Nighty Night
Nov. 7th, 2002 10:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_gneechJust a quick update, and then I'm off.
First off, many thanks for the congrats on my new job, all! As you can probably tell, I'm pretty jazzed. Kai Lucidric pointed out that I forgot to put "Get a computer that doesn't suck!" on my list of plans, so consider that officially added. :)
Tonight, after a celebratory trip to Olive Garden (Chocolate Almond Amore ... mmmmm ... as always, booze satisfies!) and a brief walk around Toys'R'Us just for the fun of it (I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys'R'Us kid), I came home and re-watched One Hundred and One Dalmations for the who-knows-whichth time while I finally finished penciling the TCM tribute strip. Whoof. I used to do these three-tier Sunday-style strips all the time for NN ... were they always this exhausting and I just forgot? At this rate, I'm still going to be coloring it a week from tomorrow night, when it needs to be posted!
That reminds me, I think I'm going to rearrange the strip schedule for the next few weeks after all. Two more MegaHuge RIF strips, and the football strip on Friday, I think, and then characters can be as talky-talky as they want after that. That means I need to do another strip for Monday, but at least Hikaru will already have the strip that was going to run Monday, to put up later.
It's tempting to start thinking of all the cool things I could do with an extra ~$170 a week, but I can't let myself fall into that trap. I do have important things that have been getting neglected because the money just wasn't there that I need to make sure get taken care of, before I start running around like a kid in a candy store.
The Qi Elements school has taken their pricing structure off of their page, but the way I remember it is that it ended up being something like $15/class, which comes to a big honkin' $120/mo if you go twice a week! So that's a pretty significant chunk o' change right there ... not including equipment, exam fees, and so forth. But I've wanted to become proficient at a martial art my whole life; I've had a lot of false starts (Tae Kwon Do, Fencing, Wrestling, Judo, Wing Chun), but this school is just a few blocks away, and I have a ton more discipline and focus than I ever did before. The only reason I am not currently still studying the Wing Chun is because my would-be sifu wandered off. :P I kept it up by myself for a while, but I was such a beginner, it wasn't really getting me anywhere.
Do you feel cheated that I said this was going to be a "quick update" yet? ;)
It's interesting ... salarywise, I am now exactly where I was when I got the LifeMinders job, but my debts are paid off (thank you, stock options!), I'm in a career with much better growth potential (graphic design sorta tops out at $40k/yr around here for normal working joes, and I ain't going to move to New York or set up my own firm), and Laurie is doing very well, financially. After all that roller-coastering up and down that was the dot-com boom and bust, I'm probably about where I would have been if the economy had just kept a slow, sustained growth -- just having gone through a lot more stress. ;) Nevertheless, this is progress, and good progress at that, so I won't complain too much!
Last but not least: I'll be in Chicago in two weeks. Woohoo! =) I need MFF in the worst possible way ... I'm jazzed like you wouldn't believe! I think, even with the new job, that FC in January is probably not likely unless I get a compelling argument to the contrary ... going to California every year is not good for my mental health. I may try to make ComicCon instead ... I've missed the past two, and I do want to get Weird Al to autograph a pic of "Weird Al Hamstervic" one of these days!
Anyway, that's all for this incredibly long quick update. G'nite, world, and have a tomorrow that startles you with just how great it is!
-The Gneech
First off, many thanks for the congrats on my new job, all! As you can probably tell, I'm pretty jazzed. Kai Lucidric pointed out that I forgot to put "Get a computer that doesn't suck!" on my list of plans, so consider that officially added. :)
Tonight, after a celebratory trip to Olive Garden (Chocolate Almond Amore ... mmmmm ... as always, booze satisfies!) and a brief walk around Toys'R'Us just for the fun of it (I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys'R'Us kid), I came home and re-watched One Hundred and One Dalmations for the who-knows-whichth time while I finally finished penciling the TCM tribute strip. Whoof. I used to do these three-tier Sunday-style strips all the time for NN ... were they always this exhausting and I just forgot? At this rate, I'm still going to be coloring it a week from tomorrow night, when it needs to be posted!
That reminds me, I think I'm going to rearrange the strip schedule for the next few weeks after all. Two more MegaHuge RIF strips, and the football strip on Friday, I think, and then characters can be as talky-talky as they want after that. That means I need to do another strip for Monday, but at least Hikaru will already have the strip that was going to run Monday, to put up later.
It's tempting to start thinking of all the cool things I could do with an extra ~$170 a week, but I can't let myself fall into that trap. I do have important things that have been getting neglected because the money just wasn't there that I need to make sure get taken care of, before I start running around like a kid in a candy store.
The Qi Elements school has taken their pricing structure off of their page, but the way I remember it is that it ended up being something like $15/class, which comes to a big honkin' $120/mo if you go twice a week! So that's a pretty significant chunk o' change right there ... not including equipment, exam fees, and so forth. But I've wanted to become proficient at a martial art my whole life; I've had a lot of false starts (Tae Kwon Do, Fencing, Wrestling, Judo, Wing Chun), but this school is just a few blocks away, and I have a ton more discipline and focus than I ever did before. The only reason I am not currently still studying the Wing Chun is because my would-be sifu wandered off. :P I kept it up by myself for a while, but I was such a beginner, it wasn't really getting me anywhere.
Do you feel cheated that I said this was going to be a "quick update" yet? ;)
It's interesting ... salarywise, I am now exactly where I was when I got the LifeMinders job, but my debts are paid off (thank you, stock options!), I'm in a career with much better growth potential (graphic design sorta tops out at $40k/yr around here for normal working joes, and I ain't going to move to New York or set up my own firm), and Laurie is doing very well, financially. After all that roller-coastering up and down that was the dot-com boom and bust, I'm probably about where I would have been if the economy had just kept a slow, sustained growth -- just having gone through a lot more stress. ;) Nevertheless, this is progress, and good progress at that, so I won't complain too much!
Last but not least: I'll be in Chicago in two weeks. Woohoo! =) I need MFF in the worst possible way ... I'm jazzed like you wouldn't believe! I think, even with the new job, that FC in January is probably not likely unless I get a compelling argument to the contrary ... going to California every year is not good for my mental health. I may try to make ComicCon instead ... I've missed the past two, and I do want to get Weird Al to autograph a pic of "Weird Al Hamstervic" one of these days!
Anyway, that's all for this incredibly long quick update. G'nite, world, and have a tomorrow that startles you with just how great it is!
-The Gneech
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no subject
Date: 2002-11-07 08:05 pm (UTC)Hmm... If you missed the last 2 ComiCons, last one you were at was 2000?
I made it to 98 and 99...
If you do decide to go, would definately be a big boost in reasons for me to go!! :)
I'm gonna try to make it to FC, but «shrugs» who knows....
I'll really miss seeing ya at MFF!
«skritchiehugs»
Have fun!!!!
no subject
Date: 2002-11-07 08:13 pm (UTC)It would be nice to see you in the KeenSpot or Plan 9 booth. And even then, you at a keencon panel! =D
And then I'd get to see ya!
And I think ComicCon is better because it is much more varied in the audience, ect.
COMICCON 2003! =D
no subject
Date: 2002-11-07 08:24 pm (UTC)My goodness, no! Cheated would be if you actually only wrote a little bit! Gotta get in my Gneechy Goodness wherever I can! *Hugs*
Congrats on the promotion, dude! That is indeed good news.
And I'm still working on the convincing argument that will get you to come to ConiFur. Like two airline tickets in the mail...
no subject
Date: 2002-11-07 08:40 pm (UTC)no subject
In a completely unsolicited recommendation, I would encourage you to attend ComicCon (and not just because I'd like the opportunity to meet you in person). As an attendee at the previous two and various of the Keen*-related activities, I gotta tell you that it's a blast. It was a lot more fun than I'd expected, and I'd expected to have a great time, so.... But I also understand the sorts of choices you've got to make. But if you make it to ComicCon we'll welcome you with open arms!
ComicCon has to be seen to be believed; anyone and everyone who likes comics in any form should attend at least once. If somebody at ComicCon can't find what you're looking for, then it doesn't exist.