Friday, May 25, 2012

Checking In. . .

So. . . Obviously I've lost a bit of interest in updating my blog.  Part of the problem is that Blogger changed their format and, in my opinion, it just isn't very user-friendly.  I don't have the time or the inclination to mess with something new right now since it seems the rest of my life is throwing things at me that demand my attention whether I like it or not.  So the blog sits quietly in the task bar of my lap top and barely calls to me at all anymore. 

HOWEVER, life continues on and I continue to photograph it as it happens.  And there are important things happening that I would like to remember someday.  And there are mundane things that I might want to remember someday.  There's just lots of things going on that, someday, I'll want to remember. 

So I won't give up.  At least for today.

Keep checking back.  I'll post retro-actively so I can keep things orderly.  I like order.  Even if it's not always obvious.  I'll post the links here as I go. . .

Zach. . .

Zach. . .

Another semester of college is behind us.  Zach is officially a sophomore now.  Once again, he did really well.  He recieved the following email today:

"Dear College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs student:

Congratulations on your Spring 2012 academic record at Boise State University! I am pleased to recognize your achievement by including you on the College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs Dean’s List of Students. Boise State University provides the opportunity for individuals to achieve their academic goals, but it is up to you to take advantage of the opportunity. You have done this in an exceptional manner."


Yep, I'm so proud.  He works hard and takes school very seriously.  I could go on and on and on about how smart he is but I won't.  Your welcome.  I will say, however, that in one of his classes he ended up with 106%.  Not too shabby, I guess. . .



Good job, Zach!  I'm so proud of you!!

Friday, May 4, 2012

Three Things. . .

So. . . Never a dull moment, you know?  But in all the chaos, I have found some hope.  Nothing really tangible yet but just a sense that things are going to be good.  Better.  Not that things have necessarily been bad but, I think, just kind of hard. 

These are things that have encouraged me lately:

The "Store". . .
While we haven't had as much time as we'd like to promote our retail space, it represents a beacon of light to me for the future. . .










I can't say much about the next two pictures except that they are proof that our hard work is paying off.  Through no effort of our own (except for, you know, all the hard work we've put into building our business. . . ) we've been presented with a couple of opportunities that could really make a difference in how we operate.  It's still very, very early in the process but just the fact that we were sought out in both cases gives me hope. . .



It's hard to put into words what this next picture represents.  This is a special edition, fancy-schmancy vocal mic.  And it's mine.  Just mine.  Obviously I co-own a whole bunch of microphones.  The difference here is that all of the others are what you might call "communal" microphones.  In other words, lots of people spit in them.  Lots and lots of people.  No matter how often you wipe them with a swab of alcohol, the fact of the matter is, it's kind of like sharing a straw.  With strangers.  The important thing about this fancy mic is where it came from.  We recently became JBL dealers which won't mean much if you're not in the music industry but for us, it's a pretty big deal.  It's more than just JBL, it's a whole line of Pro Audio equipment that, if we work it right, could be a really, really good thing for the business.  Anyway, Rob mentioned to our JBL Rep that I sing.  I could dedicate an entire post (a book, even) to the importance of music in my life but in the context of this post, this mic was a gift, to ME, from our rep as a way, I guess, to welcome us into the "family".  He's a good man and I think it's going to be a really important turn of events. . . (Just for the record, Rob intended to surprise me with the mic himself!). . .

There are other important things that have encouraged me lately but these are the three that have especially buoyed my spirit . . .