4-3-2004
When I walked into my classroom at the start of the new quarter yesterday, I was shocked to see every computer taken. I've never had a completely full house before. As I went around the room showing people how to log on the network, I wondered whether my frantic emails to the tech people had prompted them to fix the network based software server.
       The moment of truth came shortly when I logged on as a student to the Citrix server and clicked on Flash. Hmmm, unresponsive computer...24 new students to the college looked at me quizzically. I looked over at D., who was helping in the back of the room, "Flash doesn't work, what can we do?"

"Bring them down to my room, my students are just doing a lab, they can do that from home."

"Are you sure? I hate to kick your students out just because I have a bigger group."

"No problem, they'd rather work from home anyway, it's a Friday, and it's sunny out, bring them on down."

"Ok everybody, these computers aren't working, lets all pack up and walk down the hall to room 154".

       As we walked down the hall en masse, I marveled at how the hallway entirely filled up with students. For 50 feet up and down the hallway, this moving mass of humanity traveled along with me toward an unknown destination, with me as their captain.
        Am I being melodramatic? Maybe. Still, teaching is a heavy responsibility. These people, from teenagers to senior citizens, are entrusting me with their future. Many have made tremendous sacrifices to be here in my classroom. I owe it to them to give them every bit of my knowledge so that they can succeed in the workplace.
       I gave them my standard 3 minute life story, then launched into a lecture about how they needed to work hard to succeed in this field; how the field is so exciting that everyone wants to do it, but only those who work really hard, all the time will make it. I told them that they absolutely had to excel if they planned to get a job in this field. The fun and thrill of animation acts like a magnet, drawing people to the field from all walks of life.
       It's kind of like the Marines, everybody wants to be in the Marines because it looks so cool to wear that proud uniform, but only the few, the proud will succeed because it is so hard. I didn't tell them that, but I should have. I did tell them that when I took this intro to Flash class 5 years ago, I was so thrilled with the program that I went to Borders, bought a book and spent 28 hours over a weekend mastering the program.
       When I came in on Monday, I could have taught the class. That's the kind of dedication I recommended they pursue. I was extremely in demand all day as student after student raised their hands with questions. They aren't afraid to ask , and I have some extremely bright minds in the room. I also was surprised to see that I have at least 10 students who are artists. They were drawing stunning cityscapes in their first few hours with the program.
       Judging from the animations some of them were doing on the first day, a few have spent some serious time with Flash before, and they were asking questions about techniques I've forgotten, not having used the program much in the last year. I will clearly have to brush up over the weekend. It is my all time favorite program, but teaching duties have taken me away from it. I'm going to love this quarter.

3-31-2004
There is a benefit to sleeping poorly. When I work until 1 AM, then wake up at 5 AM with my mind full of what kept me up until 1, the day is longer. I'm sitting in my bedroom/office and the sun is brilliant on the frosty windows. I've got the curtains closed because the sunlight is so brilliant it would overpower the screen on my laptop.
       I climbed this weekend with an old friend and his wife in Leavenworth. I've known Mark L. for almost 30 years. He was at our wedding and knew Sue several years before I met her. We were able to take a 3 day trip because they both have jobs with flexible work hours, and I was on spring break.
       We climbed many of the old standards in the Pinnacles and up the Icicle creek. Because it was early in the season, we were both rusty, but we had fun and managed to stay out of trouble. We are not as bold as we were back in the day, and we each backed off a couple routes, wisely choosing caution over boldness.
       At one point Mark was 6 feet above and left of a bolt on a dangerously run out friction slab, with a ankle breaker ledge in his line of fall. I was watching from below, tensely holding the belay rope as he surveyed the 10 feet of unprotectable slab above.
       "How's it look Mark?" I said.

"Ahhhhh, it's a long way up to that crack where the next protection goes. I don't see anything for my hands."

"Well, don't feel like you have to be a hero," I said. "We don't have to impress anybody."

"The route was probably put up by somebody who could solo easy stuff, and figured it would keep the riff-raff off." I pondered.

"I don't like the looks of it, I'm thinking I might just bail," Mark said, looking down between his legs at the cliff. "How the hell did I get up here?"

"I think you mantled on that knob a couple feet below your feet. Can you down climb to the knob and reverse the mantle move?" I asked.

"I guess I'll have to, I'm not willing to go up that run out, that's for damn sure." Mark said.

       I watched nervously as he awkwardly tip toed backwards down the dangerous slab. He was like a cat stuck at the top of a tree, turning and twisting nervously, not liking any of the options presented, but faced with the harsh reality of no more choices remaining.
       When he got down to the knob, which was really just a 1 inch bump in the surface of the otherwise polished slab, he reached down to his feet, put his fingertips on the knob and slowly, ever so carefully began sliding his toes down the slab, balancing precariously on his fingertips.
      I looked below the little ledge of dirt where I was belaying, considering how far I would need to jump down the hillside to take up enough slack in the rope to catch him before he hit the ledge below. It was a grim, tense few moments, and time seemed to stand still. Everything depended on Mark being able to keep his cool, and his balance until he could get below the bolt.
       There was nothing for his feet, and at one point his toes began sliding more quickly, and I was certain he was about to get some air time, and maybe a visit to the ER room, but I'm happy to say he made it. The guy is an ace climber.
      His wife Mary works at Boeing from home. She was on call, and during the trip over Snoqualmie Pass through heavy rain squalls she kept handing her laptop over the seat to me, where I was doing some freelance work on my laptop. It was awkward holding two laptops, but I was fascinated to see the live weather-cam pictures of Leavenworth via her wireless modem.
       She got into computers back in the early eighties and has fascinating stories to tell about the early days of computing. Against people like Mary, I feel like I am still wet behind the ears when it comes to computers. She probably doesn't remember, but she was one of the people who recommended I get out of printing and try my hand at web design. She thought my artistic nature might make me a strong web designer. Thanks Mary.

3-25-2004
Worked in my office from 9 AM until midnight yesterday grading the finals on my 57 students. I only taught 2 subjects: Web Design and Illustrator, but I had 5 different classrooms of people. As far as quarters go, this one had some unusually rough weeks, mainly due to the broken network based software.
       When I walked into the classroom and saw 25 brand new Dell monitors with identical error messages, I knew my day was going to be a challenge. A few times we were able to walk down the hall to the Macintosh room, where they have real software, and most of my class is from that room anyway, so no harm done, other than loosing an hour.
        One day I showed a video on "Understanding Resolution in Photoshop" which was actually quite good. We had some meetings about the problem, and were promised a solution...some time. The tech guys are chronically short of hands...I guess I am whining.
      As I sat there last night laboring away it gradually dawned on me that I was putting in the long hours so I could come home and be free to do what I wanted for a week, without worrying about coming back for another day of grading. What I wanted to do was some freelance web design. Why did I want to do that? To make money of course, plus it's fun.
        Interface design is the best part of this field, and I rarely get to do it anymore. As far as needing money, I really have more than enough to live on for the short term. Sitting there thinking about my reasons for constantly working I realized, with a sort of epiphany that I deserved a toy. Not only was I overdue for a toy, but I was going to drop everything and order one online right now.
       So there you have it. I have a Cannon G5 on it's way as we speak. I did more research on this purchase than I've ever done on anything. I want the more expensive Rebel, but I simply can't justify spending $1500 on a camera that will cost $400 in 3 years or less. $1500 would by a new engine for my little Toyota that would run for a decade...or at least until it rusts out.
       I'm not even really into photography that much. It's a casual hobby I do when I'm outside and see something pretty, but don't have time to get out my easel and paints. I don't devote a day looking for photo locations like a serious shutterbug. Photography has always been incidental to something more fun, like hiking, skiing or climbing.
        We've also taken many family snapshots as the kids were growing up, but with two teenagers they are more likely to be arguing with us about something than looking cute. I suspect the kids might use this new camera more than I do. As Sue frequently reminds me, we have a bunch of cameras, including a perfectly good 1.3 megapixel that we use for snapshots, so there is no logical reason why I need a high end digital. Still, this camera does take awesome pictures and will get me up to speed on managing a state of the art high end digital camera. Photography skills come in handy for web designers.
       The Cannon G5 has some well documented issues common to digitals of this era and price range, but nothing that will stop me from taking creative pictures. The samples I've seen online are stunning. I've also spent many the long hour reading the user boards as owners talk about using the camera and comparing it to the competition. I think I'll be happy with it. Plus, I bought it from Costco online, and they have an excellent return policy. They are a perfect example of the merging of an online presence with a well established "brick and mortar" store.
       I've been trying to work today on my backlog of freelance projects, but the smoke is still rising from my toasted brain after the long quarter and the 16 hour grading epic yesterday. I stepped outside to listen to the rain and thought about what a joy it was to have the free time to simply stand there and breath in the clean wet air. If I want to make a bunch of money, I can...or I can stand under the eaves and watch the rain.

3-21-2004
Had kind of a boring weekend. Next weekend looks better. I hope to be climbing. We showed Lisa how to change the tires Saturday. She got her license, but I didn't want her driving until she new how to change tires. It was interesting watching the polished and manicured nails get filled with dirt and grease as she wrestled with the wheel. I should have been a gentleman, but she needed to learn that she doesn't have to wait for a man to stop before she changes her tire.
       We went down to mom and dad's on Sunday. Dad had been working on a pencil drawing of a new logo for his church. I immediately saw that it should be done in Illustrator. He had been drawing and redrawing after getting feedback from the other people in the church. I set up my laptop and had his logo done in Illustrator in 4 hours. He doesn't have the program on his computer, so I had to pdf it before I could get his printer to work. He was very impressed watching me drag shapes around on the screen. Computer Illustration is sooooo much easier than traditional illustration board and tracing paper.
      I love to draw with pencils, but if it involves other people approving my work, I'll stick with computers. Sue was disgusted to see me sit at the computer most of the weekend. I'd promised her a walk at dad's house, but I became so fascinated with the Illustration that it almost felt like working on a traditional painting. It was fun to show dad how simple and forgiving computer art can be once one has mastered the program.

3-18-2004
Picture a ship adrift at sea, it's captain staring sightlessly at the heaving horizon. In the corner of his vision he sees a large wave bearing down upon his small sailboat. He pulls on the tiller to point his stern toward the wave so he can prevent a capsize, then he resumes staring at the horizon.
       There are no thoughts in his mind, other than to simply survive another day. It takes all his concentration just to keep his small vessel afloat. When the weather moderates he has a little time for repairs to his tattered running gear before the next storm forces him back to all nighters at the tiller.
       When he has few minutes to think about the future, such as, perhaps sailing to warmer climes might be a good idea; or, why the hell is he on this sailboat in the middle of the ocean(?!); he can only consider his options for 5 minutes before another crisis erupts. The foremast stay breaks, or his mainsail rips, or he sees the keel cracks widening...it never stops.
       Once he thought he'd be an artist, painting beautiful pictures that strangers would treasure for centuries, but somehow he got stuck on this damn boat in the Atlantic. Lost his sextant last year, the compass is frozen with rust, and the glass is cracked. The fishing has been decent, enough to survive anyway, and the rain squalls keep him in drinking water.
       But that old dream about being an artist keeps crossing his mind as he stares sightlessly at the horizon, steering the boat down the running waves.

3-14-2004
Gave my students their final assignments this week. The network was down Tuesday, but fortunately most of my class was from the graphics pre-press classroom down the hall, where they have Macintoshes. We all packed up and walked down to the Mac room. It was funny watching my pc only students suddenly find themselves pushing buttons on a Mac. It took an hour, but we got our lesson completed, and the rest of the week the network was up...most of the time.
       Our technical guys finally got my login squared away after a month. Sadly, my work didn't dry up during the month I was locked out. The requests kept coming in, and I kept adding them to a growing 'to do' list. Friday night I worked late doing triage: this is urgent, that can wait, etc.
       I had to work last weekend, so my mind was fried all week. This weekend I've spent most of my time on the computers as well, but it wasn't all work related. I finished the taxes today. Together we got up into the middle fifties, which almost equals our all time best. I was hoping for a big refund, but my business taxes ate up our refund. That's good and bad. We didn't get a refund, but we did get to spend all my business profits on living expenses. I need to be more careful about stashing away business taxes for tax time. My cpa buddy told me to save 40% of my gross for taxes.
       I've continued my bad habit of surfing the digital photo sites for relaxation. I've even bought a few magazines to have something to read on the couch. I don't know why I find them so fascinating. Once I start painting again, I will have zero interest in cameras. I wonder if my interest in digital cameras is not simply a misdirected urge to record and preserve my life.
      I have a 1.3 megapixel digital that works great for 4x6 prints. It works perfectly and we use it all the time. Why do I continue to be fascinated by the Digital Rebel, the Canon G5 and the new mini 5 megapixels? Our family does not lack for cameras. I have two 35 millimeter Pentax SLR's. I have an excellent 80 to 200 long lens and a Flash that works on either Pentax, not to mention my old 4x5 Speedgraphic that I use for shooting my paintings.
       Perhaps my fascination is merely related to the envy I feel when I see my students taking pictures all around me for their Photography class. I'll be teaching drawing again in 3 weeks, and by that time it will be warm enough to be outside painting again. Maybe I'll forget all about cameras. The most exciting thing I did this weekend was pay a Visa bill. About every 6 years we make enough to pay off our VISA card, and I am happy to report I was able to write a $700 check to the bank for the card pay off, and still have plenty left to live on until payday.
       I could get used to making this kind of decent money. We are almost done with Clint's kayak. We have a few more little things to do like bolting the chair to the seat braces, sanding and painting on the final varnish, and cutting & gluing in the hatch covers & bulkheads, but he could paddle it now. It's been a long process, but never boring. It will almost be a let down to not have the boat out there to work on.

3-8-2004
Worked for about 9 hours this weekend on freelance projects. I have 2 separate web sites I'm working on for clients on the campus. I didn't do the work in one long push. Instead I separated it out into little easily digested chunks of an hour here, 3 hours there and so on. This allows me to wander around and have my normal spacey weekend, floating from one project or household chore to another as the mood strikes me.
     I have a timesheet where I track my freelance hours, and I simply have to sign in and out if somebody needs something done around the house. Clint and I spent a fair amount of time working on his kayak this weekend. We glued the coamings on around the cockpit. The boat is seaworthy now, but there are a lot of little details left, like the seat,the hatch covers and the final varnish coats that will extend the project out for a few more weeks.
       Our network is back up finally at school. They still haven't enabled my access to the web site. I've been locked out for a month. If it wasn't for all the people wanting updates done, being locked out of the site would be a releif...less work to do. As it is, I answer at least one irate email a day from various people who wonder why I haven't fixed their pages. I have absolutely nothing to do with it, but I catch much of the blame. Funny how that works.
       Lisa's friends threw her a surprise birthday party Saturday. She didn't have a party on her sixteenth birthday because we went skiing with my flying buddy. About 10 of her friends did a little planning and scheming this week and threw a party at someone's house over by the lake. It was funny watching her throw a temper tantrum because all of her friends were "busy". Little did she know that they were all "busy" getting the party ready for her. Her buddy came over to get her on his bicycle, and when she came back 4 hours later she was bubbling with happiness.
       Our kids don't realize how fortunate they are to grow up in the same house, with the same parents for their entire lives. They think this is normal, but I'd guess that less than 20 percent of the kids out there grow up in the same house with with the same parents. Not that our lives are perfect or anything; far from it. But it does pay to count your blessings from time to time.

3-3-2004
Never thought I'd be saying this, but I have more money than I need right now, at least in the short term view. I have a back log of people who are hounding me to work on their web sites. They are offering very good money, more than I ever thought I'd make an hour, and I have very little time to work on their projects.
      I suppose if I was willing to work 24/7, and totally give up on having a life I might be able to keep up. I spent last Sunday and half of Monday working on one of the projects, but that was just a start. It's weird being this much in demand. I'm just an average guy...don't have any outstanding skills as a designer. Several of my students have far more talent at web design than I am likely to have any time soon. Yet I am swamped with work, and they are wishing they could find a client.
       I suppose a large part of it is that I have been "approved" by the powers that be, so people at work who need work done on the web call me. Several of these projects started back when I only had 2 to three classes a quarter. Now that I have 5 classes, the outside work has become a burden. Still, my future is very uncertain as far as what I will be teaching next quarter. I can't afford to irritate my outside clients. What if my class load gets cut in half next quarter?
       There are no guarantees. But that's life I guess. Like we used to say in printing, the only job security these days is "the skills in these hands". One skill that some of my extremely talented students have yet to acquire is communication. If you ignore your clients, they will drop you like a hot potato. You can have all the creative and technical skill in the world, but if you aren't a good communicator, you're dead in the water.
       Our computer network has been down for 3 days campus wide. No one can even boot up their computer. We have a few computers that were never logged off and were left on all weekend. Their are 2 or three of those per room still running. But those computers get their software over the network, and with the network down, all they can do is surf the net.
        When I walked into my classroom this morning, I saw a sea of monitors with incorrect password error messages on the desktop. My students all looked at me as if I could fix the problem. No one knows why the network is down. The computers won't even let us log on to the desktop. Everything is authenticated over the network, and the network is down. Did I mention: THE NETWORK IS DOWN?
      Today I showed a movie on the big screen tv. We have 4 tapes on Photoshop. This is driving me nuts. To top it all off, I caught a bad cold from several of my best students. When it rains, it pours.

click here to go to the previous month

home  |  journal  |  landscapes  |  seascapes  |  structures  |  still lifes  |  climbing
web design  |  art statement  |  pricing  |  easel places  |  site index  |  photos  |  email