Running and biking

I got my bike back from Dana who was good enough to hang on to it for me since we went to LA. I am also pleased to introduce my running blog portion to Captain Stupie. It's down below the friend's blog list. It's a weird item that I saw on Freddie and Laurel's blogs. I picked up a Nike+ and that was one of the features available.



This is the first thing I have purchased with the Nike swoosh on it in years. I remember reading reports that they were amongst the worst as far as taking care of those that made their products. Nike and that scum market called Walmart have been the top two boycots I have maintained for years. I would still rather starve than endorse a Walmart. Does anyone know if Nike is still a company to avoid these days?

I am also proud to say I am on about 3 days smoke free. I am staying after it.

Just for a Smile

Semantics

Semantics. I love this word. I first heard it in college while doing a directing scene with Cody and Rick. The rough definition is that it refers to a play of words that just takes you the long way to the same point. The idiot encyclopedia defines it as such. The reason I bring this up is that it feels like there are a lot of semantics in my life right now and the world around me. We are not calling the current economic crisis a "depression" because "recession" seems to have a better ring to it. Plus the Great Depression lasted ten years or so and I don't think anyone wants to commit to that length of time. None the less, it's pretty friggin' depressing out there. I am seeing some very talented, good workers no longer able to keep their jobs.

On that front, there has been almost no work happening in film auditions. The threat of a SAG (Screen Actor's Guild) strike has kept everyone from really starting a project. I was told last night from a friend in LA work has been slow there. That means it is officially nigh-dead everywhere else. This began last summer and has been a constant threat ever since. For the record, I am on the SAG side on this one. I have constantly heard how stupid it would be to have a strike while things are so bad. True. Voluntary not working would blow. However, if your boss came to you and said, "We are only going to pay you for a week of work this year, but want you to come in the other 51 just like normal and make us some money," what would you say? Times are tough, but that is exactly why we are getting asked to only be paid for a little of our work. That does not mean you won't pay for our work, but we won't see it. Eh... it pisses me off. Movies boomed in the thirties and it would be foolish to have the industry grind to a halt right now. Not only is there some money to be made, but people could use the entertainment more now than yesterday.

Also, my quitting smoking has been less than stellar. I "quit" on the 10th, but have had a few over that stretch of time. By my always too high standards, I have not actually quit. However, the smoking junkie in me knows I have not been smoking like I would without effort. I have even pulled off stretches of days in there with nothing. I am concerned about the occasional cigarette that it would become acceptable, just like it did in December when I abandoned a 6 month shot. The trouble with the occasional, is that eventually a bad day comes and you have more. Unlike my dad, I do not revert back but maintain at that pace. I also don't want to just start up again to make a clean quit. The running has been more fun not sucking for air. I even pulled off a 7.5 mile one last week with little trouble. I am told just keep trying and that I will.

Maybe this is all just semantics though.

Enjoying the air

A quick note here to acknowledge the dramatic difference between smoking-running and nonsmoking running. While on Saturday I had a slight set back with the smoking, it has been a week. I am already enjoying more energy throughout the run. Tonight I tagged along with Freddy and Laurel for a 6 mile run. We got a little out when I realized Laurel has 2 marathons under her belt and Freddy has one plus some triathalon experience. None the less, I hung in there with them and felt great when we were done. That's a good start with under 6 months to the Chicago Marathon.

Apt hunting

It has been a week or two of active hunting here in Chicago for another place. Based on the things we knew, it seemed that staying in Chicago was the right choice for now. We began the hunt via Craislist for a place. I am unsure how I ever looked for a place without Craigslist and Google streetview. That is an awesome combo!

In our recession-not-calling-it-a-depression, apparently a considerable number of condos are available here in the Windy for rent. Needless to say, there are a slew of places out here for rent. There are also a considerable number of people who want you to believe there are not a lot of options if you want certain things. Our interests were simple. We wanted dog friendly, location, and as much bang as we could get for our price range. Oh, we also needed to not be in a garden level. Having been broken into last month as well the uninterested party in every drunken group staggering from Southport to Clark, we were in tent on never being this low again.

Our search seemingly came to an end Fri night when we took a look at a little one bedroom in Lakeview (Boystown). Until the it was a deadlock between a nice place on Pine Grove and a cute spot on the 10th floor in Edgewater. We looked at this one Fri night and did not even need to talk about it. We told her we'd take it. Happy and relieved we went home.

The next morning, we were informed that the management co. had already take care of the apt and we were back to square one. while Tiff was busy riding a float for work in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, I was looking all over Lakeview for another tie breaker. After a dozen more choices, Tiff and I decided to take another place in the building we had just lost the night before. It cost a tad more, but the happy in our location made up for it. However after an exhausting day of searching, nic-fitting, and still fighting a bug, well, we sat there in hollow victory. The sweet place is getting better, but man that was tiring.

Stay tuned for news on the new place to come. These pic's were the best of the discarded. Don't let them tell you it's tough to find a place to rent right now. A lot of things are tough these days, but available places to live without owning are bountiful. A few even have views.

Quit Again

I know the best advice one can get about quitting smoking is just keep trying. Well, I have thrown my efforts into another go. As of this post I am now three whole days without a smoke. Tue was the long ago "quit date" I thought was coming sooner. I have the irritating patch on my back to remind me. Thus far, all is well. After go go go for a month in close proximity to sick folks at every turn, I am finally fighting a bug off now too. I say fighting as it has not truly taken hold (based on what I saw in my friends). However, that fight combined with the all too disgusting quitting side effects have had me wonky the last couple days. None the less, I am smoke free today. I also gave myself a little motivation to make it past my routine relapse point by signing up for the Chicago Marathon in October. I figure in 5-6 months, I truly will not want to make a 26.2 mile run any harder. Oh, and I am not shaving my head this time... not just yet at least.

Where the hell have I been?

I regret the tremendous silence as of late. I have been on the go. Mostly the three readers I have are well aware of my travels of late, but on the off chance you have been waiting for an update, allow me to clear up the last several weeks. Caldera work picked up over the last month or so. Starting before I left Chicago on Feb 7th, I was busy everyday producing renderings for events in Orlando, Phoenix, and Colorado. It was tremendously satisfying to have artwork to do while my waiting tables gig was drying up due to season and economy. Side note, $5 is not a tip unless your bill is in the neighborhood of $10. The person bringing your food is not doing it for satisfaction of serving you or the hourly wage divided among the government and runners.

Yet I digress. On the 7th, I boogied to Colorado and quickly thereafter hopped in a huge truck to convoy with Scott to Phoenix for the NBA All-Star game. See the above picture for a glimpse of part of that drive. Caldera was subcontracted to handle to players gala the night before the game. We put in some long hours n the road and in the convention center, but the result was great. I was particularly proud of the step and repeat banner that the VIP's had their photos taken in front of as that design nearly killed me and my computer.

We hustled back to Loveland and arrived at the hanger we were transforming into a black tie event the next weekend at the same time as the trucks returning from Orlando. All three trucks unloaded there and we commenced to working longer hours to achieve the stunning result on Sat. night. When all was said and done, we put in 85 hrs that week.

While striking that party, we carefully set aside the gear for another party the following weekend for Northern Colorado AIDS Foundation in Ft. Collins. At this point, most of our gear had not even made it all the way to the shop before being deployed for its next event. We also finally enjoyed our first day off that week. It was a blur.

The party in the Ft. was great and ended up utilizing 5 truck loads of furniture and gear. We struck that as soon as the party was over and around 3am, we were finished. When I signed out I logged 105 hrs for those two weeks. Needless to say I am sore and tired.

Now within this time, there has been inquiries into relocating to Colorado, planning a wedding, dealing with a home robbery in Chicago. I will go further into those aspects soon, but for now I have to wrap up and catch a flight back to Chicago. There is a girl there I am dieing to scoop up and hold.

Till next time.