marsden_online (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
marsden_online) wrote2012-05-20 03:52 pm
marsden_online) wrote2012-05-20 03:52 pm
Recollection of a busy week
So much has happened this week especially in the past few days.. I need to write it down while much of it is still fresh even though my brain is shying away from the task.
First let it be noted that I did a full (for me) week of work - so fitting in four hours a day on average. I also had parental units visit multiple times during the week. #AH alarm times are to the nearest half hour, take from 30-90 minutes to resolve and this usually results in a justified late rising the next day although it is worth noting I haven't had so many un-justified late risings recently.
Monday: included the last physio appointment for a while (hopefully) in the morning, and the annual meeting the the accountant in the afternoon.
AH alarm at 1am Tuesday morning. Tuesday night gaming was off and instead I did and blogged on some comparative research on internet plans.
Wednesday evening was taken up sorting out the aftermath of last weeks Shadowrun game without getting to this weeks prep.
Thursday: 2am #AH alarm. 4pm #AH alarm when we discovered that vandals had been through sometime after 3am without triggering alarms. Dealing with this also cost me my backup Shadowrun prep time and I was left with some scribbles notes and a hastily sourced map printed from the internet.
Despite this the session actually went really well - the group started working together a bit better, hit up their contacts for information, managed to get themselves into and out of the trouble zone in more-or less one piece and I managed to start inter-relating their diverse contacts and skills together with some of my NPCs into something resembling a living, breathing setting. (They still haven't thought to wonder -how- the Street Sam's fixer knew he was in the vicinity when they'd just gotten back into town/onto the grid though.)
Friday: 1:30am AH alarm. 4am AH alarm. 6:30am alarm clock to have the Prius in for warrant and investigation of a parking system error which has left me unable to put the car in gear until cleared - most recently I've had to get out and physically rock the car to make this happen. When you have to push-start your Prius you're doing it wrong.
1pm showing a group through AH and also cleaning up the worst of Thursday morning's mess, much appreciated assistance from M and L. 3:30 pm report to the office for a promotion videoshoot for the company. 5pm get car back - they haven't been able to locate the cause of the error, research is ongoing.
Friday evening M is unavailable to respond to AH alarms until after midnight so I'll have to supply my own backup. After squeezing in a nap I reluctantly haul myself out of bed again and go to the drinkies at New Asgard where there will be company to keep me awake and suitably crazy people to shanghai if an alarm goes. (Also I still need to get material for Saturday off M which will therefore also have to wait until after midnight.) Fortunately no alarms, although I do get to witness / catch up on some of the latest drama.
Saturday...: Approx 1am bed. 1:18am alarm. Approx 2am bed, sleep eventually. 3:49am alarm. Very grateful that N is now joining us on alarm callouts. 4:45am bed. Squeeze in some more sleep before 6:30am alarm clock. Calculate an aggregate of 2.5 - 3 hours actual sleep in past 24 hours.
Pick up some of todays volunteers and get to Antonio Hall by 8am, on schedule.
~~~
Some background - we've taken quite a number of photographers through the Hall. Back in March one group of these asked if they could organise a proper photoshoot project - multiple photographers and models doing a series of sets with a high-fashion theme set against the urban decay backdrop provided by the Hall. We agreed, subject to still having access on their chosen date.
A few weeks out and we know the number of people involved is about 40*. There is no way we can allow that many people the run of the place - we are required to have someone "representing the property manager" with anyone we allow on the property (who knows the building and to be in charge in case of earthquake etc) - so a schedule will be set up where they will be around fixed locations in small groups and we only need to have someone with each group or at a stretch in the general vicinity of each location. They are initially talking about an 8am start but by Thursday it is an 8:30am start - I still need to be there earlier to do a walkthrough and open up.
* final count of the waiver forms shows about 30 individuals onsite over the day and I know some eg makeup didn't actually leave the motel room so aren't included in that figure.
~~~
The day is overcast and comes with a biting cold wind. Eventually it turns out that there have been a number of drop-outs of strategic photographers and make-up artists over the past couple of days and the schedule is shot. They are based out of a motel unit across the road for bathroom facilities and electricity - which works well although I don't know how much it cost - and with the remaining make up artists working as hard as they can send groups over as they are ready to use whatever locations are available. The first actual photography starts about 10am although we have shown some photographers through in the intervening time so they have a better idea of the locations. We've also been presented with a bottle of wine and a nicely framed photo of the (less damaged) front corner which the organiser took on a previous visit. #appreciation
Many of the models are wearing not-very-insulating outfits (even those which have many layers) but I already have a firm respect for this professions ability to put a brave face on hostile conditions so I'm not going to claim to have had that instilled in me afresh. I did take (with permission) a number of photos of proceedings for my AH archive but these won't be publicly available - people who weren't there will have to visit me if they want a glimpse of the outfits.
I find that as long as I can keep moving and/or talking to people I can keep from starting to crash. This actually increases the number of people needed by one, because I couldn't just mind the check-in point by myself - but we have just enough volunteers and are only stretched a few times.
- I think there were only a few occasions sleep dep took over and I started to ramble at people or worry about things that didn't matter. (May have only delayed the rambling until this post.)
The shoot organisers have provided some food and the original schedule allowed for a lunch break but that isn't going to happen. A bit after 1pm we make the planned Subway run (my shout) but with written orders as there are still groups cycling through who need accompanying.
Photography wraps up about 3:30 (originally schedule ran to 5pm) - just as sun and blue skies start to put in an appearance :-/ I gave a few people a slightly longer tour and spiel than the whistle-stops they had been subjected to earlier in the day. Close up, pack up, drop people home - I get home about 5:30pm and am in bed shortly after 6pm. Sleep is more important than dinner.
~~~
I am grateful beyond measure to the people who not only got out of bed to be there and help but also waited in the cold for things to start, stayed the day and patiently waited again at the other end. S, M, S, L, A, J, also B & P you know who you are :) I hope you all got enough out of the day to make it worthwhile and if you ever want to organise an event there - well we have precedent now :D (This also applies to other people who have helped out in the past and expressed a desire to do something.)
~~~
3:17am #AH alarm - just couldn't have a completely quiet night could we? Determinedly - or lazily, undecided - stayed in bed until about 10am although I could have been up 2 hours earlier. Caught up on FB, PA, some RSS. Dealt with a few matters relating to yesterday - pulling photos off the camera, sending a couple of emails. Replied to a couple of LJ comments from the past couple of days. Heard that parentals have received a written offer for the farm - going out to dinner with them later.
First let it be noted that I did a full (for me) week of work - so fitting in four hours a day on average. I also had parental units visit multiple times during the week. #AH alarm times are to the nearest half hour, take from 30-90 minutes to resolve and this usually results in a justified late rising the next day although it is worth noting I haven't had so many un-justified late risings recently.
Monday: included the last physio appointment for a while (hopefully) in the morning, and the annual meeting the the accountant in the afternoon.
AH alarm at 1am Tuesday morning. Tuesday night gaming was off and instead I did and blogged on some comparative research on internet plans.
Wednesday evening was taken up sorting out the aftermath of last weeks Shadowrun game without getting to this weeks prep.
Thursday: 2am #AH alarm. 4pm #AH alarm when we discovered that vandals had been through sometime after 3am without triggering alarms. Dealing with this also cost me my backup Shadowrun prep time and I was left with some scribbles notes and a hastily sourced map printed from the internet.
Despite this the session actually went really well - the group started working together a bit better, hit up their contacts for information, managed to get themselves into and out of the trouble zone in more-or less one piece and I managed to start inter-relating their diverse contacts and skills together with some of my NPCs into something resembling a living, breathing setting. (They still haven't thought to wonder -how- the Street Sam's fixer knew he was in the vicinity when they'd just gotten back into town/onto the grid though.)
Friday: 1:30am AH alarm. 4am AH alarm. 6:30am alarm clock to have the Prius in for warrant and investigation of a parking system error which has left me unable to put the car in gear until cleared - most recently I've had to get out and physically rock the car to make this happen. When you have to push-start your Prius you're doing it wrong.
1pm showing a group through AH and also cleaning up the worst of Thursday morning's mess, much appreciated assistance from M and L. 3:30 pm report to the office for a promotion videoshoot for the company. 5pm get car back - they haven't been able to locate the cause of the error, research is ongoing.
Friday evening M is unavailable to respond to AH alarms until after midnight so I'll have to supply my own backup. After squeezing in a nap I reluctantly haul myself out of bed again and go to the drinkies at New Asgard where there will be company to keep me awake and suitably crazy people to shanghai if an alarm goes. (Also I still need to get material for Saturday off M which will therefore also have to wait until after midnight.) Fortunately no alarms, although I do get to witness / catch up on some of the latest drama.
Saturday...: Approx 1am bed. 1:18am alarm. Approx 2am bed, sleep eventually. 3:49am alarm. Very grateful that N is now joining us on alarm callouts. 4:45am bed. Squeeze in some more sleep before 6:30am alarm clock. Calculate an aggregate of 2.5 - 3 hours actual sleep in past 24 hours.
Pick up some of todays volunteers and get to Antonio Hall by 8am, on schedule.
~~~
Some background - we've taken quite a number of photographers through the Hall. Back in March one group of these asked if they could organise a proper photoshoot project - multiple photographers and models doing a series of sets with a high-fashion theme set against the urban decay backdrop provided by the Hall. We agreed, subject to still having access on their chosen date.
A few weeks out and we know the number of people involved is about 40*. There is no way we can allow that many people the run of the place - we are required to have someone "representing the property manager" with anyone we allow on the property (who knows the building and to be in charge in case of earthquake etc) - so a schedule will be set up where they will be around fixed locations in small groups and we only need to have someone with each group or at a stretch in the general vicinity of each location. They are initially talking about an 8am start but by Thursday it is an 8:30am start - I still need to be there earlier to do a walkthrough and open up.
* final count of the waiver forms shows about 30 individuals onsite over the day and I know some eg makeup didn't actually leave the motel room so aren't included in that figure.
~~~
The day is overcast and comes with a biting cold wind. Eventually it turns out that there have been a number of drop-outs of strategic photographers and make-up artists over the past couple of days and the schedule is shot. They are based out of a motel unit across the road for bathroom facilities and electricity - which works well although I don't know how much it cost - and with the remaining make up artists working as hard as they can send groups over as they are ready to use whatever locations are available. The first actual photography starts about 10am although we have shown some photographers through in the intervening time so they have a better idea of the locations. We've also been presented with a bottle of wine and a nicely framed photo of the (less damaged) front corner which the organiser took on a previous visit. #appreciation
Many of the models are wearing not-very-insulating outfits (even those which have many layers) but I already have a firm respect for this professions ability to put a brave face on hostile conditions so I'm not going to claim to have had that instilled in me afresh. I did take (with permission) a number of photos of proceedings for my AH archive but these won't be publicly available - people who weren't there will have to visit me if they want a glimpse of the outfits.
I find that as long as I can keep moving and/or talking to people I can keep from starting to crash. This actually increases the number of people needed by one, because I couldn't just mind the check-in point by myself - but we have just enough volunteers and are only stretched a few times.
- I think there were only a few occasions sleep dep took over and I started to ramble at people or worry about things that didn't matter. (May have only delayed the rambling until this post.)
The shoot organisers have provided some food and the original schedule allowed for a lunch break but that isn't going to happen. A bit after 1pm we make the planned Subway run (my shout) but with written orders as there are still groups cycling through who need accompanying.
Photography wraps up about 3:30 (originally schedule ran to 5pm) - just as sun and blue skies start to put in an appearance :-/ I gave a few people a slightly longer tour and spiel than the whistle-stops they had been subjected to earlier in the day. Close up, pack up, drop people home - I get home about 5:30pm and am in bed shortly after 6pm. Sleep is more important than dinner.
~~~
I am grateful beyond measure to the people who not only got out of bed to be there and help but also waited in the cold for things to start, stayed the day and patiently waited again at the other end. S, M, S, L, A, J, also B & P you know who you are :) I hope you all got enough out of the day to make it worthwhile and if you ever want to organise an event there - well we have precedent now :D (This also applies to other people who have helped out in the past and expressed a desire to do something.)
~~~
3:17am #AH alarm - just couldn't have a completely quiet night could we? Determinedly - or lazily, undecided - stayed in bed until about 10am although I could have been up 2 hours earlier. Caught up on FB, PA, some RSS. Dealt with a few matters relating to yesterday - pulling photos off the camera, sending a couple of emails. Replied to a couple of LJ comments from the past couple of days. Heard that parentals have received a written offer for the farm - going out to dinner with them later.