Habitualchaos

This past Monday (Labor Day), as Ive failed to mention over the last two days... I got to partake in a very unique moment for my niece and nephew. At least Im hoping it was a unique experience for them, even though taking into consideration the fun they were having and their relative ages (3 + 5), I doubt it had any earthshattering emotional effect on them.

Myself, my niece (5), my nephew (3), their mother (my sister) and our mother all played out in the rain in the late afternoon on Labor Day. Well, really it was myself, my niece and nephew playing... as their mom, and our mom kinda watched while getting rained on under a tree. Nonetheless it was a real fun experience... its been quite a few years (double-digits) since the last time I did something like that. Of course, it was refreshing to have my niece and nephew there to share in the fun; as a bald, tattooed, stocky fella playing in the rain by his lonesome raises the creepy-meter just a little (at least to the neighbors).

About an hour later, just a little muddy and a lot wet... we all came in to share in some ice cream retrived by my Dad. It was a lotta fun... situations like that just make sense when my niece and nephew are involved. Running around in circles, tickling, pretend tea parties, watching cartoons (although I do that when theyre not around too) and just general mayhem are so needed in this world run by money and stress. Not a day goes by I dont thank God (even considering my situation) that I am at home to be here for this.

Of course that thanking-God idea slowly dissipates when the kids hand you a whopping spoonful of extra-whineyness; and disgust when we cant continue playing cause Uncle Jasey has to catch his breath (even though Im the best outta the group in play/tiredness ratios, far as the adults are concerned). Course when that happens, we just send them home (hee hee).

P.S. I must thank the commentee who uses one letter as a call-sign for the suggestions in my previous entries comments. The plan outlined in that comment is almost exactly what I had planned anyway... but the suggestion about VTC was a good and appreciated one.

Im taking a little different approach though. Upon reviewing some of the titles offered on that site, as far as programs go... I rememberd a couple years ago, seeing similar tutorials being offered at Lynda.com. Upon reviewing that site earlier today, I saw that she offers access to her entire video library (via online viewing, of course) for $250 a year (a little less than her $25/month charge).

Since Id be spending upwards of that anyway on hers or VTCs tutorials (usually running $100 each) and taking into consideration her titles offered, thats not a bad deal, since Ive already seen 4-5 tutorials Id want anyway. She doesnt cover everything, but certainly enough to keep me busy.

Just a couple days ago, to help out my Dad with the many many things hes been doing lately... I offered to mow the grass, to take that out of his schedule. It was more a situation of asking what he wanted me to do, and him asking if I could that for him. I immediately agreed to do it... as not only an attempt to help him out, but also my little part of thanking my parents for letting me stay here for now.

Was a little weird... and a little nostalgic honestly. There I was, walking the same little path I hadnt walked in a good 4-5 years. Walking along for a good ten minutes or so with the push-mower, then stopping to empty the grass-bag into my Dads little red trailer... hooked up to his newly acquired toy, of course, for eventual dumping of said grass out in the woods behind their house.

I was reminded of my younger days. Of course the push-mower and the tractor were different types then... but walking the same pattern I did when I was younger, and following that same routine to get it done took me back to quite a few years ago... and it got me thinking.

I honestly dont feel 29, almost 30. From what Ive been told (by quite a few people), I dont look 29, pushing 30 either. Im pushing a good 24-25 from all the accounts of people going "youre 29?... you dont look 29; I thought you were 24-25, but not 29 (yadda yadda yadda)". I certainly dont act like Im 29, something Im not ashamed to say too. And of course judging by the girls of today... I certainly dont wish I was 29. But then again, considering the girls of today... I dont wish I had quite a big a head as I do, or would have paid more attention to my "physique" (I borrowed that term from Mikey... yknow the famous weight-lifter/singer) when I was younger. Ahh... blah blah, regrets regrets; anyway...

Ive actually entertained the thought, once or twice (but not that seriously of course), if somehow my birthday got screwed up and Im really not the age my license says I am. I could never tell, or see in my face; what made people get the impression I was younger than I am. Course, I could never (and still dont sometimes) see the stockiness in me that always makes people ask if I played football either... but they still do (I was given the suggestion once that I should register www.thickandscary.com... blah blah blah).

Of course, as youd assume, Ive come to accept the fact no ones gonna show up on my (parents) doorstep anytime giving me a wonderous tale of how (while carrying it) someone tripped and spilled something on my birth certificate, smearing the ink on my birth date, or like my birth certificate had a typo, or something like that. Wouldnt that be cool though?!

That person, would of course be followed up by the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol finally finding where I live... to drop off the check always forgot to give me at my apartment. Fucking bastards.

Doesnt matter, I can always get the money by starting that bank robbery idea; and void out my actual birth date somehow... by never acting my age, or making a new one up, or something like that. I think Im younger... I think Im younger... I think Im, ahhh... nevermind.

Yesterday, after leaving my bud Marcs house to go to a little shindig one of my co-workers was having at her new house... I saw, as it drove by me, a car (and I cant remember what kind of car it was) with a small chandelier hanging between the front and back seats.

This week has been somewhat of a blur on account of a deadline at work. Its always seemed weird to me, that Id be working on the biggest site Ive ever done at the place Im working for now. I look back a couple months ago to the deal that was struck between me and my current employer... that little 90-day experiment we embarked on, and kinda chuckle at the end of this week.

The site was possibly supposed to go live Wednesday, but little things here and there prevented that... although the site going live is a lot closer than I would have thought even a month ago. Its also been quite a project management ordeal with me as well.

The original account executive (AE), if you can call him that... was the TV producer for my current employer, not an actual AE (as he often said when realizing the scope of this project). He left the company not long after that, although not on account of this site... which left a big hole where the AE was, and leaving me the only person who know anything about the site, its content, etc.

The official AE replacement was my current boss, the big cheese... although (even upon his admission) Ive been co-AEing this thing with him. Needless to say, this project has become very important to me... even from a project management standpoint alone, not even taking into consideration the design.

All the roles Ive played into this site just made this week (as I said) almost a complete blur... I worked 26 hours on this thing Monday + Wednesday alone. Although we didnt go live with the site Wednesday... I was would have been prepared to do it.

Ive designed, produced and basically managed this whole project... a project I am gonna be quite proud of when its finally completed; now that Ive come up for air that is.

Went bowling tonight with my buds Marc and Devon and a few others. Part of our normal Friday routine... go out to dinner, and then do something afterwards. The "something" afterwards changes from each week... just as the places for dinner change. One week it might be going back to Devs to play some cards, going to see a movie or, like tonight, going bowling.

Tonights bowling actually had its own little "life moment" for me. Tonight was the first time I got 4 strikes in a row, commonly known as a 4 Bagger.

I got a little excited after the 4th one. Im good enough (if thats even the word to use: good) to consistently get over 100 each game I play... but this one had that slight potential for me to hot the 200's; something Ive never done before. That excitement slowly but surely faded away though...

I was so close... I was s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o close.

Another week is almost at an end... so I felt it time for another written installment into the life of J. More frequent installments is my ultimate goal, but for all those times I have a lot to say... there are these times where I almost have to make stuff up. Fortunately Im not quite to the making-stuff-up stage... but Ive thought about it.

Well, I maintained a membership to the before-mentioned Lynda.com movie library (for my intended home schooling) for 1.5 days before realizing I made a mistake. Not a mistake in my plan of home schooling... a mistake signing up for access to Lyndas movie library.

Something I didnt notice upon my earlier reviews of the VTC site, was that they are offering the same deal that Lynda.com is... that being a $25/month or $250/annual membership to their training video library, which (by comparison) is much much larger than Lyndas video library; covering many many other subjects of interest to me. Now, of course, I noticed their membership offer the day after I already threw $250 out to sign up for Lyndas library.

After beating my head against the wall for a couple minutes... I thought since I only had the membership to Lynda.coms library for less than two days; Id try to convince them to give me my money back so I could sign up for VTCs library. I wasnt convinced itd work, full realizing I might have just to stick with the Lynda library... but I had to take the chance. After emailing their membership support, giving an excuse that some unexpected expenses came up... they agreed to give me $225 back from the $250 I spent; essentially keeping $25 for a months membership since Id already logged in and browsed through some videos.

That was actually gonna be a suggestion of mine, but them suggesting it before me worked out extremely well... and was exactly (almost) what I wanted in the first place.

With that said, I decided to wait a day or two (to make sure my chargeback came through) to sign up for VTCs online library. Only difference being, Im gonna do the $25/month instead of $250/annual... to save some money now.

Oddly enough, I cant wait to sign up. Even when I was reviewing Lynda.coms video library, I was genuinely excited over all the subjects they cover that i wanna know. Now Im getting a library almost twice the size of Lyndas for the same price.

First stop... all the Flash MX videos.