Cutter's Log - Stardate 1102.13.01
Current Song - My Sharona (The Knack)
I came into this past Saturday thinking I could cover three things. As the day drew closer, I didn't actually think this was possible. But I wanted to try to do it anyway.
The three events were: the Oregon XC Sectional, the Forreston Football game against Hales Fransicsan, and the Harlem Football game against Hononeagh.
I did research and alerted beforehand that I was going to cover the first two games. I didn't tell anyone about covering Harlem-Hononegah because I wasn't sure if I had enough energy to do so, and didn't want people to waste time. Thankfully the gate honored the pass on the fly.
If I wasn't covering anything, this would be a typical day in high school sports paradise. There is a pencil holder on my desk that reads "I want less WORK and more $$$ for not doing it." If money grew on trees and I could do what I want - this is what I would be doing.
I also came into Saturday wanting to tweak the way I cover things, as well as tweak the way I write. In this day of age in the journalism business, sticking to one tried and true format doesn't go far in the ever-changing scheme of things.
I challenged myself to write just 600 words on each game. This is a far cry from the typical 1,000+ I'm used to in website writing. I write long on the website in order to explain detail and how things led to another - in other words make the newspapers look like MASH unit doctors. (Okay, a more nicer term would be "supplementary coverage.")
Thousand-word stories have no place in newspapers. If I want to prepare for that next level, I need to shorten my stories and cram it all into fewer words. I try doing this all of the time, but I had something going for me that day: Because of a tech snafu with the website, I stayed up all night after covering Sterling soccer on Friday night. So I went into the triple-dip with no sleep. By the time I would be getting home from this, being so tired would literally force me to write just 600 words.
***
So here's an account of the Saturday triple-dip:
I was running a little late getting to Oregon for the Sectional Meet. I tried to catch some shut-eye around 8 a.m. and got about two minutes worth. Then that turned into a slow time in the shower and getting cleaned up. Knowing I was going to stumble, and possibly run off the road, I had three bucks on me to go to Aldi for a 12-park of pop. I got to Park West in Oregon late enough to where I parked in the school parking lot and ran the 1/4 mile to the finish line.
They say covering cross country is one of the easiest things to do. However, research and knowledge of the effects of running three miles will make for a good story (as opposed to fact-and-stat writing). There was a back-to-back series of XC meets at Erie and then Byron that helped me understand cross country a little better. When football is dominant and volleyball is also as dominant, sometimes cross country gets shuffled behind.
Charlie and Andy were also there covering the meet, and I stuck by them for most of the time. I also saw one of my Winnebago friends, Bruce, there as well. I got my pics in one spot, then video in another spot not too far away. See how easy it is? Right. After the meet, however, it took nearly two hours to finalize the results and print them off. Not good for someone like me who was up for now 24 straight hours. (Here's the NISB Article)
By the time I walked all the way back to my car, it was 1 p.m. with the football game at Forreston starting at 1:30. I'm already past my pre-game comfort zone as far as getting there early is concerned. I go the wrong way out of Oregon and after exiting Mt. Morris I Chuck Yeager'ed it to Route 72. The car topped at 93 MPH (one shy of the car's best of 94 on the Abe Lincoln Bridge in LaSalle).
Sure enough, I get to Forreston with 11 minutes on the pre-game clock. Andy had also made the drive (probably much safer than my drive). The morning was cold and I had my jacket on, but it got warm soon after and I was alright with my short-sleeved shirt. Forreston is a confusing place to cover a football game at sometimes, since the scoreboard is slow and I can't get an accurate reading on yardage lines. Other than that covering the game went off without a hitch.
Since this was a much-hyped game, I was asked beforehand to text updates to my friend Patrick in Chicago. I don't mind doing that, but sometimes it takes away from the job I'm trying to do. So along with Patrick, I added Edgy Tim, Bill and my friend Rick to the text update list. It's hard for me to do that with the buttons on my phone being so small, and my fingers too big. Just call me old-school in this regard, I would simply like to concentrate on covering my game and not worry about what's going on elsewhere. Maybe if I wasn't trying to snap a picture or take video I would have an easier time providing updates.
Forreston won a good game 31-28. (Here's the NISB Article)
One thing I learned from covering this game is to not use cheap pens to write things down on. My pen didn't run out, but was kind of a nuisance. The way I cover football games changed after the next game.
The break before the Harlem-Hononegah game was changed. I was supposed to meet Rick for a quick bite to eat before we went to the game, but he had other plans. So this gave me some time to drive to Harlem and walk around to keep myself awake. The weather got much colder as game time fell.
Cheap pens and fat notepads do not mix when it's bitter cold outside. My jaw was stammering and my knees were buckling as I roamed around the Hononegah sideline throughout the game. Not to mention, plenty of scoring and little defense. I tried to keep up with the game, and was able to get plays written down. However I was not able to mentally formulate a storyline inside my head - and thus called the game off. I figured that would be the case.
By the time I left Harlem, I had been awake for 31 straight hours. Then came the drive down home. You try driving down Route 2 in deer-infested late October, at night, after being up for 31 straight hours!
Of course I went to sleep right after I got home, but awoke enough to get the two articles written in timely fashion (to my standards). I didn't go as in-depth as I normally did, but at the same time didn't go below 600 words on each article.
***
What I learned from this Wild Ride:
1. The football notes formula I had been using for years turns obsolete when trying to meet a maximum-word limit. I have recently begun using a football stats worksheet to help in setting up box scores. If I just used that as my game notes, and writing a scoring summary (agate-style) on the back of the worksheet, it may clear my head a little easier and prevent arthritis. I will begin experimenting with this strategy on Friday night - where as of now I don't know.
2. Never write 1,000+ word soccer articles. Never.
3. Aren't individual sectional results available on the IHSA website? Even in this particular meet where almost all of NISB's small schools were in, going by that is data enough to supplement the margin notes and interviews during the race.
4. Set a "leave-the-house" deadline, even for the shortest of car rides. Oregon isn't much of a car ride for me, but you never know with traffic in Sterling and Dixon.
5. Don't buy a pork chop at Forreston. Worst ever.
6. Tell people that I see no sense of urgency in knowing what a quarterly score is during a football game - unless you are my boss. The less time I text updates, the more time I have to do stats at halftime. And for crying out loud, NEVER EVER call me during a game, especially if you know that I am covering a game!!!!
7. Protect the head, regardless of what it does to my hair. Hoods on top, stocking hat, whatever. This will take a long time for me to learn because I naturally just don't do it.
8. I can't do a triple-dip after staying up all night. Just can't. However, if this comes up another time I'll be sure to get plenty of sleep before. I've covered multiple basketball games at tournaments, but this is a completely different situation.
Hopefully lessons are learned, and the opportunity comes up again. Next week is Volleyball State Tournament time, which should be another absolute meylay.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
It's not so busy now
Cutter's Log - Stardate 1102.03.01
Current Song - Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday (Stevie Wonder)
The high school sports happening has kind of fallen into place at the moment. This week will see a Thursday-Friday-Saturday string of volleyball-football-football.
Right now I'm trying to preserve finances, of course. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve at the moment. It may not be all that busy during the course of the week, but when there is something do to - it's a lot to handle.
Next week looks to be State Volleyball. The week after that is the start of girls basketball tournaments, with championships on Friday and another football game on Saturday.
The week after looks to be state football on maybe Friday (slight possibility for Saturday also) and then riding my bike to SHS for the annual Sterling-Rock Falls boys basketball tilt.
All if I still cannot secure a job. If I get that, then this schedule is subject to change.
Current Song - Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday (Stevie Wonder)
The high school sports happening has kind of fallen into place at the moment. This week will see a Thursday-Friday-Saturday string of volleyball-football-football.
Right now I'm trying to preserve finances, of course. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve at the moment. It may not be all that busy during the course of the week, but when there is something do to - it's a lot to handle.
Next week looks to be State Volleyball. The week after that is the start of girls basketball tournaments, with championships on Friday and another football game on Saturday.
The week after looks to be state football on maybe Friday (slight possibility for Saturday also) and then riding my bike to SHS for the annual Sterling-Rock Falls boys basketball tilt.
All if I still cannot secure a job. If I get that, then this schedule is subject to change.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Strapped Advantages?
Cutter's Log - Supplemental
While I have no income coming in at this time, I am resorting to some small things to make a buck.
For example, I'm trying to sell some of my things that I have kind of hoarded for years. I'll start with the keyboard I've been trying to sell for a long time.
But when I get a job somewhere, that shouldn't mean I should quit these unusual ways of building onto by finances. Rather, these things would be a supplement to what I would be already making.
How about that?
While I have no income coming in at this time, I am resorting to some small things to make a buck.
For example, I'm trying to sell some of my things that I have kind of hoarded for years. I'll start with the keyboard I've been trying to sell for a long time.
But when I get a job somewhere, that shouldn't mean I should quit these unusual ways of building onto by finances. Rather, these things would be a supplement to what I would be already making.
How about that?
Interesting TV
Cutter's Log - Stardate 1102.12.01
Current Song - Ah Leah (Donnie Iris)
In the past decade or so, there was never really anything on television that I would religiously watch. No real programming except the TV-6 News at Ten and Leno and Conan afterward. Sportscenter whenever I felt like it.
The only two times when I would go down from the computer to watch TV was when the Hallmark channel had MASH on at 4 pm, and when Family Guy was on Adult Swim at 2 pm. These runs ended after I saw pretty much evey single episode.
Lately there are four shows that, whenever they are on, I will attempt to watch: American Pickers, Hardcore Pawn, Pawn Stars and Storage Wars.
What amazes me about these shows is the items that they focus on; things that I have never heard of before. Also, that there is a value to pretty much anything unique out there.
These shows kind of make me want to go on a treasure hunt. Hunting for treasure is something that sound like a good idea RIGHT ABOUT NOW.
Current Song - Ah Leah (Donnie Iris)
In the past decade or so, there was never really anything on television that I would religiously watch. No real programming except the TV-6 News at Ten and Leno and Conan afterward. Sportscenter whenever I felt like it.
The only two times when I would go down from the computer to watch TV was when the Hallmark channel had MASH on at 4 pm, and when Family Guy was on Adult Swim at 2 pm. These runs ended after I saw pretty much evey single episode.
Lately there are four shows that, whenever they are on, I will attempt to watch: American Pickers, Hardcore Pawn, Pawn Stars and Storage Wars.
What amazes me about these shows is the items that they focus on; things that I have never heard of before. Also, that there is a value to pretty much anything unique out there.
These shows kind of make me want to go on a treasure hunt. Hunting for treasure is something that sound like a good idea RIGHT ABOUT NOW.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Still Clawing For Hope
Cutter's Log - Stardate 1102.71.01
Current Song - Magnet and Steel (Walter Egan)
Since Plan B has gone dry in the job search, I am now on to Plan C.
Plan A was trying to get that newspaper opening. Plan B was trying to find a gas station job within 25 miles from home. Both haven't worked.
So Plan C involves calling local businesses to see if they are hiring or not. Five years ago I made a list of places where I could try to apply to. That was back when I didn't have a car. Now I do, and have expanded this list to within 20 miles from home.
I couldn't remember the exact list, but I wrote down all the places I could think of in Sterling, Rock Falls, Dixon, Morrison and Prophetstown. Of these places, I either got a "yes," "no," or "you can always fill out an application."
In this calling process, I have found four places with a "yes" that I could reasonably do. These places are: Domino's Pizza, Farm and Fleet, Kroger, and Aaron's. Three more places were found in the classifieds. One of which seems seasonal, another seems to be confusing (the job description was vague), and another maybe, just maybe seems like something that could prepare me for the future - and that is a typing job for a phone book company.
So far, I have filled out the online app for Kroger and emailed the cover letter and resume to the phone book company. The Kroger position is for overnight cashier, which I did for 19 months at BP.
Over the coming days, not only will I hope to hear back from the two places above, but try to tackle the Farm and Fleet and Domino's jobs. After that, I will go into the list of places that told me "you can always fill out an application" and have them on file - as well as get those other two ads from the paper.
Meanwhile, I have to go in front of the City of Sterling Liquor Commission tomorrow morning due to my sting. I hope the fine isn't as bad as I think it is. After that, I hope to get my finances in order.
Current Song - Magnet and Steel (Walter Egan)
Since Plan B has gone dry in the job search, I am now on to Plan C.
Plan A was trying to get that newspaper opening. Plan B was trying to find a gas station job within 25 miles from home. Both haven't worked.
So Plan C involves calling local businesses to see if they are hiring or not. Five years ago I made a list of places where I could try to apply to. That was back when I didn't have a car. Now I do, and have expanded this list to within 20 miles from home.
I couldn't remember the exact list, but I wrote down all the places I could think of in Sterling, Rock Falls, Dixon, Morrison and Prophetstown. Of these places, I either got a "yes," "no," or "you can always fill out an application."
In this calling process, I have found four places with a "yes" that I could reasonably do. These places are: Domino's Pizza, Farm and Fleet, Kroger, and Aaron's. Three more places were found in the classifieds. One of which seems seasonal, another seems to be confusing (the job description was vague), and another maybe, just maybe seems like something that could prepare me for the future - and that is a typing job for a phone book company.
So far, I have filled out the online app for Kroger and emailed the cover letter and resume to the phone book company. The Kroger position is for overnight cashier, which I did for 19 months at BP.
Over the coming days, not only will I hope to hear back from the two places above, but try to tackle the Farm and Fleet and Domino's jobs. After that, I will go into the list of places that told me "you can always fill out an application" and have them on file - as well as get those other two ads from the paper.
Meanwhile, I have to go in front of the City of Sterling Liquor Commission tomorrow morning due to my sting. I hope the fine isn't as bad as I think it is. After that, I hope to get my finances in order.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Freestylin' Once Again
Cutter's Log - Stardate 1102.51.01
Current Song - Moonlight Sonata (Ludwig von Beethoven)
Every waking moment without a source of income becomes dreadful and dreadful. At the same time, when I try to be organized, something always seems to get in the way. I tried making different use of my whiteboard, reserving computer time, and still I find myself falling behind in many things.
I've determined that I am planning too many things for one day. One day could see an article written, and a chore to do, and a blog entry to write, and a game to cover, etc. That's why I fall behind in these things. Perhaps if I do only one or two things a day, that will help get things done. This may stretch things out a long time, but if that's what it's going to take to simply get these things DONE, then so it is.
I have a football article to write tonight, as well as some video to upload. Sunday will be dedicated to the Week 8 Observations piece, and tallying up the pick'em standings. Monday will be dedicated to job finding and finance situations. Tuesday will be spent at the liquor commission hearing. Wednesday and Thursday are open as of right now. Friday will be dedicated to Kaneland at Morris football, while Saturday will be dedicated to covering the Stillman Valley Volleyball Invitational final.
What I can reveal about the job scenario is this - I haven't gotten any calls back from any of the gas stations I have applied at. I think it's time to find another route. The preferences didn't seem to work out. Now I'll have to go back to what I did before taking the BP job, and calling people up the wazoo.
But who?
The feeling right now is not so much wanting to cross my fingers - but just absolute nervousness in possibly having to do something I just do not feel comfortable with. What's worse is trying to click with fellow workers outside of work - something I just haven't been able to do, ever.
I want my dreams to be a reality, not to be destroyed by falling into place in a line in society.
Current Song - Moonlight Sonata (Ludwig von Beethoven)
Every waking moment without a source of income becomes dreadful and dreadful. At the same time, when I try to be organized, something always seems to get in the way. I tried making different use of my whiteboard, reserving computer time, and still I find myself falling behind in many things.
I've determined that I am planning too many things for one day. One day could see an article written, and a chore to do, and a blog entry to write, and a game to cover, etc. That's why I fall behind in these things. Perhaps if I do only one or two things a day, that will help get things done. This may stretch things out a long time, but if that's what it's going to take to simply get these things DONE, then so it is.
I have a football article to write tonight, as well as some video to upload. Sunday will be dedicated to the Week 8 Observations piece, and tallying up the pick'em standings. Monday will be dedicated to job finding and finance situations. Tuesday will be spent at the liquor commission hearing. Wednesday and Thursday are open as of right now. Friday will be dedicated to Kaneland at Morris football, while Saturday will be dedicated to covering the Stillman Valley Volleyball Invitational final.
What I can reveal about the job scenario is this - I haven't gotten any calls back from any of the gas stations I have applied at. I think it's time to find another route. The preferences didn't seem to work out. Now I'll have to go back to what I did before taking the BP job, and calling people up the wazoo.
But who?
The feeling right now is not so much wanting to cross my fingers - but just absolute nervousness in possibly having to do something I just do not feel comfortable with. What's worse is trying to click with fellow workers outside of work - something I just haven't been able to do, ever.
I want my dreams to be a reality, not to be destroyed by falling into place in a line in society.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Mind in Another Place
Cutter's Log - Stardate 1102.10.01
Current Song - Kicks (Paul Revere and the Raiders)
While I'm still trying to find job openings at places, my mind seems to be at another place.
I have found something. Not a job, but another ...
Well, this entity is strengthening my wills to kick some habits and become more orderly in a few things. Never before with similar ones in the past have I been prompted to go to such extremes.
Just f'in mesmerizing!
Current Song - Kicks (Paul Revere and the Raiders)
While I'm still trying to find job openings at places, my mind seems to be at another place.
I have found something. Not a job, but another ...
Well, this entity is strengthening my wills to kick some habits and become more orderly in a few things. Never before with similar ones in the past have I been prompted to go to such extremes.
Just f'in mesmerizing!
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Today Concludes One of the Best Weeks Ever
Hello, my baby Hello, my honey Hello, my ragtime gal!
Cutter's Log - Stardate 2001.80.01
Current Song - Mo Money Mo Problems (Notorious BIG)
I may not have a job, but all of this downtime is being spent at peace with myself. For one, I have found myself doing extremely well in conversation. Talking to others has been my achilles heel for the longest time, because of the mental condition that I have.
Probably all of the pressure building up inside my head from working for the past three years is disintigrating.
On Sunday I got to have lunch with a friend of mine at Applebees. It was great talking with him. I seemed to carry over the chatting momentum to a cross country meet I went to on Tuesday down in Erie.
The cross country meet almost never happened. I planned on covering a boys golf regional at Sycamore but I overslept. So I scrambled to find something else.
When I'm the only reporter there, I tend to stumble and stutter when I ask these complex questions to people I would like to interview. Most times I will write down questions on my notepad and look at them in the middle of the interview as a cue to what to ask next. For some reason, at this cross country meet I would up freestyling my questions and got some good quotes. I must have figured, hey, I'm the only reporter there so the readers should be proud that they have at least something (not really my best work).
As my writing philosophy, I try to keep my questions simple and easy to answer, and just search for that string of words that fits beautifully with the story. Natrually they do come.
Turns out I had another cross country meet the following day and I once again freestyled my questions ... pretty much just like how I did it the day before. Once again, I was the only reporter there.
Two days of having real good interview sessions was a blast for me. My biggest challenge would come during Friday's Little 10 Tournament finals.
When doing interviews with young ladies, I sometimes tend to be very nervous when presenting myself - I will sometimes have that "ugly" feeling lurking somewhere in my mind. My hair was a mess, I hadn't shaved, and my shirt had chest hair sticking out of it, and here I was interviewing high school girls. This feeling is a habit from when I first started conducting interviews - I was still trying to work on conversation toward girls at that time.
After talking with the coaches I asked for two girls to have an interview session with. Normally I will NOT do a double-session with two people at the same time. However, since the night was fast concluding, I had no choice to do the double-interview with the two girls, both sophomores and probably hadn't been interviewed before. The conversation was a success. I have seen and heard a couple of my writers do these double-interviews, so I tried to act as if I were like them. The transitions worked out well and the whole thing just went very well.
During the volleyball event I at least knew some people that were there, one of them one of my writers who was on assignment for another newspaper. This is usually not the case at most games that I travel to. I was also able to break the ice on some volleyball talk with a football-junkie friend of mine.
More volleyball on Saturday. Surprisingly, I was the only reporter there at the Dixon Invitational. Especially since the title match had teams with a combined record of 59-3. Just call it momentum and following the game, I guess. The more games you get to cover alone, the more confortable you feeling with conversations after the game.
After the Invitational, I found myself engaging in smalltalk with one of the people that I interviewed. That's real odd because that doesn't happen. I guess I was just lucky to be at these games alone. Going back home I stopped by a former co-worker's farewell party at Kelly's Bar and Grill downtown. Had a blast as we wished Will the best at his new gig with the Chicago Tribune.
We all did a toast with a shot of (something), and I actually drank it. I'm not a drinker, nor will I ever be - but this was only the third such occasion that I took a shot of something: a shot of wine at my sister's wedding, a shot of Bud Light at my 5th class reunion, and a shot of this stuff that is unknown to me tonight.
Okay, before I go crazy that's enough fun for the weekend.
In addition to the conversational aspect of things, the gas station hopes got another boost as another opening nearby has been created. Still waiting for the call.
Another confidence booster is something related to what has been mentioned already, but is something I'll just keep to myself for the time being.
Here's to next week!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Time, a Luxury I Kind of Need Right Now
Cutter's Log - Stardate 1102.10.01
Current Song - It Ain't Over Till It's Over (Lenny Kravitz)
When you get canned, naturally there is plenty of time to kill. Apparently not.
It's been a rough 48 hours for yours truly. Froze myself at Friday's football game. Had a low battery on my camera. Had trouble figuring out yard stripes. Somehow I was able to scrap together a game article. Somehow.
Message board babysitting stuff seems to be getting a little better. The job outlook, however, is like the wheels of justice - it turns slowly.
At least the car shouldn't have any more problems, now that most of the stuff has been fixed and was paid for. So I have that going for me. I am having lunch with a former colleague of mine tomorrow, too.
What I'm having an extremely difficult time with is preparation and time management. Perhaps having so much time on my hands has thrown me off-balance in this regard. I have a website to maintain, and it seems like I'm doing things on the fly.
Now that I'm off work, every waking moment from 8 a.m. to midnight is a battle between Dan and I for use of the computer. Then either Mike or Chris will pop in every now and again. I want to find a way that works out for all of us, but since the computer that I'm on is mine I get some more say in things.
As of right now the biggest thing that is on my mind is the operation of NISB. Finding a job (and sticking to the job-finding plan posted on here earlier) doesn't really take all that long to do. Next week should be another packed week with good-sized trips. Balancing this financial aspect of things takes time, and I kind of need that right now.
***
Here's what I want to establish with Danny as far as computer time is concerned:
I get the computer from 9 a.m. until either 5 p.m. (or earlier when I have to prepare to leave for a game). If I sleep in past 9 a.m., he can have it until I wake up. After 5 p.m. he can have it until he gets tired (or until I arrive back home from a sporting event).
When I'm on the computer, I'll put matters toward the website on first priority. I'll tell him that. Working hard within the high school sports arena is what's going to help me persue my desire to stay involved with it for as long as I want. When I get that through his head, he'll understand.
***
I want to wake up at 9 a.m. and begin working on website ideas and concepts for the day. I'm not planning on covering anything that night, so the day will be devoted to internal and technological website matters. When I get off at 5 p.m., Danny can have the computer and I can do some personal things.
From here on out, I will be thinking of things to do with the website. Sometimes reinventing things is a good way to keep fresh. After having lunch with my friend tomorrow, I'll get to writing the Week 6 Observations piece and get it up ASAP.
This all starts with moving my white marker board to the other wall in my office area. It's something minor, but when you're me detail sometimes does matter.
Current Song - It Ain't Over Till It's Over (Lenny Kravitz)
When you get canned, naturally there is plenty of time to kill. Apparently not.
It's been a rough 48 hours for yours truly. Froze myself at Friday's football game. Had a low battery on my camera. Had trouble figuring out yard stripes. Somehow I was able to scrap together a game article. Somehow.
Message board babysitting stuff seems to be getting a little better. The job outlook, however, is like the wheels of justice - it turns slowly.
At least the car shouldn't have any more problems, now that most of the stuff has been fixed and was paid for. So I have that going for me. I am having lunch with a former colleague of mine tomorrow, too.
What I'm having an extremely difficult time with is preparation and time management. Perhaps having so much time on my hands has thrown me off-balance in this regard. I have a website to maintain, and it seems like I'm doing things on the fly.
Now that I'm off work, every waking moment from 8 a.m. to midnight is a battle between Dan and I for use of the computer. Then either Mike or Chris will pop in every now and again. I want to find a way that works out for all of us, but since the computer that I'm on is mine I get some more say in things.
As of right now the biggest thing that is on my mind is the operation of NISB. Finding a job (and sticking to the job-finding plan posted on here earlier) doesn't really take all that long to do. Next week should be another packed week with good-sized trips. Balancing this financial aspect of things takes time, and I kind of need that right now.
***
Here's what I want to establish with Danny as far as computer time is concerned:
I get the computer from 9 a.m. until either 5 p.m. (or earlier when I have to prepare to leave for a game). If I sleep in past 9 a.m., he can have it until I wake up. After 5 p.m. he can have it until he gets tired (or until I arrive back home from a sporting event).
When I'm on the computer, I'll put matters toward the website on first priority. I'll tell him that. Working hard within the high school sports arena is what's going to help me persue my desire to stay involved with it for as long as I want. When I get that through his head, he'll understand.
***
I want to wake up at 9 a.m. and begin working on website ideas and concepts for the day. I'm not planning on covering anything that night, so the day will be devoted to internal and technological website matters. When I get off at 5 p.m., Danny can have the computer and I can do some personal things.
From here on out, I will be thinking of things to do with the website. Sometimes reinventing things is a good way to keep fresh. After having lunch with my friend tomorrow, I'll get to writing the Week 6 Observations piece and get it up ASAP.
This all starts with moving my white marker board to the other wall in my office area. It's something minor, but when you're me detail sometimes does matter.
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