sense of humour i amused myself with the thought of a defeated sunkist orange on a couch telling a therapist all about its tree issues. "with 40 brothers and sisters i never felt like i had my mother's attention and then before i was truly mature i was yanked right out of her arms."
i eventually got curious and googled navel therapy. it turns out it has to do with mixing herbal medicine's into a paste. the paste is then wedged into the client's navel. another option is a navel massage which is supposed to increase circulation and fix a battalion of other issues.
if anyone of you has ever tried navel therapy you gotta tell me all about it.
since i have a rather warped sense of humour i amused myself with the thought of a defeated sunkist orange on a couch telling a therapist all about its tree issues. "with 40 brothers and sisters i never felt like i had my mother's attention and then before i was truly mature i was yanked right out of her arms."
i eventually got curious and googled navel therapy. it turns out it has to do with mixing herbal medicine's into a paste. the paste is then wedged into the client's navel. another option is a navel massage which is supposed to increase circulation and fix a battalion of other issues.
if anyone of you has ever tried navel therapy you gotta tell me all about it.
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
free-range miche
well my work day started out a far more exciting than i would have liked. i drove to work just as i have been every day this week. i paid for parking and made my way inside the building. my first hint that something was amiss should have been that i could not get into the building. the front door was locked. what was amusing was the woman who walked up to the door with me who felt there was something wrong with my door opening techniques. after my attempts proved unsuccessful she attempted to push and pull at the doors in practically an identical sequence. i can't say that i was surprised that her attempts proved to be just as unsuccessful. she reached into her bag and produced a pass card that she placed in front of a card reader and the door miraculously slid open.
i entered the elevator with two other people. the door closed and the elevator rose two floors. it made a strange shudder and then nothing. i looked up at the other woman in the elevator who said, "well that's not good." have i ever mentioned how claustrophobic i am?
i closed my eyes put my hand up to my face and focused on not losing my shit. the other two seemed to stand there calmly although every so often i could hear the woman pushing the elevator buttons. i did not help, i was busy. keeping 170 lbs of miche calm took every available resource i had.
the elevator probably wasn't stalled out for long. i will admit that i did not time the experience and i am also willing to accept that the experience likely didn't last as long as i thought it did. but i will also admit that it lasted longer than i would have liked it to.
eventually the doors opened on the second floor and the woman and i stepped out. i asked her to direct me to the stairwell, my new very best friend, for the rest of the week i will be taking the stairs.
i entered the elevator with two other people. the door closed and the elevator rose two floors. it made a strange shudder and then nothing. i looked up at the other woman in the elevator who said, "well that's not good." have i ever mentioned how claustrophobic i am?
i closed my eyes put my hand up to my face and focused on not losing my shit. the other two seemed to stand there calmly although every so often i could hear the woman pushing the elevator buttons. i did not help, i was busy. keeping 170 lbs of miche calm took every available resource i had.
the elevator probably wasn't stalled out for long. i will admit that i did not time the experience and i am also willing to accept that the experience likely didn't last as long as i thought it did. but i will also admit that it lasted longer than i would have liked it to.
eventually the doors opened on the second floor and the woman and i stepped out. i asked her to direct me to the stairwell, my new very best friend, for the rest of the week i will be taking the stairs.
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
paging dr. miche
my dermatologist writes me a prescription for a moisturizer with a 20% glycerin solution. usually she gives me the prescription with several repeats and usually for a 450 g jar. for what ever reason last time she wrote 250 g in error. since i use the moisturizer at least a couple times a day the 250 g jar does not go very far. further if one suffers from eczema, as i do, you get flare ups from time to time. during a flare ups it is not uncommon for me to apply it more frequently.
i only mention that because of an interesting exchange i had while attempting to call my prescription into my local pharmacy. the young woman who answered the phone checked my r.x. number was alarmed that the prescription had been filled two weeks prior. i assured her that it had and that i still needed a refill. she was still very concerned by the two week time span.
now who am i to tell the woman how to do her job but as god is my witness i had never heard of anyone o.d.-ing on lotion. but i am not a member of the medical community so i could be wrong. i had a follow-up appointment with my doctor today and i got her to write a new prescription for the larger amount. i did share my experience with her and even the doctor replied with a baffled, "but it's just moisturizer!"
so perhaps i could have gone to med school after all.
and if for a second you believe that... could i interest you in a title to the peace bridge* that i just happen to have handy here in my back pocket?
*the peace bridge
i only mention that because of an interesting exchange i had while attempting to call my prescription into my local pharmacy. the young woman who answered the phone checked my r.x. number was alarmed that the prescription had been filled two weeks prior. i assured her that it had and that i still needed a refill. she was still very concerned by the two week time span.
now who am i to tell the woman how to do her job but as god is my witness i had never heard of anyone o.d.-ing on lotion. but i am not a member of the medical community so i could be wrong. i had a follow-up appointment with my doctor today and i got her to write a new prescription for the larger amount. i did share my experience with her and even the doctor replied with a baffled, "but it's just moisturizer!"
so perhaps i could have gone to med school after all.
and if for a second you believe that... could i interest you in a title to the peace bridge* that i just happen to have handy here in my back pocket?
*the peace bridge
Monday, February 04, 2013
me and my family
as i drove to work today i listened to the y108. the two radio hosts had been discussing the super bowl. one of the things that they mentioned was the exchange that occurred between the brothers harbaugh, the opposing coaches, after the game. the hosts were convinced that the older coach, the winning coach, told his brother that he loved him. the younger brother's response was supposedly an awkward congratulations.
you know i wonder sometimes what it might be like to be that much in the public eye. where people are watching and recording your every conversation.
i can tell you right now that if someone were ever to pay that kind of attention to me with my family, i would not come across well. not only am i generally non-demonstrative by nature but i am also reserved and not a fan of the p.d.a. my behaviour is not likely to be any different after a loss. but if the rest of the world doesn't know that about me then i can see where they might think that my reaction had to do with the outcome of the game.
i am reminded of a time when i was in the mall with a friend. i saw my brother and he and i spoke briefly. we arranged to meet outside of a store because i had offered to drive him home. we split and went our separate ways. my friend wanted to know who that 'man' was. she was shocked to learn that he was my brother. she felt that we should have interacted differently as family and that we almost appeared to be strangers. our reaction is how we are, the interaction would have been the same had it been either of my brothers.
my point and i do have one is that sometimes you shouldn't read too much into what you see.
you know i wonder sometimes what it might be like to be that much in the public eye. where people are watching and recording your every conversation.
i can tell you right now that if someone were ever to pay that kind of attention to me with my family, i would not come across well. not only am i generally non-demonstrative by nature but i am also reserved and not a fan of the p.d.a. my behaviour is not likely to be any different after a loss. but if the rest of the world doesn't know that about me then i can see where they might think that my reaction had to do with the outcome of the game.
i am reminded of a time when i was in the mall with a friend. i saw my brother and he and i spoke briefly. we arranged to meet outside of a store because i had offered to drive him home. we split and went our separate ways. my friend wanted to know who that 'man' was. she was shocked to learn that he was my brother. she felt that we should have interacted differently as family and that we almost appeared to be strangers. our reaction is how we are, the interaction would have been the same had it been either of my brothers.
my point and i do have one is that sometimes you shouldn't read too much into what you see.
Sunday, February 03, 2013
back day fail
i had higher hopes for today's back workout. i really did. i think i realized early in this back training cycle that i wasn't training properly to get what i needed done. the fault is all mine, i own it. i will have to do a better job next back cycle. the sad part of it all is that it will be three months before i am back to... back.
the next cycle is chest and it starts on tuesday. what i haven't decided yet is flat bench, incline bench, incline db's? one of those three exercises has to be my strength goal. i need to figure it out by tomorrow night. before i step on the floor tuesday otherwise i am going to end up with another disappointment.
it is time to start lifting with my damn head.
the next cycle is chest and it starts on tuesday. what i haven't decided yet is flat bench, incline bench, incline db's? one of those three exercises has to be my strength goal. i need to figure it out by tomorrow night. before i step on the floor tuesday otherwise i am going to end up with another disappointment.
it is time to start lifting with my damn head.
Saturday, February 02, 2013
it's so hard to say good-bye to yesterday... again
i am happy to report that you can once again navigate safely from the bedroom door to my desk without negotiating around the mountain that was my pre-purge staging area.
unfortunately that also means that my stuff is gone. earlier today i loaded up the car. the last time i went to the dump my father went along with me. this time had he been moved to accompany me his sole option would have been to jog alongside the car. sadly i am not lying the car was that full. it does boggle the mind how much stuff one can acquire through the years. stuff that is just so painful to get rid of yet i rarely, if ever, looked at or used them.
after i returned i was discussing this very phenomenon with the poor boy... hmm it has been years since he has used that moniker i wonder if he even acknowledges it? oh well i am sure he will let me know after he peruses this post. but alas i digress.
poor boy asked me how i felt after having completed the purge. i told him that on the one hand i was relieved that it was over, the staging pile was approaching dizzying heights and i seriously considered setting up scaffolds for safety. but there was still a side of me that was saddened by the loss of my things and another that fears i will wake up with a face full of regret.
anyway storm1 had asked that i share a memory with the class but unfortunately the skating magazines had long since been sent onto their final rest. however i still had my x-games credentials so perhaps that will be an acceptable substitute?
unfortunately that also means that my stuff is gone. earlier today i loaded up the car. the last time i went to the dump my father went along with me. this time had he been moved to accompany me his sole option would have been to jog alongside the car. sadly i am not lying the car was that full. it does boggle the mind how much stuff one can acquire through the years. stuff that is just so painful to get rid of yet i rarely, if ever, looked at or used them.
after i returned i was discussing this very phenomenon with the poor boy... hmm it has been years since he has used that moniker i wonder if he even acknowledges it? oh well i am sure he will let me know after he peruses this post. but alas i digress.
poor boy asked me how i felt after having completed the purge. i told him that on the one hand i was relieved that it was over, the staging pile was approaching dizzying heights and i seriously considered setting up scaffolds for safety. but there was still a side of me that was saddened by the loss of my things and another that fears i will wake up with a face full of regret.
anyway storm1 had asked that i share a memory with the class but unfortunately the skating magazines had long since been sent onto their final rest. however i still had my x-games credentials so perhaps that will be an acceptable substitute?
Friday, February 01, 2013
back to the grind?
seconds before the clock struck 9 a.m. i received a call from my freelance agency. they told me that my services were required, for the day, at a studio in east york. i was to report as soon as i could get there. at the time of the call leaving the house was the furthest thing from my mind but since i need the cash i plugged in the after burners and got ready for a day of work.
it was a nice friendly studio and the requirement was something that i haven't done before. that is one of the benefits of working as a freelance artist. you get to experience different studios, work on different accounts and learn new techniques. i am unsure how long this assignment will last and i suppose that is one of the disadvantages of working contractually. sometimes you get a long gig, sometimes a short one, sometimes your working steady and sometimes your sitting at home for extended periods watching your bank balance dip to dangerous levels.
i will be going back there on monday and with any luck i will be there for the balance of the week.
so keep your fingers crossed people!
thanks in advance.
it was a nice friendly studio and the requirement was something that i haven't done before. that is one of the benefits of working as a freelance artist. you get to experience different studios, work on different accounts and learn new techniques. i am unsure how long this assignment will last and i suppose that is one of the disadvantages of working contractually. sometimes you get a long gig, sometimes a short one, sometimes your working steady and sometimes your sitting at home for extended periods watching your bank balance dip to dangerous levels.
i will be going back there on monday and with any luck i will be there for the balance of the week.
so keep your fingers crossed people!
thanks in advance.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
wrestling with some words
perhaps i was inspired by thursday's lady vol win. they played the lady bulldogs of mississipi state and the lady vols beat them handily to maintain a perfect record in the south eastern conference.
i was able to add another 675 words to my basketball story. i could have easily kept writing this evening but i realized that i still needed to write this post and update my facebook account.
at this point in the story my challenge is to write an action sequence. when i finish it i plan to share it with a friend of mine who is my basketball 'expert.' i need to know that what i have written makes sense to someone who has actually played the game.
every now and then i get really excited about how well this little project of mine seems to be coming together. when i first started i was both excited to tackle this project and intimidated by it as well. i think i settled down a bit when the words started to come. i get my attacks of doubt and insecurity when i experience writers' block. maybe that is what writers' block is, not a loss of the ability to write but rather the loss of confidence that you can write.
without confidence your creativity suffers. the challenge then is to figure out how to regain your confidence so you can write, paint, sing, etc., sometimes writing through the block works for me and sometimes it works best to take a strategic retreat. i suspect there is no hard and fast answer.
i was able to add another 675 words to my basketball story. i could have easily kept writing this evening but i realized that i still needed to write this post and update my facebook account.
at this point in the story my challenge is to write an action sequence. when i finish it i plan to share it with a friend of mine who is my basketball 'expert.' i need to know that what i have written makes sense to someone who has actually played the game.
every now and then i get really excited about how well this little project of mine seems to be coming together. when i first started i was both excited to tackle this project and intimidated by it as well. i think i settled down a bit when the words started to come. i get my attacks of doubt and insecurity when i experience writers' block. maybe that is what writers' block is, not a loss of the ability to write but rather the loss of confidence that you can write.
without confidence your creativity suffers. the challenge then is to figure out how to regain your confidence so you can write, paint, sing, etc., sometimes writing through the block works for me and sometimes it works best to take a strategic retreat. i suspect there is no hard and fast answer.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
rising to the challenge... not so much
operation purge hit a major snafu today. in other words i didn't really get very much accomplished. i guess i just didn't realize how difficult this process might be. i just wasn't in the mood and frankly i felt a tad overwhelmed by the task.
i am very thankful to all the people who posted supportive comments and those who could commiserate with the challenge i face. it has helped even though my production today would suggest otherwise.
tomorrow is another day and it is possible that i'll be more productive.
time will tell.
i am very thankful to all the people who posted supportive comments and those who could commiserate with the challenge i face. it has helped even though my production today would suggest otherwise.
tomorrow is another day and it is possible that i'll be more productive.
time will tell.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
so hard to say good-bye to yesterday
today was the start of a very difficult series of day's. there comes a time when you realize that you can no longer hold onto the physical manifestations of your memories. sadly, that time has come for me.
i have put it off for far too long, over the years i have accumulated too much stuff and frankly i don't have the space to keep it. so today, as much as it hurt and it hurt a lot i started to purge my life of my memories.
i took a trip to the goodwill donation centre where i left behind my barely skated in rollerblades, the skiis from when i was racing, my two snowboards, my burton snowboard boots and my first video camera.
i went back to the house and packed up the car again, this time with my ski boots, my well worn rollerblades, all of my skate pads, the large duffle and rolling duffles that i got as swag when i was rollerblading on both the NiSS and ASA skating tours. also in the car on that trip was my college portfolio pieces and a couple portfolio's containing my earliest professional work. this trip sadly ended at the local dump.
even with all of that stuff gone there is still much more to go. i am going to have to also rid myself of all the video tapes that i had saved of all my television appearances and the highlight video tapes from several stops on the ASA pro tour as well assorted press clippings and souvenir magazines.
there is also going to be a serious quantity of clothing heading slated for donation. which also includes my leather joe rocket motorcycle jacket. alas after years of bodybuilding my large jacket is not nearly large enough. imagine if you will a leather sausage casing with kevlar patches and body armor. that is what i look like when i try to squeeze back into that jacket.
day one of the memory purge was not fun at all. i know without a doubt that the rest of this project will suck as well. i can only hope that the years of falling out of the sky has not affected my ability to keep the memories in my head.
sometimes it sucks to be an adult.
i have put it off for far too long, over the years i have accumulated too much stuff and frankly i don't have the space to keep it. so today, as much as it hurt and it hurt a lot i started to purge my life of my memories.
i took a trip to the goodwill donation centre where i left behind my barely skated in rollerblades, the skiis from when i was racing, my two snowboards, my burton snowboard boots and my first video camera.
i went back to the house and packed up the car again, this time with my ski boots, my well worn rollerblades, all of my skate pads, the large duffle and rolling duffles that i got as swag when i was rollerblading on both the NiSS and ASA skating tours. also in the car on that trip was my college portfolio pieces and a couple portfolio's containing my earliest professional work. this trip sadly ended at the local dump.
even with all of that stuff gone there is still much more to go. i am going to have to also rid myself of all the video tapes that i had saved of all my television appearances and the highlight video tapes from several stops on the ASA pro tour as well assorted press clippings and souvenir magazines.
there is also going to be a serious quantity of clothing heading slated for donation. which also includes my leather joe rocket motorcycle jacket. alas after years of bodybuilding my large jacket is not nearly large enough. imagine if you will a leather sausage casing with kevlar patches and body armor. that is what i look like when i try to squeeze back into that jacket.
day one of the memory purge was not fun at all. i know without a doubt that the rest of this project will suck as well. i can only hope that the years of falling out of the sky has not affected my ability to keep the memories in my head.
sometimes it sucks to be an adult.
Monday, January 28, 2013
a heartbreaker
tonight the lady vols snapped their nine game win streak when the fell 77-67 to the fighting irish of notre dame.
it was an orange-out in thompson boling arena. what that means is, the home team wore their orange away uniforms and they asked all of their fans to come to the game wearing orange as well. the stands were packed this evening not just to watch the number 9 lady vols face the number 2 fighting irish but also because tonight a banner ceremony was to be performed.
a banner celebrating the career of head coach emeritus pat summitt was raised to the rafters prior to the start of the game. the banner noted the years she served as lady vol head coach as well as showing her career and conference wins as well as her eight national championships.
coach summitt had an amazing career and she truly touched the lives of many people. i thought it was amazing that four former players made their way to knoxville to attend the presentation. candace parker interrupted her season overseas in russia to fly in to attend. she is probably already sprinting for the airport to get back overseas. tamika catchings, chamique holdsclaw and michelle marciniak were also in attendance but those former players were already on u.s. soil.
so in light of the presentation it would have been one hell of a coup if the lady vols had pulled off the upset today. alas it was not to be and my little orange heart is heavy.
the lady vols fought a valiant fight against a hell of an opponent. no matter how far down they got, the lady vols kept fighting. you have to love that.
go big orange!!!
it was an orange-out in thompson boling arena. what that means is, the home team wore their orange away uniforms and they asked all of their fans to come to the game wearing orange as well. the stands were packed this evening not just to watch the number 9 lady vols face the number 2 fighting irish but also because tonight a banner ceremony was to be performed.
a banner celebrating the career of head coach emeritus pat summitt was raised to the rafters prior to the start of the game. the banner noted the years she served as lady vol head coach as well as showing her career and conference wins as well as her eight national championships.
coach summitt had an amazing career and she truly touched the lives of many people. i thought it was amazing that four former players made their way to knoxville to attend the presentation. candace parker interrupted her season overseas in russia to fly in to attend. she is probably already sprinting for the airport to get back overseas. tamika catchings, chamique holdsclaw and michelle marciniak were also in attendance but those former players were already on u.s. soil.
so in light of the presentation it would have been one hell of a coup if the lady vols had pulled off the upset today. alas it was not to be and my little orange heart is heavy.
the lady vols fought a valiant fight against a hell of an opponent. no matter how far down they got, the lady vols kept fighting. you have to love that.
go big orange!!!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
the new years set strikes again!!
someone left six 45 lb plates on the leg press. from across the gym i watched as two 18 year old women attempt to tag-team one of the plates. it took the two of them to pull the plate to the end of the bar, it took the two of them to lift it off the bar and they did this side-by-side shuffle thing to carry it across the room.
i decided that if they were left to their own devices it would likely turn out all kinds of bad. so i walked over to them and asked if they needed help, they said they did and i started to take the plates off. the two women turned to each other in horror at the ease in which i seemed to be able to move the plates off the machine. i suppose if i was a guy i would have been flattered but i was actually kind of embarrassed. almost to the point of wishing i had stayed where i was.
as i left they put a single ten pound plate on each side of the leg press. you know i looked all over the gym but i couldn't spot their walkers anywhere.
gym-newbies... heaven help us!!
i decided that if they were left to their own devices it would likely turn out all kinds of bad. so i walked over to them and asked if they needed help, they said they did and i started to take the plates off. the two women turned to each other in horror at the ease in which i seemed to be able to move the plates off the machine. i suppose if i was a guy i would have been flattered but i was actually kind of embarrassed. almost to the point of wishing i had stayed where i was.
as i left they put a single ten pound plate on each side of the leg press. you know i looked all over the gym but i couldn't spot their walkers anywhere.
gym-newbies... heaven help us!!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
seeing that which you can not un-see
i swear that i am going to start stomping my feet and whistling every time i walk into the women's locker room. if there is ever anything going on in there that i won't want to see. dollar's to donuts i am totally going to walk in on it.
take this evening for example. there were two younger black women in there. one of them was holding a bra up to her chest, please note that she was fully dressed at the time. it is also important to note that she was holding a bra belonging to a woman far more endowed than she was. and to complete the picture in you mind, imagine the woman patting the bra cup almost as though she was trying to burp a baby.
if your like me you are probably wondering why?
but i am also wondering... why me?
take this evening for example. there were two younger black women in there. one of them was holding a bra up to her chest, please note that she was fully dressed at the time. it is also important to note that she was holding a bra belonging to a woman far more endowed than she was. and to complete the picture in you mind, imagine the woman patting the bra cup almost as though she was trying to burp a baby.
if your like me you are probably wondering why?
but i am also wondering... why me?
Friday, January 25, 2013
sometimes you just shouldn't multi-task
i think i would like to file today's blog post under the banner of 'really people, really?'
after finishing the balance of my workout on the gym floor i headed into the woman's locker room to use the facilities. as i walked towards an empty stall i overheard a conversation coming from another stall. i paused for a second and was somewhat relieved to realize that i was only hearing one side of a conversation. whoever was in the stall beside me based on the audibles was not in there doing her hair and talking on her cell phone while she was doing it.
okay so i can get that some people don't have the same boundaries that i do. and because i have the boundaries that i do, i think some things are acceptable and some things are not. i found it difficult to do what it was that i went in there to do. i guess you could say that i was suffering from a form of performance anxiety.
can someone tell me why it is okay to talk on the phone while your going potty?
is it too much to ask to take the three to five minutes to take care of business before you place or take calls?
is it just me?
after finishing the balance of my workout on the gym floor i headed into the woman's locker room to use the facilities. as i walked towards an empty stall i overheard a conversation coming from another stall. i paused for a second and was somewhat relieved to realize that i was only hearing one side of a conversation. whoever was in the stall beside me based on the audibles was not in there doing her hair and talking on her cell phone while she was doing it.
okay so i can get that some people don't have the same boundaries that i do. and because i have the boundaries that i do, i think some things are acceptable and some things are not. i found it difficult to do what it was that i went in there to do. i guess you could say that i was suffering from a form of performance anxiety.
can someone tell me why it is okay to talk on the phone while your going potty?
is it too much to ask to take the three to five minutes to take care of business before you place or take calls?
is it just me?
Thursday, January 24, 2013
stayin' perfect
my lady vols are 7-0 in south eastern conference play and currently sitting in first place. this is a huge deal since the squad was picked to finish fourth or fifth in the conference.
why? because of the major personnel changes. head coach pat summitt had to step down to continue her fight with early onset dementia, a precursor to alzheimer's. she was replaced by first year head coach holly warlick. coach warlick is not unaware of the lady vol system, she had been coach summitt's assistant coach for 27 years. all of that plus the fact that five senior's graduated and left the program last season, the tennessee lady vols have been overlooked all season long.
but what have the detractors forgotten? that. we. are. still. tennessee. some really talented freshmen were recruited into the program. so talented in fact that they were able to step in from the very first games and make valuable contributions. hell freshman post player bashaara 'beastshaara' graves has had, if memory serves, seven double-double games already this season.
last year's squad on paper had more skill but this season's team plays like a team and more importantly they fight till the end of the game. last year's squad seemed to get down and then just give up. there have been many a gut check game for the '12-'13 lady vols and almost every time they have stepped up to the challenge.
there are still a ton of games before march but god i love this team!!
why? because of the major personnel changes. head coach pat summitt had to step down to continue her fight with early onset dementia, a precursor to alzheimer's. she was replaced by first year head coach holly warlick. coach warlick is not unaware of the lady vol system, she had been coach summitt's assistant coach for 27 years. all of that plus the fact that five senior's graduated and left the program last season, the tennessee lady vols have been overlooked all season long.
but what have the detractors forgotten? that. we. are. still. tennessee. some really talented freshmen were recruited into the program. so talented in fact that they were able to step in from the very first games and make valuable contributions. hell freshman post player bashaara 'beastshaara' graves has had, if memory serves, seven double-double games already this season.
last year's squad on paper had more skill but this season's team plays like a team and more importantly they fight till the end of the game. last year's squad seemed to get down and then just give up. there have been many a gut check game for the '12-'13 lady vols and almost every time they have stepped up to the challenge.
there are still a ton of games before march but god i love this team!!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
creative mojo
i was at a sticking point with my story. likely because the story had deviated so far away from my outline. there were a couple other ideas i had developed that i had that felt like major story plot points but i couldn't seem to make them fit chronologically. i couldn't shelve the ideas, it felt like they were vital somehow. so i set them aside and hoped that at some point in time i could figure out how to fit them into the story.
still unsure whether or not the story i was writing was any good, i decided to share a couple pages with a friend to get reader feedback. well i was pleasantly surprised by the review and the suggestions she was also kind enough to include really got me thinking. suddenly i had an idea on how to insert one of the aforementioned plot points into the story.
and suddenly i am hit with a deluge of words.
still unsure whether or not the story i was writing was any good, i decided to share a couple pages with a friend to get reader feedback. well i was pleasantly surprised by the review and the suggestions she was also kind enough to include really got me thinking. suddenly i had an idea on how to insert one of the aforementioned plot points into the story.
and suddenly i am hit with a deluge of words.
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