Workin’ For a Livin’

Daily writing prompt
Do you enjoy your job?
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This July I am going to reach the 20th anniversary of my first day with the company I work for. This past Sunday (four days ago) was the anniversary of my promotion that put me into my currect role within the company. That was 11 years ago.

Given all of that, I would say that I enjoy my job. I would not have stuck with it for all of these years if I didn’t enjoy it. I mean, it’s not as much fun as playing guitar for a living should be (theoretically at least) or taking pictures for a living should be (theoretically at least) but it’s a good job and I like it. I feel good doing it. I feel like I am able to indirectly help people who help people for a living. That’s rewarding in it’s way.

If I could make a living playing guitar though, I would drop my job in a heartbeat.

RPM Challenge Update

Here’s a quick update on the RPM Challenge as the penultimate* day comes to an end.

I mixed three songs tonight. All three of the songs are pigs and should never be listened to again.

14 songs finished. Six more to go. One day left. Almost there.

*I am such a pretentious hack.

Avalanche

Ikea Avalanche…

Ikeavalanche…

Ikevalanche…

I think I like that last one. Ikevalanche. That describes what happened to our house. Ikea exploded and it caused an avalanche in our living and dining rooms. Ikevalanche, babie.

The cats are oblivious.

Photo a Day for Today

I am in the office today and my schedule has been insanely hectic. Just crazy busy.

Fortunately I snuck in a photo for the photo a day challenge thing before I left the house this morning.

181/365
181/365

Got it in by the skin of my teeth. Whew!

It’s Just a Phase

Daily writing prompt
Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to.
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I’m having a tough time coming up with an answer to this question. I can’t think of any phase of my life that was difficult to say goodbye to. Every time some major life period ended, there was something better waiting in the wings to replace it.

High school was replaced with college and even though the first time around in college was a mess, it was so much better than high school.

College the first time ended long before I wanted it to and getting a full time job afterwards was anything but a positive experience, at that time though college was becoming a nightmare and it had to end. I couldn’t figure out how to move forward academically, apart from starting from scratch, so I put it aside for a few years… and then started from scratch.

Graduating from college and moving into a career… you’d think that would have been tough to say goodbye to, but really I was ready for it. I had been a student for a long time and I used to joke that I was really a career student. By the time I graduated though, I was ready for that phase to end and I welcomed what came next.

I was depressed when my 20’s ended and became my 30’s. I didn’t want them to end, but I was already so low that I wasn’t sad to see them go. I was, but at the same time, not really. You know? My 30’s started out bad but I was 36 when I met Jen and 38 when we got married. Once I had started a life with her I was ready for whatever the universe could throw at us. I looked forward to time passing and phases… phasing. I was sad to see my 40’s end, but only because I don’t want to be old. I accepted that I was already old though so it didn’t actually change anything.

So I guess the answer to this question is that I never really had a phase in my life end that I had a difficult time saying goodbye to. Sorry if that’s a lame answer. I guess I am just a super mature dude who is able to roll with the changes, as the song says. Maybe I should pat myself on the back for that.

Eleven Songs Down, Up to Nine to Go

I just did a quick and terrible mix of song number 11 for this year’s RPM Challenge. We’re officially into the second album’s worth of music. This one might make the final submission. It might not. I can’t decide yet.

Nine more songs left to mix and not enough time to get to it all. I’m pretty sure I’ll finish them all, I just won’t have much time for anything else.

Quick RPM Challenge Update

The goal for the RPM Challenge is to record either 10 songs or 35 minutes of music all within the month of February. For me, personally, I don’t consider a song finished until I have a decently listenable mix down.

Earlier tonight I finished mixing my 10th song of the month. I checked the running time for those 10 songs and it’s a smidge more then 37 minutes.

By the terms of both RPM Challenge goals, I have successfully completed the project once again. I’ve completed the challenge every year since 2012.

Of course this year I am shooting for two albums. That means I still have 10 songs left to finish and only two days remaining in the month. I betcha I get it done by the skin of my teeth. I might try to sneak another mix in tonight before I sleep, but it’s almost 10:30 and I am exhausted after dealing with the inventory of the 70,000 IKEA boxes that were delivered tonight. That figure is a slight exaggeration, but it sure feels accurate to my back.

Anyway… another year, another February album in a month. Cheerio, me maties.

Bill of Lading

Lily is laying on top of a pair of multi-page Bills of Ladings.

IKEA delivery complete. 170-something boxes. One item shipped incorrectly and one item missing. Neither of them are mission critical. I have to pick up a few more things from IKEA tomorrow after work. Other than that, we’re good to go.

Stressing Out

I’m trying not to lose my shit today. The stress level is very high.

IKEA has not delivered yet. When they do they are going to drop off almost 200 boxes worth of kitchen cabinets and related stuff. Those nearly 200 boxes are likely going to fill up every single spec of empty space in our house. When it gets here we need to catalog the whole batch to make sure nothing is missing. Yeah, I am freaking out.

On top of that, someone important to me tested positive for Covid-19 today. Fuck-a-doodle-do.

Robin is completely unphased by any of this and I am freakin’ jealous.