It was a few weeks ago when my mom mentioned that she had run in to an old high school teacher of mine after church one Sunday morning. The now-retired teacher instantly asked what I was up to and where I was living. I'm sure my mom and dad did the best they could in trying to describe what my job entails but I do know that no matter how muddled or not muddled the description was, this teacher whom I had through all four years of high school understood what I did for work and where I was at in my life.
My mom went on to tell me that this teacher said that I was his number one favorite student throughout his multiple decade career of teaching at that high school. That's huge to me that he remembered me -- after all, it's been fifteen years since I graduated. I went on to tell my mom that this teacher was my favorite teacher. Throughout those four years, he taught me countless skills which I use today on a daily basis. To put it into perspective, this teacher taught a variety of what could be considered industrial arts classes for categorizational purposes but in reality he taught technical classes such as drafting, electronics, engineering and even a graphic design class.
My favorite, though, had to be my senior year when he allowed me to take an independent study class. I was blown away that he trusted me enough to grade papers, install computer equipment, add to the computer network and generally fix things in his MacGyver-like classroom which needed attention.
I commented to my wife last weekend, as I was disassembling our behemoth of a television (a 34" Sony CRT [tube-style] HDTV) in preparation of replacing a couple ICs (integrated circuits) which essentially keep the television powered up until you choose to turn it off, that I only knew how to solder electronics because of that teacher my mom had mentioned a few weeks earlier. Let me remind you that the last time I had performed any soldering work was in that teacher's electronics class at what is now the barely-memorable age of 16 years old but I went ahead with the project at hand.
At first I stumbled a bit, having never used a vacuum-powered spring-loaded solder sucker (I used a de-soldering braid in high school) as I heated up each of the 32 legs of the chips which needed to be removed. I fretted about overheating the board or damaging the solder pads but within far too long of time I had the chips fully removed and forged ahead with installing the new chips and was amazed at how quickly I was able to solder in new sockets which would hold the new integrated circuits.
After I ate supper, the big moment arrived. I plugged the television in and pushed the power button. It worked!
Had it not been for that one-semester-long class in electronics when I was 15 or 16 years old, I probably would not have been confident enough to work on this television which weighs in at over 200 lbs. and cost us over $1,500 when we purchased it eight years ago. No television of that quality or age deserves to be thrown to the curb when $22 in parts will bring it back to life. And through all of that, I have this wonderful high school teacher to thank for so much of what I have the confidence and ability to tackle even when that voice in my head is telling me that I'm crazy for even thinking about this task.
Thank You Mr. Lynch. Without those parts of four years spent in your weird but wonderful classroom in the high school annex I wouldn't be able to do many of the tasks which I do on my own. I like to think that the skills I learned in that classroom also gave me the confidence to work far, far outside the confines of my job description in my work life, too. I like a challenge and I like variety when it comes to my jobs and thanks to Mr. Lynch I have that drive to keep learning. With any luck, those years of learning will pan out into an amazing career opportunity in the very near future.
Showing posts with label internal affairs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label internal affairs. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
The third interview with me
Back in May and June of 2009 I invented an alter-ego for the sole purpose of asking me stupid interview questions. I don't know if the results were good, bad or downright pitiful but it made me think that Captain Fantastic should try for a third time to interview me.
Captain Fantastic: Hey Sornie, welcome back. It's been over three years since we last talked. Let's catch up.
Sornie: Sounds good to be, just don't ask any stupid questions and we'll be fine.
CF: Alright. I see that some things have changed around this blog. Why?
S: I like change. My day job is always evolving and to stay ahead of the curve and see what works best I shook things up. It was maybe February 2011 when I decided to focus on media and pop culture. Previous trends had shown me what worked and the idea behind blogging is to write what you know and sadly I know a fair amount about television and radio (dying media maybe?) and the lowest of the low in pop culture (nipples, ass and camel toe). The formula is sadly working. It says alot about the seedy underbelly of America.
CF: Well, that last bit was dark. How about MinnPics?
S: MinnPics is still chugging along. There was legit interest from a couple of media organizations in the site and/or the concept but it's a bitch to monetize so it is best left as a hobbyist site and it's still a passion of mine as my skills as a photographer have grown. It also led to the launch of The MinnPics Store where my wife and I have put a select few of our best photos out there for sale to the general public. It's in its infancy as I just launched it about a month ago but it's a start towards being more serious as photographers but still having fun with it.
CF: Cool stuff. What about your kid?
S: She's 3 1/2 years old now and follows me everywhere. She follows me like a loyal puppy when I mow the lawn. She insists on taking her "camrum" (camera) along when we go out shooting photos. It's really one of my tripod bases but she has a killer imagination so it works for her. She also hasn't stopped talking since she began talking and she's super excited about perfecting her dancing skills in preschool. I don't think that dancing is taught in preschool but I could be wrong.
CF: Sounds like she's enjoying things. How about that swing you built three years ago?
S: The swing/playground is holding up very well. She and her cousins would spend entire days playing on that if I'd let them. I typically slap a coat of stain on it each fall and it holds up well. Yes, I built the entire thing myself out of nothing more than a truck full of lumber, some hardware, two drills and a shitty circular saw which has now been replaced by a far better saw.
CF: So you are considering yourself a bit of a handyman now?
S: I built a walk-in closet last fall. Drywall and all entirely on my own.
CF: Does that mean you'll be taking on any larger projects?
S: Based on my wife's demands that I actually fully complete projects within a specific timeframe probably not. A closet is easy. So was reworking the patio last weekend. All in about 7 hours of work.
CF: See, you are a handyman. What about other stuff?
S: I'm still trying to figure out how to avoid cleaning the cat's litter box.
CF: And how is that going for you?
S: I put it off until I realize that I can't remember the last time it was done.
CF: That's sort of the story of your life it seems. Procrastinate until you finally snap.
S: Bingo.
Captain Fantastic: Hey Sornie, welcome back. It's been over three years since we last talked. Let's catch up.
Sornie: Sounds good to be, just don't ask any stupid questions and we'll be fine.
CF: Alright. I see that some things have changed around this blog. Why?
S: I like change. My day job is always evolving and to stay ahead of the curve and see what works best I shook things up. It was maybe February 2011 when I decided to focus on media and pop culture. Previous trends had shown me what worked and the idea behind blogging is to write what you know and sadly I know a fair amount about television and radio (dying media maybe?) and the lowest of the low in pop culture (nipples, ass and camel toe). The formula is sadly working. It says alot about the seedy underbelly of America.
CF: Well, that last bit was dark. How about MinnPics?
S: MinnPics is still chugging along. There was legit interest from a couple of media organizations in the site and/or the concept but it's a bitch to monetize so it is best left as a hobbyist site and it's still a passion of mine as my skills as a photographer have grown. It also led to the launch of The MinnPics Store where my wife and I have put a select few of our best photos out there for sale to the general public. It's in its infancy as I just launched it about a month ago but it's a start towards being more serious as photographers but still having fun with it.
CF: Cool stuff. What about your kid?
S: She's 3 1/2 years old now and follows me everywhere. She follows me like a loyal puppy when I mow the lawn. She insists on taking her "camrum" (camera) along when we go out shooting photos. It's really one of my tripod bases but she has a killer imagination so it works for her. She also hasn't stopped talking since she began talking and she's super excited about perfecting her dancing skills in preschool. I don't think that dancing is taught in preschool but I could be wrong.
CF: Sounds like she's enjoying things. How about that swing you built three years ago?
S: The swing/playground is holding up very well. She and her cousins would spend entire days playing on that if I'd let them. I typically slap a coat of stain on it each fall and it holds up well. Yes, I built the entire thing myself out of nothing more than a truck full of lumber, some hardware, two drills and a shitty circular saw which has now been replaced by a far better saw.
CF: So you are considering yourself a bit of a handyman now?
S: I built a walk-in closet last fall. Drywall and all entirely on my own.
CF: Does that mean you'll be taking on any larger projects?
S: Based on my wife's demands that I actually fully complete projects within a specific timeframe probably not. A closet is easy. So was reworking the patio last weekend. All in about 7 hours of work.
CF: See, you are a handyman. What about other stuff?
S: I'm still trying to figure out how to avoid cleaning the cat's litter box.
CF: And how is that going for you?
S: I put it off until I realize that I can't remember the last time it was done.
CF: That's sort of the story of your life it seems. Procrastinate until you finally snap.
S: Bingo.
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Gone is November, one project is good enough to debut
This year has simply flown by and I'm not quite sure where the time has gone. Maybe it's because I've been off doing all sorts of time-consuming projects (three of which I'm almost finished with, only 33 to go!). Or maybe the time has flown because I'm getting older.
This isn't going to be me lamenting over tedious parts of my life that I have no business sharing with anyone outside of a doctor's examination room (don't worry, folks, no erectile dysfunction here...) but I'm starting to feel old.
Oh sure, most of the world's population (okay, maybe it's more like 65%) is older than me but the whole age thing comes creeping up. It's getting harder to hide the fact that I eat like shit and drink like a horse like a horse who had just galloped through the entirety of the Mojave Desert. (Busted, I don't even drink that much). Weight has never been an issue for me but now I find myself standing in front of the mirror jiggling my slowly expanding gut. Hell, I just ate 3/4 lb. of smoked pork while I've been writing this so maybe I need to begin with portion control. I totally blew off my burgeoning jogging routine this year because we were busy most night pitching in watching our four young nephews a few nights each week while their mother worked nights and their dad worked 12-15 hour days. A few nights of that left me wanting to do nothing more than relax. Couple that with the sweltering summer we had here in Minnesota and outdoor time wasn't exactly in the cards -- especially for extraneous physical activity.
See, I have an excuse for everything.
Once August rolled around, we began working on some pretty exciting online ventures. Those have sucked up more time than I ever thought possible. I spent early weekend mornings and plenty of nights getting three of the intended four ventures off the ground and, in the process, taught myself the basics of Wordpress, some rudimentary PHP skills and learned still more about CSS. Yep, pretty nerdy stuff and those projects are nowhere near perfect yet but like plenty of things I do they are a work in progress.
I took some vacation time (four days to be exact) to catch up on household work. My yard was totally clean as the first snow fell back before Thanksgiving. I manufactured and installed some new exterior trim which was terribly deteriorated after only 40-some years and built my old lady a walk-in closet. Sure, it doesn't have a door installed yet or any texture on the drywall but that son of a bitch is built!
And because our plan for a new two stall garage is a distant dream, I sprung instead for a garage door opener on Black Friday and, pending a missing part thanks to the monkeys who can't package shit at Chamberlain's Chinese manufacturing headquarters, I am stuck with an inoperable garage door opener for the time being. (See, that one is actually out of my control)
All told, the past few month's work is all leading up to a plan to supplement our income. It's all part of that American spirit. Entrepreneurship at its finest. We both rather enjoy what we do and are, for the most part, happy with our lot in life but we also want to restore our grand old home to its former glory and give it some much-needed curb appeal which all begins with a facelift to the old three-season porch spanning its width. It's the biggest project (even compared to the bathroom we gutted and rebuilt) we plan on tackling and it requires a lot of things to fall into place. But with some luck and a lot of extra effort it's going to happen. So help us to make it happen.
So spread the word about Minnesota Recipes. In short, it's an always growing collection of, for lack of a better word, heirloom recipes. They've been dug out of dusty drawers, book cases and out of print and decades old homemakers and church cookbooks. We've been busy typing recipes from old recipe cards tagged with the names of people I faintly recall from my years growing up on the family farm. We've also been busy trying some of these crazy sounding recipes for the sole purpose of photographing them and giving them our own stamp of approval in the process. It's all a lofty order when both are saddled with full-time day jobs and a now three year-old who is as loud and curious as she is cute.
Sure, Minnesota Recipes is far from perfect but I've learned a ton along the way. I learned the quirks of certain Wordpress plugins. I learned that SEO is a real bitch to crack sometimes. I learned that it's easy as hell to get frustrated when the results of your hard work are slow to turn in to something more substantial. Beware that when you visit Minnesota Recipes that I am scraping up bits of time here and there to fill out the missing bits of information. Descriptions of many of the recipes are missing when viewed in search engines due to my learning on the fly. Photos are slow to come because there's only so much food a family of three can afford to cook and eat.
All told, though, I'm becoming happier with the fruits of my labor. This is my first full Wordpress website. Creating it, though, has secured a future for myself at my job because I have that skillset ready to use at a moment's notice.
Hey, if anyone reading this knows more about CSS than I do, maybe you can lend a hand as you'll probably notice a couple elements still somewhat out of place on the main page of Minnesota Recipes. Feel free to drop me a line, I would greatly appreciate a few minutes of your amazing skills!
Thanks, though, for following my projects and to a certain extent my life. Hopefully Minnesota Recipes grows as quickly as MinnPics did -- or even faster! And don't think for a moment that I'll forget about MinnPics. That website is my little baby. I love photography and I love seeing and sharing what other photographers across Minnesota are up to. Curating MinnPics has taught me more than I could ever dream of and has spurred both me and my wife to become better photographers and find the hidden photographic gems in our own little corner of Minnesota.
This isn't going to be me lamenting over tedious parts of my life that I have no business sharing with anyone outside of a doctor's examination room (don't worry, folks, no erectile dysfunction here...) but I'm starting to feel old.
Oh sure, most of the world's population (okay, maybe it's more like 65%) is older than me but the whole age thing comes creeping up. It's getting harder to hide the fact that I eat like shit and drink like a horse like a horse who had just galloped through the entirety of the Mojave Desert. (Busted, I don't even drink that much). Weight has never been an issue for me but now I find myself standing in front of the mirror jiggling my slowly expanding gut. Hell, I just ate 3/4 lb. of smoked pork while I've been writing this so maybe I need to begin with portion control. I totally blew off my burgeoning jogging routine this year because we were busy most night pitching in watching our four young nephews a few nights each week while their mother worked nights and their dad worked 12-15 hour days. A few nights of that left me wanting to do nothing more than relax. Couple that with the sweltering summer we had here in Minnesota and outdoor time wasn't exactly in the cards -- especially for extraneous physical activity.
See, I have an excuse for everything.
Once August rolled around, we began working on some pretty exciting online ventures. Those have sucked up more time than I ever thought possible. I spent early weekend mornings and plenty of nights getting three of the intended four ventures off the ground and, in the process, taught myself the basics of Wordpress, some rudimentary PHP skills and learned still more about CSS. Yep, pretty nerdy stuff and those projects are nowhere near perfect yet but like plenty of things I do they are a work in progress.
I took some vacation time (four days to be exact) to catch up on household work. My yard was totally clean as the first snow fell back before Thanksgiving. I manufactured and installed some new exterior trim which was terribly deteriorated after only 40-some years and built my old lady a walk-in closet. Sure, it doesn't have a door installed yet or any texture on the drywall but that son of a bitch is built!
And because our plan for a new two stall garage is a distant dream, I sprung instead for a garage door opener on Black Friday and, pending a missing part thanks to the monkeys who can't package shit at Chamberlain's Chinese manufacturing headquarters, I am stuck with an inoperable garage door opener for the time being. (See, that one is actually out of my control)
All told, the past few month's work is all leading up to a plan to supplement our income. It's all part of that American spirit. Entrepreneurship at its finest. We both rather enjoy what we do and are, for the most part, happy with our lot in life but we also want to restore our grand old home to its former glory and give it some much-needed curb appeal which all begins with a facelift to the old three-season porch spanning its width. It's the biggest project (even compared to the bathroom we gutted and rebuilt) we plan on tackling and it requires a lot of things to fall into place. But with some luck and a lot of extra effort it's going to happen. So help us to make it happen.
So spread the word about Minnesota Recipes. In short, it's an always growing collection of, for lack of a better word, heirloom recipes. They've been dug out of dusty drawers, book cases and out of print and decades old homemakers and church cookbooks. We've been busy typing recipes from old recipe cards tagged with the names of people I faintly recall from my years growing up on the family farm. We've also been busy trying some of these crazy sounding recipes for the sole purpose of photographing them and giving them our own stamp of approval in the process. It's all a lofty order when both are saddled with full-time day jobs and a now three year-old who is as loud and curious as she is cute.
Sure, Minnesota Recipes is far from perfect but I've learned a ton along the way. I learned the quirks of certain Wordpress plugins. I learned that SEO is a real bitch to crack sometimes. I learned that it's easy as hell to get frustrated when the results of your hard work are slow to turn in to something more substantial. Beware that when you visit Minnesota Recipes that I am scraping up bits of time here and there to fill out the missing bits of information. Descriptions of many of the recipes are missing when viewed in search engines due to my learning on the fly. Photos are slow to come because there's only so much food a family of three can afford to cook and eat.
All told, though, I'm becoming happier with the fruits of my labor. This is my first full Wordpress website. Creating it, though, has secured a future for myself at my job because I have that skillset ready to use at a moment's notice.
Hey, if anyone reading this knows more about CSS than I do, maybe you can lend a hand as you'll probably notice a couple elements still somewhat out of place on the main page of Minnesota Recipes. Feel free to drop me a line, I would greatly appreciate a few minutes of your amazing skills!
Thanks, though, for following my projects and to a certain extent my life. Hopefully Minnesota Recipes grows as quickly as MinnPics did -- or even faster! And don't think for a moment that I'll forget about MinnPics. That website is my little baby. I love photography and I love seeing and sharing what other photographers across Minnesota are up to. Curating MinnPics has taught me more than I could ever dream of and has spurred both me and my wife to become better photographers and find the hidden photographic gems in our own little corner of Minnesota.
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
What's going on here?
In an effort of full disclosure, I thought I'd give anyone out there reading who gives a damn about the multitude of projects I have launched in the past an update on some of the cool things I'm currently working on.
Anyone who has followed me for a while knows that I'm a huge fan of photos -- especially those taken in Minnesota because that's where I live. If you're doubting me, just take a look at MinnPics and you'll see over three years of daily photo aggregation from a whole host of amazing photographers from all over Minnesota.
I've also dabbled with showcasing some of my own work on a couple Tumblr projects -- Minnesota River Flood and Minnesota River Valley. The first was a short-term project capturing photos of the 2011 spring flood along the Minnesota River and opining about the lack of response in the area where I live. The Minnesota River Valley photo project was much happier in tone and, while posting has been sporadic, I plan on holding on to both of these Tumblr blogs because it's part of who I am. Nothing is going to be going away right away but depending on what works and what doesn't, something might have to be sunsetted out of necessity. It's the sad reality but don't get down because the coolest things are yet to come.
But like everyone else, I am diversifying and playing on my strengths. In the next month (give or take a few weeks) I will be making a pretty cool addition to MinnPics. I'm also cooking up some more in-depth ideas for MinnPics too but those have additional hurdles which I am not ready to bite off quite yet.
My second project, and by far the most labor-intensive, is breathing life into something that foodies will particularly enjoy and probably non-foodies too. Without divulging too much, I'll simply state that this project, like my others, will have a uniquely Minnesotan flare to it.
The final project is reviving one which I haphazardly launched a few years ago but let shrivel up and dry. The difference now is that I have an actual plan for this new website and its reach will be broader and its purpose much more refined. It's all about something most everyone has used and I am rushing to get this one done. So much so that it's consuming the bulk of my free time at home.
Realistically I'm planning on having each of these three websites/website additions launched by October but some will debut later, others earlier. Rarely do I get hugely excited over the mere potential for my online projects because I'm a realist but I'm going to be hugely proud -- regardless of the level of success -- of this MinnPics addition. I should have done it a year ago but was finally prodded by my wife to make it a reality. The food-related project was hatched out of my own sense of humor but refined into something more logical and I'm already proud of the accomplishments being made. It's huge in the truest sense of the word. Think mountains of content.
But that's about all I'm willing to say. I'll have full details when the first website is launched but until then I'll be busy working behind the scenes making sure everything is functional. These are my newest babies and they're about to be born into an already crowded household and even more crowded online planet. I hope that they thrive.
Anyone who has followed me for a while knows that I'm a huge fan of photos -- especially those taken in Minnesota because that's where I live. If you're doubting me, just take a look at MinnPics and you'll see over three years of daily photo aggregation from a whole host of amazing photographers from all over Minnesota.
I've also dabbled with showcasing some of my own work on a couple Tumblr projects -- Minnesota River Flood and Minnesota River Valley. The first was a short-term project capturing photos of the 2011 spring flood along the Minnesota River and opining about the lack of response in the area where I live. The Minnesota River Valley photo project was much happier in tone and, while posting has been sporadic, I plan on holding on to both of these Tumblr blogs because it's part of who I am. Nothing is going to be going away right away but depending on what works and what doesn't, something might have to be sunsetted out of necessity. It's the sad reality but don't get down because the coolest things are yet to come.
But like everyone else, I am diversifying and playing on my strengths. In the next month (give or take a few weeks) I will be making a pretty cool addition to MinnPics. I'm also cooking up some more in-depth ideas for MinnPics too but those have additional hurdles which I am not ready to bite off quite yet.
My second project, and by far the most labor-intensive, is breathing life into something that foodies will particularly enjoy and probably non-foodies too. Without divulging too much, I'll simply state that this project, like my others, will have a uniquely Minnesotan flare to it.
The final project is reviving one which I haphazardly launched a few years ago but let shrivel up and dry. The difference now is that I have an actual plan for this new website and its reach will be broader and its purpose much more refined. It's all about something most everyone has used and I am rushing to get this one done. So much so that it's consuming the bulk of my free time at home.
Realistically I'm planning on having each of these three websites/website additions launched by October but some will debut later, others earlier. Rarely do I get hugely excited over the mere potential for my online projects because I'm a realist but I'm going to be hugely proud -- regardless of the level of success -- of this MinnPics addition. I should have done it a year ago but was finally prodded by my wife to make it a reality. The food-related project was hatched out of my own sense of humor but refined into something more logical and I'm already proud of the accomplishments being made. It's huge in the truest sense of the word. Think mountains of content.
But that's about all I'm willing to say. I'll have full details when the first website is launched but until then I'll be busy working behind the scenes making sure everything is functional. These are my newest babies and they're about to be born into an already crowded household and even more crowded online planet. I hope that they thrive.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
All about my health
It hit me last Tuesday. My stomach began churning like a million angry washing machines. I knew the feeling and vaguely remembered it from many years ago. On one hand I knew that the unsettledness would likely pass but on the other hand I wondered if this was the third occurance of a condition that had haunted me for the past decade.
By midnight, unable to sleep due to the roiling and churning in my gut, I knew that this was no ordinary, temporary stomach discomfort. This was the third coming of my curse.
It first happened almost eight years ago to the day. I know that time that it was a severe case of nerves that set off the extreme acid production which three days later hadn't eased up even a bit. Somehow, though, I got through that first bout without ever knowing what had happened or what the cause was.
Then a year later it all happened again. Except that particular time it wasn't correcting itself. I suffered through nearly a week of trying everything to throttle back the excessive acid production from the B.R.A.T. diet to living on Pepto-Bismol. Then I actually decided to do what most guys would never do, I went to see an actual doctor. I described my symptoms, he asked questions, more descriptions, more questions and after about 30 minutes (yes, 30 actual minutes with a qualified doctor) he suggested an off-the-shelf solution of Prilosec. Yep, I could just run across the street to Target, plop down fifteen bucks for a box of Prilosec and, combined with a bland diet to begin with, be back to my normal routine.
But that didn't fly this time around. I began taking Prilosec just as I realized that this was the real thing and it did nothing. The only course of action that seemed to work was to simply quit eating. So my last meal was Tuesday evening. A hamburger. A bland, boring hamburger. If I knew it was going to be my last meal I would have at least made it something delicious but a hamburger it was.
After two more days (Wednesday and Thursday) of intestinal and gastronomical distress I had some Cheerios Friday morning. Even in my severely weakened and dehydrated state I inflated a low tire for my old lady as she headed off to work Friday morning. I thought I was out of the woods.
But I wasn't. After I called in sick for a third day -- missing more work in a week than I usually miss in a year -- I knew that that day was THE day. I was going to triumph or die trying. I was going to kick my body's feeble ass and with more bland food (I now despise toast) and another dose of Prilosec I was feeling better. And due to work policies I eventually saw a doctor later that day. Even though his prognosis varied wildly from what I knew from dealing with these extreme acid flare-ups in the past, I felt better having talked things out and being reassured that I didn't bring this on myself.
Friday evening I ate actual food -- a roast beef sandwich from Arby's. It was delicious. I spent the bulk of that evening lightly napping and actually slept through the night until my daughter's internal alarm went off around 8 AM Saturday morning. I was beginning to feel better. I even went to to grocery store for some provisions and was feeling confident enough to buy and then eat a deli sandwich. It was the best food I had eaten in quite some time. It was amazing. It was like food straight from God himself.
Needless to say, while I'm still recovering to a certain extent, I feel far better now than I did on Tuesday evening. I know I haven't seen the last of these extreme stomach acid flare-ups (the doctor six years ago described my condition as my stomach's acid pumps get stuck in the on position and maybe even in high gear and proceed to wreak havoc on my entire body) but I can't let it keep me from living my normal life. So by the middle of the week -- barring any complications -- I'll be back to occasionally eating a smorgasboard of spicy Mexican food and washing it down with copious amounts of Coca-Cola. After all, somebody has to eat those 8 quarts of homemade salsa in my pantry.
By midnight, unable to sleep due to the roiling and churning in my gut, I knew that this was no ordinary, temporary stomach discomfort. This was the third coming of my curse.
It first happened almost eight years ago to the day. I know that time that it was a severe case of nerves that set off the extreme acid production which three days later hadn't eased up even a bit. Somehow, though, I got through that first bout without ever knowing what had happened or what the cause was.
Then a year later it all happened again. Except that particular time it wasn't correcting itself. I suffered through nearly a week of trying everything to throttle back the excessive acid production from the B.R.A.T. diet to living on Pepto-Bismol. Then I actually decided to do what most guys would never do, I went to see an actual doctor. I described my symptoms, he asked questions, more descriptions, more questions and after about 30 minutes (yes, 30 actual minutes with a qualified doctor) he suggested an off-the-shelf solution of Prilosec. Yep, I could just run across the street to Target, plop down fifteen bucks for a box of Prilosec and, combined with a bland diet to begin with, be back to my normal routine.
But that didn't fly this time around. I began taking Prilosec just as I realized that this was the real thing and it did nothing. The only course of action that seemed to work was to simply quit eating. So my last meal was Tuesday evening. A hamburger. A bland, boring hamburger. If I knew it was going to be my last meal I would have at least made it something delicious but a hamburger it was.
After two more days (Wednesday and Thursday) of intestinal and gastronomical distress I had some Cheerios Friday morning. Even in my severely weakened and dehydrated state I inflated a low tire for my old lady as she headed off to work Friday morning. I thought I was out of the woods.
But I wasn't. After I called in sick for a third day -- missing more work in a week than I usually miss in a year -- I knew that that day was THE day. I was going to triumph or die trying. I was going to kick my body's feeble ass and with more bland food (I now despise toast) and another dose of Prilosec I was feeling better. And due to work policies I eventually saw a doctor later that day. Even though his prognosis varied wildly from what I knew from dealing with these extreme acid flare-ups in the past, I felt better having talked things out and being reassured that I didn't bring this on myself.
Friday evening I ate actual food -- a roast beef sandwich from Arby's. It was delicious. I spent the bulk of that evening lightly napping and actually slept through the night until my daughter's internal alarm went off around 8 AM Saturday morning. I was beginning to feel better. I even went to to grocery store for some provisions and was feeling confident enough to buy and then eat a deli sandwich. It was the best food I had eaten in quite some time. It was amazing. It was like food straight from God himself.
Needless to say, while I'm still recovering to a certain extent, I feel far better now than I did on Tuesday evening. I know I haven't seen the last of these extreme stomach acid flare-ups (the doctor six years ago described my condition as my stomach's acid pumps get stuck in the on position and maybe even in high gear and proceed to wreak havoc on my entire body) but I can't let it keep me from living my normal life. So by the middle of the week -- barring any complications -- I'll be back to occasionally eating a smorgasboard of spicy Mexican food and washing it down with copious amounts of Coca-Cola. After all, somebody has to eat those 8 quarts of homemade salsa in my pantry.
Friday, October 15, 2010
The evolution of my blogging
Nobody has ever really questioned why I began blogging and I can't blame them but if you read this blog and haven't dug deep in to the archives, I'll get you up to speed.
Mere months after moving to the Twin Cities on a cold December evening I began this blog, entitled "A Day in the Life". It had virtually no direction in the beginning and many would say that it still doesn't but it became a launching pad in future years for my more recent projects and my further involvement in social media as a whole.
After working in a job surrounded by journalists, and often times reading their stories before publication. I realized that I could probably do this. After all, I'm a creative type and blogging in any format seemed like a logical extension of my graphic and web design work and my hobby of photography. And it continued. For probably far too long I was posting 4-5 days each week and the content was dry. In short, it sucked. I went through a period where I was displeased with the political happenings in our country and with the outlet I had developed the content was very political.
Then one day I decided that being so focused on one topic wasn't what I was about. I think it was around 2006 (almost three years in to blogging) when I took a drastic turn and that's when people started really reading what I was writing. MNSpeak (when Max Sparber was running it) began occasionally linking to my posts and that simply spurred my blogging. I began looking at the weird shit happening in Minnesota and opened my eyes to how truly weird things I saw every day were - I still remember spotting a possible trend of pipe smoking coming back.
As I explored my own photography and that of others in Minnesota I began putting together MinnPics to showcase the work of those Minnesotans sharing their photos on Flickr. Much to my surprise it actually took off. I dabbled there with how frequently to update and what to showcase and have settled in to a bit of a random groove with it after over two years. I juggled this blog and MinnPics and somehow kept both going while also handling all of my other daily duties as a somewhat responsible citizen. During that time, I decided to begin moving away from happenings in Minnesota with this blog and began sprinkling in more pop culture type of stuff including what could be called Nipplegate and Camel Toe watch during the 2008 summer olympics and the big rumor of last year: whether or not Lady Gaga was transgendered. (She's obviously not)
This year, I slowed down the posting here and this summer I started Minnesota Valley Photos. It's my own photos I take in and around the Minnesota River Valley and with an archive of over 15,000 photos I should be able to keep something coming for a few more months. Or years.
Being a huge music fan, I also started up a quickly thrown together collection of videos I called The Video Playlist. It's another side project that may or may not have legs but like many of the projects at work, the mantra is "fail fast". Maybe I'll shit-can it or maybe it will silently live on in obscurity forever.
At some point I also started Strib comments because the absurdity of the Star Tribune's comments is downright amazing and finding the dumbest is always a good time! I rarely update it but it's a cool concept.
For now I'm cool with how things are but if anyone's interested in taking MinnPics to the next level, I'm all ears. ALL ears. More amazing than anything is the fact that I've stuck with something for almost seven years. Especially in a world where Twitter seems to have almost killed long form blogging like this because, let's be honest, I could have probably summed this up in 140 characters but it wouldn't have put you to sleep, would it?
Mere months after moving to the Twin Cities on a cold December evening I began this blog, entitled "A Day in the Life". It had virtually no direction in the beginning and many would say that it still doesn't but it became a launching pad in future years for my more recent projects and my further involvement in social media as a whole.
After working in a job surrounded by journalists, and often times reading their stories before publication. I realized that I could probably do this. After all, I'm a creative type and blogging in any format seemed like a logical extension of my graphic and web design work and my hobby of photography. And it continued. For probably far too long I was posting 4-5 days each week and the content was dry. In short, it sucked. I went through a period where I was displeased with the political happenings in our country and with the outlet I had developed the content was very political.
Then one day I decided that being so focused on one topic wasn't what I was about. I think it was around 2006 (almost three years in to blogging) when I took a drastic turn and that's when people started really reading what I was writing. MNSpeak (when Max Sparber was running it) began occasionally linking to my posts and that simply spurred my blogging. I began looking at the weird shit happening in Minnesota and opened my eyes to how truly weird things I saw every day were - I still remember spotting a possible trend of pipe smoking coming back.
As I explored my own photography and that of others in Minnesota I began putting together MinnPics to showcase the work of those Minnesotans sharing their photos on Flickr. Much to my surprise it actually took off. I dabbled there with how frequently to update and what to showcase and have settled in to a bit of a random groove with it after over two years. I juggled this blog and MinnPics and somehow kept both going while also handling all of my other daily duties as a somewhat responsible citizen. During that time, I decided to begin moving away from happenings in Minnesota with this blog and began sprinkling in more pop culture type of stuff including what could be called Nipplegate and Camel Toe watch during the 2008 summer olympics and the big rumor of last year: whether or not Lady Gaga was transgendered. (She's obviously not)
This year, I slowed down the posting here and this summer I started Minnesota Valley Photos. It's my own photos I take in and around the Minnesota River Valley and with an archive of over 15,000 photos I should be able to keep something coming for a few more months. Or years.
Being a huge music fan, I also started up a quickly thrown together collection of videos I called The Video Playlist. It's another side project that may or may not have legs but like many of the projects at work, the mantra is "fail fast". Maybe I'll shit-can it or maybe it will silently live on in obscurity forever.
At some point I also started Strib comments because the absurdity of the Star Tribune's comments is downright amazing and finding the dumbest is always a good time! I rarely update it but it's a cool concept.
For now I'm cool with how things are but if anyone's interested in taking MinnPics to the next level, I'm all ears. ALL ears. More amazing than anything is the fact that I've stuck with something for almost seven years. Especially in a world where Twitter seems to have almost killed long form blogging like this because, let's be honest, I could have probably summed this up in 140 characters but it wouldn't have put you to sleep, would it?
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
You can see the future from here
In case you've forgotten, my photo blog/aggregator MinnPics turns a whopping two years old this week -- Thursday to be exact and I still update it most every weekday. For whatever reason, its popularity has slipped recently but it's not about popularity (but that doesn't hurt). Maybe two years is the course of something I had no intention of evolving. Maybe I'll keep it going or maybe I'll hit the delete button and the whole thing will vanish into the great beyond.
But whatever happens with it, I've got a new project. I call it Minnesota River Valley Photos because that's where I live and that's where I take the bulk of my scenic photos. I've got an archive of about 15,000 photos to dig through and I take a lot of photos so I think I can sustain it for a while. Follow it on Tumblr, subscribe to the RSS feed, ignore it completely or poop on your neighbor's front porch -- I really don't care as long as it's not my front porch.
So the cat's officially out of the bag on Minnesota River Valley Photos. If you give a damn, this place will still be the home to whatever random crap I feel like spewing so don't give up on us, baby, we'll make it through.
Lastly, to stay up to date with everything I'm doing, follow me on Twitter.
Oh, and one more thing, I don't care how old you are, don't pee in my back yard.
Friday, February 26, 2010
My musical tastes should be locked up for bad behavior
My latest half-baked idea involved my vast but scary CD collection. Due to having a 15 month old in the house, the generally alphabetized nature of the collection is in a state of complete mayhem but that very mayhem lead me to this somewhat terrible idea.My CD collection started around 1994. I spent too much money ammassing it and looking back it proves that my musical tastes have a bit of a checkered past (hey, I was young so shove it hipsters). Alright, my musical tastes sucked. But those terrible tastes make this latest idea that much more awesome.
One CD per day chosen at random from the somewhat massive CD shelving unit. The first CD I chose, after announcing my plan to my less than enthused wife (because I suggested that she participate as well) the first CD I chose - with a little help from the daughter - was by the world renowned band "Rednex" with the disc entitled "Sex and Violins". A classic in its own right.
Okay, so it's about as far from classic as anything could get but I look at this idea as making good for all the terrible music choices I've made in the past. It's sort of my musical pennance from the days before my musical tastes were refined and more accepted by fellow humans.
By the way, if you're unfamiliar with the band name "Rednex" but were near a radio in the mid 1990s and heard a song called "Cotton Eyed Joe", that's them. I apologize both for writing this and for buying that particular CD. Now I probably won't make it through my entire collection nor will I write about the boring details of each disc but I'll definitely point out the worst of the worst because it makes me that much more honest and relateable.
Both this blog and MinnPics took yesterday off but expect new photos at MinnPics at some point today because I love showcasing the best of the best in Minnesota photos!
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
In which I confess my nerdishness
I've been battling it for the better part of two decades. Sure, I've had glasses since I began 6th grade but I chalk that one up to genetics because when everyone of my aunts and uncles on both sides of my family - as well as my parents - has glasses it's inevitable that I'd eventually have them too. But having vision problems does not a nerd make. I also have a rather odd - to some - collection which my old lady has relegated to an upstairs closet in the far back of the house.
That collection consists of hundreds of miniature collectible tractors (cut me some slack, I'm a farm kid at heart - remember?). It took me 10-15 years to amass that collection and nearly weekly she asks me what I plan on doing with all those damn toys in the future. First off, they are not mere toys, I don't play with them like I would Legos if I was still in possession of Legos. The rowdy nephews don't get to play with my collectibles when they come by to visit and generally messy-up our house. And finally, they ARE NOT TOYS. They are worth more than my old car which she urged me to sell last fall. They are worth more than our shitty couch in the living room. Those fucking MINIATURE FARM COLLECTIBLES are an investment as well as a hobby. And when I finally hit the big time and we can build a house to our liking in the country so I can have my very own anger shed (a topic for another day) those collectibles will have their proper display room. But until then they'll have to reside in that dark closet where their beauty goes unappreciated.
Of course my oddness also extends to TV. Sunday night, when I should have been tidying up the living room and heading upstairs to brush my teeth, I found a documentary of sorts on CNBC about MacIntosh/Apple Computer. Yeah, I was actually watching something on CNBC and I sat for 45 minutes fixated on this rather compelling story about why there is such huge fandom surrounding Apple Computers. And I totally got it. I understood where the people interviewed were coming from. I could actually relate to these relative outcasts of society. Now I wouldn't camp out waiting for an Apple Store to open but I would love to attend MacWorld even now that Apple doesn't exhibit there or unveil products during the show each year.
And even more on the TV front, I own the complete series DVD box set of "Sports Night". Do you remember that show? It wasn't quite a drama but it was 30 minutes long but it also wasn't a comedy. It was a genre-bending masterpiece from Aaron Sorkin. It featured Felicity Huffman before she was a desperate housewife. It was relateable because it let viewers decide when to laugh because unlike its late-90s counterparts there was no laughtrack or studio audience. That series was like scripted gold.
Then there's "Lost". I can't take full responsibility for what became an almost obsession with that series. I didn't even watch the first couple of episodes of "Lost" but bored for something to unwind to, my old lady - soon after our wedding - sat down one Wednesday night in our smallish apartment to watch whatever was on. Being as I had no cable TV at the time, the offerings were limited but we caught a repeat of the premiere episode of "Lost" and I haven't missed an episode since. It's a given that nothing will get done around the house when "Lost" is on. I've collected each of the five seasons on DVD and am currently nearing the end of the second season as I try to pack in as much viewing as possible before the series ends in May. It's captivating because the story hops all over the place and spans not just thirty years but a couple of centuries as we found out at the end of the fifth season. The mysteries have me nearly obsessed the day after the show airs and while plenty of people will try to replicate this series, nobody ever will because it's the original and you can never beat the original.
And to further expand on my nerdishness, I also blog. Not just here but also maintain MinnPics which features awesome photos from around the great state of Minnesota.
That collection consists of hundreds of miniature collectible tractors (cut me some slack, I'm a farm kid at heart - remember?). It took me 10-15 years to amass that collection and nearly weekly she asks me what I plan on doing with all those damn toys in the future. First off, they are not mere toys, I don't play with them like I would Legos if I was still in possession of Legos. The rowdy nephews don't get to play with my collectibles when they come by to visit and generally messy-up our house. And finally, they ARE NOT TOYS. They are worth more than my old car which she urged me to sell last fall. They are worth more than our shitty couch in the living room. Those fucking MINIATURE FARM COLLECTIBLES are an investment as well as a hobby. And when I finally hit the big time and we can build a house to our liking in the country so I can have my very own anger shed (a topic for another day) those collectibles will have their proper display room. But until then they'll have to reside in that dark closet where their beauty goes unappreciated.
Of course my oddness also extends to TV. Sunday night, when I should have been tidying up the living room and heading upstairs to brush my teeth, I found a documentary of sorts on CNBC about MacIntosh/Apple Computer. Yeah, I was actually watching something on CNBC and I sat for 45 minutes fixated on this rather compelling story about why there is such huge fandom surrounding Apple Computers. And I totally got it. I understood where the people interviewed were coming from. I could actually relate to these relative outcasts of society. Now I wouldn't camp out waiting for an Apple Store to open but I would love to attend MacWorld even now that Apple doesn't exhibit there or unveil products during the show each year.
And even more on the TV front, I own the complete series DVD box set of "Sports Night". Do you remember that show? It wasn't quite a drama but it was 30 minutes long but it also wasn't a comedy. It was a genre-bending masterpiece from Aaron Sorkin. It featured Felicity Huffman before she was a desperate housewife. It was relateable because it let viewers decide when to laugh because unlike its late-90s counterparts there was no laughtrack or studio audience. That series was like scripted gold.
Then there's "Lost". I can't take full responsibility for what became an almost obsession with that series. I didn't even watch the first couple of episodes of "Lost" but bored for something to unwind to, my old lady - soon after our wedding - sat down one Wednesday night in our smallish apartment to watch whatever was on. Being as I had no cable TV at the time, the offerings were limited but we caught a repeat of the premiere episode of "Lost" and I haven't missed an episode since. It's a given that nothing will get done around the house when "Lost" is on. I've collected each of the five seasons on DVD and am currently nearing the end of the second season as I try to pack in as much viewing as possible before the series ends in May. It's captivating because the story hops all over the place and spans not just thirty years but a couple of centuries as we found out at the end of the fifth season. The mysteries have me nearly obsessed the day after the show airs and while plenty of people will try to replicate this series, nobody ever will because it's the original and you can never beat the original.
And to further expand on my nerdishness, I also blog. Not just here but also maintain MinnPics which features awesome photos from around the great state of Minnesota.
Monday, February 01, 2010
Purging is a lot of work
I'm doing something I haven't done in quite some time. Purge. No, not in the "I have an eating disorder way". I am purging myself of stuff.
If you asked me five years ago if I ever thought I'd see this house which we had just purchased feeling rather full, I would have said "No" and left it at that. But that's just what has happened. It took five years and I'm pretty sure that adding a kid over a year ago played a big part in it but we've managed to make this house which seemed rather huge - 2,100 sq. ft. plus a basement adding just over 1,000 sq. ft. - feel rather tiny. Maybe it's just because it feels very much "live in".
We have stuff in every closet. As I sit in the office, which doubles as an art studio, I can see with the open closet shelves from floor to ceiling nearly completely full of boxes. I've deemed the contents of each of those boxes necessary at some point in time but I'm sure if I could sort through them during this busy week I'd be left with an overflowing garbage can and some more space.
Some of the stuff is just stored away. It's stuff we've used in the past and may very well use again. We are slowly accumulating clothes that the rapidly growing little lady of the house doesn't fit in to any longer and just in case we'd need them down the road, we have them. Of course on the flip side, I found the old mirror from our pre-remodel bathroom stuffed away in the same closet which was home to a nicely framed Ferarri poster I accumulated during a tour of some printing company in the Twin Cities when I was in college. Those items will be curbside as soon as possible.
It's that never ending battle of deciding what is worth saving and what has served its purpose that we must all fight or risk becoming an episode of "Hoarders". I've seen what living life attached to possessions far beyond their usefulness is like. I helped that couple move last summer from a 2-bedroom apartment to a five bedroom house. All their crap, and most of it was just that, didn't even fit in the house. They still can't use most of their garage because if they bought it, there must be a purpose for it and they'll surely need it - eventually.
But I won't live that way. I've been busy, using free minutes here and there, shredding old papers from my hulking filing cabinet. It's step one in my purge. When the weather thaws the shed out back gets the same treatment and if the couch keeps misbehaving it, too, could very well end up curbside on spring cleanup day. Am I alone in this process of heavy purging from time to time or do most people do light purging more frequently? Is it a yearly thing or have I let things - mainly my filing of documents - go three years too long?
Or should I just close the door and focus on updating MinnPics? I think we all know the answer to that. People would much rather look at the pretty pictures of Minnesota than read this drivel!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The fire department should fix my water heater
Late Saturday morning I noticed a couple fire trucks on the move. This usually happens only when they have an actual fire to tend to. I assumed that some dumbass sat a space heater next to a towering stack of newspapers and headed outside dressed entirely in Carrhart clothing to walk their six giant dogs. It seems like the type of redneck behavior that would lead to fire trucks having to be dispatched.
Thinking nothing of it, because my house was not smoldering, I loaded up the Toyota crossover and took the child and my old lady to the grocery store because that's about all the excitement someone of my advanced age can handle before noon on a Saturday. After buying about fifteen pounds of meat and getting the child a McMeal we arrived back home.
I had frozen goods to put away and headed down the basement steps to throw some crap in the chest freezer and heard what sounded to be a faucet running at a fairly decent pace. Except it wasn't a faucet and it wasn't exactly headed towards the floor drain. Water was streaming out of the relief pipe of my water heater and running across the floor - finding its own way to nowhere.
Stumped as to what was happening, I did the only logical thing and called my dad. Of course he knew what the likely problem was and posed a solution which lead to me making a trip to the hardware store. And of course the hardware store was out of relief valves for water heaters because - wait for it - about half a dozen other residents from my neighborhood had run in to the same problem. This was all because the fire department - and two others from neighboring cities - filled their tanker trucks numerous times. But this was not for an emergency fire. No, this was for a controlled burn used for training purposes. A controlled burn which blew out relief valves on numerous water heaters and even destroyed a neighbor's water softener.
I support the volunteer firefighters in my city but use a little common sense next time because even now that I can easily fix that portion of my water heater, it doesn't mean that I want to fix it again.
If you like supporting good causes, check out MinnPics. I don't make a dime from it but I keep doing it because photos are art and I love both art and photography.
Thinking nothing of it, because my house was not smoldering, I loaded up the Toyota crossover and took the child and my old lady to the grocery store because that's about all the excitement someone of my advanced age can handle before noon on a Saturday. After buying about fifteen pounds of meat and getting the child a McMeal we arrived back home.
I had frozen goods to put away and headed down the basement steps to throw some crap in the chest freezer and heard what sounded to be a faucet running at a fairly decent pace. Except it wasn't a faucet and it wasn't exactly headed towards the floor drain. Water was streaming out of the relief pipe of my water heater and running across the floor - finding its own way to nowhere.
Stumped as to what was happening, I did the only logical thing and called my dad. Of course he knew what the likely problem was and posed a solution which lead to me making a trip to the hardware store. And of course the hardware store was out of relief valves for water heaters because - wait for it - about half a dozen other residents from my neighborhood had run in to the same problem. This was all because the fire department - and two others from neighboring cities - filled their tanker trucks numerous times. But this was not for an emergency fire. No, this was for a controlled burn used for training purposes. A controlled burn which blew out relief valves on numerous water heaters and even destroyed a neighbor's water softener.
I support the volunteer firefighters in my city but use a little common sense next time because even now that I can easily fix that portion of my water heater, it doesn't mean that I want to fix it again.
If you like supporting good causes, check out MinnPics. I don't make a dime from it but I keep doing it because photos are art and I love both art and photography.
Monday, November 23, 2009
I've become a teenaged girl
No, I didn't catch the premiere of the newest "Twilight" movie but I have mocked a few people I know who did wait in lines to see it. I just don't understand that movie and I am fairly certain that I never will.
My teenage girl complex lies with the music which has been catching my ears lately. I am ashamed to admit it but at thirty years old I have developed the musical tastes of a twelve year-old girl. I turn the radio up (if it's on) when I'm in the car and "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus comes on. I silence the wife when I catch "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga and I even went as far as YouTubing this recent song by Ke$ha (and yes, it's a totally stupid name).
The title even reads like it was written by a twelve year-old in txt spk. "Tik Tok". Really. What the hell has happened to me? I've even put one of the aforementioned songs on my iPod and if any of my friends were to get their hands on my iPod I'd never hear the end of it.
But that's where it stops for now. I haven't taken to taping (yes, I live in the stoneage without a DVR) anything on MTV. I didn't even know that the American Music Awards were on TV last night as I was watching "Storm Chasers" on Discovery and I don't understand that appeal of most of the shows on The CW. So does this mean that I have to turn in my man card or can I write this off as some sort of early midlife crisis?
Even with so much internal conflict, MinnPics still has the same quality photos of Minnesota that you've come to expect since mid-2008.
My teenage girl complex lies with the music which has been catching my ears lately. I am ashamed to admit it but at thirty years old I have developed the musical tastes of a twelve year-old girl. I turn the radio up (if it's on) when I'm in the car and "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus comes on. I silence the wife when I catch "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga and I even went as far as YouTubing this recent song by Ke$ha (and yes, it's a totally stupid name).
The title even reads like it was written by a twelve year-old in txt spk. "Tik Tok". Really. What the hell has happened to me? I've even put one of the aforementioned songs on my iPod and if any of my friends were to get their hands on my iPod I'd never hear the end of it.
But that's where it stops for now. I haven't taken to taping (yes, I live in the stoneage without a DVR) anything on MTV. I didn't even know that the American Music Awards were on TV last night as I was watching "Storm Chasers" on Discovery and I don't understand that appeal of most of the shows on The CW. So does this mean that I have to turn in my man card or can I write this off as some sort of early midlife crisis?
Even with so much internal conflict, MinnPics still has the same quality photos of Minnesota that you've come to expect since mid-2008.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
FOX 9 tells us how to blog but fails
Last night I accidentally came across a news story I had actually intended to watch. It was about blogging and how to make money off of it. After watching it on FOX 9 (KMSP) last night I came away with a bit of information but a bit more bewilderment, too. Was the approximately ten-minute segment actually about blogging and what bloggers do to make cash from their writing or was it about a reporter at the TV station entering the blogosphere in an already crowded topic (mommy blogging) and putting entirely too much in the way of resources in to her effort? I am well aware of having a polished launch regardless of who may or may not be paying attention but she hired a professional photographer to take photos of her and her kids. Sure, she probably expensed it out from the station as part of the story but doesn't that cross some sort of line when it benefits you on a personal level?
The longer I watched it, the more I came to realize that Trish Van Pilsum's story was getting annoying. From the repetitive music clip (the same ten or twenty-second clip of a Postal Service song) used to the oh-so-poignant story of her dilemma of finding the proper domain name on Blogger, it was speeding down the road from mildly informative to blatant self-promotion.
I give Trish's little blogging endeavor a few months at best before she gives up on regular updates. If it's anything like most news organization's staff blogs, it will be boring and end up withering on the vine with scant few watching the death. Sure, some media staffers are extremely good at regular blogging. Those, though, are few and far between and they are damn good at what they do and follow the rules of connecting with readers/viewers and have a personality that stands out from the herd. That is where WCCO shines and KMSP fails. It helps a great deal to have that instant name recognition but, again, a personality seals the deal. Sorry Trish Van Pilsum, you have the personality of an apathetic waitress at a restaurant offering nothing but slow service and cold Campbell's condensed soup.
Your story could have been compelling but instead you opened the door to a thousand or so wannabe mommy bloggers who are all geared up to hit the big time today but will realize in two months that blogging ain't that damn easy when you don't have a TV station willing to fork over ten minutes of air during their primetime news to promote their cute little mommy blog. They'll be even more disappointed and frustrated when they find out how much a quality photographer costs as they try to replicate the touch-feely nature of Van Pilsum's blog. A few will stick it out and evolve, finding their niche. I've been doing this almost five years and the first three sucked but I like it. I work in the media world to a certain extent so I know the battles and I witness them from across the hall each and every day and even I haven't cracked that secret code of "what works" in the world of online writing.
But I do know that MinnPics has a somewhat loyal following for some reason. Maybe because it has a ton of quality photos.
The longer I watched it, the more I came to realize that Trish Van Pilsum's story was getting annoying. From the repetitive music clip (the same ten or twenty-second clip of a Postal Service song) used to the oh-so-poignant story of her dilemma of finding the proper domain name on Blogger, it was speeding down the road from mildly informative to blatant self-promotion.
I give Trish's little blogging endeavor a few months at best before she gives up on regular updates. If it's anything like most news organization's staff blogs, it will be boring and end up withering on the vine with scant few watching the death. Sure, some media staffers are extremely good at regular blogging. Those, though, are few and far between and they are damn good at what they do and follow the rules of connecting with readers/viewers and have a personality that stands out from the herd. That is where WCCO shines and KMSP fails. It helps a great deal to have that instant name recognition but, again, a personality seals the deal. Sorry Trish Van Pilsum, you have the personality of an apathetic waitress at a restaurant offering nothing but slow service and cold Campbell's condensed soup.
Your story could have been compelling but instead you opened the door to a thousand or so wannabe mommy bloggers who are all geared up to hit the big time today but will realize in two months that blogging ain't that damn easy when you don't have a TV station willing to fork over ten minutes of air during their primetime news to promote their cute little mommy blog. They'll be even more disappointed and frustrated when they find out how much a quality photographer costs as they try to replicate the touch-feely nature of Van Pilsum's blog. A few will stick it out and evolve, finding their niche. I've been doing this almost five years and the first three sucked but I like it. I work in the media world to a certain extent so I know the battles and I witness them from across the hall each and every day and even I haven't cracked that secret code of "what works" in the world of online writing.
But I do know that MinnPics has a somewhat loyal following for some reason. Maybe because it has a ton of quality photos.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
A milestone I'd rather not achieve
Within the next couple weeks I'll be forced to achieve a milestone that most people hit well over a decade earlier. Call me a late bloomer if you want but this milestone has me more pissed off than anything.
This past summer we bought a 2007 Toyota Rav4. It was decided just after the birth of The Toddler that my old lady's Toyota Solara, a two-door luxury wanna-be sports car, wouldn't work much longer as we spent time crawling in and out of the back seat to retrieve an increasingly heavy car seat.
My old lady's back sucks without being hunched over and retrieving a wiggling infant so we began our search for an official grown-up vehicle. We decided that my fifteen year-old Pontiac Grand Prix could be sold and we'd be back to two vehicles and all would work out.
The vehicle search began over a year ago. We test drove a Dodge something 4-door. That car sucked. Sorry Dodge but you need to do better but I'll never know about the Dodge Caliber because the douchebag at a certain now-closed Denny Hecker dealership wouldn't even let us testdrive it. We tried out a couple of Volkswagen Jettas. They were small, nimble and fast as hell but we were really looking for something around the same size as the Solara. After a doctor's appointment at the famed Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN we test drove a Scion Xb, a Scion Xd, a Toyota Camry and a Toyota Corolla. At this point I was liking the pleasantly ugly Scion Xb.
Then this summer, after hitting the magical number in savings for a down payment, we test drove more vehicles. The next Friday, after scouring the internet for just the right vehicle, we hit the road to Mankato and 90 minutes later we were driving that 2007 Toyota Rav4.
A few months later it was time to change the oil. I located the appropriate oil filter - a crazy paper cartridge type - and bought a couple large jugs of oil. A couple nights later I got my gear together and crawled under the Rav4. I muddled and grumbled and cursed. This things was a damn nightmare. Something I had never seen in my fifteen years of changing oil in my vehicles. And the "can" housing the paper cartridge oil filter was so over-tightened that no amount of torque would budge it. I even called my brother-in-law mechanic who had no ideas or tools to aide me. I finally gave up, frustrated, and just drained the existing oil and replaced it with new. Then the cycle began again last weekend. The second oil change and I was prepared. I had what was promised to be a "damn good filter wrench" from NAPA and this time I would win the battle.
Then it happened. I was under the Rav4 again and the "damn good filter wrench" was constantly slipping. I needed something with more gripping power so off to another auto parts store where I found a kick-ass gripping jaws model that I KNEW would put me in the winner's circle.
Thirty minutes later the NAPA wrench was broken in half and my hand was nearly raw from torquing on the jaw-style wrench with my ratchet. Again I resorted to replacing only the oil and was left with a rather angry wife - angry about how much time I had spent to "accomplish nothing" and the amount of money I spent doing something "that I knew I could never do". Way to be supportive.
So in the next couple weeks I need to find an oil change place that won't cost a damn fortune. I've never had to pay someone to change my oil because it was ingrained in me growing up that you'd be foolish to ever pay for something so simple. Apparently my dad had never met this oil filter.
Today I sit as a defeated man in search of a lube and filter shop that will be able to remove the impossible oil filter can and make it possible for me to finally be able to change my own oil in the old lady's crossover. Yes, these are the battles I stupidly face every day.
One battle I enjoy is finding stunning photos to showcase at MinnPics. Check out what treasures of Minnesota await you today!
This past summer we bought a 2007 Toyota Rav4. It was decided just after the birth of The Toddler that my old lady's Toyota Solara, a two-door luxury wanna-be sports car, wouldn't work much longer as we spent time crawling in and out of the back seat to retrieve an increasingly heavy car seat.
My old lady's back sucks without being hunched over and retrieving a wiggling infant so we began our search for an official grown-up vehicle. We decided that my fifteen year-old Pontiac Grand Prix could be sold and we'd be back to two vehicles and all would work out.
The vehicle search began over a year ago. We test drove a Dodge something 4-door. That car sucked. Sorry Dodge but you need to do better but I'll never know about the Dodge Caliber because the douchebag at a certain now-closed Denny Hecker dealership wouldn't even let us testdrive it. We tried out a couple of Volkswagen Jettas. They were small, nimble and fast as hell but we were really looking for something around the same size as the Solara. After a doctor's appointment at the famed Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN we test drove a Scion Xb, a Scion Xd, a Toyota Camry and a Toyota Corolla. At this point I was liking the pleasantly ugly Scion Xb.
Then this summer, after hitting the magical number in savings for a down payment, we test drove more vehicles. The next Friday, after scouring the internet for just the right vehicle, we hit the road to Mankato and 90 minutes later we were driving that 2007 Toyota Rav4.
A few months later it was time to change the oil. I located the appropriate oil filter - a crazy paper cartridge type - and bought a couple large jugs of oil. A couple nights later I got my gear together and crawled under the Rav4. I muddled and grumbled and cursed. This things was a damn nightmare. Something I had never seen in my fifteen years of changing oil in my vehicles. And the "can" housing the paper cartridge oil filter was so over-tightened that no amount of torque would budge it. I even called my brother-in-law mechanic who had no ideas or tools to aide me. I finally gave up, frustrated, and just drained the existing oil and replaced it with new. Then the cycle began again last weekend. The second oil change and I was prepared. I had what was promised to be a "damn good filter wrench" from NAPA and this time I would win the battle.
Then it happened. I was under the Rav4 again and the "damn good filter wrench" was constantly slipping. I needed something with more gripping power so off to another auto parts store where I found a kick-ass gripping jaws model that I KNEW would put me in the winner's circle.
Thirty minutes later the NAPA wrench was broken in half and my hand was nearly raw from torquing on the jaw-style wrench with my ratchet. Again I resorted to replacing only the oil and was left with a rather angry wife - angry about how much time I had spent to "accomplish nothing" and the amount of money I spent doing something "that I knew I could never do". Way to be supportive.
So in the next couple weeks I need to find an oil change place that won't cost a damn fortune. I've never had to pay someone to change my oil because it was ingrained in me growing up that you'd be foolish to ever pay for something so simple. Apparently my dad had never met this oil filter.
Today I sit as a defeated man in search of a lube and filter shop that will be able to remove the impossible oil filter can and make it possible for me to finally be able to change my own oil in the old lady's crossover. Yes, these are the battles I stupidly face every day.
One battle I enjoy is finding stunning photos to showcase at MinnPics. Check out what treasures of Minnesota await you today!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Food I've never eaten
I'm something of an anomaly. I'll eat copious amounts of most anything you put in front of me but the things I've never eaten would make most people wonder if I'm acutally human (I am).
I've never eaten a McDonald's Big Mac sandwich. For one, I don't really trust much outside of the breakfast items - especially after a friend of mine from high school freaked out in the passenger seat of my car because he insisted that his Chicken McNugget contained a cyst and he had just bitten in to it. Even if his freak out was crazy, that sort of sealed the deal. Plus, I don't trust their slimy beef - I'm sure it has either soy or shredded newspapers in it as fillers. And the special sauce, I don't care what it is - good beef (which this clearly isn't) doesn't need to be covered in some mystery sauce to make it palatable.
A staple of kids all over America - which may explain the obesity problem - is macaroni and cheese. It's also something I've never once eaten. I don't trust cheese - powdered or melted - from a pouch. It goes against nature and that may be another reason why kids are little fatties. I don't care what my old lady says, even if her mac & cheese is the best thing this side of sex, I'm having nothing to do with it.
Mayonnaise. It just seems so unnatural to me. Really, who thought to themselves one day "Hey, I'm gonna combine oil and eggs and spread it on my sammich"? That's just fucked up when you break it down like that. Those are two items that, separately, have no business being near a sandwich but people, for whatever reason, think it's perfectly fine to slather them on their white bread and bologna sammich and gobble the crap right up. Again, I'm steering clear of it.
There are plenty more foods I've never eaten that are totally normal to most Americans but for the sake of time I'm ending it here for now. Am I strange for never eating these staples of Americana? Am I alone in omitting rather common foods from my diet?
Are you sick of this and would rather soak in the beauty of some amazing photos of Minnesota. Check out MinnPics for the latest photos!
I've never eaten a McDonald's Big Mac sandwich. For one, I don't really trust much outside of the breakfast items - especially after a friend of mine from high school freaked out in the passenger seat of my car because he insisted that his Chicken McNugget contained a cyst and he had just bitten in to it. Even if his freak out was crazy, that sort of sealed the deal. Plus, I don't trust their slimy beef - I'm sure it has either soy or shredded newspapers in it as fillers. And the special sauce, I don't care what it is - good beef (which this clearly isn't) doesn't need to be covered in some mystery sauce to make it palatable.
A staple of kids all over America - which may explain the obesity problem - is macaroni and cheese. It's also something I've never once eaten. I don't trust cheese - powdered or melted - from a pouch. It goes against nature and that may be another reason why kids are little fatties. I don't care what my old lady says, even if her mac & cheese is the best thing this side of sex, I'm having nothing to do with it.
Mayonnaise. It just seems so unnatural to me. Really, who thought to themselves one day "Hey, I'm gonna combine oil and eggs and spread it on my sammich"? That's just fucked up when you break it down like that. Those are two items that, separately, have no business being near a sandwich but people, for whatever reason, think it's perfectly fine to slather them on their white bread and bologna sammich and gobble the crap right up. Again, I'm steering clear of it.
There are plenty more foods I've never eaten that are totally normal to most Americans but for the sake of time I'm ending it here for now. Am I strange for never eating these staples of Americana? Am I alone in omitting rather common foods from my diet?
Are you sick of this and would rather soak in the beauty of some amazing photos of Minnesota. Check out MinnPics for the latest photos!
Friday, September 25, 2009
A letter to myself in 1997
What would you write, in letter form, to yourself in the year you graduated high school? Would you tell yourself to totally change your course? Would you advise taking a year off from life and travel and explore the world? Would you tell yourself to chase more tail or to keep it in your pants? What the hell would I tell myself to do?
Dear 18 year-old me,
I know you're starting college this fall and that's a good thing. I also know that you're not going to get much in the way of a meaningful degree. Stay in college longer. There's no shame in sticking around for five or six years - it's a good time and the education and degree you get out of it will actually offset the tremendous amount of debt you'll incur. Oh, and you might want to expand your educational horizons a bit as well. I know you're set on being a graphic designer and websites which you see as cool but boring in their design will change drastically in the next twelve years.
It's fine that you want to get a degree in graphic design but have a fallback plan - learn as much as you can about websites - design, language, etc. because by 2007 you'll realize that shit's gonna hit the fan and your dream of making it really, really big in print graphic design will be just a dream.
Secondly, don't be apprehensive about leaving the area you already know. Move, travel, lighten the fuck up. That one friend who opened your mind to all of that cool music was a great first step. Be sure to keep in touch with her. That's one of those friendships you'll still have when you're fumbling with your dentures.
And that friend with cool tastes in music, she's going to be totally right about that girl, who in a year, will want to date you. Sure she's totally fun and wild but she's also crazy and not in a good way. Oh, she's also pregnant. You won't see that one coming.
Moving on now. Immerse yourself in something and dream big. No, bigger.
Finally, don't be a dumbass. I know you'll do some pretty stupid shit in your early twenties. Enjoy it but you're gonna come close to actually offing yourself because of your stupidity. Oh, sure, you'll laugh about it later but that's only because your friends were there to save your stupid ass from almost certain death or at least very, very painful injuries.
In the end, thing turn out alright. At 30 years old you own a house, you're married, you own a couple of Toyotas and a swingset you built. Oh, and you have a kid. She's pretty damn cute, too. Sure, you still want more but the things you want are only to further challenge yourself so that's a good thing. But that idea you have at thirty of eventually owning an apple orchard, I'll just tell 18 year-old me (you) to remember that the apple business is rather crowded and way too damn competitive to be worth the trouble.
Speaking of apples, MinnPics will probably have some orchard photos as fall kicks in to gear.
Dear 18 year-old me,
I know you're starting college this fall and that's a good thing. I also know that you're not going to get much in the way of a meaningful degree. Stay in college longer. There's no shame in sticking around for five or six years - it's a good time and the education and degree you get out of it will actually offset the tremendous amount of debt you'll incur. Oh, and you might want to expand your educational horizons a bit as well. I know you're set on being a graphic designer and websites which you see as cool but boring in their design will change drastically in the next twelve years.
It's fine that you want to get a degree in graphic design but have a fallback plan - learn as much as you can about websites - design, language, etc. because by 2007 you'll realize that shit's gonna hit the fan and your dream of making it really, really big in print graphic design will be just a dream.
Secondly, don't be apprehensive about leaving the area you already know. Move, travel, lighten the fuck up. That one friend who opened your mind to all of that cool music was a great first step. Be sure to keep in touch with her. That's one of those friendships you'll still have when you're fumbling with your dentures.
And that friend with cool tastes in music, she's going to be totally right about that girl, who in a year, will want to date you. Sure she's totally fun and wild but she's also crazy and not in a good way. Oh, she's also pregnant. You won't see that one coming.
Moving on now. Immerse yourself in something and dream big. No, bigger.
Finally, don't be a dumbass. I know you'll do some pretty stupid shit in your early twenties. Enjoy it but you're gonna come close to actually offing yourself because of your stupidity. Oh, sure, you'll laugh about it later but that's only because your friends were there to save your stupid ass from almost certain death or at least very, very painful injuries.
In the end, thing turn out alright. At 30 years old you own a house, you're married, you own a couple of Toyotas and a swingset you built. Oh, and you have a kid. She's pretty damn cute, too. Sure, you still want more but the things you want are only to further challenge yourself so that's a good thing. But that idea you have at thirty of eventually owning an apple orchard, I'll just tell 18 year-old me (you) to remember that the apple business is rather crowded and way too damn competitive to be worth the trouble.
Speaking of apples, MinnPics will probably have some orchard photos as fall kicks in to gear.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
I have succumbed to Twitter
If you haven't noticed, I've officially joined Twitter. Sure, I've been a member of the Twitter community with a work-related project (light marketing stuff) for most of this year and used it previously for another (but ill-fated) work project so I'm not a noob by any means. But regardless of my non-newbie status, I mulled this decision over for quite some time. Would I have anything worthwhile to say? Will I get the all-important followers? (Hey, it's all about my image) My gut is turning and I feel nauseous. Well, maybe that's because I ate some pizza I found wedged between the stove and the cabinets.
The deal with Twitter is that I can more readily drop my random bits of wisdom on the general population, easily converse with others and hopefully push a few more readers to this blog (which is sorely lacking in readers, tell a friend about it, PLEASE).
Outside of that, I'm not changing anything. If anything, me using Twitter gives everyone even more of a glimpse into who I really am, what my interests are and what makes me tick. And it is true, I'm a big fan of pies.
I'm also a big fan of photos and MinnPics is my outlet for that interest. Check it out and appreciate the cool Minnesota photos captured and showcased. And feel free to inquire about my burgeoning wedding photography services...
The deal with Twitter is that I can more readily drop my random bits of wisdom on the general population, easily converse with others and hopefully push a few more readers to this blog (which is sorely lacking in readers, tell a friend about it, PLEASE).
Outside of that, I'm not changing anything. If anything, me using Twitter gives everyone even more of a glimpse into who I really am, what my interests are and what makes me tick. And it is true, I'm a big fan of pies.
I'm also a big fan of photos and MinnPics is my outlet for that interest. Check it out and appreciate the cool Minnesota photos captured and showcased. And feel free to inquire about my burgeoning wedding photography services...
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Turning over a new leaf
I'm back to running. Yep, I started running later last summer after I was shit-canned from my second job. It was a mixed blessing of sorts because it gave me back that time after my day job and came just as gas prices were starting to take a nosedive. On the other hand, it came just as my hours were cut at my day job (they have yet to come back).
Whatever the case, I realized that as I approached the ripe old age of 30, I needed to do something to improve myself. Maybe it's a part of my constant need to reinvent myself every so often. That's probably due, in part, to the fact that today's world moves so damn fast - I see the change all around me and find myself being bored. Not just with things around me but flat out bored with myself.
To combat that self-boredom, I became ultra-active in my after-work hours. I'd bring my running crap (shirt, shorts, shoes) with me to the office, change after my newly-shortened day and drive to a nearby park with a ton of trails that seemed custom designed for a nice run. Now there's no way in hell that I'd ever be ready to run in Grandma's Marathon but I began to see a change.
I felt healthier, looked better and while I didn't lose any weight (most would say that I don't need to lose any weight) I looked trimmer and leaner and generally more toned. I was impressed that this could happen with just three days a week and tackling what amounted to a mile or two each time.
Well, last night, after a few weeks of wondering what I could do to change myself again, I reverted back to running. The first excursion was delayed a bit after I dug for my iPod's set of at-home earbuds and my well-fitting running shoes. It didn't last long and as I walked up my driveway after the relatively short run I quickly realized that this isn't an option; I need to keep this up. I am so painfully out of shape (but hide it well) that I can't not do this.
I'll be spending the next few months working on my running again. Am I alone here? What do you do to reinvent or simply improve yourself?
And speaking of improvement, I'll be out this weekend taking a few photos that may or may turn up on MinnPics.
Whatever the case, I realized that as I approached the ripe old age of 30, I needed to do something to improve myself. Maybe it's a part of my constant need to reinvent myself every so often. That's probably due, in part, to the fact that today's world moves so damn fast - I see the change all around me and find myself being bored. Not just with things around me but flat out bored with myself.
To combat that self-boredom, I became ultra-active in my after-work hours. I'd bring my running crap (shirt, shorts, shoes) with me to the office, change after my newly-shortened day and drive to a nearby park with a ton of trails that seemed custom designed for a nice run. Now there's no way in hell that I'd ever be ready to run in Grandma's Marathon but I began to see a change.
I felt healthier, looked better and while I didn't lose any weight (most would say that I don't need to lose any weight) I looked trimmer and leaner and generally more toned. I was impressed that this could happen with just three days a week and tackling what amounted to a mile or two each time.
Well, last night, after a few weeks of wondering what I could do to change myself again, I reverted back to running. The first excursion was delayed a bit after I dug for my iPod's set of at-home earbuds and my well-fitting running shoes. It didn't last long and as I walked up my driveway after the relatively short run I quickly realized that this isn't an option; I need to keep this up. I am so painfully out of shape (but hide it well) that I can't not do this.
I'll be spending the next few months working on my running again. Am I alone here? What do you do to reinvent or simply improve yourself?
And speaking of improvement, I'll be out this weekend taking a few photos that may or may turn up on MinnPics.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Things my imaginary intern can do for me
If only I had an intern. I would treat him or her exactly how I am treated. The following exchange features my simple request first with my reactions following.
Get my coffee.
Too much sugar. Not enough sugar. I HATE creamer. I hate COFFEE. Then I throw the hot coffee at the intern.
Pick up my dry cleaning.
I left TWO suits there. This one isn't mine. I don't even OWN a dress! I was screwing with you, I don't OWN a suit. Intern, you're a THIEF! Then I'd light the dress on fire and throw it at the intern.
Go get my lunch.
Mayo. You incompetent idiot! I am ALLERGIC to mayo. Are you trying to KILL ME?!? Then I'd throw the sandwich, open-face, at the intern.
Wash my car.
You SCRATCHED it. And I said NO hot wax. And only PINE TREE air fresheners. I roll old school. Ahhhhhhhh! Then I'd back my car over the intern.
Tell me how great I am.
More over the top. Are you STUPID? Make it believable. NEVER mention my shoes!!! Then I'd smile at the intern, I DO have a soul after all. But this would only make the intern run away, possibly while crying.
All this, and more I didn't mention, stemming from a mere 10-second conversation about business cards for an intern and how pointless such a move would be. And in case you didn't notice, I would treat my imaginary intern like crap - a lot like being in the real working world.
MinnPics is always new and has something kick-ass planned for the first full week of July for the first birthday.
Get my coffee.
Too much sugar. Not enough sugar. I HATE creamer. I hate COFFEE. Then I throw the hot coffee at the intern.
Pick up my dry cleaning.
I left TWO suits there. This one isn't mine. I don't even OWN a dress! I was screwing with you, I don't OWN a suit. Intern, you're a THIEF! Then I'd light the dress on fire and throw it at the intern.
Go get my lunch.
Mayo. You incompetent idiot! I am ALLERGIC to mayo. Are you trying to KILL ME?!? Then I'd throw the sandwich, open-face, at the intern.
Wash my car.
You SCRATCHED it. And I said NO hot wax. And only PINE TREE air fresheners. I roll old school. Ahhhhhhhh! Then I'd back my car over the intern.
Tell me how great I am.
More over the top. Are you STUPID? Make it believable. NEVER mention my shoes!!! Then I'd smile at the intern, I DO have a soul after all. But this would only make the intern run away, possibly while crying.
All this, and more I didn't mention, stemming from a mere 10-second conversation about business cards for an intern and how pointless such a move would be. And in case you didn't notice, I would treat my imaginary intern like crap - a lot like being in the real working world.
MinnPics is always new and has something kick-ass planned for the first full week of July for the first birthday.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
The interview with me: Part Two
On the urging of a commenter on what was actually part one of the interview I did with my recently invented personality, Captain Fantastic, here are some follow-up questions...
Captain Fantastic: Are you a side sleeper or back sleeper?
Sornie: Usually I am a side sleeper but that's a lot of work because I usually end up on my back by morning. It takes a lot of energy to hold the side sleeping pose.
CF: Chocolate or vanilla?
S: I an not opposed some chocolate. Dark-skinned women, hell - women of any skin color - are fine by me...
CF: No, I meant chocolate or vanilla ice cream?
S: Oh, Neopolitan all the way. I'm all about ice cream equality.
CF: Do you have an accent? I don't know why I picture you with a slight English or Nordic accent.
S: I am a typical midwesterner which means I don't have an accent. I sound just like someone from California, Illinois or Ohio. I don't have the fake accent that was portrayed in Fargo.
CF: Musical taste? What get's your toes-a-tapping?
S: A wie variety of things but I tend to go through music like I go through bottles of juice. I'm always discovering both new and old tunes but I tend to lean towards alternative music. FOr old stuff, think The Replacements and Social Distortion. For current stalwarts, think Green Day and Weezer and for new stuff that makes some people say "What?" think along the lines of Metric and Phoenix.
CF: Oh and when did you start taking pix for MinnPics?
S: I started taking photos with some regularity when I bought my first decent digital camera in 2003 and upgraded to a pro model in 2007. I don't feature a lot of my own work because that would be rather self-serving. I started MinnPics in July of 2008 and while I love it I am considering replacing it with another project. Would you miss MinnPics if it went away?
Captain Fantastic: Are you a side sleeper or back sleeper?
Sornie: Usually I am a side sleeper but that's a lot of work because I usually end up on my back by morning. It takes a lot of energy to hold the side sleeping pose.
CF: Chocolate or vanilla?
S: I an not opposed some chocolate. Dark-skinned women, hell - women of any skin color - are fine by me...
CF: No, I meant chocolate or vanilla ice cream?
S: Oh, Neopolitan all the way. I'm all about ice cream equality.
CF: Do you have an accent? I don't know why I picture you with a slight English or Nordic accent.
S: I am a typical midwesterner which means I don't have an accent. I sound just like someone from California, Illinois or Ohio. I don't have the fake accent that was portrayed in Fargo.
CF: Musical taste? What get's your toes-a-tapping?
S: A wie variety of things but I tend to go through music like I go through bottles of juice. I'm always discovering both new and old tunes but I tend to lean towards alternative music. FOr old stuff, think The Replacements and Social Distortion. For current stalwarts, think Green Day and Weezer and for new stuff that makes some people say "What?" think along the lines of Metric and Phoenix.
CF: Oh and when did you start taking pix for MinnPics?
S: I started taking photos with some regularity when I bought my first decent digital camera in 2003 and upgraded to a pro model in 2007. I don't feature a lot of my own work because that would be rather self-serving. I started MinnPics in July of 2008 and while I love it I am considering replacing it with another project. Would you miss MinnPics if it went away?
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