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2010 Enters the Room

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As a child, the collective concept of the future was defined by a romanticized conception of the years 2000 and 2010. I looked ahead to these years imagining the sudden wonders they would bring. Now, the future has become both past and present. Its marvels, while many, did not sprout up instantaneously as I may have expected at the age of nine. The changes appeared progressively, seeping into daily life, so transparent that we only seem to recognize how different the present is when we stop to remember decades past. Many of the expected changes have yet to occur and many will not for they were facetious, yet much has transpired that few if any anticipated or predicted. We are in the future now. Its gifts have been many. And it has brought treats and consequences.

Life follows a similar route. It has followed a course I did not anticipate, but it has also walked a path I did foresee. It has taught me that things I once valued are valueless and that other things I did value are more valuable than I could have expected. It has been a life of dualities.

Those that think learning ceases after schooling are sadly mistaken. Some of life’s greatest lessons seem to come later in life. I am still young. I can’t fathom what greater lessons await me in the future. The last few years have been a time of reevaluation and course reckoning. Thus, what better time than the new Year to once again stop and reexamine one’s charter. We are a few days into the New Year. I have begun the typical metaphorical steps of instituting change and preparing for a new journey (reorganizing the home and workspace, sorting and trashing old belongings, shaving the beard and chopping the hair). Now, it is time to decide what to do with the coming year. It is time to set goals.

What types of goals? What is important to me at this point in my life? What is enriching my experience?

1. Outdoors, nature, outdoor sports, whatever you want to call it. I need to keep pursuing this aspect of my life and the self-discovery and redefining that come along with it.
2. Creativity: I create. video, animation, illustration, story, etc. I have to continue to evolve my skills and stop the ones that are atrophying from continuing to do so.
3. Convergence: I need to find a way to combine the above two so that they needn’t fight for my time.

2009 was a relatively productive year for 1 and 2. I did a quick analysis of the events I was part of in 2009 that fell into those 2 categories. This gave me a feel for what I did with my time last year.

2009 Overview
Multi-night Trips: 8 (7 involved camping)
Hikes: 16-20 (2 Backpacking trips)
Video Shoots: 4 Projects
States Visited: 4 – California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Louisiana
Activities: SCUBA Diving, Caving, Snowshoeing, Trapeze, Whitewater Rafting (2), Whitewater Kayaking, Rock Climbing (indoors + a little outdoors), Bouldering (indoors + a little outdoors), Canyoneering (non-technical), Camping, Firecraft, Orienteering, Canoeing, Bungee Jumping, Kart Racing

Thus, I’d like 2010 to be at least as productive as 2009, but hopefully more so.
Here are some of the things that come to mind that I want to do. I’ve listed them in two groups: priorities and optional. Priorities are those things I am requiring myself to accomplish before 2011. Optional are those things I’d like to fit in if possible, although some are conflicting with present priorities or other optionals.

I anticipate this list to change throughout the year, but not shrink. I also expect to be able to strike off everything under priorities or else I will have to reprimand myself in some fashion.

2010 GOALS:

Priorities:
Finish Current Video Projects (SM, Marty, Spec)
Take Rock Climbing Lessons
Go Skydiving
Go SCUBA Diving again
Start drawing on a regular basis again
Take Surfing Lessons
More long-distance backpacking
Take Erika Horseback Riding
Visit State and National Parks I have yet to visit
Renew my passport
Write new stories
Collaborate on new video projects
Keep trying to defeat my various personality faults
Become Adept with environment creation in Vue
Learn Lightwave basics

Optional:
Backpack the West Coast Trail
Compete in an AXS race
Start shooting stock photography and video to sell
Hike Mount Whitney
Backpack Zion Narrows again
Attend Whitewater Rafting Guide School
Begin work on illustrated book of retold fables
Take a solo backpacking trip
Visit more states
Take a trip out of the country
Return to Yosemite (visit the back country)
Try Packrafting
Continue to push my claustrophobia

Overview Breakdown of 2009 Events

The Cobalt Returns

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My fiery-red auto-machine is back in my possession. She looks brand new—cleaner and shinier than she has been in a long time. Two weeks ago, I was involved in a relatively tame auto accident. A woman was crossing two lanes of traffic to try to get into my empty lane (empty other than me). I hit my brakes, but it was impossible to avoid an accident as I was a car length or less away when she entered my lane. She scraped across my entire driver’s side and pressed my car against the curb scraping my hubcaps down into tiny smooth saucers. No one was injured and thus the police refused to show up to file a report (to serve and protect? That’s still the slogan, right? Shall we change it to Ticket and Harass?). Everything seemed in order until I learned from her insurance that she was lying to them—claiming I pulled into her lane, hit her, and then ran myself into the curb. There were many witnesses to the accident, but no one stopped. Thus, the only available witness is Erika, my passenger, a non-biased party. Since then, I have taken numerous photos of the skid-marks, attempted to find witnesses at the nearby school, drawn a map for my insurance, and plead my case based on the photographic evidence of the car. I am awaiting the insurance’s decision of whether to go to arbitration. If they do not, my adjuster will have to endure a long rant from me and the bitch that caused all of this will see me in small claim’s court. On the upside, my car is back on the road.

Advice from future me to past me: When in an accident, always tell the police you are injured. When they arrive at the scene, tell them you are feeling better, “it must have been from the shock. Will you write a report now, please?””

The Mountains are Burning

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Erika and I helped a friend of mine evacuate his home in Altadena. From his backyard, we could see huge plumes of smoke and flames burning the mountainsides less than a few miles away. I expected the fire to be close, but not so close. Helicopters and planes of various sizes soared overhead pouring pink blankets of fire-retardant along the perimeter. An anxious wild rabbit scurried through the bushes every few seconds. The streets were littered with rubberneckers aiming cameras and cellphones at the horizon until the police evicted them. His house is both his home and place of business so we loaded up his valued possessions and inventory. As we drove away, more police cars were appearing alongside news vans and firefighters. Presently, he is grabbing a few extra things while he can before the police kick him out of the area. Let’s hope for the best.

King Cake Delivery

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Moving to Los Angeles over six years ago meant giving up a number of Louisiana’s finer points such as Mardi Gras. During the weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday, King Cakes are everywhere and they are delicious. I have been missing out on them for years now. Because my friend Bryan is more kind-hearted than is good for him, he spent a ridiculous amount of money to send Erika and I a surprise king cake Tuesday. It came with a variety of extras: beads, a cup, a CD of Mardi Gras music, and a t-shirt. We turned up the music, danced around the house, and ate king cake (We even re-enacted New Orleans style bead throwing from the loft). I got the baby in my first piece (thank goodness Gambino’s hasn’t pussed out like everyone else and still puts the damn thing inside the cake). Thanks, homes.

Buttons & Meat

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I saw two movies over the weekend.

Coraline turned out quite well. I think it is Henry Selick’s best work by far. It has been several years since I read the book and I recall enjoying it, but I think the movie left a stronger impression on me. I hope it turns a profit, because I want to see stop-motion animation and dark material for children rewarded.

Brooks sprung the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre on us. It felt more like a treatise on the meat-packing industry and carnivores than a horror/slasher movie.

Motivation

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A faltering economy, constant layoffs all around me, and my encroaching unemployment in April have had one very beneficial side-effect: I am motivated and inspired. I’ve been working like crazy on a variety of different things. I’ll post more about many of them as they develop, but I’m mostly keeping mum for now. One of those things is a new portfolio site. I haven’t had the chance to do one properly (hopefully that will happen before April), but I have really been needing to get my reels online. Thus, I threw together a new portfolio site that isn’t too terrible. It’s wonky and full of outdated work, but the reels are brand new and represent my video work over the last couple of years.

Have a moment to waste?
Stop by Chinnystyle and watch the reels.

On a side note, I also uploaded a few more of the old terrible movies we used to make in high school and college on the YouTube. Only about 30 more to go.