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Ew.
Quick entry for now. Been waking up early for the past 2 days. Don't know how long that'll last, but we'll see. It is a good habit. I have tons of bad ones...
Anyways, I just took a shower. Also the past few days, my hands have constantly been feeling icky and I don't know why. It's probably a result of my oily complexion, but my hands aren't always feeling this nasty. So it has to be something else...
I have bad habits, particularly hygiene. I don't shower before bed. I rarely shave. There are days when I sleep with the clothes I've been wearing all day, other days when I'm sleeping just in boxers and socks (ala the George Costanza portrait). I eat before I go to bed.
Yesterday I got those plastic knobs that keep the glasses on my face (what are they called?!) replaced, as the grease from my face had turned them green. Yeah, pretty disgusting.
I need to buy some sanitation wipes, which I'll probably do right after I finish this entry. Just typing on my keyboard is making my hands feel gross. Probably wipe stuff off around the house, as well as in the car... I'll probably change bedsheets. What else... Clean my glasses.
I just shaved today. I need to buy new razorblades. Those whiskers attract a lot of facial and food oil.
Yep. That's all I have to say about that. For now. Wow, this entry is longer than I expected... I could just keep writing, but my hands are getting rather disgusting. Off to CVS.
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Yummy!
The other day as I was coming home from shooting a graduation, I decided to check out Frank Bonelli Park. I've always passed by the area on my commute to Cal Poly Pomona for years. So I went in just to take a look. 8 bucks for parking... It's essentially a lake and park. Since you have to pay, there isn't as many people. Then again, it was also a weekday. The hillsides are all brown with dead vegetation. Perhaps that would explain what I just saw... a squirrel was eating roadkill. One of their own. Wow, resorting to cannibalism.
Anyways, graduation season is over, and once again I find myself without a job. *sigh* Freelancing sucks. Or I should probably say that I suck at freelancing. I keep wondering if I'm overcharging when people ask for quotes, but every gig that I do get ends up paying too little. It's just freakishly difficult...
I made chili for Father's Day. Perhaps the hottest I've ever made it. While my intent was to make it hot, you want to have a variation of flavours, which I didn't get to do. I was going to put in some serrano peppers too, but I had put oo much chili powder and red peppers... I also played around with the quantity levels. Added an additional can of chili beans and another pack of meat into it. I cooked it on high too long, and a lot of the beans turned to mush. Oh well, live and learn. I had made enough to last me 2 days later... It was less spicy as I ate it after that Sunday, but no less "potent" as far as gas and bathroom usage.
A while back I heard about this adult school that taught photography. The price point was good too. Now, it's not comparable to any private photography program like Brooks Institute, but that's not what I'm looking for. I just want to get my feet wet into studio photography and other fields that need tweaking. And it's only 8 week quarters, so it's not too time intensive. Grades don't really matter in adult schools, so if I do find a job or gig, I can skip a class with little worries. As expected of an adult school, a lot of the students are older. Some probably retired or moms looking for a hobby. There are a few in attendance that are around my age, so it's not too awkward.
Anyways, it's opening week for the summer session, so I'll be checking out the courses they're offering. If it goes according to my plan, I'll be taking 2 courses on Monday, 1 on Tuesday, 2 on Wednesday, 2 on Thursday, and one on Sunday (it works perfectly with church since I go to evening service).
Last night I finally made my business card and sent it in to be printed. As I wait for the next week for the cards to come in, I should start prepping a letterhead and cover letter. My plan is to write basic services that I can offer to my neighbors, and just drop them in the mailbox along with my business card. It's not considered solicitation as it is just junk mail, but we'll see how that pans out.
These past few weeks I've spent WAY too much on photographic equipment. I've had to repair my telephoto lens, buy a replacement flash, buy a medium zoom lens, and various other lighting equipment. I just got my credit card statement... but none of those purchases were listed on it, so I'm quite frightened next month. If I don't drum up some income soon, look for me to be disowned and out on the streets.
The wonders of the internet are amazing. I can location scout online. And while I won't know specific spots to shoot or lighting conditions, it gives me a great range to find hidden gems. Unfortunately, many of these gems are far... and with gas prices the way they are... Maybe I'll just go scouting just once a month.
Well, gotta run... er, drive to class. Later!
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Zoo in my Pants
It's around 3:30am right now. I went to bed pretty early after a horrible day shooting at this high school graduation. Everything was so chaotic. Soooo tired, and I went to bed right after dinner. Regretting that now, as I woke up a few hours later, with my digestive system sounding like a zoo. Weird growls coming out of there. Not good. Hopefully I won't have to go to the bathroom again, but not counting on that. So I'm basically waiting till my stomach settles before heading back to bed. And so here I am.
I had some things to say, as it's been a while since I last blogged, but I can't recall a thing at the moment... Let's check the twitter feed. Maybe I'll remember.
In an effort to be more productive, I checked out the revamped Monrovia Library the other day. Sure, it's still small, but it sure does look nice now. One note of caution, don't wear boots inside. I think the floors are made out of mice because it was squeaking all the time.
AT&T is dropping the ball with Apple. The new iPhone 3Gs looks pretty cool. Seriously, why are they ruining everything? You're the reason why I don't have an iPhone. I really wish the rumor about a different Apple phone with Verizon would be true... Alas, a guy can only dream.
Canker sore in my mouth. Hurts like crazy. I used to get these all the time as a child. Perhaps one of many reasons why I'm a quiet person. Like a form of negative reinforcement.
So I was at a different graduation the other day. There was this one lady... ugh, she had such a power trip. Seemed like she was everywhere. Kicked me out of one location that I was trying to photograph. Aside from her, the day went relatively well. Most of the graduations that I've been shooting lately have been in San Bernardino, which I've rarely ever gone to visited prior to taking this seasonal contracting job. A nice excuse to leave the house and see new places. And since most of the graduations end in the evening, I get a nice peaceful drive back home. I love driving at night. The night sky. The open road. Me and my tunes.
Okay, well I think my stomach has settled down. Time for bed.
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Pretty much the usual.
I'm officially stucked into the whole tweeting thing. Twitter. I've had an account for a while, jumped on it to see what the hype was about, and then forgot about it. I told myself that I probably wouldn't use it because I don't update my status on my cellphone (I'm totally against texting). But then Facebook decided to copy Twitter, another change to the interface that seems to turn me off with every revision they do. So I decided that instead of using the imitator, I might as well use the real thing. And with a desktop app like TweetDeck, things just started to click for me. Now, most of the people I follow aren't friends, because frankly, most of you are boring. Most of the people I follow are podcasters and sports reporters. Oh, and the Governator (I'm pretty sure it's some intern, but I read the tweets with his voice in my head). So that's Twitter, and how I use it.
I got the contract job that my friend Albert referred me to. I'll be shooting a wedding on November 21st. I'm undercharging for sure... Deeply troubling. But then again, they pretty much hired me without seeing many of my wedding shots. So it was mainly from my portfolio works, creative vision, and word of mouth. The pressure's on now! Still think I'm undercharging though...
It's time I sent in one of my lenses in for cleaning and repair. I feel a massive charge on my credit card... The graduation gig that I have right now isn't paying much. Deeply troubling. I'm going to need to get some part time work to hold me over. I'm pretty much living off the tax refund right now, and that's not going to last.
Onto some more upbeat news... umm...
Oh, my cousin Justin and his wife Carol just had their second baby girl named Poem. They come up with the most unique names. Do girls get picked on at school, or is that mainly a guy thing? No, I'm asking seriously. I got picked on to no end because of this last name of mine. It's a miracle that I've grown up relatively sane.
Trying to get money any way I can. I think it's time I sell some books off eBay. I've tried that before, but I find that I don't make any profit at all. Shipping itself is a killer. I guess I could sell off some old DVDs and CDs, but FYE doesn't really give much for them. Then again, I'm looking at this credit card bill...
Internet itself costs about $35. Alas, the cost of high speed connectivity with the world.
If I'm seriously going to go into business as an independent photographer, I'm going to have to get insurance... which I can't afford right now. *sigh* I really don't see making any profit this year. Everything's going to go to expenses or to the business itself.
Memorial Day weekend was rather... blah. I'm not saying that as an insult for our veterans or fallen soldiers. I just didn't know what to do. Did some errands. Went to church. Attempted to have an online moment of silence for the fallen troops... somewhat successful. Mainly stayed at home.
I want a new cellphone. I dream of the Palm Pre, but then the price of the phone shakes me back into reality. I just want a phone that I can receive in and call out. THAT'S IT! Perhaps one of those pay-as-you-go phones? Oh, and a phone that won't interfere with my iPod. Hate it when the volume just goes nuts and when the speakers makes those interference sounds. Oh, how I long for my old Verizon phone. No problems at all. I loved that phone. Wish I remembered the model...
I don't mean to sound pessimistic, but as you already realize, blogging is my therapy. I find that I'm not looking for an answer necessarily as much as a place to organize my thoughts. I space out a lot. A LOT. You have NO idea. Sometimes I look like I'm deep in thought. Nope. I used to carry notepads around because I had to write down stuff for that very reason. I wonder if that's why I tend to back away from friendships and relationships, for fear of being judged for being too pessimistic. Hmm...
I've thought about writing more theological thoughts in my blog. It's been a while since I've last done that. Create a third blog purely for that purpose. [the second being my professional blog on my website.] But I feel that the more blogs I have, the more scattered my thoughts, and I'll naturally abandon one for the other. So for the time being, they remain in my head, drifting in and out of consciousness.
Jane Zhang was on Oprah earlier this month. WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME?!? Yet another event I missed out on. Today is the Relient K concert, but tickets are sold out. Soooo bummed. I keep wanting to see them live, but keep missing the opportunity. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to treasure my concert of the Wonder Girls even more, at least until the next concert date.
Speaking of date, nothing new to report. Dateless. I'm not going to say any more, otherwise I'll get a lecture from Teacher Kingsley, who'll say to, "Get over it."
A thought did occur to me though... If I WERE in a relationship, would I reveal it or hide it? I think one thing that the past year has taught me is that being overexcited about relationships IS a bad thing. You jump to conclusions and get very clingy. But then again, I'd like accountability for that very same reason. In the end, I'll probably talk to the same people I always talk to when it comes to relationships. You know who you are, and you'll be contacted at the given time. It gets weird when adults start asking you about your relationships. Parents and uncles in particular. Oddly, grandparents less so... Perhaps it skips a generation.
Well, that killed about an hour. Oh, random tangent. You may think that with all the blogging and social status updates that I do, that my WPM must be high. Nope. I stink. I think I'm about 50-60 words per minute on average. Go play typeracer to find out yours.
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It's all over.
So THAT happened. American Idol is over. A new winner was announced - Kris Allen. I'm glad he won. He's the contestant that I bought the most songs off iTunes from. I couldn't stand the thought of that banshee Adam Lambert winning my beloved show. In reflection over this past season, I have to say that I was rather disconnected with many of the contestants as compared to seasons past, and it makes me feel reserved in getting tickets for this year's concert tour. I mean, I like Allison. I think Kris is a decent winner, though how well he'll do in the future is up to his talent. Anoop was a decent ballad singer. I think Adam and Kara spoiled it for me this season. You can obviously see the bias they had all season over Adam. And Kara just gets on my nerves, as I mention numerous times to my cousin Kingsley. Seriously, if Simon leaves and Kara stays, I don't know if I'll pay much attention to Idol... Or at the very least, I'll skip the judges comments aside from Randy.
But there's nothing else to watch on television now. At least not till football season. NOTHING! Guess I'll pass the time playing videogames.
So last year I tried 2 paid dating sites, the more "effective" one being eHarmony. (If you consider one date being effective.) I think I'm a year older and wiser, so I'm thinking about giving it another shot. I haven't confirmed any such decision, but just a wandering thought. What concerns me is that many people are looking for someone that's "stable". Obviously the path that I've chosen careerwise is anything but, so that's somewhat disheartening. I'll keep you posted.
The latest game craze for me is Plants vs. Zombies. I've beaten the game twice. It's basically a maze defense type game, but with neat graphics and a nifty theme song "Zombies on my Lawn" by Laura Shigihara.
The only DVDs that I want to buy right now are the 2 latest Bond movies. I recently rented the first movie starring Daniel Craig. I had watched the second film while in Shanghai, which gives the movie more meaning for me. If you know me, I'm all about sentiment and nostalgia. But like I was saying, fantastic films.
The next few weeks I'll be shooting graduation ceremonies. Shot one yesterday. I'll write more about that experience on my website blog.
That's all for now. I'm off to mow the lawn.
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