nostatic at all...

Well, maybe it is too early to tell if the flu shot worked, but it did usher in a nice head cold. Maybe it is a consolation prize...

How many times have I used this title? Too many...this time back to Pendleton for another shoot. At least it was rather brief and I wasn't stuck having to wrap. Or rap.

Game development is one step forward, three crashes back. Today's play test was ugly. Some desync issue that flat out crashed multiple machines. And we had the *perfect* attack spot on the first round. Back to the coding board (well, for the developers, not me thankfully).

To the build shop to check on things. Phone ringing off the hook as the jungle drums are beating and the natives are restless at work. Some quick backflips to sort budget issues and planning for an all-hands meeting in the AM to quell the nerves. Of them, not me. Mine are un-quellable. And I have a script to finish tonight as we're shooting tomorrow. Yikes.

After 9 years without changes basses, a new one found its way into the fold. First gig tomorrow...tasty.

About 4+ hours of playing. Yikes. I'm out of shape for this...but the new bass rocks.

A little name play there. It's a lot of lies though...

Snow Leopard still sucks. I mean seriously sucks. God forbid that you would want to actually use one or more external hard drives to transfer files...

not in a tin can, but in the office. To quote Mr. Daltrey, "god there's got to be another way..."

It just got bigger. Who knew?

Well, I suppose now I'm committed. Sifu asked myself and one other senior student if we were going to stick around long enough to learn the tai chi fighting set (which is probably 5-6 months). We both said, "sure." The problem is that I've done all the other curriculum for this class so anything is a repeat. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but normally students don't repeat but rather move to a different class.

Change? CHANGE?!?!?

A longer than anticipated bit of free time, so off to the hills to enjoy the crisp sunshine.

No, not the new VW vehicle, but rather the standard state of affairs at work. Another tour again. Touragain. Sassy.

Another Netflix evening, this time Taxi Driver. Having only seen parts of it before, this was the first time through the whole thing. While DeNiro was great, I have to admit to feeling mixed about the film. Part of it might be that by today's standards the pacing is a bit slow. Blame the ADD generation. And while it was beautifully shot (lots of night and wet night sequences), it felt like something was missing. Maybe it is just timing and context, coming rather fresh on the heels of the Ft. Hood shooting (though the parallels aren't that great). Or maybe I'm just tired. Yeah, that's it...

Another week of insanity. Literally running between meetings. It is one thing to be in production on a $3M project (actually $10M all in, but this is the third prototype). It is something else to be doing that *and* dog and ponies, *and* trying to get two (three? four?) other new contracts wrangled and in place before the end of the year.

This really is crazy...

Despite the crazy work schedule, other things have to get done or they won't...get done. Today was the 12K service on the GS. My dealer is in Orange (about a 50 minute ride), and luckily they have free loaners if you bought your bike from them (which I did). So it was an early wakeup call (UGGH!) the roll out onto the freeways to drop off the bike, then hop on the loaner bike and ride back to the office in MDR, then have a few meetings, then ride back to Orange, then pick up the now happy GS (with new tires, and my wallet about $1K lighter) and ride home to meet the boy who had walked home from school (latchkeying it). Then to catch up on the work time lost while in transit. And now to read a nascent script and try to find a hip hop tune to set it to. It never stops...

How many tasks can you pack into a few hours? Well, location shoot, brief a technical writer, deal with multiple contracts, go over design issues, and be interviewed for a "making of" piece. And the requisite dozens of emails and a few phone calls to boot. Alton Brown would be proud of the multitasking.

I understand jugglers keeping track of 3 balls in the air. Even 4. But how about 5? 6? A dozen? Maybe a google.

Important for game development. Critical for networthiness. And when you shoot a script? Well, it helps if you have the last revision...

Towards the end of a long day, LA to Ft. Huachuca, AZ and back.

Lazer tag it is...you're only 13 once.

Too much work, a few illnesses, and too much work. But finally a day in the saddle. To no place in particular.

pow

now to write and rap it

When you live on the same street you work (albeit about 7 miles apart), you tend to follow the same route home. Well, except when you go on autopilot and start driving to the old place. But holiday traffic can be a blessing instead of a curse, forcing one to change up the routine. In this case, eschewing Lincoln for Ocean. And with apologies to our 16th president, I'll take the Ocean, thank you.

Carving under a watchful eye

Hike? Why not...

At least no bones were broken...

A visit from the oldest surviving friend, and a couple hours spent mucking about at the music store. Some things never change...

How many projects can you stuff in a year? Good question...