This mornings ramblings:
We had the initial properties strike last night and I got home from that about 0145hrs (+/-). Then I had some issues unwinding and getting to sleep. And then my sleep, as my sleep often is, was a broken thing...Then I got up. Still tired. Sigh.
Watched some comedy videos online. Laughed out loud. Rachel Bloom is funny.
Still really quite tense and agitated about some school stuff. It'll be fine I suspect. But having my higher functions telling my lizard brain that can be problematic.
Call time for today is in about an hour (+/-). We will be loading in props for rehearsals at (surprisingly) the rehearsal space/venue. And hopefully I will be getting a bit of work in on the pick-up truck unit.
On a side note: I realize that some of these blogs are "deeper and more meaningful" than others, which are just me kvetching. I sometimes find myself doubting the value of what I post.....And then I come upon a statement like the following, from the blog of Ms Rachel Bloom:
"....But to put out my thoughts uncensored, I have to trust that I am good
enough.
And that's fucking scary."
Monday, August 16, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
A Tiny Little Bit Of Sunday Evening Pre Strike Randomness
Just an hour or two till the strike for "Promises, Promises" here at Stages St Louis. And I should be taking a quick nap....But I find myself agitated by some issues with the UAF webmail system. For a second time today it will not allow me to sign on. Weird password issues. Thankfully, I A) was able to get online and get some email(s) out to (and receive some from) an instructor or two regarding some Fall semester stuff at an earlier point today....and B) I have my UAF webmail synced to forward stuff to another email account as well....suspenders and a belt, as it were. I know it will all get worked out. But with the start of the semester getting closer AND with still waiting to hear about 1) production assignments and 2) the Osher scholarship results I am more than a touch testy regarding email(s)....go figure.
Time to attempt that "pre-strike" nap.....
ADDENDA (circa 0230hrs - 08/16/10) :
Well, properties strike is basically complete, tho' there are some larger items which will be going into stock and will need to be put into storage later this week. The storage in question is made available to us by a company whose building is fenced and locked on certain days...including Sunday nights.
I appear to have remedied my webmail issues for the moment. And am filled with hope that the fix will stay in place....
Tomorrow (well, later today actually) we will begin moving items over to the rehearsal space for "State Fair". And after that I'll be getting back to work on the pick-up truck unit I've mentioned previously.
Still looking for that nap....
Time to attempt that "pre-strike" nap.....
ADDENDA (circa 0230hrs - 08/16/10) :
Well, properties strike is basically complete, tho' there are some larger items which will be going into stock and will need to be put into storage later this week. The storage in question is made available to us by a company whose building is fenced and locked on certain days...including Sunday nights.
I appear to have remedied my webmail issues for the moment. And am filled with hope that the fix will stay in place....
Tomorrow (well, later today actually) we will begin moving items over to the rehearsal space for "State Fair". And after that I'll be getting back to work on the pick-up truck unit I've mentioned previously.
Still looking for that nap....
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Semi Generic Early Saturday Afternoon Ramblings
A few things to comment on, all tho' they will almost certainly be in no real particular order nor will they be "Earth shaking" in import....
** My requested Priority Mail flat rate boxes have arrived. Now it is just a matter of filling them and mailing the "immediate needs" ones off to Fairbanks so that they are there when (or at least soon after) I arrive. Of course, I can't pack most of my tools until my last work call here. But at least now I have boxes to give me specific size limits, etc.
** Still needing to finish up the medical paperwork that is required for incoming students. And I admit that this is the first time I can recall filling out such a thing without being able to, when my memory has a gap, give my Mom a call and get info from her. Sigh. There are certain moments when I miss her...and Dad...more than I normally do.
** The deadline for the Osher Re-Entry Scholarship was yesterday, the 13th of August. And I had my essay in for over a week prior to that. So, needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), I am a fair bit anxious and agitated waiting to hear whether or not I will be one of the 12 selected recipients.
** One more "big build" (at least that I am currently aware of) for the next show here ("State Fair"). A pick-up truck unit. I've been working on the back half and and I am a fair way along on it, tho' some parts have been changed as of yesterday. Which means some modification time before I can move on to the front section. I am really hoping that this will be a big enough "me project" and will look good enough that it will be able to take a noticeable place in my portfolio.
** On the subject of portfolios: I still have a wide spectrum of fabrication images on the micro-sd card in my phone (I've been taking the fabrication shots with my cell phone camera, since I'd rather avoid potential shop damage to my good digital camera and the image quality of my "crash cam" is, in general, poorer than that of my cell phone camera). And I understand that there are archival photo disks available thru the production offices. So sometime before my 1st portfolio review session at UAF I will be spending some quality time with Irfanview and Photoshop to get things organized.
** To end on a note that makes me smile -- I've commented on this before elsewhere but I have to share another reason I suspect I will enjoy my time in Fairbanks: The URL below takes you to a page detailing the official "7th inning stretch" music for the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks - Now that is style !! Enjoy!
http://www.goldpanners.com/PannerVision/devices/index.html
More ramblings to come....
** My requested Priority Mail flat rate boxes have arrived. Now it is just a matter of filling them and mailing the "immediate needs" ones off to Fairbanks so that they are there when (or at least soon after) I arrive. Of course, I can't pack most of my tools until my last work call here. But at least now I have boxes to give me specific size limits, etc.
** Still needing to finish up the medical paperwork that is required for incoming students. And I admit that this is the first time I can recall filling out such a thing without being able to, when my memory has a gap, give my Mom a call and get info from her. Sigh. There are certain moments when I miss her...and Dad...more than I normally do.
** The deadline for the Osher Re-Entry Scholarship was yesterday, the 13th of August. And I had my essay in for over a week prior to that. So, needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), I am a fair bit anxious and agitated waiting to hear whether or not I will be one of the 12 selected recipients.
** One more "big build" (at least that I am currently aware of) for the next show here ("State Fair"). A pick-up truck unit. I've been working on the back half and and I am a fair way along on it, tho' some parts have been changed as of yesterday. Which means some modification time before I can move on to the front section. I am really hoping that this will be a big enough "me project" and will look good enough that it will be able to take a noticeable place in my portfolio.
** On the subject of portfolios: I still have a wide spectrum of fabrication images on the micro-sd card in my phone (I've been taking the fabrication shots with my cell phone camera, since I'd rather avoid potential shop damage to my good digital camera and the image quality of my "crash cam" is, in general, poorer than that of my cell phone camera). And I understand that there are archival photo disks available thru the production offices. So sometime before my 1st portfolio review session at UAF I will be spending some quality time with Irfanview and Photoshop to get things organized.
** To end on a note that makes me smile -- I've commented on this before elsewhere but I have to share another reason I suspect I will enjoy my time in Fairbanks: The URL below takes you to a page detailing the official "7th inning stretch" music for the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks - Now that is style !! Enjoy!
http://www.goldpanners.com/PannerVision/devices/index.html
More ramblings to come....
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Just A Quote That I Found....
Stumbled on this quote of a prayer offered by Francis Drake, circa 1577. And with school (amongst other things) being a new challenge and a way to stretch myself....well, it struck a chord.
Disturb us, Lord, when
we are too pleased with ourselves,
when our dreams have come true
because we dreamed too little,
when we arrived safely
because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
we have lost our thirst for the waters of life;
having fallen in love with life,
we have ceased to dream of eternity
and in our efforts to build a new earth,
we have allowed our vision
of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
to venture on wilder seas,
where storms will show Your mastery;
where losing sight of land,
we shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
the horizons of our hopes;
and to push back the future
in strength, courage, hope, and love.
Disturb us, Lord, when
we are too pleased with ourselves,
when our dreams have come true
because we dreamed too little,
when we arrived safely
because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
we have lost our thirst for the waters of life;
having fallen in love with life,
we have ceased to dream of eternity
and in our efforts to build a new earth,
we have allowed our vision
of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
to venture on wilder seas,
where storms will show Your mastery;
where losing sight of land,
we shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
the horizons of our hopes;
and to push back the future
in strength, courage, hope, and love.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
It’s Surprising What Comes To Mind While Spending Quality Time With A Palm Sander......
Yesterday, while involved in the “sand-o-thon” alluded to in the subject line, I found myself reflecting on a quotation that has been a favorite of mine for some time and I saw it in a bit of a new light.... And I felt I had to share at least a glimmer of it here.
First, the story behind the quote:
Back in the Spring of 1990 I was working at a venue in Scottsdale AZ and was asked to work up some drawings and assist with the load in for a rehearsal of the group “The Highwaymen”....So I got to spend a fair portion of the day in question with the touring technical director for the group, a fine gent by the name of Jay Duro. After the set up was complete and while we were standing outside the rehearsal space (which shared an outside courtyard with a theatre which had a performance underway) and were sort of running “fan/curious onlooker interference” the subject of our conversation somehow turned to audio levels. To which Mr Duro replied “Well, like Johnny says: if it ain’t distortin’, it ain’t loud enough.” Which made me smile, both at the time and later as I have thought of it.
Then yesterday, while I was sanding a rack unit for some whiskey casks for our next show, I had a bit of insight about a deeper meaning to that statement. I thought “yeah.... Distortion is the result of pushing the limits of abilities....”. So, to re-interpret the concept: if you aren’t pushing yourself to the edges of your abilities, you aren’t working hard enough..... I used to say something similar to various trainees I had while at Walt Disney World: “If you don’t go home tired at the end of a shift, you haven’t been working hard enough.” You have not been radiating the power inside you and lighting up the space nearby the way you should/could..... Pretty tough-minded I guess and I may not always live up to it but still worth the attempt, IMNSHO. And giving it some reflection I wonder if some of that concept might have subconsciously come to me from the quote in question. At least in part....
It’s not about the whole “living on the edge or you are taking up too much space...” that you might have heard of. It’s about making the most of talents, skills, abilities.
It’s about living loud.
First, the story behind the quote:
Back in the Spring of 1990 I was working at a venue in Scottsdale AZ and was asked to work up some drawings and assist with the load in for a rehearsal of the group “The Highwaymen”....So I got to spend a fair portion of the day in question with the touring technical director for the group, a fine gent by the name of Jay Duro. After the set up was complete and while we were standing outside the rehearsal space (which shared an outside courtyard with a theatre which had a performance underway) and were sort of running “fan/curious onlooker interference” the subject of our conversation somehow turned to audio levels. To which Mr Duro replied “Well, like Johnny says: if it ain’t distortin’, it ain’t loud enough.” Which made me smile, both at the time and later as I have thought of it.
Then yesterday, while I was sanding a rack unit for some whiskey casks for our next show, I had a bit of insight about a deeper meaning to that statement. I thought “yeah.... Distortion is the result of pushing the limits of abilities....”. So, to re-interpret the concept: if you aren’t pushing yourself to the edges of your abilities, you aren’t working hard enough..... I used to say something similar to various trainees I had while at Walt Disney World: “If you don’t go home tired at the end of a shift, you haven’t been working hard enough.” You have not been radiating the power inside you and lighting up the space nearby the way you should/could..... Pretty tough-minded I guess and I may not always live up to it but still worth the attempt, IMNSHO. And giving it some reflection I wonder if some of that concept might have subconsciously come to me from the quote in question. At least in part....
It’s not about the whole “living on the edge or you are taking up too much space...” that you might have heard of. It’s about making the most of talents, skills, abilities.
It’s about living loud.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Horses. Carts. Hopes For The Season. And Probably A Ramble Or Two....
Been about a week so here is what is new-ish:
**Still hammering out the essay for the "re-entering, non-traditional student" scholarship I have mentioned. And attempting to avoid repetition and any maudlin-ness that might creep in....
I have the deadline now (the Financial Aid Office sent an email with the details to my UAF email address, which I had not activated until this week (shrug and sigh)). And once the Financial Aid Office confirms if the essay should be emailed as an attachment or in the body of the email I'll be submitting it. So by the middle of this week I should be switching from "anxiety over writing the essay" mode to "anxiety over if the essay I wrote will get me the grant/scholarship" mode.
** Still have some paperwork to fill out. And some medical tests to have done. Current plans have me getting that stuff accomplished around the second week of August (very roughly).
** Found out what the season is planned to be for Theatre UAF. The link for it is:
http://www.uaf.edu/theatre/season-%28show%29-information/
I find myself wondering what sort of "competition" I will be facing for production assignments. I know that the department is intimate (one of the reasons I was interested in going there....). I just want to be able, beyond learning new stuff and tightening up my existing skills, to do good work and have a bunch of stuff for my portfolio. Color me both excited and anxious...which, I suppose, is oftentimes the same thing.
** I have my PO Box address....And although, just like was the case for my "physical address" which I already posted, I do have some worries about privacy issues (this being the big, bad internet and all) I'll go ahead and post it here too:
Carl L Sage
University Of Alaska Fairbanks
PO Box 752542
Fairbanks AK
99775-2542
So if any care packages of lemon bars, Coke, etc are being mailed via US Post, that's where to address them.
** Finding myself rather anxiety prone over the issue of shipping my tools. Aside from my DVD/CD binder(s) they are amongst the heaviest things I'll be packing....I'll be spreading the mass between luggage pieces but given the nature of the tools I can't put much, if any, of them in carry-on. They have to go into checked luggage. Or be mailed.....
** As for packing, I admit I also have some anxieties regarding the fact that I will be approximately 3,800 miles from any of the personal items I leave behind. Yes, it is a fine exercise in "decreasing ones attachments". Philosophically a good thing and one that I am continuing to work on. But as a practical matter, it's slightly more daunting. In the past, when I have gone off to gigs, I could cheat the weight of some of my luggage since I normally traveled via Greyhound. With the whole "flying in" situation that is not an available option.
I have a sure certainty (as Mr Lincoln once coined a phrase) that there was more to say but at the moment that is all I have....Additional ramblings later.
**Still hammering out the essay for the "re-entering, non-traditional student" scholarship I have mentioned. And attempting to avoid repetition and any maudlin-ness that might creep in....
I have the deadline now (the Financial Aid Office sent an email with the details to my UAF email address, which I had not activated until this week (shrug and sigh)). And once the Financial Aid Office confirms if the essay should be emailed as an attachment or in the body of the email I'll be submitting it. So by the middle of this week I should be switching from "anxiety over writing the essay" mode to "anxiety over if the essay I wrote will get me the grant/scholarship" mode.
** Still have some paperwork to fill out. And some medical tests to have done. Current plans have me getting that stuff accomplished around the second week of August (very roughly).
** Found out what the season is planned to be for Theatre UAF. The link for it is:
http://www.uaf.edu/theatre/season-%28show%29-information/
I find myself wondering what sort of "competition" I will be facing for production assignments. I know that the department is intimate (one of the reasons I was interested in going there....). I just want to be able, beyond learning new stuff and tightening up my existing skills, to do good work and have a bunch of stuff for my portfolio. Color me both excited and anxious...which, I suppose, is oftentimes the same thing.
** I have my PO Box address....And although, just like was the case for my "physical address" which I already posted, I do have some worries about privacy issues (this being the big, bad internet and all) I'll go ahead and post it here too:
Carl L Sage
University Of Alaska Fairbanks
PO Box 752542
Fairbanks AK
99775-2542
So if any care packages of lemon bars, Coke, etc are being mailed via US Post, that's where to address them.
** Finding myself rather anxiety prone over the issue of shipping my tools. Aside from my DVD/CD binder(s) they are amongst the heaviest things I'll be packing....I'll be spreading the mass between luggage pieces but given the nature of the tools I can't put much, if any, of them in carry-on. They have to go into checked luggage. Or be mailed.....
** As for packing, I admit I also have some anxieties regarding the fact that I will be approximately 3,800 miles from any of the personal items I leave behind. Yes, it is a fine exercise in "decreasing ones attachments". Philosophically a good thing and one that I am continuing to work on. But as a practical matter, it's slightly more daunting. In the past, when I have gone off to gigs, I could cheat the weight of some of my luggage since I normally traveled via Greyhound. With the whole "flying in" situation that is not an available option.
I have a sure certainty (as Mr Lincoln once coined a phrase) that there was more to say but at the moment that is all I have....Additional ramblings later.
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