There's a joint post coming up, perhaps even by the end of this weekend, between me and my on-line pal, horror movie reviewer Mermaid Heather regarding a certain messy and exuberant film from Japan. Ooooohh!

 

Development 2.

Recently, my dad purchased a new computer so that he can convert all his handwritten notebook entries cataloging his literally hundreds of homemade VHS tapes. These tapes are full of TV programs that he's taped during the past couple decades. Usually there's six programs to a tape, sometimes even more. Some programs are in their entirety, sometimes they're not, depending on the circumstances. Usually its stuff like 60 Minutes, Bill Moyers, or anything related to World War II. Or really, it can be just about anything that captured his interest at the time.

So, this is, like, the perfect project for an almost 83 year old man who's retired and alone: sitting at his computer and typing all day.
Well, actually, it seems that way on paper. We'll find out.

But, really, what's significant about this technological acquisition is this: I chose the computer, and what I got was an iMac.

An iMac.

 

Yes... an iMac!!!!

 

My dad knows all about my film and artistic aspirations (well, generally speaking-- he forgets a lot about the details) so when I wondered out loud about perhaps getting him a computer that I could also use to fulfill such creative endeavors of mine, he was all for it. In fact, he even more or less insisted I do it-- "here. Spend my money to get this computer." The only catch is, it's at HIS house.
But the upside to the downside-- the downside being I have to go to his house to work on the computer-- is that I have to go to his house to work on the computer. I never feel I see him as much as I should anyway, so, this actually works out, theoretically.

 

Development 3.

I no longer have to work a night shift, let alone TWO night shifts in a row.

After a couple years of having to put up with going in to work Thursday nights at 8:00 pm and working 12 hours until Friday at 8:00 am, then, going back to work 12 hours later to work Friday night at 8:00 pm until we're finished (printing a weekly shopper paper), which would be anywhere from 3:00 - 6:00 am, my weekends and sleep schedule have been really screwy.

Well, the reason my company went to this schedule was ostensibly to sell more ads on Fridays. Our deadlines all used to be on Thursday afternoons (and we would print the papers starting at 5:00 am Friday) but salespeople complained they were losing sales opportunities by not being able to sell until Friday afternoon. So, the company changed the deadline schedule on about half the papers to allow that opportunity. But we still had to get the papers done by Saturday morning because of the way we distribute the papers, which is why we couldn't, arguably, work Saturday days. And that's a whole other crappy can of worms schedule-wise, too.

 

Well, after two years, the sales department is apparently dead on Fridays. So, to save money (because sales are also down lately), they decided to return to the old schedule (sort of) of printing all the papers on Friday, starting at the ungodly time of 5:00 am. We print until we're done and tomorrow is the first day of this schedule, so we'll see how long it'll take us.
What's new in the last couple years is that we acquired some Pennysavers (another weekly shopper type paper) and they have to be printed, too. So, the big question is how long it takes to print ALL the papers in one day.
 

So far, people are guesstimating 13-14 hours.
Okay, that sucks, too.

But,  working 13-14 hours during the day AND having a whole weekend with your wife is better than having possibly 22 hours of work spread across two shifts exclusively at night, then recuperating (sleeping) during your Saturday and having only Saturday night and Sunday together. I had Monday off, but she has to work.

Also, now that I have my Thursday nights back, I'm hoping to see some more local theater, too. Yes!

 

So, there's possibilities in the air.

 

But, now I have to get going because it's 9:00 am and I'm behind schedule already!

Oh! NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) also begins this weekend. So, my access to the computer may be severely limited as my wife has big plans to get a big jump on writing her 50,000 words this weekend.

So, Happy Halloween everybody!

Hope you have a lot of fun, but stay safe, too, dammit!

I'll probably be doing more horror movie related posts into November, but, timeliness is NOT my strong suit. Besides, it's an election year this year, and that's been damn scary, hasn't it?

 

So, fear and suspense is STILL good for November!

Yes! Yes!

 

Later!