compiling

Now that November has rolled around on the old calendar, it’s time for me to start pulling together music for my “Favorites of 2009″ mix.

So far, this year is shaping up nicely with selections from The Bird and The Bee, Tegan and Sara, Metric and Doves.

My criteria for this compilation is pretty simple:

1. The song must have been released sometime in calendar year 2009. And…
2. Only one song per artist, which creates a bit of a challenge for narrowing down great albums.

I was really pleased with the 2008 mix, Promises of Candy and it remains to be seen if 2009 has the same staying power.

mahnga

Grandma Janet with newborn Jason. June 1979.

Two weeks ago today, my Grandmother, Janet Barry, passed away after nearly 10 months of medical complications.

A better author could put words to the thoughts and feelings I have had over the past year. I am not that author. It is an immensely intimidating task. And everything I begin to write falls into cliché. I can say this:

I love you, Grandma. I am proud to have been your grandson.

recounting

Summer is long over. And a lot happened that I neglected to recount on the pages of this weblog. I hereby present:

Summer 2009: the Recount-ening

July
When my main desktop computer crapped out on me in May, I limped along using my laptop. It was a less than optimal solution but provided me with the basic email and internet functionality. In early July I purchased my first computer in probably 5 or 6 years. And the first brand new computer I’d purchased since college. My Mac mini is a delight. Sure, it’s no power house but it is leaps and bounds faster than the machine it was replacing. And it brought me into the modern Mac-era. Yay! I’m currently using it to work on some more video projects. Hopefully more on that soon.

Four years ago today, Susie and I were wed. How I ended up with such a remarkable woman is beyond my comprehension. ♥

employment

One year ago today I lost my job.

Oddly it’s turned out to be a great thing.

The agency I was working for, the place that was the whole reason Susie and I moved to South Carolina, has had two more rounds of lay-offs since last July. That swanky new office building downtown is quickly killing the company.

Looking back, I realize how incredibly lucky I was to find a new job. A new job with a higher salary (the highest salary I’ve ever earned, in fact). And it offers better benefits. Of course that’s all tempered by the 48 mile, each-way commute. And the work is not terribly fulfilling.

In just a scant 12 months, so much has changed. Last year, I was sending out resumés and getting responses to many of my inquiries. But now, there’s hardly anyone hiring in the design/advertising market, save for a few places on the coasts. It’s scary stuff.

So for now, I will count my blessings, offer help where I can to those former coworkers who now find themselves out of work and look for exciting freelance design opportunities…

“And the cosmic ballet goes on.”

camping

I’ve never been camping before. I have a vague memory of owning an old hand-me-down tent as a child. But I know I never l slept outdoors with it. We were never a camping family, growing up. But mostly it’s because I’m scared. Once when visiting friends I opted to sleep in my car instead of under the stars. It was one of the most uncomfortable (and stuffy) night’s sleep I’ve ever had. At least I avoided any bugs or (gasp!) wild animals.

slim

I had no inclination to get a new digital camera. My 3.2 Megapixel camera is perfectly acceptable. It works, and takes fine photographs. Even some video. So why did I get a new camera for my birthday?

One part envy, one part tech lust, one part selfishness.

As I mentioned previously, I forgot to bring my camera to my sister’s graduation. My brother and mother took a boat load of pictures. And the quality of their images was way better than anything my camera kicked out. Not so much the megapixel density, but the clarity and color of the photographs were impressive. Their cameras were also smaller and thinner than mine. And the displays were much larger than the postage stamp size on my camera. It didn’t help that at about the same time Cabel Sasser was writing a glowing review of his new Canon SD960 (the bigger brother of my SD780). Envy.

I’d been interested, for some time, in a digital camcorder. Something like a Flip or the new(ish) Zx1 from Kodak. Susie’s tape-driven camcorder has ghastly battery life and besides, collecting and editing tapes is a pain. My new camera shoots 720p hi-def, widescreen video. Lust.

What can I say, it was a birthday present. For my 30th. A milestone. That seemed like reason enough. Selfishness.

I put the new camera through it’s passes with photographs and video of the pets. (What can I say? They’re unbelievably cute and photogenic.) The video capture impressed me immensely, right out of the gate. The kit even came with a micro-USB to RCA cable that let’s me connect the camera directly to the television. {squee!}

The anondized metal casing gives the camera a very sturdy feeling. But the slim size is almost too small. There were several times I found myself gripping the camera extra tight during our camping trip (more on that later). Another compromise of the slim form factor is the special lithium-ion battery. No more AA rechargeables for me.

With all that said, I really do love my new camera. And I thank my mom and my wife for the joint gift.

third

Today marks another anniversary, three years ago today we moved to South Carolina. The weather almost mimics that of 2006; HOT.

Susie and I have been tempted to stray in the past three years, but we’re delighted with our cute little house. We’ve even made a few minor improvements that make life here all the more comfortable.

countdown

One week from today, I turn 30 years old.

It’s one of those significant numbers. But I don’t feel anxious or overly excited about it. I do feel like Charlie Brown admitting that.

Others have waxed far more poetically about turning the big-three-oh but I will say that the only “goal” I recall having was to be married. And that was happily accomplished 3-1/2 years ago.

traveler

As it turns out, May has been the month of traveling.

Attended my sister’s college graduation over Mother’s Day weekend. This was a solo adventure. We had nowhere to stay with the pets, so Susie elected to stay at home.

The university held it’s School of Fine Arts graduation in the relatively new and climate controlled hockey arena, Goggin Ice Center. Most comfortable graduation ceremony I’ve ever attended. Sadly, no body checking or Zambonis.

There’s a gaping hole in photo coverage. I forgot my camera. And what of the camera on my mobile phone? By the time graduation rolled around Sunday morning, the phone battery was dead. C’est la vie.

Something I learned on the 8-hour drive? There’s a long stretch of I-40 in Tennessee that broadcasts a local TV station on the radio. My iPod FM transmitter was interrupted by Oprah and local weather.

And then over Memorial Day weekend, we took a mini vacation to visit Susie’s parents at their property on Lake Cumberland, Kentucky.

The water levels are still low due to the Army Corps of Engineers work on the dam system but that wasn’t the news-making part of the trip.

One of the things that Susie wanted to accomplish on the vacation was to do a little water skiing. Unfortunately we had tremendous trouble with the boat trailer and never did get out onto the open water.

The long and short of it is that my in-law’s V8 Chevy failed while trying to attach the trailer hook. The brakes completely gave out. No one was hurt and the boat seems to have escaped damage but the car had to be towed.

No boat for us!

In the end, I think we had a very good time on the lake. And I did remember to bring my camera for this trip.

observant

I’m approaching 30, which might explain my recent absent-mindedness. I must need my brain medicine.

Rainfall for 2009 has been good, and our drought situation is getting better. Susie has been itching to get out to the lake. When last we left Lake Jocassee, the water level was, depressingly, several feet below normal.

The lake did not disappoint on the first trip of the season. No, the disappointment was entirely my doing.

I locked us out of the car.

After leashing the dogs and putting on my hiking pack, I decided that I probably didn’t need to carry my wallet with me to the lakeshore. With the rest of the car doors locked, I tossed my wallet into the open trunk and closed the hatch. Only, I didn’t throw my wallet, I threw my keys. Into a locked car. And then closed the only open door.

I had a minor panic attack when the car alarm beeped and I realized what happened.

The park rangers were quite nice and gave us a wire coat hanger and the numbers to a couple of local locksmiths. Apparently we weren’t the only ones locked out that day.

Suffice to say, the “superior German engineering” on my Volkswagen was enough to withstand any attempts with the coat hanger. Two passersby suggested breaking one of the rear passenger windows and paying the insurance deductible.

Susie took the dogs down to the lake for a swim, while I waited it out for the locksmith. $75 later, I had the car open, keys in hand and I didn’t have to smash any windows.

At least I can take solace in knowing that my car is nigh impenetrable. To my feeble carjacking skills, anyway.

tinker

“Because when the cord frayed on the fan, you didn’t throw it away and go and buy a new one. You replaced the fan cord.” ~ Mr. Jalopy

I love technology and gadgets and consumer electronics. But I also love things that last and last. Things that can be repaired and given new life. I think there’s a little Mr. Jalopy in me. I’m a bit of a tinkerer. But I’ve never really thought of it that way before listening to the most recent Studio 360 (3 April 2009).

Maybe it’s a symptom of the current economic situation. Maybe it’s ego. It could even be that I’m cheap; why pay someone to fix it, when I could probably fix it myself. When the CD player on my stereo stopped working, I ripped it open. When a tape got stuck in a VCR, I took the cover off and poked around inside. I’ve fixed a handful of computers. And I’ve even gotten a garage door to work again.

And Mr. Jalopy’s “world’s biggest iPod” gives me an idea for the old cabinet record player (with vacuum tubes!) I inherited from my Great Grandmother…

stopped

What strikes fear into the heart of every homeowner?

Releasing the handle of the toilet and seeing the water move not down, but reverse course and flood back up at you.

We’re having plumbing issues again. This is the second time in three years (the first instance cost us over $250, the weblog post documenting that adventure having been lost in the great service provider migration of 2006).

Fortunately for Susie, me and our checkbook, we learned from our past mistake. Well, we learned the necessary steps to fix the problem. Keeping the problem from occurring in the first place is a lesson we need to spend more time with.

Susie started digging up the septic tank lid, while I drove home from work. Today’s rain helped to soften the earth. Using my brute, herculean strength I was able to remove the lid and we made short work of the offending material.

I suppose it can be said that in this economy, we should have called a local company to come fix our problem. But I’m much more of a handle-it-myself kind of guy. It’s an ego thing, I guess. Besides, Susie and I make a dynamite team.

flakes

March is shaping up to be an odd month.

Exhibit A: On March 1st, a weekend-long rain turned into a snowfall that blanket our home with 4 inches. Traffic on I-85 was impacted to the point that many drivers were stuck in their vehicles for upwards of 8 hours! I missed half a day of work the next morning.

Exhibit B: Less than one week later, the snow melted and temperatures soared to the mid-70s. Just in time for my family to visit. Great weather gave us the opportunity to visit downtown Spartanburg, a city we rarely think of and never visit. Of note, nearly everything is closed on Sunday in Spartanburg. A visit to Greenville gave us great food, free cake and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. And we hit the trifecta by strolling through downtown Anderson, a city where everything is closed on Monday.

Finally Exhibit C: this weekend. Temperatures plummeted to the mid-40s and much needed rain has moved in. What does all this mean? With radical shifts in temperature, I’m preparing myself for another cold.

procrasti-nation

I’m participating in The Sketchbook Project, thanks to my sister. With in a few days of finding out about the project, I ordered a sketchbook. My book arrived a week before Christmas. I did not start working in the sketchbook until the first weekend of February.

Can you say, “Procrastinator”? I knew you could.

The theme of the project is “Everyone We Know.” I had a decent idea for my book; literally draw as many people I know as would fit in the pages of the book.

I began to feel completely paralyzed, anxious and mentally blocked. All throughout school, I had a hard enough time keeping a regular sketchbook, but knowing that this one will be in a traveling art show… gulp. Add to that the fact that I spend nearly all my time using a computer as my main creative tool. My drawing skills may have atrophied completely.

Apologies to the women in my family, but I think this endeavor turned out pretty darn well. I was even able to fill all but two of the sketchbook pages.

Is it a compelling art piece? That remains to be seen.

center

Haven’t spent much time in Greenville since being laid-off back in July. Over the last two weeks we’ve fixed that.

A couple of weekends ago, we were given free tickets to the Motor Trend Auto Show. Disappointing. I was pretty excited about the show and about seeing cars without the pressure of a salesperson. Saturn has some interesting vehicles in particular that I had a desire to see up close. Unfortunately, I continue to be disappointed by GMs general lack of polish. The interiors of their vehicles feel like they’re made of cheap, inferior material.

On the way out I realized that several auto makers did not have a presence at the show; BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Hyundai and Kia for example. Surprising. Economic doom and gloom aside, the show was well attended especially late in the afternoon on the last day. Of note, the most popular vehicles? Dodge and Chevy muscle cars.

This past weekend we took the dogs on a walk through downtown Greenville. The air was crisp and sky overcast. On the bank of the Reedy River we fed some birds with old, stale burger buns. Very people friendly birds. In the end, it’s a bittersweet feeling, walking around my old employer’s office building.

Also? Ice cream. Spill the Beans has become my hands-down favorite ice cream place. They use an auger (!) to mix up Blizzard-esque frozen treats.

fixit

The New Year started off, literally, with a home repair project. I spent a good deal of New Year’s Day fixing our garage door opener.

My garage door opener works like this: motor twists Gear 1 which spins Gear 2 which turns Sprocket that pushes chain which opens and closes garage door.

When I looked inside the unit I found Gear 2 was stripped. My guess is that this happened slowly over a long period of time. Everything inside the opener was covered in a white “snow”. This was the remains of the “teeth” from Gear 2. I suppose this is what can happen to an 11-year old plastic gear. Choking on the thought of buying a whole new unit and hiring someone to install it I immediately looked to the web for alternatives. Amazon.com came through with a gear replacement kit. Yay!

We waited a week for the kit to arrive, all the while opening and closing the garage door the old fashioned way, by hand. Aside from feeling a complete lack of security, this really wasn’t a big deal.

Surprisingly, the gear installation was the easy part. Time consuming, but ultimately easy. I had the most difficulty resetting the door controls. At first the door would try to close too far, putting stress on the unit and forcing it to open. Then it would open too far and bang into the unit, causing it to close. After consulting the owner’s manual for the third time, I managed to figure out the proper settings for the little turn-screws. Did I mention it was maddening? How about the tantrum I through when I couldn’t figure it out?

I know that as a home owner there’s always something that needs repair (or attention) so it seems I’ve become something of a (reluctant) handyman. It’s been two weeks since I installed the new gear. I still expect at any moment for the garage door to stop working again.

remembrance

Savannah was my sister’s dog. And when Laura went off to college, Savannah became my parents’ dog. But really she was a part of the family.

‘Vannah was not quite 9 when she was put to rest. She had become ill shortly before Christmas and as such spent most of the holiday on various medications and undergoing a battery of tests. The culprit was most likely cancer. In the end, my family decided that her quality of life had degraded to such a state that it was kinder to have her put to sleep than to live in discomfort.

Aside from a stray fish here and there, we didn’t really have any pets when I was growing up. Savannah came to our home just as I was finishing college and as Laura was about to enter High School. My brother, parents, and of course my sister, really took to having a dog. I merely tolerated Savannah. As long as she wasn’t too loud and didn’t try to lick me, I was fine with her. It wasn’t until I met Susie and her menagerie of pets that I finally admitted that I liked ‘Vannah.

I’m quite surprised how much the news of Savannah’s passing has affected me. Every time I think about her, I get very emotional. It’s made me realize just how much these animals in my life are more than just pets.

I miss that stupid little white dog.