Domestic Geek

Funny how memories come out of nowhere. I was just thinking about an instructor I used to have when I went to Platte College. People were afraid of her, but I loved her. She was tough, but she knew her stuff. I had her for prepress classes. Sadly, the technical part of the designer world goes over the heads of most creative types. Luckily, I'm almost equal parts right/left brain, so I can be somewhat creative and still technical.

Anyway, the one piece of advice she gave our class that stuck with me over these last 20+ years since I was in college was every graphic designer needed to spend at least a year working in a print shop. It was so true - I really understand why things need to be designed certain ways so they can be printed due the years I spent working prepress and in the digital printing dept.

So she popped into my brain because we're working with someone trying to design something that has absolutely no clue why we asked for bleed, safe space, margins, etc. Even gave her a template, but of course she's working in Canva and couldn't follow our instructions. When I got unusable files yesterday, I literally cried.

Today I was wondering about my former teacher and how she was holding up with her her design studio she had in Denver. Turns out she stopped doing it. She's now making soap and living in Arizona. I wished I hadn't lost touch with everybody from back then. I wonder if she'd think it was hilarious that I now have a print shop. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll reach out and say hi.

Well, it's November 1st and I'm going to once again attempt to complete NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). It wasn't until I was looking at my blog last night for something that I realized it was ready to happen again. I don't know what happened last year. I just suddenly stopped after 4 days. I went back through my Facebook timeline to see if something triggered it (like the previous year's health issues), but nothing. Oh, well...

A lot has changed in the past year — I'll try to address a lot of that over these posts. There's also a lot of things I had put on hold (some without realizing it) and I'll try to address some of those, as well. All I know is I want to get the old blog back up and resume posting regularly. I miss this outlet. I'm going to update the Expression Engine CMS this month and try to get the commenting system issues fixed. Then I want to get my CSS skills back and dive into some HTML5. My web skills are rusty and it's time to break out the oil.

The biggest and most important change this year was that I finally found a job in South Dakota. It was the ultimate catalyst to get me out of my comfort zone and away from the soul-sucking job I had in Denver. When my boss there quit for the 2nd time, I was killing myself to try and keep the department from sinking. I was working 60-70 hours per week, my office mate was a dumb ass, my new boss totally inexperienced, they weren't looking for anybody new to hire and I just couldn't do it anymore. Funny that they finally hired 2 people to replace me and now I hear my old boss is back. I'm not going to post where I work now or what I'm doing, but I took a huge pay cut and at least I'm back in a field for which I actually went to school. While I'm pretty sure this won't be a long-term gig and I do still have dreams of my own business (which I may one day share), at least it is good for right now. I am going to have to find some additional income, though. I was working at night for my former company while they were getting their newbies trained (managed to keep that up for 2 months), but even that became unbearable.

So, as of August 1st, I became a South Dakotan. It's weird, because I've never lived in any other state. Seeing South Dakota license plates on the old Baja for the first time was a little strange.

The second biggest thing is my father passed away on October 16th. He's been in bad shape for well over 2 years. While I'm sad that he passed, I am glad he is finally out of pain and hopefully in a better place. I will be flying to Denver on Thursday for his service at Fort Logan. After that, I really won't have any ties to Colorado other than Marcus is still living there. I can't wait for the day he can cut ties there, as well.

I'm also going to attempt Project 365 once again to get it knocked off my 101 in 1001 list that I started up again. The photo below is from the Long Draw prescribed burn about 5 miles southwest of Hill City:

Had the most disturbing/enlightening dream last night. A bunch of people I didn't really know that well were on a stupid quest for something (no idea what anymore). We kept running into all sorts of issues and there really was no reward for completing the tasks. I woke up angry and frustrated. Perfect metaphor, I think, for my job/life at the moment. Yesterday, I was totally frustrated with the new software and the lack of organized training we're getting, my co-workers that are incompetent and/or lazy (yet will seemingly never get fired) and the pointlessness of what I do everyday (it's just mail, most of which is junk that ends up right in a trash can).

It really is time for find something better to do with my life. Marcus has put a little bug in my head that I've been contemplating for the last week. I've spent all week coming up with why it won't work. Need to squash that little voice in my head and concentrate on the pros of why it will work. I've been talking about doing something like this since college, but up until now, it's all been talk and dreams. I've been scared to make that leap. Next year I'll be 50 - time to make a jump.

I don't want to be like my 70+ year old former co-worker who just passed away and who couldn't retire because of bad choices in his life. I also don't want to be like my mother who never followed her own dreams and died way too early (also frustrated and bitter). I definitely don't want to be my father who never did anything with his life and just sits like a vegetable watching TV everyday, blaming everyone but himself for his predicament.

It's getting harder and harder on me every time I go Homestead North. I actually cried at my desk a little yesterday and had a hell of a time making myself perform my work tasks. Then, when I finally did manage to get a job done, I got an email from the account manager to put the job on hold, they were going to be changing it. It's hard enough to get though the pointlessness of it all without having to chuck it and start over. After that email, I clocked out on a long lunch and almost didn't go back. I get panic attacks almost every morning now on my drive in (both due to the job and the horrible traffic in Denver). I'm still too young to be living like this - especially in a free country where I'm not an indentured slave.

I also want to get back to this...blogging. I don't want it to be the "Blog of Woe" that Marcus once coined it as being, but I haven't felt very positive lately.

I honestly can't remember when I first had Tuaca cider, but I do remember making it a few years ago when I had my knitting group over to my house.

Last year, I found these organic mulling spice bags at Whole Foods and now I can make myself a cup whenever I want - like tonight - because work sucks much ass and I really need a drink.

I saw a recipe from them in my Facebook feed called Hot Apple Pie (you have to be 18 to click through the link), which is basically the same thing except you put a cinnamon stick and whipped cream on it. I'll have to try that one day when I have whipped cream around.

I wish I could spill what is going on at work on here. I'm so frustrated and apathetic. It's not like me at all and I don't like it. I have to keep reminding myself this is motivation to get my rear in gear and find something to do with my life that will bring me good feelings, not negative ones.

I'm also having severe colon pain again (topped with a good dose of womanly cramps - TMI - sorry). Good thing the colonoscopy is on Friday. I'm hoping they find the cause and that it is not super-serious. I have my doubts as this whole ordeal has been one wasted effort after another. I was reading the stuff they sent me earlier today. Not looking forward to this process at all.

OK, that I said, I'm going to pop a pain pill and head to bed.