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I can’t take the pressure!!

Well, that blood pressure medicine I was taking finally kicked in on Tuesday and it was not good. My blood pressure was low. Way low. Passing out now low. So a quick call to the doctor’s office and that experiment is done. No more Norvasc for me. Two days later I’m starting to feel normal again. Well, normal for me. shut up.

Turns out I’m going to need my energy, I’ve got a lot of work to get done this weekend. Vox has found a new home and I’m happy to say that I’m going to be exhibiting  in the October show! And we hang that show on Monday!! Looks like I’m gonna be framing some photographs and transfers over the next couple days.

Also on my to-do list – self portraits for my photography class. gah. Luckily the critique has been pushed back a week so I have a bit more time to get the roll shot, developed, and an enlargement made. But I can’t continue slackin’ on this for long, because in 2 weeks Chris and I are going to Boston for a long weekend!

So to recap:

This weekend: shoot some photos and frame some other photos.

Monday: spend the evening helping hang show at the new Vox location.

Next weekend: Second Saturday!

And then Boston! 4 cameras/3 days.

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Weekend Update

Sure it’s only Wednesday. I’m early. I’m on top of things! Let me tell you about last week.

The fall semester started at Sierra College, and I was there! In parking lot hell. But since I am the early-bird. And on top of things. I was had plenty of time to sit waiting in the hallway before class started.

I’m taking Photography 60A – which is a b&w film class. I even added a lab class on Friday morning. Cause I think we all know how much I love working in the darkroom. Love. It.

So, that takes care of my Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings. And on Mondays and Wednesday, I have my sessions with Evil Trainer Adam. I’m out of the house 5 mornings a week now! It’s kinda like having a job again, but with more smelly chemicals and sore muscles. sweet.

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Mommy’s dipping in the drupal again…

I know, I’ve gone quiet again. Sorry. And I hate to keep repeating myself, but I’ve been busy. Brain-busy. But don’t worry. My next programming class starts next week, and I’m sure I’ll have plenty to complain talk about then.

In the meantime, some updates:

Things I learned this morning – I need to have more phone conversations during the week. If not, one poor innocent caller will get all my pent-up ramblings thrown at her all at once. Especially if it is early in the morning and I’m over-caffeinated. So, for the greater good, you should call me. Often. And don’t forget to remind me to eat lunch.

Vox show is in 2 weeks and I’ve just finished cutting the mat boards so I can start framing the prints. Very exciting. I’m sure all you out-of-towners have already purchased your plane tickets to get the 2 wk advance discounts. You’re so smart.

Kyle started school last Thursday. I just found out he has already got his first detention! What am I going to do with that kid?! And while Chris was talking to the math teacher, I was on the phone with the band teacher. Oh I definitely got the better deal on that one. My conversation was about Kyle switching instruments. He will now be learning the tuba! And I’m all for it. Ya can’t march with an electric bass guitar. OOM-PA!

Erin is… nuts! I so need to get a video of her saying ‘Rock On’ in her demon voice (complete with goat horns hand gesture of course). And when her head is not spinning around, she is. Usually while wearing a pretty dress. She likes to dance around, spin her skirts, and she does a pretty mean arabesque. Thanks a lot Barbie videos. She’s also chatting up a storm and can now open the fridge. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – we’re doomed.

The majority of my time has been spent working on the HS Tourney site. I ended up stopping mid-build and starting from scratch using Drupal. All because of a random status update on Facebook by Scott of Lightroom Lab fame. 20 days ago I had never heard of Drupal –with its silly name and incredibly steep learning curve. Now, I am living and breathing Drupal. And as difficult as it has been, it was the right move. It is a very powerful web framework and I think the site will ultimately be better for using it. It’s just been a typical Dawn mind-bend. ‘Hey, I have a site to build, for a paying client no less, why not try something new. And if it’s extra difficult to learn, all the better!’

I have issues.

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To-do list. I’ve got one!

I hate when that happens. But I’ve been so busy and have so many things to do, well, my hand was forced.

Happily I just managed to cross off a couple things (and one that wasn’t even on the list – hey there WordPress upgrade). Let’s see, I gave Chris the money to deposit into the bank (delegating tasks – check!) and was then able to pay my tuition for the Fall semester’s class. Fees went up $6 a unit. I picked up the text book earlier in the week (along with Using Drupal, which I will tell you about later as I’m not sure which way that rant is gonna go). And I paid from my annual Artist Membership at Vox Sacramento! Wait, now I have to add to the to-do list: write post about the upcoming show and Artist’s Receiption (you are all invited) complete with the flyer!

Okay, what’s left… I still need to pick the prints for the Vox show. And once that decision has been made, buy the frames. Make a couple doctor appts. Routine check-ups so no worries. Figure out an excuse to reschedule next weeks dentist appt – again. Really, I don’t need to make excuses, the way my life has been going – something will come up! I need to sew the patch on my taekwondo uniform for tomorrow’s night Belt Test. Man, that’s not even on the list. I’m going to have to do a re-write. So yeah, busy.

I actually managed to blow the dust off my camera and take some pictures last weekend (it had been well over a month!), but who knows when I get around to uploading them to the computer. Oh so behind on photo editing.  The only things I’ve uploaded to flickr lately have been cellphone pics. And may I just state for the record – I love my new phone!  Anyways, I need to get back to it…  ‘it’ being all of the above and more. Call me. Someone needs to remind me to eat!

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Lost marbles. Reward.

Damn. I have been unemployed a total of 10 days and I’ve gotta tell ya – I’ve never felt busier. And this isn’t a good happy busy – as in conflicting lunch dates. It’s not even the generally dreaded “work” busy. It’s more like a “soccer-mom” busy! And that becomes an all too real description tomorrow when Kyle starts his week-long soccer camp! A not-so-small part of me is dying here people.

So, adding to the now longer drive to the babysitter’s new house in Roseville (20 minutes each way!). I will have to drive Kyle across town to the other end of Lincoln by 9:00am and then go pick him up again at noon. Throw in week #2 of swim lessons on Tue, Wed, and Thurs in Loomis and I’ll be driving back and forth and back again from about 8:30am to 3:00pm. And that is going to suck. I’m not going to be able to get anything done with that kind of schedule. And I’ve suddenly got a lot to do. 

All the work I’ve been doing on designing the new website for dawnblanchfield.com is going to have to simmer on the back burner for a bit. A gentleman that Chris works with has hired me to build him a website! And that is fantastic of course, but (there always is one) the site he needs is not a simple static HTML site. This one will need log-in capabilities, a data-base, forms for user data input, and searchable results. Woo boy. Luckily I’m a learn as you go kinda gal, cause it looks like I’ll doing a lot more programming right out of the gate.

In addition to all that, I still need to update my resume, edit photos in Lightroom, choose the photos for the VoxSac show to print and frame, and do the always present laundry. I haven’t even thought about picking up my camera to make some new images. And I have that Lighting Workshop with Joe McNally at the end of the month. The day after my birthday! Damn, I forgot that I have a birthday coming up. That is bad. Oh! and my wedding anniversary is in 6 days! Crap. I am losing it people.

I keep recalling a painting I did long ago (early ‘90s) that depicted a figure being pulled in opposite directions by its arms while large blackbirds pecked at its head. Cheery no? What can I say, I was heavily influenced by the German Expressionists and that must have been how I was feeling at the time. It was never a ‘finished’ work, but a loose sketch done to ‘paint out the demons’ as I was prone to do. I ended up reusing the canvas some time later. The only evidence it ever existed is that you can see part of it in the background of a photo taken during that time. But the image keeps popping into my head. That’s probably not a good thing…

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Present and accounted for

Apparently people have noticed the lack of inane chatter coming from my direction. The always lovely Julie T actually called me yesterday morning to check up on me! Too much quiet broken only by vague tweets and cryptic Facebook updates had her worried.

We then proceeded to natter on about the current financial crisis; concluding with the obvious need to exhume Milton Friedman and beat him about his rotting head and shoulders with copies of the $700 billion dollar bail-out package.

Oh yes, I can paint a pretty picture.

But I don’t want to get into that here. It is affecting my little family in a very direct way and the past couple weeks have been stressful to say the least. So between all that and being busy with school and kids, I just haven’t had much to say. I also wonder if my new medication (trying the preventative thing for the migraines) contributes to the quiet. It hasn’t really stopped the headaches yet but it’s only been 10 days. So we’ll just give it some time.

Still struggling with Kyle and his homework. Is it really that hard to put your name on a paper? Really? But he hit a beautiful double out to right field during his game last Wednesday. That was cool. And Erin is a crazy baby. She started spinning in circles yesterday. Thankfully it was her whole person spinning around and not just her head! I wonder about those 2 sometimes. I’ll try and get a new video up over the weekend.

And my Web Programming class has taken a turn to the hard. No more HTML/CSS here is how to make the given content pretty. Oh no, lets move on to some actually programming! With JavaScript we can make things happen! Like causing my brain to actually have to think. Damn, I remember that unpleasant feeling. And what is that smell?!! Of course, been-there-done-that Chris snickers from the side-lines.

My office building is filled with toxic fumes. I came home from class last night and WaMu was gone. I think that covers everything.