Burning Elf 2012 : New Traditions

Laurie called this video "melancholy" and I suppose she is right. Christmas is a strange and somewhat depressing time. Nothing is ever quite perfect. Nothing makes any one as happy as you hoped (or as unhappy as you expected thankfully). And even the most ridiculous events and most meaningless rituals designed just to make you laugh, eventually make you sigh and look the other way. Burning Elf is strictly an offshoot of silliness, but now is an institution. Our attendance is slipping but devoted. It was about 60 this year and featured video projection on the elf during the lead up.  It was a fun night preceded by pressure to make it all work, pressure to be perfect or at least competent.  I watch this now from my children's eyes and think what kind of oddball traditions I am establishing and hope that they can salvage something from this mess. Ned is an observer and is slowly formulating something profound about this all. Tom will continue the Elf until 2099, no questions asked.

The Mayans were wrong (or mis-translated)

What the Mayans meant to say was that I would be involved in a car totaling collision in Laurie's car at 7:00AM on the last day of the Mayan long count calendar. This sucks.

No one hurt. Both other vehicles were drivable and driven by nice people.

UPDATE 12/29/12

TOTALED!

Several Days of Work During Which Civilization Proves it is Crumbling

Three days of unexpected work: this time of year usually means that the work for the year is over. I suddenly had three days of talking heads: Explanation of electron microscopes, the history of a defibrillator company, and finally a green screen case study of a data storage sale. Generally they were boring but harmless and possibly beneficial since they involve research and live saving.  During the last shoot the word came down that there had been a massacre of children in CT.  This news has lead to a moral depression that is hard to shake. Like climate change, we will not have the backbone to change anything about guns and mental health. We are a spineless race.

Portlandia

Never underestimate the wonderful power of taking your girlfriend to another city for the weekend. Laurie and I had a great time in Portland together sans children. All the frustrating nuts and bolts of married life, kids, house, pets and work issues disappear nicely on a train excursion to PDX. It's nice to remember all the reasons we married each other remain semi-intact.

Create a world wherein all heads talk beautifully

Standard talking heads day at the hospital. Also the days to Burning Elf are now dwindling.

I wish I could throw like a girl

A 4.00 GPA Math and Economics Major and student and pitcher on a National Championship Division 3 Softball team was our subject.  It was a video for the NCAA awards banquet about a woman named Stacy, who was the NCAA Scholar/ Athlete of the year. People achieve great things. I provide adequate audio levels for them when they talk about it, and move awkward c-stands and lighting around. Life is awesome.  I am amazed at her pitching.

This is the general level of this kind of production. It ain't art.  It was interesting to note that te director (John, in town from Minneapolis) still clings to the feature film dream and he and his wife make features still.  Most of us have given it up because it's easier to have the second beer and see what's on Netflix.