Saturday, November 10, 2007

Has it really been a week?

Wow... so THIS is what it's like to work like a normal person! Interesting.

For well over 10 years now I have worked weird hours. VERY early mornings or very late at night. In fact, for the past 8 years I rarely left work before 2am. Worse still prior to 2007 I was a "floater" so when someone called in sick or went on vacation, I covered for them, no matter what their shift was or what shift I'd worked the day before... so my "body clock" never really got a chance to find a syncopation... my waking and sleeping hours never corolated to the sunlight or the darkness. For the past 12 months I've been working 6p - 3a. A constant schedule, but certainly not one that many would consider "normal."

On Monday I started a new job... the hours get me into work around 10am and see me heading home around 6pm... SWEET right? I mean... these are DREAM hours as far as I am concerned. The job is a little frustrating right now, but that's typical I think for starting something new. It will get better and easier, I'm not nervous.

Thing is, that these "normal" hours are really cutting into my blogging and blog reading time! I can't believe I haven't posted anything since MONDAY! It seems like I wrote the window dressing post just a day or so ago.

OK... well I am off to catch up on some of y'all's blogs, see if any of my favorite (shall we say) ribald bloggers have anything new to say, and then see if I can't find a marathon of A Shot of Love with Teela Tequila or something as equally trashy on TV.

Caio.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Cartoon Curtains

It's time, my friends, for you to play designer!

I cannot afford the talents of such an expert (although I have consulted with one of the best) nor can I actually afford the materials needed in order to accomplish this project, but I CAN turn it into a blog post...

Here is a view of my living room:


Pathetic... I know... but I didn't get the design part of the gay gene... I DID get appreciation of musical theater, HGTV and the attraction to men, but not the decorating or dressing parts.

So... as you can see there are no window treatments up there. Well there is one, a pull down shade that I bought at Lowes about 4 days after I moved in. This needs to be dressed up. "P" and I have different opinions on how to go about doing this.

As you look at these next images, disregard the colors, and the stripes and all... those are just there to get my point across (not that I am opposed to these colors or these patterns, but neither am I especially attracted to them either).

Option 1:


Curtains... floor to ceiling. In the photo above they are pulled over the window but left open at the door, but the could be pulled completely closed. I'm thinking curtains like these with the big grommets and thick pole (quit it).

Option 2:


Roman shades. A large upholstered box valance at the top of the window (to give the illusion of height... thank you Candice) and a smaller shade that covers the glass in the door. When I was drawing this I thought about putting a shelf over the door and putting stuff on it, but more than one person has already pointed out that tall things over a door might not be a good idea... so picture maybe a photo or mirror or moosehead there.

So what do you think? Option 1 or Option 2? So far the only professional designer to take a look at my rudimentary plans and I are in agreement. "P" likes the other option... I'll tell you which is which after you tell me what you like best!

Feel free by the way, to mock up your own mockup... I'll take all the free design advice I can get!


P.S. disregard the TV... that will magically be transforming into something thin and wall mounted in the coming months.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

It feels just like starting over

Monday (tomorrow) the next phase in my career begins.

Two weeks ago I was informed that the main show I have been working on had been cancelled. There would be 10 more episodes and then it would be done. Almost exactly 4 months ago I was blogging about my move from "operations" to "editorial" and how nervous I was about it. This was one of the very scenarios I was concerned about. The show was a "next day replay" of a show on one of our sister networks. In this DVR day and age having a few replays is not a bad idea. If you miss Law and Order SVU on NBC Tuesday at 9pm, you can catch the replay on USA later in the week. I mean the first run stuff. New shows, different networks (same parent company), different nights. Makes a lot of sense. "My" replay just wasn't getting the numbers it needed. This was always an experiment, and I knew that going in.

There were other problems too... it was a topical interview/news program. Sometimes that kind of information just doesn't "keep" well overnight, and in the case of a Friday show, that I wouldn't get to air until the following Monday... well.. it just didn't always make for the most topical hour on TV.

The show in question, by the way, will live on in it's current form on it's home network. It's only "my" replay that's been axed.

So starting Monday a "next day replay" of a different show is taking "my" show's place. The new show is formatted around a topic that addresses less "vital" (but NO LESS INTERESTING) matters which will be easier to replay. It also already runs on my network's schedule, and as such matches the existing break structure so there'll be only a minimum amount (if any) of editing involved in order to turn it around. "My" show originally aired with 6 breaks and had to be chopped up to fit into an 8 break structure.

So, where does all this leave me?

It seems that while I was overseeing my replay, I made a good impression on some of the muckity mucks in the newsroom and instead of throwing this baby out with the bathwater, they've reassigned me. On Monday I'll be joining a new show team. A GOOD show I think too. Two hours of mostly live news Monday through Friday, anchored by a person I like and respect and helmed by a team of people who I think "get it." The hours (frankly) KICK ASS and I finally get a DESK with my own computer and phone (after 8 years) too! Do I have any idea how to DO this new job? Not really. I have some of the tools but nowhere near the full toolbox. With just months to go till my 40th birthday, this is definitely a big change, and I'll definitely be the oldest dude in this position... but I'm up for it.

A nice thing is that I have been on vacation this past week. So I've had some time off to refresh and reset my brain (in more ways than one... oooooh cryptic).

OH... the best part... I can take the train to work again! That was one of the reasons I bought THIS NEW CONDO to begin with! Woo Hoo!

P.S. - This is another reason why it's not a bad thing that the Holiday Help deal didn't work out.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Astro-Hot

Was watching some of the coverage of the Space Station repair going on in orbit right now. At one point they put up a picture of the astronaut doing the actual work of repairing a solar array.


Hot, right? I was shocked! I mean, yeah, astronauts have kind of an automatic hotness about them but wow. Then I read his bio... which I wont post here, but the guy grew up all over the world, is a medical doctor, mountain climber, Olympic luge coach... the list goes on and on and on! You can read it for yourself here.

Not sure why I am posting this...

Thursday, November 1, 2007

The Northside Ballet

Here in Atlanta we have an establishment that caters to ladies and gentlemen who appreciate masculine physical fitness and rhythmic ability. The venue is colloquially referred to as "The Northside Ballet."

That's where I could be found last night... giving dollars to a young man mostly dressed as Indiana Jones.

Paying for it a little this morning... figuratively and literally. Between the cabs and the cover and the $5.50 beers and the tipping (OH THE TIPPING) I definitely spent some coin. Sooooo worth it though. Indiana Jones was SO worth it.

So yeah... I went to a strip club... it was Halloween, I'm on vacation and even had "P's" blessing. I had a great time, hung out with friends I haven't been able to spend much time with lately, played it totally safe by not driving...

Why then do I feel so stupid this morning?