Adventurers of the Lucky Vale IV

[Sciread77]

Here we go again! It’s getting into show season, and a week from tomorrow we’re heading to Kansas City for Jessie’s sister-cousin’s wedding (she’s the Matron of Honor).  It should be fun but it’s sort of a strain to make it this time of year. 

 

Also, I forgot to mention that Jessie is participating in a foreign teacher exchange this year, so at the end of October (next challenge) we’re going to have a teacher from Ireland staying at our house. Not anxious or panicky at all about having a guest just after show season when our house gets insanely wrecked. Not AT ALL. 0_O. But we should have time to get things in order. The show is at the beginning of October. I’m probably going to have to disassemble my studio since it’s made, in part, out of our guest bed lol. 

 

I sort of drifted off last challenge, largely due to work and VO. At work, we had someone leave our team and, turns out, he farmed our almost all the work he did, appears to have falsified a few records, and ultimately left a gigantic mess for his successor (me).

 

I finished recording book two this morning. Taking a page out of @WolfDreamer‘s playbook, I’ve been getting up at 3:30 am, letting the dogs out without shirt or shoes on, and supercharging my morning with both coffee and a daylight lamp before spending about 90 minutes in the studio. It’s been quite fulfilling, but also destroys my ability to stay up. And I’m kinda burning the candle at both ends, which is contrary to the goals I’ve had on here forever. But I’m also at the point that I NEED to start making this work. And if I can get regular work and credits and use this to positively affect our finances... it’s worth it. Especially if it can afford the freedom or flexibility to do what we need in the long run. Because we can’t live with borderline burnout-to-burnout conditions forever, and life isn’t going to change itself. 

 

Random question... @Curl Brogo, I don’t suppose you know how to make VBA interact with Kendo UIs in a web browser? I could make it happen in Java and there appears to be a ton of documentation on that, but I’m working on a comp in which I cannot compile a Java program (or Python or anything else useful) so I’m basically stuck with VBA. I’ve been messing around a lot within Office apps and Excel but the latest challenge is a bit beyond what I’ve done. I’m not sure what all your expertise is, but thought you might have some insight. 

 

I’m gonna pass out now and post goals later.

[oromendur]

Here for show adventures! Good luck with the madness, and do try and get some sleep occasionally  

[Ann of Owlshire]

Looking forward to another tale from the Lucky Vale! 

[WolfDreamer]

Welcome back, brother. I'm glad I influenced you, but I hope I didn't make things worse. 

 

Following your adventure as always.

[Sciread77]

8 hours ago, oromendur said:

Here for show adventures! Good luck with the madness, and do try and get some sleep occasionally  

 

Thanks! The good thing is that during show season, Jessie is usually super tired and falls asleep just after the kids so we get to bed earlier. I mean, I’d really like the extra sleep but I’m still getting above my maintenance levels of 6 hours most nights. Those late nights are kinda killer but hopefully I will make progress. 

 

4 hours ago, Ann of Vries said:

Looking forward to another tale from the Lucky Vale! 

 

I hope to bring you a tale of good fortune. 

 

3 hours ago, WolfDreamer said:

Welcome back, brother. I'm glad I influenced you, but I hope I didn't make things worse. 

 

Following your adventure as always.

 

Thanks. I doubt you’ve made things worse! Then again, maybe I’ll change my mind over winter. Glad to have you!

[Sciread77]

In a happy surprise, I’m wearing a shirt that really hasn’t fit since 2012. I’ve kept t because technically it works and I only wear it once or twice a year, in the summer, when all my other polos need to be washed. But for 7 years, it would constantly come untucked and be generally uncomfortable to wear and made me incredibly self-conscious. Today, it hasn’t come untucked and feels like it did when I first got it. Woohoo!

 

It’s time for those goals. 

 

1.  Record. I’m looking to use the studio to record at least 5/7 days a week, if not every day, with the exception of the wedding week. The goal is to submit an audition every day I record. 

 

2.  Support Jessie. She’s the matron of honor in her cousin’s wedding in 8 days. We also found some auditions that only accept indications of interest from agents or managers, so I’m looking to see what it takes to be a talent manager.  I mean, I was already looking into it for Woody. But it appears that I just need to have acting resumes and headshots. Plus she’s got set builds for the school show that is less than a month away. 

 

3.  Participation in the PVP. I’m starting today with the goal to do the Darbee Daily Challenge. That’ll be better than trying to force my gym schedule with the wedding. 

 

4. Gym when I can- I’m working on my front and back squats, loaded carries, pull ups, and shoulder presses. Mostly places I’ve discovered are some degree of weak after my years of training solely for functional strength. 

 

5. Use other free time to edit and work on business  aspects of the VO.

 

6.  Survive. It’s going to be a crazy challenge and I have to sacrifice some sleep, putting me down towards my daily maintenance minimum to make the recording goals. The hope is I will see more success with regular application of my recording and auditioning efforts. 

 

 

[Infinity.Creates]

Survival is a good goal. 

Your auditioning goal is very good and I hope that it works out for you, though sleep and mental health are big sacrifices for the time to do it. I really want to get into podcasts, and I've done some stuff over at Librivox just to fulfill the itch, but submitting auditions and regularly recording for anything other than the university radio news broadcasts has just never happened. ( I mean, the university radio one hasn't really happened either .... )

[Sciread77]

50 minutes ago, Infinity.Creates said:

Survival is a good goal. 

Your auditioning goal is very good and I hope that it works out for you, though sleep and mental health are big sacrifices for the time to do it. I really want to get into podcasts, and I've done some stuff over at Librivox just to fulfill the itch, but submitting auditions and regularly recording for anything other than the university radio news broadcasts has just never happened. ( I mean, the university radio one hasn't really happened either .... )

 

Thanks! I normally prioritize sleep. I watch my mental health closely since it’s been known to get out of hand before. 

 

I have some friends that have (or had) a podcast. I made an appearance on it once, right before TFA came out. It was pretty awkward for me. I didn’t really have an agenda, they just wanted opinions from the biggest Star Wars nerd that any of them know lol. I much prefer to record and edit, OR, perform in front of a live audience. I’ve played music and done improv live, and both are natural and exhilarating. Like I said, though, my podcast experience is pretty limited. 

 

I’ve finished one audiobook, another is being edited right now, and a third (much longer one) is in process. Beyond that I’ve done a promo here and there, and a few miscellaneous recording jobs. It’s paid for my equipment several times over but is a far cry from actually qualifying as a job. 

 

Ultimately, it slowed down last year because I stopped auditioning. My long project hit a snag, I started feeling guilt, then I just tried to pretend it didn’t exist for a while.  I’m back, because I love it and also to encourage Woody after his first audition went south. Plus, I don’t want guilt to make my choices for me. 

[Infinity.Creates]

8 hours ago, Sciread77 said:

 

Thanks! I normally prioritize sleep. I watch my mental health closely since it’s been known to get out of hand before. 

 

I have some friends that have (or had) a podcast. I made an appearance on it once, right before TFA came out. It was pretty awkward for me. I didn’t really have an agenda, they just wanted opinions from the biggest Star Wars nerd that any of them know lol. I much prefer to record and edit, OR, perform in front of a live audience. I’ve played music and done improv live, and both are natural and exhilarating. Like I said, though, my podcast experience is pretty limited. 

 

I’ve finished one audiobook, another is being edited right now, and a third (much longer one) is in process. Beyond that I’ve done a promo here and there, and a few miscellaneous recording jobs. It’s paid for my equipment several times over but is a far cry from actually qualifying as a job. 

 

Ultimately, it slowed down last year because I stopped auditioning. My long project hit a snag, I started feeling guilt, then I just tried to pretend it didn’t exist for a while.  I’m back, because I love it and also to encourage Woody after his first audition went south. Plus, I don’t want guilt to make my choices for me. 

I'm glad to hear it.

Whilst the interview podcasts are interesting, I really want to be in an AudioDrama? Something along the lines of Welcome to Night Vale, Lore, Wolf 395 or Ars Paradoxia. The acting part within the Voice Acting is half of why I love it.

And I'm glad to hear you're back on the track! I definitely know the feeling of ignoring something cause of the guilt (hey, pile of posters I need to make by tomorrow .... ) but you're right, the guilt shouldn't be making the choices! 

[Sciread77]

6 hours ago, Infinity.Creates said:

I'm glad to hear it.

Whilst the interview podcasts are interesting, I really want to be in an AudioDrama? Something along the lines of Welcome to Night Vale, Lore, Wolf 395 or Ars Paradoxia. The acting part within the Voice Acting is half of why I love it.

And I'm glad to hear you're back on the track! I definitely know the feeling of ignoring something cause of the guilt (hey, pile of posters I need to make by tomorrow .... ) but you're right, the guilt shouldn't be making the choices! 

 

Yeah, I generally prefer the other podcast types as well. Voice acting is fun. I started exercising the skills as a teacher and later as a parent. As per usual, I found joy in something that initially terrified me (reading aloud).

 

I am definitely not the best actor in the family. Jessie is a great actor and a phenomenal director. I’m a relative newcomer to acting outside of improv, and my reading was always for a live audience. Which is totally different from being alone in a booth. I like the booth and studio a lot, but I love a live audience and I find it easier to perform energetically with an audience. Probably most people are that way. 

 

I slept right through my studio time this morning. Which I need, because the next book is due completed on the 21st and I’ve still got to edit about 75% of it. And I’ll be out of town at a wedding on the 21st, which Jessie is part of the wedding party for, with 3 kids. And a pile of work to get done at my day job before I go too. I’m sure I needed the rest and hopefully, it gives me the energy I need to finish out the week strong. 

[oromendur]

1 hour ago, Sciread77 said:

I slept right through my studio time this morning... I’m sure I needed the rest and hopefully, it gives me the energy I need to finish out the week strong.

 

I've found that in crunch times sleep needs to be managed as carefully as food, because it's just as non-negotiable in the end. You can go without both for a while, even a good long while -- but the returns diminish, and there's a cost (and I think it's generally better to be the one choosing when to make the payment ). Good luck finishing strong! 

[Sciread77]

4 minutes ago, oromendur said:

 

I've found that in crunch times sleep needs to be managed as carefully as food, because it's just as non-negotiable in the end. You can go without both for a while, even a good long while -- but the returns diminish, and there's a cost (and I think it's generally better to be the one choosing when to make the payment ). Good luck finishing strong! 

That’s true. And thanks!

 

Part if the issue is that, aside from occasional jumps with promotions or staying up late or waking up early, I have no idea how to go about progressing or building anything. I’m at, and have sort of have been at, a point in which continuing the grind isn’t an option anymore. 

 

Overall we’re better off than most. But something’s gotta give, because we’ve been working burnout paces for years and we’ve both struggles with it. Personally, I’d love to have just one job; it’s be nice to do voice over full time. Or even to have a boring corporate job that paid enough for Jessie to work part time or quit entirely. 

 

 

 

[Stronkey Kong]

On 9/11/2019 at 10:11 PM, Sciread77 said:

Random question... @Curl Brogo, I don’t suppose you know how to make VBA interact with Kendo UIs in a web browser? I could make it happen in Java and there appears to be a ton of documentation on that, but I’m working on a comp in which I cannot compile a Java program (or Python or anything else useful) so I’m basically stuck with VBA. I’ve been messing around a lot within Office apps and Excel but the latest challenge is a bit beyond what I’ve done. I’m not sure what all your expertise is, but thought you might have some insight. 

 

 

This looks more like @Deckard Gainz 's territory. He's into webdev and javascript. Let's see if the ol' bat signal gets him here.

[Sciread77]

On 9/16/2019 at 6:11 PM, Curl Brogo said:

 

This looks more like @Deckard Gainz 's territory. He's into webdev and javascript. Let's see if the ol' bat signal gets him here.

 

Thanks!

 

 I’m at one of Woody’s races. 3/4 is a mile today. It’s half a bazillion degrees out, and he skipped most of his lunch because he was upset over something. I stopped and got a bunch of bananas, which we split because I had to forgo lunch to complete my tasks to get him to said race, and I’m hydrating the heck out of him. I’m psyched. But he’s gotta wear a sticker with his number and these this don’t stick to their jerseys lol. 

 

 

[Sciread77]

Last minute, the boys decided to take the train with grandma and her sister. About 4 hours worth of delays later, we’re at the wedding rehearsal and they’re not here yet. They aren’t in the wedding but it’s still a gigantic pain in the butt. Grandma is staying on the other side of the city and now I’ve gotta trek on over after everything is done to get them. And they’ll miss the dinner. 

 

Plus, I have a little more editing to do on this book. Mostly breaking the WAV into chapters and converting to MP3, but also I completely forgot to record a tiny part so I’ve got to do that and edit those to sound half decent without a good mic and in a hotel room. Worst case, if I can’t do that, I’ll quickly record and fix it for quality.  Which is probably what’ll happen. 

 

 

[Sciread77]

Jeez. The kids were on the train for about 10 hours total due to delays. It’s usually so 4-5 hour drive. They haven’t eaten and totally missed the meal so we’re bringing plates for them. I guess we’re picking them up from Union Station too, because they’re just now getting in. A terrible nightmare for them and their grandmas. 

[Sciread77]

They still love trains. Crisis averted. 

[Snarkyfishguts]

Bonkers about those delays! I’m glad you could get some food for them, and they still like trains after a crappy day

[Sciread77]

It’s been a much better day. Sleep is great. 

 

I got my book in on on time and was only up until 1. Because it was a small part of the recording, the bits that I recorded on my phone integrated pretty seamlessly with some work. I mean, it’d be a nightmare to do the whole thing like that but I’m happy it worked and the client was happy. We slept pretty late so I actually got an above average amount of sleep. 

 

I’m currently attempting to have the kids take some nap before going to the wedding so they’re not exhausted. Woody is all in on this nap thing, being the oldest and occasionally understanding the power of sleeping during the boring times so you really enjoy the good one so. Rex and Bo Peep are acting like overtired 4 and 2 year olds, respectively. Though now that the rain is kicking in I think they’re starting to drift.

 

 

—————————

 

Nap went well and the chitlins are all snazzy. 

 

[V for Vetinari]

Whoohoo for extra sleep! I have much fewer responsibilities than you, and I've still been having trouble in that area.

[Sciread77]

1 hour ago, V for Vetinari said:

Whoohoo for extra sleep! I have much fewer responsibilities than you, and I've still been having trouble in that area.

 

I traditionally don’t sleep enough, which I’ve actively fought against here. I’m taking a calculated risk now getting up so early though everyone goes to sleep so early during the school year I think it’s about even. 

[Sciread77]

Hanging out with Bo Peep today. We cleaned the carpets for her birthday party this weekend and are otherwise cleaning up and organizing things. She’s out cold now. It’s been a busy day so far. 

[Deckard Gainz]

On 9/16/2019 at 6:11 PM, Curl Brogo said:

This looks more like @Deckard Gainz 's territory. He's into webdev and javascript. Let's see if the ol' bat signal gets him here.

 

I'm not terribly familiar with VBA or Kendo UI unfortunately. If I had a better idea of what you were attempting to accomplish with those technologies, I might be able to be a bit more helpful.

[Sciread77]

1 hour ago, Deckard Gainz said:

 

I'm not terribly familiar with VBA or Kendo UI unfortunately. If I had a better idea of what you were attempting to accomplish with those technologies, I might be able to be a bit more helpful.

 

More or less, the goal is to automate the menial. After using the items in Kendo Ui, I have to manually open the item and close it with <today’s date>.  I’m unfortunately stuck using either Powershell scripts, .bat files, or VBA to work it out. So I’d have to select an edit button in a Kendo table, then select/enter the date, and select another button to close it. 

 

Unfortunately, I don’t know how to make the object reference on the table; if it was a Google form or a similar website, I’d be able to make it work. 

[Deckard Gainz]

Maybe this link could be of some help?