Been a long time March 9, 2009
Posted by Steve "Oz" in Personal, Video Games, Work.add a comment
So, it’s my birth month and in a few days, it’ll be my birthday. It’s funny how it doesn’t seem like as big of a deal anymore. But, I have been thinking about things I’d like to have, but just can’t afford right now… mainly because I don’t have a job. These aren’t present ideas (though, I suppose, they could be) because I know most of my friends are as broke as me and they shouldn’t spend their money on me. But , with the birthday coming and people asking me what I want, well, it makes me ask myself, “What do I want?” So, I thought I should write some of it down, lest I forget when I do get a job and the budget allows for some play room.
I “recently” lost my Leatherman Supertool. I have no idea where it’s gone. I suspect it’s somewhere in the house, but it’s been months and I haven’t stumbled across it. It was getting close to needing to be replaced anyway. I bought it in 1997, so it served it’s time well and was a great investment. It looks like they don’t make the Supertool anymore. I have no idea which tool would be best for my typical needs. I love the needle nose pliers, that’s for sure. I defnitely use it more for electrical type work than anything else. I haven’t had time to peruse their new warez and figure out what the best too is for me.
I hit the max level in EQ2, so I’ve been ready for the expansion for months now. It’s called The Shadow Odyssey and it was $40 when it came out. It dropped $10 and is now slightly more reasonable. Until I get TSO, I can work on alternate characters (instead of my main character). And, that’s what I’ve been doing. Except, lately, I’ve been jobless and busy, so I’ve tried to not spend any time “wasted” on EQ.
I wouldn’t mind a piece of welder’s glass… yep, the glass from a welder’s helmet. It’s VERY dark and makes looking at stage lights much easier, particularly when you’re aiming them. I have no idea how to get a piece, but a piece with tape on the sharp edges would be nice for all the aiming I seem to be doing and will likely continue to do in the future. I don’t think I know any welders.
I’m out of car care products… specifically, Z2 and ZFX Additive. And if you still haven’t discovered Zaino Bros. car care products… you’re missing out. It’s really great stuff.
Again, I don’t tell you about this stuff for you to buy it for me. It’s just nice to make a list. At some point, some of this stuff is bound to approach the feeling of need over want, particularly the Leatherman. I’ve basically spent 10 years with a Supertool on my waist. It’s pretty annoying when you need it and don’t have it anymore. Anyway, when it hits a breaking point, assuming it’s financially responsible, I’ll buy it for myself then.
Defense February 19, 2009
Posted by Steve "Oz" in Misc..add a comment
Maybe I’m just up to late, but I thought this was great.
Flickr Friend February 18, 2009
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FYI, there are lots of pictures of family and friends that are marked Private on my Flickr site. If you’re family or a friend, but can’t see them then we should remedy that. To do so, you’ll need a Flickr account. No worries, you don’t actually have to post a pic. Once you have an account, add me as a contact or shoot me an Email to your photostream (even if it’s empty) where I can add you as a contact. Once I add you as a contact and mark you as friend/family, you can see the pics marked Private.
Mainly, it’s just a weird thought that a stranger can see too deeply into your life. I know that’s weird from a blogger, but based on the number of hits I get, it’s mainly friends reading this, not strangers. So, to help my own state of mind, I choose to limit my online information presence, particularly with regards to The Boy. In my head, just protecting his name can help protect him from a stranger calling him over. Of course, as a parent, you shout your kid’s name in public places all the time… Still, like I said, it’s for my piece of mind (and likely will have no affect on the safety of The Boy, I know).
But, for a quick Flickr story, a friend of a friend is a photographer who used Flickr to post pics of her family. One day, another friend of the photographer mentioned seeing her family portraits in a model home they recently visited and thought she was brave for selling pics of her family for that purpose. The photographer checked it out and sure enough, the model home was filled with pics of her family from her Flickr site. Now, I know I’m not taking any pics that are so great, someone would want to use them to promote their business. However, the idea alone is enough to freak me out a little. So, if you want to see pics of my family and friends, you’ll need a Flickr account. If that irks you, I’m sorry… really… but, either get over it or don’t view the pics… it’s that simple.
Light up my life February 17, 2009
Posted by Steve "Oz" in Church, Personal, Tech, Work.add a comment
So, I’ve been spending a great deal of time at newhope’s new building setting up and programming lights. I’ve quite enjoyed myself. Despite some other issues with CPM, the crew of experts is probably the shining stars of customer service (of the company). So, not only do they have talent, they actually interact with customers well.
I had fun hanging out with them and learning from them. But, even more fun, has been actually setting up and programming lights. This is my first experience with moving lights. I’m actually quite surprised at how simple the process is. However, the area isn’t really ready for light programming. There’s a bunch of stuff on the stage and the back curtain isn’t hung. However, there is still lots to program. One of the big things about programming moving lights is programming what are essentially templates. These allow you to quickly recall a set of parameters which can really speed programming up. So, for now, programming these templates are my primary focus (no pun intended).
Meanwhile, I still wish I could talk more about my job, but, for now, it’s probably best to say that I am looking for a new one. It’s the smartest move for me right now, though not my first preference.
What I wish February 9, 2009
Posted by Steve "Oz" in Misc..add a comment
I wish I could talk about my struggles at work. But, alas, I can’t. Without that, right now, life is gooood.
And, well, when life is good, there’s not much else to say. But, I will try.
This week, I’m going to be spending some time over at newhope’s new building helping CPM setup the stage lights in the three worship areas. It’s actually the first time I’ll have my hand in the patching process. Patching is when you assign a light to a dimmer (plug it in) and assign the dimmer to a channel. On a programmable board, you can setup your channels/dimmers such that they make sense. Up until now, the board we’ve had just was what it was. The new board is customizable. Who doesn’t love customization?
I’m really excited to get in there and get working. It’s like Christmas time… new toys and stuff…
I was recently honored to video tape a couple’s renewal of vows. I won’t go into any details (I don’t have permission to do so). But, it was really great. After over a decade and some kids (and I’m sure lots of laughs, struggles, fights and blessings), they were able to still say, “I choose you.” The presiding pastor said that what he loved most about vow renewal is that you choose each other AFTER knowing each other. When you first get married, you don’t really know. You don’t know what kind of parent they’ll be or how they’ll get under your skin or that they *never* do the dishes or laundry (“Surely they will once we’re married!”). So, a renewal is pretty special. I had never thought about it like that before, but it definitely made sense… and was pretty romantic… in a life-with-kids way.
Before anyone reads into this… I’m not describing my wife. She’s amazing. Even though she sometimes doesn’t realize it, she’s a supermom… In the truest sense of the modern supermom. She holds down a busy, stressful job successfully. She serves the church diligently. Loves her boy better than any mom I’ve ever seen. Cares for him and her family. And still finds time to take care of the household and, occasionally, sit on the couch and watch some TV (though not as often as she’d like, I’m sure). And, before you read into that, I help, of course (though not as often as she’d like, I’m sure). :)
I would choose her a thousand times over.
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