An Odder Week Than Usual…

Today’s Music: The Offspring – The Kids Aren’t Alright

So here’s the latest from my corner of the world…
– My boss of the last several years has quit. His last day is this week.
I had a conversation with my new boss. I asked who was my backstop if an issue comes up that I can’t deal with. His response was to kick it along the line to the people taking over. So, great that it isn’t my responsibility, but I’ve spent the last several years with my company before we were bought.
From what I understand, there hasn’t been much of a brain dump from my boss to the new overlords. Which means all the institutional knowledge my boss holds is about to walk out the door.
I don’t mind change, and we have a great product, now under the umbrella of a multinational company, so it can be taken that much farther. And it would be nice to stick around and grow with the new company.
Plus taking a new job is always a pain in the ass. but I’m still waiting to see if we’re all just interchangeable cogs in the machine, or if this is actually an environment I feel like coming to daily.
Jury is still out on that…

Mine is the one that stands out.
Obviously.

– After reading stories from CurvyRoads and REDDog, as well as a ton of great pics from Gray Dawster, I’ve decided to actually go and get my motorcycle license. Hopefully, I’ll have my permit soon, then it’s off to the Motorcycle Safety class and a whole bunch of riding lessons. I had an old Suzuki GS 750 decades ago, but never got around to getting a license. I figured this time I’d do it properly.
My wife, (The Most Wonderful Girl In The Universe), is still very against me getting a bike (NYC driving is a full contact sport), but I’d like to be able to rent when we’re in more motorcycle friendly areas.
Plus riding a bike down the Pacific Coast Highway is on my list of things to do.

You know what would look good on this?
Me.

– I still haven’t heard from Big Brothers/Big Sisters. I can only guess that they are trying to sort through the list of all the kids that want to hang out in my awesomeness. I’ll follow up with them later this week and see where that stands.

My work is halfway done already…

– The model railroad looks a bit like a cross between Three Mile Island, and the Manhattan High Line railroad before they turned it into a park: a mess.
I’m trying to decide whether to just rip up and re-lay all the track, or strip it down to the wood and start again. Either way, I really need to learn how to solder.
If anyone knows any good tips or instruction sources, I’d really appreciate it.

Clearly, I’m modeling the latest tsunami/earthquake/nuclear explosion.

– I took today off (late night last night), and Friday is a day off too. More time with TMWGITU!
Woohoo!

And around it goes…

How’s your week looking?

Cause and Effect – Prologue

Today’s Music: The Sword – Arrows In The Dark
Note on Today’s Post: This has been taking up real estate in my head for too long, so I thought I’d let it out. Gonna need a better title though…

EXTERIOR
New Zealand
The camera dollies slowly through the FOREST. The lush landscape of the forest is alive in hues of green and brown, sun dappling through the leaves casting light on the forest floor. The dolly continues as the camera slowly pans right. The lens begins to zoom in, catching insects and birds moving along the trees and through the air.
As the dolly continues, the camera closes on a juncture of BRANCHES and zooms in

VOICEOVER
They say that everything is interconnected, that all events flow into each other, affect other events and are affected by them.

The camera zooms in tightly to the juncture where we see a COCOON, It is shaking on the branches, a small rift appearing at the front bulge. A pair of antennae, followed by a long body and bright WINGS appears.

VOICEOVER
That something as simple as the flap of the wings of a butterfly here can stir the winds of a hurricane there.

The BUTTERFLY emerges and flies off. It’s brightly colored WINGS sparkle in the flashes of sunlight. The camera follows its irregular flight, wavering between close and medium distance

VOICEOVER
It flaps its wings rapidly, enough thrust to lift its body through the air, pushing it against currents, pressure, eddies…

A powerful THRUST and we see the force of the small SWIRL OF AIR. The butterfly leaves the frame of the camera which continues onward, following the swirl of air.
Some LEAVES fall together, wafting in one direction. The SWIRL nudges one, pushing it in a different direction. The camera follows the swirl to the edge of the island and across the water.

VOICEOVER
Once it has begun, the stir from the wings of that butterfly take on a life of its own. It travels free, picking up momentum, affecting what it runs into…

We see WHITECAPS moving with the current. As the SWIRL intersects, one breaks off, moving away at a different angle, pushed by the swirl.

VOICEOVER
The force of nature, the inexorable, inevitable push and pull, back and forth of different forces competing, opposing, uniting drives on and grow in the strength of its cycle…

The WHITECAP and SWIRL are entwined, dancing around each other. They grow in strength and frenzy. Other SWIRLS join, other WHITECAPS come in. They push against each other, unite and break away. The camera pulls back to a longer shot so we can see the pattern, whipping around faster and faster, reaching up from the waves to the sky

VOICEOVER
They say the wings of a butterfly someplace can cause a hurricane on the other side of the world.

The view zooms in to a tight shot. The WIND howls and the WAVES crash over and over on each other, stronger and stronger, more and more furiously until-

VOICEOVER
They’re full of shit. Butterflies don’t cause hurricanes…

The camera speeds back in a birds-eye shot as the WIND and WATER crash into a cliff and splash back to the surface. The camera continues up to the side of a cliff…and a MAN on a MOTORCYCLE looking down. The camera slows, still rising above him as he looks down at the settling water.
Camera changes to medium shot on his bald head. He lifts his head from watching the water and we see a SNEER on his lips beneath his SUNGLASSES. Zipping the BEAT UP LEATHER JACKET over his FADED JEANS and MOTORCYCLE BOOTS, he kicks the motorcycle to life, revs the engine and speeds away. The camera focuses on the SWIRL from his exhaust

VOICEOVER
Butterflies don’t cause hurricanes.
I do.

Upward angle shot of MAN riding away.