I hate my job. It's a phrase that many of us utter day after day. I've certainly had jobs in the past that I hated. There are days, more often than not, that I hate my current one. I often consider myself lucky to have a job, making a fair wage, and doing something that I actually don't mind doing. There are so many people out there that aren't as lucky as me. I tell myself that particular phrase quite a bit.
The truth of the matter is that I still hate WORK. Yes, WORK. The job itself doesn't matter. I could be doing the best and most exciting job in the world until it started to become work and then it would be back to the same old routine. This is the realization that I have come to. I work excessive amounts of hours...more often than I care to admit. I deal with idiots, micro-managers, attitudes, complacency, and copious amounts of stupidity. I have lots of things I'd rather be doing. Things that I think would be more productive and beneficial to me than just grinding it out every single day.
I often stay up late during the week for work related issues. It's not uncommon for me to be up until 2am. And then, on weekends, I'm watching email like a hawk so that I can attempt to react quickly to issues. On Sunday's, I have to be near my laptop so that I can react to something and the potential for "another late night" is always looming. All of this basically goes against everything that I said I would never do. I have made it a point in my life to work to live...not live to work. It seems that, even though I despise it, I have ventured into part of the work territory that I loathe. I enjoy my personal time with my family and friends...it's something that I value highly. It's mountains more important than work.
-- THIS IS A LATER WRITING BELOW --
Well, I just kind of happened on this as I was coming on here to possibly do an update to the old blog that no one reads. Frankly, I kind of enjoy going back and reading my thoughts. It gives me the advantage of hindsight...retrospect. I can say, with vigor, that all of the above still rings true. I have managed to reduce my hours, albeit in a forced way.
On a much lighter note, this whole thing started as a way to document my studio build out. I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but that's all be done for quite some time. And you know what I've done so far with it? I've recorded a practice speech for a master's thesis. Yes...exciting times.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
It's time to grow up
There are certain aspects of your life where you need to grow up. But, for a lot of facets of life, it pays to not grow up. That is what is wrong with a lot of people. They don't keep the mentality of a child where it is needed. By that I mean, you should go into things with new eyes. You should never stop getting excited about things in your life and you should never stop having fun.
But...there are times when you have to look at yourself and decide what you're going to do. I took out my earrings the other day. While that may not seem like such a big deal, I found it as a bit of a transition into acting my age...30. I work in an office, I'm no longer in a band, and it was simply just time. They had a good run and I wanted them when I got them. I knew that I would eventually take them out.
On another note, I'm nursing a sinus infection right now. It's absolutely horrible. I'm on some meds for that and the cough surup they gave me for my coughing works pretty well, actually. It makes me a bit drowsy but I can deal with that.
I continue to collect tools and such for woodworking. I also have some wood to start building out the studio. I have, what I think is, enough to build a entire bass trap. My intention was to build a proto-type to see how much wood I would actually use. That way I can make my wood selection more efficient. After I get the studio built out, I'm going to build some cabinets for my workshop and begin to really tweak it out and get it set up. I also already have a honey-do on my list to build. The wife wants me to build her a sunbathing lounge chair for the pool. Should be an interesting experience. I'm considering using cedar in it since that holds up to weather really well. Depends how much it costs I suppose.
And that concludes a somewhat random post.
But...there are times when you have to look at yourself and decide what you're going to do. I took out my earrings the other day. While that may not seem like such a big deal, I found it as a bit of a transition into acting my age...30. I work in an office, I'm no longer in a band, and it was simply just time. They had a good run and I wanted them when I got them. I knew that I would eventually take them out.
On another note, I'm nursing a sinus infection right now. It's absolutely horrible. I'm on some meds for that and the cough surup they gave me for my coughing works pretty well, actually. It makes me a bit drowsy but I can deal with that.
I continue to collect tools and such for woodworking. I also have some wood to start building out the studio. I have, what I think is, enough to build a entire bass trap. My intention was to build a proto-type to see how much wood I would actually use. That way I can make my wood selection more efficient. After I get the studio built out, I'm going to build some cabinets for my workshop and begin to really tweak it out and get it set up. I also already have a honey-do on my list to build. The wife wants me to build her a sunbathing lounge chair for the pool. Should be an interesting experience. I'm considering using cedar in it since that holds up to weather really well. Depends how much it costs I suppose.
And that concludes a somewhat random post.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Honing the Studio Design
This weekend I've spent some time learning SketchUp from a woodworkers perspective. Coupled with my other research on woodworking, I think I'm starting to understand how to build something well. I also found some horror stories of fingers going missing when working with wood and power tools, but that topic is for another day. Actually, I don't even want to think about it.
So...it's been a little while since I posted about the studio. I've been busy. If I'm not working, I'm trying to learn about woodworking and that kind of thing. Yet another hobby.
Anyway, I wanted to post my design idea for a free standing superchunk. The thought is that this baby will sit in the corner and can be moved later on if need be. I'll put some small rubber feet or a sliding pad on the very bottom. It has a 1 by strip in the back of the cabinet for extra support and durability. I'll also be sealing it off airtight. Rabbet joints complete the design for some added support instead of sloppy butt joints. I'm kind of wondering how heavy this thing is going to be at 9' tall!
This is the 2D version of it but I think it's pretty self explanatory. I'll model it in 3D as I continue to hone my Sketchup Skills. I'm learning quite a bit by following some stuff I found from Popular Woodworking on SketchUp for woodworkers.
-- EDIT --
These are going to be heavy. I thought about a stackables thing but I'd like to avoid it if I can. The true reason for my design is so I can avoid attaching it to the walls permanently. If they ever get moved, they're getting dismantled and burned. So once they're in place, they aren't going anywhere. But I don't want to attach them to the walls or damage my trim in the event that I need to take them down.
I may build a prototype and see what kind of weight I'm dealing with and how easy (or not) it will be to work with.
The 3D model of it is done. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and it really helped me work some of the kinks out of the design and think things through better. Hopefully I get faster at designing in SketchUp because this was a bit of a bitch.
So...it's been a little while since I posted about the studio. I've been busy. If I'm not working, I'm trying to learn about woodworking and that kind of thing. Yet another hobby.
Anyway, I wanted to post my design idea for a free standing superchunk. The thought is that this baby will sit in the corner and can be moved later on if need be. I'll put some small rubber feet or a sliding pad on the very bottom. It has a 1 by strip in the back of the cabinet for extra support and durability. I'll also be sealing it off airtight. Rabbet joints complete the design for some added support instead of sloppy butt joints. I'm kind of wondering how heavy this thing is going to be at 9' tall!
This is the 2D version of it but I think it's pretty self explanatory. I'll model it in 3D as I continue to hone my Sketchup Skills. I'm learning quite a bit by following some stuff I found from Popular Woodworking on SketchUp for woodworkers.
-- EDIT --
These are going to be heavy. I thought about a stackables thing but I'd like to avoid it if I can. The true reason for my design is so I can avoid attaching it to the walls permanently. If they ever get moved, they're getting dismantled and burned. So once they're in place, they aren't going anywhere. But I don't want to attach them to the walls or damage my trim in the event that I need to take them down.
I may build a prototype and see what kind of weight I'm dealing with and how easy (or not) it will be to work with.
The 3D model of it is done. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and it really helped me work some of the kinks out of the design and think things through better. Hopefully I get faster at designing in SketchUp because this was a bit of a bitch.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Okay, so what now?
I had a birthday recently. The 18th of January to be exact. I'm 30 now. I hate saying it. No, really...I hate it with the passion of a thousand burning suns. It's only a reminder than I'm getting older every day accompanied by the thoughts of missed opportunities and chances that I should have taken. Don't get me wrong, I'm in a good place. But what if, right? There's always that what if...
I'm contemplating several hobbies right now. I'd like to get into woodworking but I don't want to give up music at all. One of the big reasons I want to do some woodworking is because of music. I need to build out my recording room and to do that, I need some woodworking skills. To garner woodworking skills, I need some practice. To practice, I need tools. So that's where I'm at right now. Collecting the necessary tools to help me begin my journey. However, I'm also contemplating the whole idea of a band again (and have been for weeks). Do I want to further damage my hearing all for the sake of rock and roll? While I was watching a movie last night, I was thinking to myself that, as much as I miss being in a band and playing loud rock music, I'm not sure the hearing loss is worth it. I could always wear hearing protection. In fact, I wish I had all these years gone by. I wouldn't be in the tinnitus world in which I live if I had done the smart thing. Anyway, I've got options to weigh. Music will always be a part of my life in some way. I hope that I can pass it on to my son and watch him have fun with it. I also want to focus on becoming a better musician. I'm 30 now so maybe it's time to hang up the idea of a "band". Ugh...30. The idea of playing music as a band just sounds so fun! I'm not that far removed from my previous band, though.
On another note, the tool collection is going well. I picked up a compressor last week. Last night I ordered a router, brad nailer, plate joiner, and some other things. I figure that all I'm lacking right now is a good mitre saw. I've got my eye on a Hitachi that gets good reviews. From there, it's just a matter of collecting clamps, jigs, router bits, etc. All the small stuff...which adds up, by the way. From there, I'll likely add a drill press, band saw, and a circular saw. The circular saw will come before the others but for now, I'll make do with the table saw in lieu of the circular saw.
I'm starting to ramble...peace...from the 30 year OLD man.
I'm contemplating several hobbies right now. I'd like to get into woodworking but I don't want to give up music at all. One of the big reasons I want to do some woodworking is because of music. I need to build out my recording room and to do that, I need some woodworking skills. To garner woodworking skills, I need some practice. To practice, I need tools. So that's where I'm at right now. Collecting the necessary tools to help me begin my journey. However, I'm also contemplating the whole idea of a band again (and have been for weeks). Do I want to further damage my hearing all for the sake of rock and roll? While I was watching a movie last night, I was thinking to myself that, as much as I miss being in a band and playing loud rock music, I'm not sure the hearing loss is worth it. I could always wear hearing protection. In fact, I wish I had all these years gone by. I wouldn't be in the tinnitus world in which I live if I had done the smart thing. Anyway, I've got options to weigh. Music will always be a part of my life in some way. I hope that I can pass it on to my son and watch him have fun with it. I also want to focus on becoming a better musician. I'm 30 now so maybe it's time to hang up the idea of a "band". Ugh...30. The idea of playing music as a band just sounds so fun! I'm not that far removed from my previous band, though.
On another note, the tool collection is going well. I picked up a compressor last week. Last night I ordered a router, brad nailer, plate joiner, and some other things. I figure that all I'm lacking right now is a good mitre saw. I've got my eye on a Hitachi that gets good reviews. From there, it's just a matter of collecting clamps, jigs, router bits, etc. All the small stuff...which adds up, by the way. From there, I'll likely add a drill press, band saw, and a circular saw. The circular saw will come before the others but for now, I'll make do with the table saw in lieu of the circular saw.
I'm starting to ramble...peace...from the 30 year OLD man.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Some free time?!?!? The hell you say!
These days I don't have much in the way of free time. Even without being in a band, I'm always doing something. If I'm not working, I'm typically running here and there or doing something around the house. In fact, the ONLY free time I typically have is when I should be sleeping. My desire to have some downtime coupled with the fact that I hate sleeping makes that a pretty bad combination. That translates to some late nights and groggy mornings.
So, here it is a Saturday and I have nary a thing to do. Sure, I could do something that involves cleaning or getting something done around the house but...honestly, what fun would that be? None. So I've spent the majority of the day just doing whatever. I WAS going to work when I got up this morning but they are moving the VPN servers to a new location so I can't log in and do anything. Tragic, I know.
At one point, I had to go get the wife at Walmart because she managed to lock her purse in the truck with her keys and her phone. That didn't bother me because I wasn't really doing anything in the first place. I also made it a point to try out my newest guitar along with my newest recording device. It's really just a play toy (the recording device, not the guitar) that I'm using to do demos and practice on. We'll see how it goes. I was pretty underwhelmed with it on my initial test run. But the guitar is pretty BA so that's a definite plus.
The rest of the day consisted of listening to some tunes, doing some research on guitar cabinet impulses, and doing absolutely nothing else. That lead me to text a few people. Which brings me to my next thought. These people that I text are friends...and I'm sure they're busy but, they don't text back too often. And when they do, it's typically hours, if not days later than my original message. Call me paranoid...no, really, do it...but, WTF? I reply back to people pretty damn quick. Especially friends.
I guess that's what I get for having a bit of free time...realization.
So, here it is a Saturday and I have nary a thing to do. Sure, I could do something that involves cleaning or getting something done around the house but...honestly, what fun would that be? None. So I've spent the majority of the day just doing whatever. I WAS going to work when I got up this morning but they are moving the VPN servers to a new location so I can't log in and do anything. Tragic, I know.
At one point, I had to go get the wife at Walmart because she managed to lock her purse in the truck with her keys and her phone. That didn't bother me because I wasn't really doing anything in the first place. I also made it a point to try out my newest guitar along with my newest recording device. It's really just a play toy (the recording device, not the guitar) that I'm using to do demos and practice on. We'll see how it goes. I was pretty underwhelmed with it on my initial test run. But the guitar is pretty BA so that's a definite plus.
The rest of the day consisted of listening to some tunes, doing some research on guitar cabinet impulses, and doing absolutely nothing else. That lead me to text a few people. Which brings me to my next thought. These people that I text are friends...and I'm sure they're busy but, they don't text back too often. And when they do, it's typically hours, if not days later than my original message. Call me paranoid...no, really, do it...but, WTF? I reply back to people pretty damn quick. Especially friends.
I guess that's what I get for having a bit of free time...realization.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
How to give a high five
It's a subtle but very effective form of saying "Awesome". Do yourself a favor and learn how to properly do it! It's a communication between the eyes and the elbow of the other person. You can't miss!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Yeah...about that...
So I jammed some acoustic guitar last night with a couple of friends with the possibility of putting a new band together. New band, you say? Yeah. I used to be in a moderately successful band and I decided to leave the band. After I left, the band kind of split apart and now two of the former members are putting together another band. They want me to play guitar in the band.
I said that to say this: I'm not sure if I want to play any more. I'm in the middle of planning for treating a room in my house to turn into a studio but yesterday I started second guessing myself. Do I want a studio? Or do I just like the idea of a studio? By that I mean, do I just like the process of acquiring gear, building out the room, and owning it and that be it? Or do I actually want to use it? I mean, what's the point without a band, right? If I was just going to do stuff on my own, all I would need would be a little cheap something or other to do personal demos with. Not the big mess that I'm currently getting myself into.
So, I think I'm going to use this weekend as a reflection time. I'm all about procrastination and second-guessing myself so I'll likely not reach any conclusions at all. Instead, I will likely bounce back and forth without making any real decision at all. Maybe I should wait this project out? That is, the one with starting a new band. Maybe I should give it more than just one little jam session. It went okay. It could have been way better. Maybe I'll give it another week or two before I pull a trigger on it. And until then, I think the studio will go on the back burner. That will be a subject that I address when I decide on this band. If I do the band, I will do the studio. If I don't do the band, I will have some more thinking to do.
On a totally unrelated note, I went into Best Buy yesterday to pick up a couple of Blu Ray movies. I was hoping they were on sale for $20 each. But they were $30 each. $60 for two movies is beyond absurd! I proceeded to find them on Amazon...BOTH for the same price as I would have paid for ONE at Best Buy. I'll consider that my small win of the day yesterday.
I said that to say this: I'm not sure if I want to play any more. I'm in the middle of planning for treating a room in my house to turn into a studio but yesterday I started second guessing myself. Do I want a studio? Or do I just like the idea of a studio? By that I mean, do I just like the process of acquiring gear, building out the room, and owning it and that be it? Or do I actually want to use it? I mean, what's the point without a band, right? If I was just going to do stuff on my own, all I would need would be a little cheap something or other to do personal demos with. Not the big mess that I'm currently getting myself into.
So, I think I'm going to use this weekend as a reflection time. I'm all about procrastination and second-guessing myself so I'll likely not reach any conclusions at all. Instead, I will likely bounce back and forth without making any real decision at all. Maybe I should wait this project out? That is, the one with starting a new band. Maybe I should give it more than just one little jam session. It went okay. It could have been way better. Maybe I'll give it another week or two before I pull a trigger on it. And until then, I think the studio will go on the back burner. That will be a subject that I address when I decide on this band. If I do the band, I will do the studio. If I don't do the band, I will have some more thinking to do.
On a totally unrelated note, I went into Best Buy yesterday to pick up a couple of Blu Ray movies. I was hoping they were on sale for $20 each. But they were $30 each. $60 for two movies is beyond absurd! I proceeded to find them on Amazon...BOTH for the same price as I would have paid for ONE at Best Buy. I'll consider that my small win of the day yesterday.
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