I hope everyone enjoyed the day.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
First REAL Animation...
As odd as this may seem I'm posting about WORK. After finally getting out of the print department at work I moved into the realm of animation. HUGE leap here. Sure I was green and totally unskilled at my new gig as an animator, but the boys in the department gave me a crash course in TV 101 - props to Al for taking the chance and also to Hughes for taking the time.
I spent a btter part of a year to learn the in's and out's of broadcast through the nightly babysitting of the live shows (Golf Central, Sprint Pre/Post Game, Updates, etc. Here and there I did odds and ends for the different departments and learning the equipment. For awhile I started to get a little bored with the work, although it was a much needed exercise. Then Al did it to me...he threw a promo at me to get my feet wet. Sadly this first promo lacked any real direction or concept from the producer and it showed in the final promo. I did learn a good deal about putting together something for tv, but the hard way. Frustrated, but not wanting to lose focus I saddled up for the next promo. Mike gave me a little push as far as what he wanted and I took to it like a fish to water.
HUGE difference here. I totally got into the promo for the little known golf tournament and it showed. I got some props for it, including from the president of the company I came to find out later on in his creative meeting. So here it is (slightly compressed) in all its Kung Fu Theater Sunday glory. I took the liberty of using some of my print skill to manually draw details onto the players and give it that old school cheesy martial arts asian movie poster look to it, Enjoy!
I spent a btter part of a year to learn the in's and out's of broadcast through the nightly babysitting of the live shows (Golf Central, Sprint Pre/Post Game, Updates, etc. Here and there I did odds and ends for the different departments and learning the equipment. For awhile I started to get a little bored with the work, although it was a much needed exercise. Then Al did it to me...he threw a promo at me to get my feet wet. Sadly this first promo lacked any real direction or concept from the producer and it showed in the final promo. I did learn a good deal about putting together something for tv, but the hard way. Frustrated, but not wanting to lose focus I saddled up for the next promo. Mike gave me a little push as far as what he wanted and I took to it like a fish to water.
HUGE difference here. I totally got into the promo for the little known golf tournament and it showed. I got some props for it, including from the president of the company I came to find out later on in his creative meeting. So here it is (slightly compressed) in all its Kung Fu Theater Sunday glory. I took the liberty of using some of my print skill to manually draw details onto the players and give it that old school cheesy martial arts asian movie poster look to it, Enjoy!
Monday, November 12, 2007
This Is A Can Of Worms Waiting To Happen...
For quite some time I really thought Isa would be walking early. At 6 months she started to crawl and not even 3 days later after that she stood up. She started to cruise within a month handrailing across her crib adn furniture. I guessed she would be walking around 10 months. It actually took a couple more months for her to get the courage to get up and go. In fact, she didn't start until the week before her first birthday.
It almost seemed like she was prepping herself for her big day in Charleston. In that one week last week she went from stumbling after 3 or four steps to standing up and holding things and carrying them over to me. She can now communicate when she doesn't want something. Her mother even taught her some basic sign language to let us know when she was thirsty or hungry.
She's no longer a baby, but more like a little girl. I admit she has gotten cuter now than ever before. She's quick to smile and laugh and her shyness is starting to be replaced with some curiousity if you play your cards right around her. She still cries around strangers, but only if she's bombarded with strangers all at once.
This damn kid...
It almost seemed like she was prepping herself for her big day in Charleston. In that one week last week she went from stumbling after 3 or four steps to standing up and holding things and carrying them over to me. She can now communicate when she doesn't want something. Her mother even taught her some basic sign language to let us know when she was thirsty or hungry.
She's no longer a baby, but more like a little girl. I admit she has gotten cuter now than ever before. She's quick to smile and laugh and her shyness is starting to be replaced with some curiousity if you play your cards right around her. She still cries around strangers, but only if she's bombarded with strangers all at once.
This damn kid...
Disney's Not So Scary Halloween Party!
In early October, I spied a fantastic costume for Isa,
surprisingly at Cracker Barrel. They seemed to be
fairly popular and I had a hard time tracking down a
small enough one for our little monkey. But success
came at the location nearest our home in South
Orlando. We were determined to break it out and take
our little girl for her first trick or treating event.
surprisingly at Cracker Barrel. They seemed to be
fairly popular and I had a hard time tracking down a
small enough one for our little monkey. But success
came at the location nearest our home in South
Orlando. We were determined to break it out and take
our little girl for her first trick or treating event.
Again to break away from our routine I went ahead and
purchased two tickets for the Disney event. I LOVE
Halloween. El knows this and it was kind of painful to
know that for the first time in years we wouldn't be
able to go downtown for an "adult" time. Halloween
actually falls on a Wednesday and I have to work the
night shift (or shaft...however you see it). This was
the next best thing. El got her dressed on my early
Sunday shift to head out to Disney while I rushed home
to eat and change for the night.
purchased two tickets for the Disney event. I LOVE
Halloween. El knows this and it was kind of painful to
know that for the first time in years we wouldn't be
able to go downtown for an "adult" time. Halloween
actually falls on a Wednesday and I have to work the
night shift (or shaft...however you see it). This was
the next best thing. El got her dressed on my early
Sunday shift to head out to Disney while I rushed home
to eat and change for the night.
Isa even got to be featured in the Monsters,
Inc. Comedy Floor Interactive Show where she was "cast"
as Boo from the movie. Quite few "ooh's" ensued when
our little ladybug flashed up on the big screen. I
gotta admit she looked adorable in her costume. El
even managed to snap off a blurry picture of her on
the monitors.
Inc. Comedy Floor Interactive Show where she was "cast"
as Boo from the movie. Quite few "ooh's" ensued when
our little ladybug flashed up on the big screen. I
gotta admit she looked adorable in her costume. El
even managed to snap off a blurry picture of her on
the monitors.
Oktoberfest!
Things have been kind of hectic lately. After the
(continuing) debacle that is our home repairs after a
polybutylene water leak I knew Ellen had been
frustrated and in a foul mood. It's unfortunate that
with my and her) new work schedules that we don't have
any family time together as a family, much less as a
couple. Our lives have been simplified to going to
work and taking turns to care for Isa.
The weather had been clearing up and becoming cooler.
Halloween was just around the corner and I was eager
to see what the fall would have in store for us. This
weekend was unlike any other we had worked in a long
time. El worked on Friday and Saturday, out of the
house at 6am and coming home at 8:30pm. She would be
dead tired and would fall asleep in front of the TV
after we had dinner. A few hours later I would give
Isa her bottle and put her to bed to repeat the cycle
yet again for Saturday. Come Monday our roles would
reverse.
(continuing) debacle that is our home repairs after a
polybutylene water leak I knew Ellen had been
frustrated and in a foul mood. It's unfortunate that
with my and her) new work schedules that we don't have
any family time together as a family, much less as a
couple. Our lives have been simplified to going to
work and taking turns to care for Isa.
The weather had been clearing up and becoming cooler.
Halloween was just around the corner and I was eager
to see what the fall would have in store for us. This
weekend was unlike any other we had worked in a long
time. El worked on Friday and Saturday, out of the
house at 6am and coming home at 8:30pm. She would be
dead tired and would fall asleep in front of the TV
after we had dinner. A few hours later I would give
Isa her bottle and put her to bed to repeat the cycle
yet again for Saturday. Come Monday our roles would
reverse.
Tonight I decided to take the family out to
Celebration to dine al fresca and chill outside and
soak some night air. Apparently I picked a good night
- it was Oktoberfest! Live music, tons of revelers,
food cooked outdoors, cotton candy, face painting for
the kids and lastly the "falling of leaves" in the
town square. We ate dinner at the diner outside with
Isa who enjoyed the polka music so much she
screamed/sang along. It was a nice change of scenery
and I think El enjoyed her break from the routine.
Celebration to dine al fresca and chill outside and
soak some night air. Apparently I picked a good night
- it was Oktoberfest! Live music, tons of revelers,
food cooked outdoors, cotton candy, face painting for
the kids and lastly the "falling of leaves" in the
town square. We ate dinner at the diner outside with
Isa who enjoyed the polka music so much she
screamed/sang along. It was a nice change of scenery
and I think El enjoyed her break from the routine.
Friday, October 12, 2007
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
So right on the end of my two week "vacation" we were greeted home by wet floors and walls. We suspected the damn air conditioning unit again since it had been under repairs 4 or 5 times already for leaks and freezing over. Some kind of lemon law had to be in place to get us a new A/C installed (or so I had hoped), but a new kind of hell was in store.
So two weeks later I am still still giving the thumbs down for certain costs concerning a repipe - a patch job is not even part of the equation. My house is in shambles and we have to continuously turn on/off the water when not in use. The good news is that we get new floors (again) and plumbing which will help sell the house that much faster...
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
What Am I? An Idiot?
Usually about this time of year El and I take a two week vacation somewhere fancy schmancy. This year, however, due to budgetary restraints and having an additional family member we (or I rather) decided to do something different.
It's virtually impossible for me to do any home improvement or take on any sort of long project that can't be completed in a couple of hours or days. It's part of the reason why I actually hired a landscaper recently to do our yard makeover - a job that once a year only required me and El two to three days to do ourselves.
I had set my sights on redoing the pig sty called "the garage" for quite some time. I knew I wanted to seal and redo the floor, but with the tangle of powertools, lawn equipment, sporting goods and assortment of other heavy items I knew it would require some planning. The WHITE walls had taken a beating over the course of 5 years and needed some fresh paint. I've always hated that a single 40 watt bulb was my only light source as the sun set and wanted something brighter without tacking on more to my electric bill. Over the years my collection of Bob Villa tools had really started to amass and El despised everything literally piled on top of each other in there. She even purchased sets of plastic tupperware cases to sort the various items (electronics, light bulbs, screws and nails, etc), but it eventually became a losing situation.
It's virtually impossible for me to do any home improvement or take on any sort of long project that can't be completed in a couple of hours or days. It's part of the reason why I actually hired a landscaper recently to do our yard makeover - a job that once a year only required me and El two to three days to do ourselves.
I had set my sights on redoing the pig sty called "the garage" for quite some time. I knew I wanted to seal and redo the floor, but with the tangle of powertools, lawn equipment, sporting goods and assortment of other heavy items I knew it would require some planning. The WHITE walls had taken a beating over the course of 5 years and needed some fresh paint. I've always hated that a single 40 watt bulb was my only light source as the sun set and wanted something brighter without tacking on more to my electric bill. Over the years my collection of Bob Villa tools had really started to amass and El despised everything literally piled on top of each other in there. She even purchased sets of plastic tupperware cases to sort the various items (electronics, light bulbs, screws and nails, etc), but it eventually became a losing situation.
No I needed an industrial strength solution. My garage needed a makeover. So I had the genius idea of using two weeks of my vacation to tackle some much needed home improvement. I figured 4 days tops to do my garage and then pack the family with boat in tow to SC for another project - my parent's front patio. I guessed 3 days to lay porcelain tile and in between spend time at the beach, deep sea fishing, and cruising Charleston harbor to sightsee. I even called Carl who volunteered to set up some kind of barkada cookout. It sounded like a solid plan - sure would've been awesome if it actually happened.
First, my garage...
I actually started a week before my vacation to get the jump on the beast of a project. I figured I could have more fun in SC if I actually finished it before I had took time off from work. I ended up removing everything from the garage to the back patio and cleaning the hell out of the floors. The whole area was swept and all oil spots removed with mineral spirits and then hosed off. Rinse and repeat. Rain delays extended my cleaning and prepping time by 4 days. Once dry enough I could actually paint the floor with Rustoleum's Garage Floor Paint. Once that dried I took the time to install two florescent worklights in the ceiling. By the time my vacation actually started I was able to finally patch and paint the walls and trim. Lastly, I purchased four 7' x 4' cabinets to sort through the riff raff of guy shit. This last part was more of a bitch than I guessed it would be.
I actually started a week before my vacation to get the jump on the beast of a project. I figured I could have more fun in SC if I actually finished it before I had took time off from work. I ended up removing everything from the garage to the back patio and cleaning the hell out of the floors. The whole area was swept and all oil spots removed with mineral spirits and then hosed off. Rinse and repeat. Rain delays extended my cleaning and prepping time by 4 days. Once dry enough I could actually paint the floor with Rustoleum's Garage Floor Paint. Once that dried I took the time to install two florescent worklights in the ceiling. By the time my vacation actually started I was able to finally patch and paint the walls and trim. Lastly, I purchased four 7' x 4' cabinets to sort through the riff raff of guy shit. This last part was more of a bitch than I guessed it would be.
They each weighed 200 pounds and I had to assemble each one versus fork over the $15 Home Depot would've charged me to preassemble each for me ($60 total + delivery fees - c'mon I'm on a budget here). It took three days to assemble all four of these poorly engineered cabinets. Luckily I had El help me assemble and move them into place. Seeing my goal in sight I hustled to move all the tools back into the garage so we could finally get on the road to Charleston. I started my garage project Wednesday the week before. It was already Tuesday of the following week and I had burned thru almost a week of my two week hiatus...
Because of all the damn rain I never made it out to the storage facility to prep my boat for travel. I had planned on leaving it in SC and eventually selling it if an opportunity arose. Since having Isa I haven't had a chance to take it out, but I kept up with its maintenance and upgrades. Command decision time. I would leave the boat in Florida for another time. I couldn't take it out in Florida or SC even if I wanted to. Scattered thunderstorms along the east coast made sure of that. Plus, I still wanted to tackle my parent's front patio project.
By Wednesday morning we were on the road to Charleston. Once we were there I took the night off to chill with Isa's grandparents. The next day my father and I went to price out and buy his tiles. Once selected I wanted to clear out the patio, but he wanted to rest. ok. The NEXT day was spent clearing out and pressure washing
it. Every three years he would reinstall a new outdoor carpet to the patio and every three years it would be disgusting. Even more so because their damn dog uses it as its personal toilet. I was determined to permanently enhance the look of their house while avoiding having the front patio smell like a urinal anymore.
it. Every three years he would reinstall a new outdoor carpet to the patio and every three years it would be disgusting. Even more so because their damn dog uses it as its personal toilet. I was determined to permanently enhance the look of their house while avoiding having the front patio smell like a urinal anymore.
By Wednesday morning we were on the road to Charleston. Once we were there I took the night off to chill with Isa's grandparents. The next day my father and I went to price out and buy his tiles. Once selected I wanted to clear out the patio, but he wanted to rest. ok. The NEXT day was spent clearing out and pressure washing
it. Every three years he would reinstall a new outdoor carpet to the patio and every three years it would be disgusting. Even more so because their damn dog uses it as its personal toilet. I was determined to permanently enhance the look of their house while avoiding having the front patio smell like a urinal anymore.
It took about three more days to cut and lay the tile and let it cure. I would say I did my fair share of sweating my ass off. My father hasn't had the strength or stamina since his bypass to handle hard labor like he used to so I've taken it upon myself to do what I can to handle whatever needs done. Over the recent years I've given my father choice powertools as gifts vs the standard tie or shirt - I figured it would help make his life a little easier. Once the tile was laid El and I took it for the team and grouted it with my dad. I'll leave the sealing to him.
it. Every three years he would reinstall a new outdoor carpet to the patio and every three years it would be disgusting. Even more so because their damn dog uses it as its personal toilet. I was determined to permanently enhance the look of their house while avoiding having the front patio smell like a urinal anymore.
It took about three more days to cut and lay the tile and let it cure. I would say I did my fair share of sweating my ass off. My father hasn't had the strength or stamina since his bypass to handle hard labor like he used to so I've taken it upon myself to do what I can to handle whatever needs done. Over the recent years I've given my father choice powertools as gifts vs the standard tie or shirt - I figured it would help make his life a little easier. Once the tile was laid El and I took it for the team and grouted it with my dad. I'll leave the sealing to him.
We took the last two days of my vacation to spend with some friends (Steve and Carla, Carl and Kristy, and Marc and Crystal). Sorry we didn't get to do what I had hoped to do while we were there, Next time na lang. We plan on coming back in November to celebrate Isabella's first birthday.
Auntie Lalaine also made a brief appearance from Connecticut to say hello and spend some time, Sorry we didn't get to take her out really.
Auntie Lalaine also made a brief appearance from Connecticut to say hello and spend some time, Sorry we didn't get to take her out really.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
I Feel Good.
I was sitting in her room yesterday messing around on the computer when I looked over to her. She was sitting on the floor amusing herself with her little elephant rocking chair. I said "hi!". She looked up to me with her big eyes and smiled. Wow. I'm so in love with this little person. Sometimes at work I think about her and laugh at the things that make her HER.
I admit I do get jealous sometimes when her mommy comes home and she reaches out to her from my arms to be held, but we have our moments. At night I've kind of made it my ritual to slowly dance with Isa at night listening to her Carlos Villalobos Dreamtime Lullabies (if you don't have this one do yourself a favor and pick up this acoustic guitar artist) to settle her down for the evening.
My favorite feeling is knowing that I make a baby feel so comfortable and secure to fall asleep on my shoulder as I hold her. Even when she's being a little naughty and I scold her and she cries. She'll crawl to me upset and climb up so I can hold her. It's like her way of saying sorry. How can I be mad at her? I can't. So I hold her and her crying stops with big globes of tears trailing down her cheeks.
Eleanor, too, has her special things that she does with Isabella. She plays in the pool with her. She dances with her in the afternoons. She reads to her every night before bedtime. She has done so well as a mother. Nurturing, caring, patient without complaint. Of all the people I know she's the one who I think deserves such a good baby the most. Am I biased? Sure, but not without grounds.
Chillin' with Flipper and Shamu
A few weekends ago El's mom and younger sister caught a ride with the Raguine's on their annual Disney bound trip and came for a visit. El took the weekend off to hang with us so I planned a trip to SeaWorld for Isa. I made a call to my buddy, Randal, who works there as a videographer and editor to see if any arrangements could be made. Sure enough Randal came thru like a champ. Thanks for the tickets man!
The day was great, although tiring, and by almost 6pm we made our way home to shower off and cool down, but not before Isa jumped in her little pool with her Auntie Emily.
I think another fave spot of mine from when I was a child will be planned out soon. I fondly remember Marineland from back in the day. Government funded it's now a research center as well as a tourist spot. We'll see. if Isa is a good girl...
I think another fave spot of mine from when I was a child will be planned out soon. I fondly remember Marineland from back in the day. Government funded it's now a research center as well as a tourist spot. We'll see. if Isa is a good girl...
Blast from the Past
So you know how sometimes a chance encounter from your past leads to something else? It just so happened a buddy from high school in the Philippines so many years ago bumped into my older brother at his brother's wedding in Vegas recently. Charles and my bro, Rick, were great friends years ago half a world away. All part of a larger, tight crew they maintained their friendship all these years. By osmosis I befriended Charles' younger brother, Clarence, as well. He and Rachel, my older sister, were classmates in middle and high school as well.
It just so happened that Clarence asked for Rachel's number from my bro and thus they reconnected. I guess they've been chatting for a couple of months now and Clarence even managed a visit a few weeks ago from Louisiana Tech University.
It was cool to chat with him again. Of course, after 20+ years a lot has changed, but there is still a little bit of the same dude I knew back then. He's coming back this weekend to see Rachel again. They're something of an item I suppose. Good for Rachel - and Clarence.
It just so happened that Clarence asked for Rachel's number from my bro and thus they reconnected. I guess they've been chatting for a couple of months now and Clarence even managed a visit a few weeks ago from Louisiana Tech University.
It was cool to chat with him again. Of course, after 20+ years a lot has changed, but there is still a little bit of the same dude I knew back then. He's coming back this weekend to see Rachel again. They're something of an item I suppose. Good for Rachel - and Clarence.
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