Domestic Geek

OK, I haven't had much to complain about at work yet, but today I was really P.O.'d. Even though we have paid holidays, I was planning on working on Wednesday because I really need the money (it would've been time and a half for an extra 8 hours). I haven't had any OT in weeks and I was looking forward to getting a little extra money this pay period. I also hate taking days off midweek because it screws up my rhythm. No such luck. I was told by my supervisor that with as little work as there is in the shop right now, I wouldn't be able to come in. Dammit! That put me in a mood that spiraled downward the rest of the day.

I went to the coolest presentation on Adobe Photoshop CS3 last night at the Denver Media Group function that was definitely worth the $15 I paid to attend. The presenter was Jay Kinghorn, a local Adobe Photoshop Certified Expert from Boulder. He was very knowledgeable, personable and packed a lot of information into the hour and a half time frame we had. I could've listened to him for hours. I must say I am impressed with how Adobe is developing Bridge and Camera Raw. Having not upgraded to CS2 when it came out, I was really unaware of the capabilities for photo corrections the newer versions provide.

I also got to see a couple of teachers from Platt, a girl I knew from school as well as a former coworker from the ad magazine in Larkspur (one that I don't despise). She was telling me how she and two other designers no longer worked there (2 were laid off and 1 quit). That leaves the original two and one of them had to take a pay cut. I'm trying not to be happy about someone's business floundering, but truth be told I am just a little. I'm so grateful that I'm better off now.

On good work-related new today, on July 1st I am eligible to participate in our 401K plan. w00t! Since they'll match up to 6% of my pay, I am thinking of doing that, but don't know if I can handle that much of my paycheck missing right at the moment. I'll definitely at least have 3% put away. That's like getting a raise right there in the long run. See, I didn't have the remote possibility of benefits at that old company. Speaking of benefits and thus dental, a pretty large piece of bone worked itself out of my gums today. Ick.

There is going to be doing a full day DMG event on September 13th that I would love to attend, however since the head of my department and one of my senior coworkers were talking about going this morning, I doubt they'll let me off for it. I told him I was interested in going and since that event is 3 months away, I'll have to wait and see. I guess it will depend on how busy we are at the time.

OK, I'm off to work on my craft blog for a bit. I totally screwed something up last night and had to get Marcus to revert to an earlier version of my database. D'oh! heh.

Last week I finally got enough courage up to talk to my supervisor about getting trained to become a Prepress Operator (I'm a Preflight Technician now). Basically, they get to do the cool stuff — fixing the files, setting them up in the imposition software, etc. I had already taken the online class that taught the basics of using the imposition software and I did quite well. Well, he agreed that it was time that I start learning and he knows that I'm a fast learner. Things kept coming up last week that kept me from being able to start training, but today I finally got to sit down with an operator and start going over the basics. Yay! The guys I work with on first shift are extremely helpful and really nice, so I know I'll get the hang of it all really soon.

Our company pays a yearly subscription fee to an online prepress training organization. I knew it was time for them to renew the subscription for the service, but I didn't give it much thought. I had checked out the site for myself and had wished I had $300 so that I could learn it on my own. Well, last Friday I was given my very own login. Woohoo!

I've been signed up for 23 courses:

• Adobe Acrobat 7
• Adobe Bridge
• Adobe Illustrator CS2: What's New
• Adobe Illustrator CS: Drawing, Tools, and Text
• Adobe Illustrator CS: Layers, Advanced Features and Output
• Adobe InDesign CS2: What's New
• Adobe InDesign CS: Master Pages, Colors and Images
• Adobe InDesign CS: Objects, Shapes and Lines
• Adobe InDesign CS: PageMaker Plugin Pack
• Adobe InDesign CS: Template and Workspace Preferences
• Adobe InDesign CS: Text, Formatting and Output
• Adobe Photoshop CS2: Color Correction
• Adobe Photoshop CS2: Masking
• Adobe Photoshop CS2: What's New
• Adobe Photoshop CS: Fundamentals
• Color Management Theory
• Creo Preps 5
• Enfocus PitStop Professional 6
• FlightCheck 5.5
• Mac OSX Panther: Font Management with Suitcase X1
• QuarkXPress 6: Fundamentals
• Transitioning from Quark to InDesign CS2
• Troubleshooting Digital Files

I've already passed two of them. I decided to get the Illustrator and Suitcase ones out of the way first since I know the most about those. Next I'm tackling Acrobat, Pitstop and Flightcheck, since those are the programs I use the most during my current duties. When I get through these, I've been told there are more than I can do. Hopefully this is my chance to really show I can get this stuff and start training as an operator.

Edit: Here, I took a screenshot of my class list. Aren't those little diploma graphics the cutest when you pass a class?

Bah, I'm still up and I should've been in bed awhile ago. I don't want to go to work tomorrow...not because I don't like my job, but I have so much I need to do around here and two days in a weekend is just not long enough to get everything accomplished. *sigh*

I'm finally getting a little inspiration for a blog design I want to work out, too, but having to go to work everyday puts a little crimp in my design time. I also am a little brain fried by the time I'm off shift and have been at a computer all day. Doesn't really put one in a creative design frame of mind. Why, oh why can't I be independently wealthy so I can pursue my hobbies?

Getting out of this park has been topmost in my mind lately, too. I'm really wanting to have a garden and get dogs, again. It's just not right to be a dog person and have no canines in your life, y'know?

This is more of a note to self, but I watched two movies yesterday and I must remember to tell you my thoughts on them tomorrow.

OK, making myself go get ready for bed.