What I Do Every Day At Work

When I work I don't realize how confusing the process is until I step back and look at the big picture of what I'm actually doing every day, ha. I design the homepages for Kmart.com, but here is what I really do:

I design a layout for a particular week, which usually has 2 parts: front and back half of the week, which are set up in layers in Photoshop, and for client review must be submitted as 2 jpegs. Sears and Kmart are switching their site layouts to "liquid" so for some of my weeks I have a liquid and a non liquid version, which inside that has the 2 parts to its week, and additionally the liquid layouts will have a sort of rotating slide show so I have further separate layouts for each of the 4 slides that will rotate out in the animation (later done by the coders). On top of that, I work on about 2-3 weeks at once actively, which need jpegs and pdfs created for client review.

So in conclusion: I design and revise a week in 2 halves as well as in a liquid and non liquid format (until the non is no longer in use), and 4 slides for the liquid format; each half of the week and each slide needs a jpeg and and each half of the week and each slide needs a pdf. This process gets repeated after revisions are made and for revisions after the week goes live on kmart.com (which are live site changes). All these tasks are multiplied by the 2-3 weeks I work on simultaneously, and are primary to the other tasks I sometimes take, such as Sears affiliates banners (which usually come in groups of 2 or groups of like 15, usually similar layouts, but different pixel sizes, and generally have a ton of text and images they want crammed into a 120x90 pixel box). Having a hard time visualizing "what I do" ? Here's a visual aid:


(you might have to click to see up close, if you're even that curious)
Each of those windows has a second layout in the hidden Photoshop layers for the other half of that week. Amongst the windows shown is March week 2-5. The window of files in the background is a good view of the projects I work on during a week. And yes, I work on 2 screens because 1 isn't enough for all that I need to see! (Sometimes I think I need 3). Thank goodness for CS4's ability to do Photoshop windows in tabs contained in just 1 window. I sometimes work that way too, but it helps me to see everything at once still.

So when you ask me, "What do you do at your job?" and I answer with this, either your head will be spinning or you'll be more engaged mentally than if I just answered, "Design stuff."

"A Major Award"

Not really that major, but I just learned an animation I did for Noble years ago won a Silver Addy award, in the category of business to business web animation advertisement. Jon worked with me on sound for this one too. We're officially an award-winning team, ha. If you're curious to see it go to my website > Motion > second to last button in the left column. It's nice to know that Noble (didn't!) let me know something I worked on won an award. The girl that was the intern when I left let me know about it via facebook. I wonder if they ever planned on telling me?

My current account girl told me that when I started working at ARS she thought I was too good for Kmart. It's encouraging to hear that, but it makes me think about the things I'm not using my talents for. It seems that most of them are utilized for personal projects, which are fun, and do tend to suffice for my need to be able to use them.

Still I wonder. With the economy the way it is and jobs the way they are I don't really have the freedom to go out and see what else I can do right now. And so I keep it to myself.

As soon as all the wedding mumbojumbo is over with, I'd like to try my hand at some different animation techniques, as well as update my portfolio site. Look forward to more creative projects coming up on this blog after then ;)

No Shave, A Hair Cut and Antiques

Have you ever walked into a place and thought, woh: I'm out of my element. I did that tonight when I went to Hair A Go*Go to get my hair cut. I went there because I know one of the stylists through Vineyard friends, and she's the wife of someone who also works at ARS.

Anyway the place is very 'runway' with really bright lights, really colorful racks of endless hair and makeup products, trays of Hershey kisses and mints on coffee tables, and a very trendy couched and carpeted waiting area. Another girl took my coat and hung it up for me. I was seated in a chair at a mirror specifically for hair diagnosis, where we talked about what I wanted with the cut. I mentally noted how much I dislike the types of lights used aside this mirror (which burn green negative images into my retinas!), where I sat staring at my tired-after-work-looking self for 3 minutes before my stylist came over. It's the kind of scene where I can't help but compare my features to the other "stylish" people around me. I realized how square and wide my chin is.

Anyway the cut was good, although she left my bangs a little straight because she blow-dried them, which I would never do. They're wet now after my shower or I'd take a new photo.

I was excited to learn that Hair A Go*Go gives complimentary bang cuts, too.

Oh also! Knitting Mill Antiques, next to Hair A Go*Go is just the type of antiques place I've been wondering where to find in Chattanooga. I browsed for a while before my hair cut appointment. I found an antique Italian accordian with pearly keys, some really neat furniture that I would put in my home, and a combination buffet cabinet and pump organ, ha. So fun. I absolutely love these types of places. Mostly because you can browse thousands of interesting items and trinkets for hours. I can't wait to fill a home with interesting (but not uselessly interesting) things.

Blurb

I have to promote the Blurb bookmaking website. Yesterday I received my book I made for Jonathan and it turned out pretty great (but not as great as his reaction to it.. but that is just for me).

So for all you photographers, writers, gift-givers, or people with something useful to say or show that you might want to archive in a useful fashion, give the site a go. Just download the free BookSmart program for Mac or PC. It's relatively easy to use for page layouts and if you don't like their layout choices you can set up your own in another program and import it as a jpeg. I have found a few bugs, but working around them isn't too bad, especially because this bookmaking service is supposed to be one of the cheapest ones out there.

Once your book is complete you can send it to be produced directly from BookSmart. They say it takes 5-6 days to produce and 2 days to ship. I ordered mine on a Friday and it came in about 10 days (8 business days). If you want you can also sell your books from the blurb website.

I'm certainly using the service for a wedding photos album.. and possibly for all future photo albums, as all that digital photography really needs a place to rest. I think it would stand the test of time better than an album with printed photos in it, too.

Don't you love discovering useful things?
(Yes).

Seamstrissmiss?

Guess what?
I'm going to make another blogspot just for my sewing endeavors. Tricks, tips, successful projects and maybe unsuccessful projects too. If you're curious about sewing, maybe you'll learn something with me. :) (That line almost sounded like something from Reading Rainbow, d' d' Dih'!)

I'm thinking about calling the blog Seamstrissmiss, but I haven't decided just yet. I'll share the link when it's up.

Tan Sugar

The jar in the church office is almost always filled with carmel cubes, probably because these are the remnants of other better candy choices chosen mainly by the preferences of our beloved Vineyard staff peoples.

Anyway I went on a rant the other day about carmels while Jonathan was finishing up some work. I've decided that there are 3 forms of this candy, and that each form goes by it's own name:



Carmel: a solid cube of tan sugar.
Caramel: thicker version of tan sugar, used in such candy bars like Twix and Snickers.
Caramelle: the more liquidy form of tan sugar, usually used as ice cream topping or as the filling in a Caramello bar.

Now, you know.

Bean With Bacon Megarocket

I was researching some old school arcade game graphics today for camp materials and came across one of my most favorite old games. Commander Keen! This game was incredibly awesome. Basically you play "Billy Blaze" (eight year old genius) who builds his own starship (the Bean With Bacon Megarocket! who writes this stuff??) which he uses to take him to his crazy adventures in other worlds.



You get points by collecting soda bottles, assorted candies, tear drops, bowls of cereal, etc. and by killing the vast assortment of eccentric villains. Such simple entertainment, but the campy manner in which it is treated is just beyond cool. I wish I could get these games on my Mac. I think I can, it just requires a series of tedious steps and reading instructions, heh.

I was also excited to see this series of "urban art." I love pixels.

"Medic!"

I was a little hurried on my way home from work last night (and side trips to Walmart for dinner materials is always enough to annoy me with humanity). I got home, Jonathan came in and helped me put groceries away, then I started making dinner, which was abruptly halted by The Can Of Corn. First I have to say, my can opener is extra-lame. It left two still-attached edges on my lid, which forced me to have to use a fork to pry the top off.... which resulted in the lid-with-sharp-edges slicing violently into my thumb and ring finger on my right hand.

I rushed to the sink to run my finger under cold water, and stood there just watching the blood gush out. I told Jonathan to run and grab me a band aid, "or two!!" When he came to my side, I started feeling light headed so he laid me down on the couch and sat with me, applying pressure with a paper towel to my gushing wound. After a few minutes I felt that I could get up to wash it out again. But at the sink again, I felt faint and went down this time.

Let me tell you, if you've never fainted, it's really an odd feeling. It's like the whole process of falling asleep happens within an instant, there's even enough time for a really brief dream, which I don't recall in this instance. I didn't feel my head hit the sink, nor anything that happened after that, until I felt myself laying on the kitchen floor and heard Jonathan call my name and tell me to look at his eyes.

I came back into consciousness pretty quickly, with the ever-familiar post-faint taste of metal in my mouth. I laid limp on the kitchen floor for a few minutes while Jon scrambled around to take care of me, propping my legs up, holding the towel around my hand and above my heart, bandaging up my thumb while dabbing up the blood from the other finger. He dead-lifted me and carried me over to lay me on the couch where he assessed the wound, still bleeding. It's nearly 1/8" deep and about 3/4" long. He did some quick research before he confirmed that I wouldn't need stitches since the gash clotted within 15 minutes.

I'm so glad for Jonathan's medical experience and abilities. It actually helps me to not focus on what hurts when he tells me what's physically going on with the thing (like how it started to swell which caused some secondary pain).

I'm not really sure what it is in the process of experiencing gross physical mishaps that gets my anxiety in a tizzy, resulting in a fainting spell. I guess it could be a panic attack of sorts. My doctor told me I have vasovagal syncope. It's a condition where the uncomfortability of certain medical situations makes my heart rate and blood pressure drop very quickly, sometimes leading to fainting and shock. It's just the way my blood pressure and the nerves react. I think this is what makes me most nervous about having children some day. I'll pass out and lay there like a slug and the kid will have some kind of complication because I'm doing nothing to help it. Let's not think about that now, ha. I'd much rather have a gashy finger that looks like a corpse.

Anyway I'm glad Jonathan knows the routine with me now, whenever something like this may happen again :)

Same Church, New Setup

We successfully had our first portable church service yesterday, and it went surprisingly smooth and really well. It only took a little over an hour to set up and about an hour to tear everything down. My muscles are so sore from moving heavy cafeteria tables and chairs back into place in the wing where children's church is held.

The Chattanooga Vineyard is now being held on the campus of Tyner Academy. The main auditorium is where the main service is held, but children's church is in their cafeteria area, and Kids Rock (grades 1-5) is held in their gym. It's pretty crazy being so spread out, but that's where volunteer help makes or breaks the efficiency. I was sort of all over the place, despite that I only signed up in 2 areas. I think doing so helps with efficiency though, so I'm never standing around somewhere not doing something.

Just to give you an idea of how the portable church system works, we have purchased 2 trailers full of selected equipment needed for all of our purposes: lighting, draperies, band and audio gear, lobby tables, coffee machines, signage, children's area carpets and toys and area walls, kid's area stage, band and audio gear, and tons more other things. All these items are kept in variously sized rolling cases which are surprisingly light weight and easy to load and unload in whichever area they belong in. Teams were established for initial set up, and then for area-specific set up in each ministry.

I didn't really expect this, but the portable church thing is a lot more fun than I anticipated, ha. It's something about the challenge of the efficiency as to how quickly and successfully we can get everything accomplished, and still have time to talk with people and be welcoming. Already I feel like just through the volunteering process, I've met about 6 new people. It is fun, but it's also pretty tiring, at least this past weekend was for me. Sundays will be less relaxing, but I guess that's what the afternoon is for.

I think what I like the most is that everyone seems to take initiative. There are area-specific leaders, but it really is all of us together in one giant Lead Team to get done what needs to get done. I wish I could be in all areas at once to see how well and how quickly it all actually comes together. Or that I had an aerial view of everything going on at once. I bet it's amazing. I guess only God gets that perspective ;)