Christopher Lee

Quarter Life Crisis

2009-06-24T01:37:00.002-06:00

Several discussions between the close inner circle of the Lee Bros has thus transpired the inevitability of the financial downfall of our residence in Washington. I cannot begin to explain how I feel right now, as the utter frustration and obscurity of our future has put me in an overwhelming and emotional state. I feel like I've had to explain this to a few close friends, and thought I might as well share the current innerworkings of the Brothers Lee. Let's break this down.

-Mike and me haven't been able to find a full time job here in Seattle. Mike had a job at Silver Fox that had given us all hope of being financially stable. Three weeks after we decided to move to West Seattle, they laid him off, forcing him to resume his humbling position at the local Target. I, too worked the Target back during the holiday season, but due to the fact it was seasonal, I wasn't able to continue. I have been fortunate to pick up more than a few freelance gigs over the past 9 months, but it's not really enough to keep me afloat. Meaning, I will need to find a part-time job Somewhere here in the next month if nothing else develops.
-Cost of living out here is ridiculous. It's a beautiful, but expensive.
-We have seemed to move at the worst possible time, and in a time where there are more companies making layoffs then actual hiring....Although most companies have freezed up their payroll, there are still a number of organizations that are still hiring, giving me some sense of hope that I could find a job.
-It's been really hard for me to sit at the bottom of the talent pool and try to develop my portfolio as a Washingtonian. Something that I do not want to have rebuild at a later time.

So that brings up to the Great Debate: Should I stay or should I go?
I still have the slightest of hope that I can make it out here. I've gotten good response from my work, just no one in the position to give me a full time job. The real conflict is trying to decide the best route to fly and whether sticking it out in WA is worth it, or going back to OK (or a cheaper location) to regroup is going to be more beneficial. There are many factors that are laying on this decision, as there seems to be an apparent conflict between what I want to do, what I can do and what I need to do. It has undoubtedly put an emotional strain on me, especially as I am trying to formulate the best case scenarios for myself. This time, I feel as though this weight is here to stay, whichever path I choose.

Timing is Everything

2009-06-18T04:02:00.002-06:00

It seems we're back on a slippery slope...

Currently

2009-06-16T23:03:00.004-06:00

I've been a bit cranky lately. My creative stream hasn't been flowing to its full potential and off to a rocky start on getting things done lately. We've also had a few small scuffles with our landlord, who apparently wears bricks for shoes and totally is oblivious to anything outside her little bubble. Despite a few minor setbacks, here a few things that I've been currently enjoying:

1. Husky Deli-Mostly due to the fact they make NUTELLA ice cream. Quite the awesome. I also recommend the 'dollar mint.' in a homemade waffle cone.

2. ABC3D-A late birthday present from Sadie, but it was a must have for the book collection. Thanks.

3. NHL 08-My mom bought me this game at Hastings when I was done. I hadn't bought a hockey video game since like 99 or something, even though NHL 96 (for my SNES) is the only I played. I can't afford to play real hockey, so smashing guys through a video game has been a bit of a release. I think.

4. Ray Gun: Out of Control. Finally got myself a magazine layout book, although this one really isn't going to help much with work I get.

5. Netflix-I was a late comer to this scheme, but I've been enjoying the consistent traffic of movies and awesome selection. I think what sold me was the ability to stream video online as well. Still haven't caught all the recommends given to me before. I'll get to them though. Que it up.

On the sidenote, I was featured on the Virb Explore. I was quite psyched to see that. Thanks Virb.

Blog B-Sides

2009-06-14T23:24:00.002-06:00

Links have just piled up in my draft, so here we go.

-14 Items All Design Geeks Must Have. Yes and Yes.
-Cable Drop Cable Holders. I need about five of those. Seriously. Or maybe I'll just buy this super neat desk instead.
-Typeface Shirts
-Battery Salt & Pepper Shakers
-Digging these Olympic Poster Proposals by Alan Clarke
-Transformer USB Drive
-I Shot the Serif. Type Humor at its best.
-Fast Company's Top 100 Creative People
-Classic Records re-emerged as Penguin Book covers. Great work.
-The Refreshed Logo. A look at rebranding during the recession
-Black Wii Coming soon......in Japan.
-Gothsinhotweather. Self explanatory.
-30 Rock is a Rip off of The Muppet Show. The similarities are uncanny.
-The Front and Back Apartment. I like.
-The Typography and End Credits of Lemony Snicket. I remember enjoying those credits when I first saw them, Nice to see them get some credit.
-Fallen Princesses. Photographs of Disney Princesses in Modern times.
Snow White is the prizewinner.
-Deadline. Stop Motion Post It Note Short. Nicely done.
-Animal Posters by Eleanor Grosch. Nicely done. Charley Harper-esque. Take a look around the rest of the site, there's some nice works up there.....

Note to self: I need to start utilizing images more here on the blog.

What Goes Up

2009-06-14T03:18:00.003-06:00

My parents came in for a visit this past week, which was super nice. I took a break from all of my work and postponed any work that I did have for this weekend. Some highlights include: Red Robin, IKEA, Alki Beach, REI Flagship store, Husky Deli, Seattle Aquarium and the EMP (and saw the Jim Henson Exhibit). As always, I'm behind on my photo editing, so those won't be up probably until later this week. With all the time off, it's been ten times harder getting motivated with everything.....

In other news, the computers at the Lee household are still faltering at a consistent rate. Mike's computer wasn't working properly and wouldn't even let him use the internets. While I've been still experiencing a weekly crash, and today InDesign crashed on me twice as well as a few others. Sounds like just minor issues but it's quite a frustrating matter when the computer is your primary tool. This is a redundancy of previous posts. It's just a growing frustration.

Current Projects:
-Trying to figure out what to do with Avantcore
-Revamp of font & paragraph styles and templates for Sports Northwest Magazine
-Ideas for Cue: Issue Two, as well as the emergence of Issue One. I can't seem to get my zine projects flowing, but I've decided that I really enjoyed doing these and will continue to do so, even if it's not making me money. Plus I could possibly use them for self promotional purposes
-Brainstorming ideas for a self identity relaunch (and the ever going frustration of having a common name)
-Assist Mike with relaunch of his personal website
-Shirt Designs for Kotis
-Recontinue the job hunt

Summer Ska Classics, Vol. 1

2009-06-08T04:34:00.002-06:00

I had discussed making this compilation probably a year or two ago, and finally compiling the songs together. Summertime seems to be the best time to blast some ska, even though it doesn't even feel like summer yet (70 degrees this week, say what?!). I took a couple suggestions from my good friend Bear and then uploaded it online. Also, if there are some tracks you feel should have made it or anymore suggestions, let me know, I'll be starting Vol. 2 and try to have that up next month. Here's the tracklisting:

1. Buck-O-Nine: My Town
2. Mustard Plug: You
3. Goldfinger: Superman
4. Reel Big Fish: Sell Out
5. The Hippos: Far Behind
6. Mighty Mighty Bosstones: Someday I Suppose
7. The Toasters: Don't Let the Basterds Grind You Down
8. Catch 22: Keasbey Nights
9. The Impossibles: Erin With An "E"
10. RX Bandits: What If
11. Slapstick: Nate B.
12. Link 80: Verbal Kint
13. Voodoo Glow Skulls: Shoot the Moon
14. Less Than Jake: Automatic
15. Big D & The Kids Table: Myself
16. MU330: Tune Me Out

Download Here

Seattle Notes #2

2009-06-06T16:10:00.003-06:00

As promised, here is my second installment of my Seattle notes. I am going to try to write a couple notes every month or two, see if I can keep this somewhat consistent. Here it is:

Five Things I Don't Like About Seattle

1. Traffic: It's a bit obvious if you've driven around here, you have to pretty much work your schedule so that you're never Leaving Seattle in the 4-6 range or you know you'll hit quite a sludge of traffic. Anytime you're on I-5, beware of the Old Asian ladies. Sure it's a stereotype, but one that proven quite true as of lately. Other notable dislikes involving driving:
a) Hills-they're everywhere and not fun to drive with a manual.
b) Parking-expensive to park anywhere in downtown Seattle, seems like everyone in residential areas don't believe in driveways and there's quite an abundance of parallel parking (not necessarily my forte).
c) Blocked intersections-there seems to be a lot stops and then cars or trees blocking on coming traffic, thus making it hard to see coming out,
d) Un-4 way stops-They're all over our neighborhood. It's basically an intersection that feels like someone should have a stop or yield, but no one does. You just blindly drive and hope no one else is doing the same.

2. Roads: For one, there seems to be an endless amount of road construction. 1st avenue is the worst, but definately all around. Another issue I've been having is the fact you can never get back the way you came. No, seriously. You can take a highway to get done to IKEA, but in order to get back, you have to take a completely different route. It's a bit frustrating when driving on new territory and trying to find your way back.

3. Cost of Living: This is apparent before we even moved, but I think it's been a growing frustration. Everything costs money, but you throw in an extra 35% on everything, it adds up.

4. Mexican Food: It's not really something the Northwesterners flourish at. Just saying.

5. Taking it for Granted: I've noticed in conversations with people around the office, etc, that there is a lot of people that live here and don't really realize what they have out there. It makes me a bit more grateful moving around as a kid, and experiencing different environments. There is a lot to love out here: mountains, the water, the arts and culture. And I think you definately have to live/be somewhere else to fully appreciate what Seattle has. They like to complain about the 'awful weather' that is bestowed. I'll trade you a month of rain for a tornado and 100 degree weather. The moderate weather is awesome.

Where is my Mind?

2009-06-04T02:52:00.004-06:00

That has been the question running through my head this past few weeks. This past week has been a rough one, as I've been questioning myself on why I'm here in Washington. I believe there was quite an immediate innate feeling when we first got here, but it has definately not been easy here. If you aren't in the loop, Mike's g/f and one of my good friends, Lindsay has joined us here at Washington and has fallen into our small support group. No one said it would be easy to just move out here, but I don't think anyone has expected this. All three of us here aren't really doing what we want, job wise, and that has caused somewhat of a weight. I just seem to be in this constant struggle with everything, as I can't seem to get on my feet here. It's been 9 months, and I have yet to land a full time gig. I'm grateful for the work I have gotten (especially my steady gig at SportsNW and Steve feeding me a few layouts for OKT), but it's really hard for me maintain anything with fluctuating paychecks, especially with the incredible cost of living.

I don't think I can even begin the full emotional blanket that is covering me at the moment. Every day seems to be a struggle to get out of bed, and there is an ever decreasing sense of motivation. Last month, I picked up this online job creating shirts for colleges. The pay wasn't great, but I thought if anything, I could pick up a few bucks to help pay for a bill or two. Well, I've been doing that for a few weeks, and all I feel like it's done to me is degrade my abilities as a designer. There is nothing more degrading than a frat boy giving you direction for a "design" which ends up changing 4 times before it's done, mind you it becomes the opposite of what they first said they 'wanted.' It's a frustrating matter.

Among other things frustration, both mine and Mike's computers have been total jerks, as mine seems to be on a weekly crashing basis now. As mine is growing slower and slower as well. I wish I could begin to describe that ever growing frustration as well. It's like if you were a cash register, and every time you had to give cash back to someone, it takes five mins, instead of 10 seconds. I don't know how else to really describe that one. I swear it takes at least five mins for my photoshop to open, and when I have more than one Adobe program open, my computer really starts slowing down.

Oh yeah, and everyone has been late for my paychecks this month. Fun.

That is all for my rant right now.

Other than that, it's been great out here. The Seattle Rain is just been beating us down (hasn't rained in what? 3 weeks?). It's been super awesomely nice out for weeks, and it's been great having a constant view of the mountains here. Seattle Notes #2 will be posted later this week....

Vendor-Client Relationship

2009-05-29T03:37:00.003-06:00

I think this might help demonstrate my level of frustration of working with clients......just a little. No, seriously, that's how it is.

High/Low

2009-05-27T23:02:00.003-06:00

I have a reached a new pinnacle in my design career.

I just finished a shirt design with "We Party in Our Flippy-Floppies" on the back.......

(sigh) I need a real job.

OK is Okay.

2009-05-26T02:19:00.002-06:00

So my adventures in Oklahoma have ended. Our flight headed out of Seattle at 5:40, decided we needed to be there 1:30 before the flight, so I decided to just stay up. Then we arrived in OKC at 12:40. Upon arrival, some Ted's was to be had, make a pit stop at Walker, then headed home on our 2 hr drive (which I assisted on). We also ended up having a slight delay due to the idiots at the toll booth, making us wait 30 mins to go 2 miles. But we made it. It was a long day, somehow I managed to keep awake, until about 10:30....which I believe totalled my awake time to 35 hours.

Things Done in Oklahoma:
-ate at Ted's
-Bored to death on the drive to Altus
-Thoroughly not enjoyed the already 'hot' temperatures.
-Double Dip Sundae at Braum's, +some of my sister's chicken strips/french fries
-Went to Wal-mart. Every day I was there (after my 9 month hiatus).
-Heard too many OK accents
-Hastings. Twice. Movies bought/got (thanks Mom!): The Prestige, Wargames, Be Kind Rewind, Kung Fu Panda, Dark Knight
-Attended Altus High School Graduation.
-had awesome home cooked food + brisket +too much junk food
-almost played a 10 min set at a show
-Took some photos
-saw a couple old high school friends
-Witnessed how much slower Oklahomans are, in a physical and mental manner. As well as how much Oklahomans Don't go outside and enjoy the nice weather.

Now I'm back in Seattle, trying to regroup myself for the week and figure out a few design jobs. It should be a pretty busy week.

A-Town

2009-05-15T04:57:00.004-06:00

Six days countdown til our departure to the desolate town of Altus. In lue of our cross country ventures, I decided it only appropriate to include my top 5 places that I will be eating or want to be eating at:

1. Home: Nothing beats homecooking.
2. Ted's: Despite our efforts out here in the N-W. We have yet to find a good sit down mexican restaurant. Ted's, you reign supreme.
3. Braum's: Can't stop in OK without getting a burger and chicken strips and ice cream. There already is talks of multiple visits.
4. Chick-fil-a: Kind of miss those chicken sandwiches.
5. Irma's: Won't get around to stopping here, but it was a favorite.

Runner-up: Johnny Carino's

Other items on the agenda: Go to my sister's graduation, make a pass through Hastings & possibly purchase me some cheap movies/books and see a couple friends. I somehow think a nostalgic trip to Wal-Mart is going to be made at some point, even though my efforts to not go to that place in the past 9 months has been successful.

EDIT: I forgot about some HIdeaway Pizza too. Big Country style...Throw that in the runner up spot too.

The Ambivalence of Thought

2009-05-13T01:19:00.003-06:00

It's funny how the more time I spend at home on the computer, the less updates and posts I make. Mostly due to the fact that when I'm not here, I'm actually being productive and taking care of errands, etc.

I've hit another dry spell of work and creativity, as I'm taking the next couple days to try to regroup and try to realign my focus. I haven't been able concentrate lately, as I think Mike and I have really been stretched on our emotional capacity. I really can't begin to describe all of what's been going on here in Washington. It's been almost 9 months, and it seems like we are struggling more than ever to make it here. Turning back is not an option, but still motivation to try to get our names out there. Having a 35% living increase really takes a toll on your bank account when there's not a constant flow coming in. But we're getting by.

I've been picking up freelance every now and then. It's a bit unstable, but it works. I've had some great opportunities, and I've ever grateful to those companies for giving me the chance so far. Mike was laid off a while back, but has picked up a shift over at the local Target. It's not ideal, but at least it's something. It's funny how we've shifted back and forth with our jobs. We can't seem to both be on a constant track. Lindsay is here now too........living in our Mother-in-law apartment. She was able to get a job at a local pet store. Which by the way, I believe there are more Healthy Pet stores in West Seattle (and probably on Calif. Ave alone) than there are Regular Health food stores in all of OKC. I could be wrong, but it feels that way.

I have several ideas/projects/lists formulating, but it's hard to say what makes it to the top of the que. Avantcore is due for a revamp, but it has somehow been delayed. Also in the works is helping Mike relaunch his website+web comic. It's a bit early for that now, but I'm very excited to see Mike a little more web presence. We will also have some new wallpapers available to you soon enough. It seems I started a couple last week and somehow never finished them.

All in all, I think our little house here has hit a bit of an emotional snag, as we are not all in the place we would want to be. But we are very grateful to have each other here (as well as our wonderful friends and families) and have been able enjoy to the beautiful city of Seattle and the treasures that it holds within. We will remain optimistic and will definately keep everyone posted...

In other news, Mike and I will be coming through the brown state of Oklahoma next week to see our little sister graduate valedictorian of her class. Go Julianne!

Current Listening: KYTE, Riceboy Sleeps, A.M. Architect, Strung Out, The Beautiful Mistake
Most Recent Movies: Big, The Reader, Anvil, Trainspotting, Kung Fu Panda

Great Clips

2009-05-05T02:40:00.001-06:00

I got a haircut today. It's a bit refreshing.

I haven't had work the last few days, but I still feel like I'm going non-stop. This is insane.

Tiers

2009-04-27T02:37:00.003-06:00

I'm back into my shifting schedules again. This week was on and off, but somewhat productive. Here's an overview of last week's highlights:

-I have finally become a resident of the state of Washington. Earlier last week, I decided to take care of my license plates and driver's license. It was a bit of a hassle trying to find the places and waiting in line (at the license place), but I'm glad it's taken care of. And for your non-Washingtonians, you take care of those at two seperate places, and it's not a 'tag agency' out there. ha.
-Started some freelance work for Sports Northwest, a couple features. One seemed to come out good, but for some reason I really struggled with the other. I hate when that happens.
-Raya, a niece to our good friends (that helped us move out to WA) recently passed away. Quite a shocker and I don't really feel I'm in the position to go on about the ordeal, but it's just a sad situation. Our hearts and condolences to her family.
-Started a trial of Netflix (after debating for a few years...) with Sadie and I think I'm sold. Already about 25 movies in que, and that's saying a lot considering it took me 15 minutes to find a movie I haven't watched. Not to spill any details, but I'm working on a project with movies I watch this year. still 8 more months to go on that one though.
-Speaking of Netflix, watched War Photographer. I highly recommend a viewing. Very serious. Very good.
-Borrowed Sadie's macro attachment and finally was able to start up some macro shots. They will be on my flickr this week. I need to get one of those....
-Finally tried a Dry soda: vanilla bean. Very nice.
-Installed RAM on Lindsay's computer and fixed her iTunes...although I think I might have confused her with all of the new files I created....
-I got my federal tax returns back. yes. and then Mike and I hit up Easy Street Record store and I bought a few CDs and movies to make myself feel better: M83-Before the Dawn Heals Us, Thrice-Vheissu, Album Leaf-Into the Blue Again, Adaption, Life is Beautiful, & All the Real Girls. (for 40 bucks, I deemed that quite the deal)
-Started a new series of pictures, pictorial food reviews, more to come on that. We will be taking pictures of us eating at different restaurants in the area. I have a couple more that I need to upload still. I'm about a week behind on my flickr uploads, but I'll catch up soon enough.
-Updated my website with a couple spreads I've done for Seattle magazines.
-Started the revamp of Avantcore.com. Still needs a few things worked out and we're really trying to have a couple shirts available. Not sure if it's going to happen due to lack of funds.
-Little Sister went to prom last weekend as well. Can't believe she's almost out of high school. Makes me feel kind of old....

The Way We Are

2009-04-23T04:43:00.002-06:00

Sadie captured this on our venture to Jack Block Park. It pretty much encapsulates how I'm feeling at the moment. As much as I dislike the financial roller coaster lately, I'm glad that it's given me the oppurtunity to enjoy these nice days and have my own Seattle adventures...

Other End of the Week Notes

2009-04-16T20:31:00.002-06:00

-I didn't really explain the store regarding The Sandlot and Mustard, which after posting that short survey, I realized I should explained the story as well as rephrased the wording of my question. Here it goes:

The other night, Lindsay was discussing how she had never seen the Sandlot, which later involved me making various references to the movie which she did not get (i.e. "forever" "S'mores"...) and then probably an hour later, she was like 'how the heck do you not have mustard in the fridge?' me: 'for what?' "hamburgers, hot dogs, etc...' That's just not a condiment I've ever craving or feel the need to have on...well, anything. So that's that. My lack of condiments isn't as bad as never seeing The Sandlot. whatever.

Design Notes
-The Great White Wash: Walmart Finally redesigns their "great value" line. I remember discussing this matter for long periods of time in my package design course and how it awful and needed to be fixed. In regard to the redesign, there are some issues with the overall design (outlined, badly kerned letters?!), but it's still a vast improvement of what it was and I give it the Upgrade.

Blog B-Sides
-Puma Archive: Puma shoes + nice typography
-Tetoris: Super tetris that spans across your browser. and takes 2329898592837409 hrs to make a line. Actually from what I read, only 15 minutes.
-Detroit's Beautiful, Horrible Decline: great photos.

In other news
Sadie and I decided to make a Seattle movie day last weekend and watched Sleepless in Seattle and 10 Things I Hate about You. and then yesterday, we went to the high school that was in 10 Things... Pretty fun, I don't have my photos up, but check back on my flickr here in a few days and they'll be posted. Most of the spots from Sleepless were obvious like Pikes and Alki Beach...

Seattle Notes #1

2009-04-16T14:58:00.004-06:00

-I should have done this a while ago, but I suppose actually living in Seattle now, I feel I should share the adjustments of everyday life. I've been picking up freelance jobs working for a couple magazines (if you didn't already know), and both of their offices are located right by Safeco field (where the Mariners play). I must say it's been great to wake up and leave for work, see the Olympic Mtns, then drive across the West Seattle Bridge and see the Seattle Skyline on a daily basis. Nothing beats seeing the skyline at night though. It gets me every time.

Here's a list of five things I've gladly adapted myself to:

1. 5 Lane Highways (HOV lane included): Yes, traffic here is insane, but after a few times driving to Seattle from Tacoma and back, driving on the huge highways hasn't really become an issue. Although I must say, driving in downtown Seattle is still a bit scary. And this was a new one for me when I moved here, but there is a carpool lane: basically an extra lane on the left made only for buses and cars with +2 people. Pretty nifty.
2. No Walmart: I can gladly say I haven't been to a Walmart since I moved here. Sure it used to be a place of 24 convenience, but not anymore. I think I've seen like 3 total. And they weren't even close by. Starbucks owns here, as I see one on every block. But funny thing, I haven't been to a Starbucks either....
3. Crosswalks: I don't remember ever stopping at a crosswalk in OK. I'm sure I have but I think I used it more as a place to stop for the redlights. People actually walk around here and use the crosswalks, thus making it necessary to stop Before the crosswalks. It's definately a more pedestrian friendly city.
4. Weather: Oh, the treacherous WA weather. By the way, when people say it 'rains' here, it's more than likely a light rain to a drizzle. The hardest I've seen it rain here is probably half the strength of an OK storm. Speaking of which, I have yet to see lightning or hear thunder which is an odd occurrence when it is raining. I'd say for the most part it isn't raining too bad here and there is a slight overcast. Which I rather enjoy. I don't like being blinded by the sun when I walk out the door in the morning. I enjoy the moderate temperatures and lack of extremes (snow/tornadoes/fires/110 degree weather).
5. Arts & Design: It's just nice to live in a place that harvests the creative types. I can I'm a graphic designer and people aren't like, "what's that? Do you go to school for that?" Although there is a slight disadvantage to that with being a 'small fish in a big pond,' but in a good way. There is just a general appreciate of The Arts in the area that is even apparent just going to shops. Especially when I can go downtown and I have access to DWR, Peter Miller Design Book store, Olympic Sculpture Park, among other various resources.

-I'll try to post a couple more Seattle Notes here in the future.

Survey Says...

2009-04-14T01:56:00.003-06:00

-We had a discussion pre-meal time the other night involving Mike/Lindsay/Sadie/Me, and I would like to take this opportunity to bring it to the open forum and ask everyone else this question:

What is more Un-American: never seeing The Sandlot or not having mustard in your fridge?

...and then I'll tally it up and see what the general public has to say about this one.

Bring it Back

2009-04-11T04:16:00.003-06:00

-I've decided to bring back movie nights just so I can design some movie posters for them. Those always had poor turn outs anyways, and there will only be 2-4 people attending here. Ah well...I'm bringing it back. First up: Ironman. (Not too shabby for only a couple hours)

Move Over Qdoba

2009-04-09T02:43:00.003-06:00

-There's a new burrito in town, and its from Taco Gol. I was informed by my recent coworkers at SeattleMag to check out the taco truck down the street. I kind of chuckled (at it being a taco truck), and said I would try it out. Two weeks later, Mike/Lindsay/Me decided to try it out. and I must say. I was impressed. Best burrito I've had in ages. Mike gave it an A+ after one bite.

Other current events in the life (or since the beginning of April) of Christopher Lee:
-Worked this week at Seattle magazine after working 3 days at SportsNW after working two straight weeks at Seattle magazine
-Offered a freelance gig for GLG, still pending...
-started a WaMu/Chase bank account. Finally (well, i guess I did that a couple weeks ago, but just started using it)
-Went to EMP with Lindsay/Mike: revisited Hatch Show Print, other highlights include: E.T., the suit from Rocketeer, the tree of life model from The Fountain, various pieces of set design from Bladerunner, and of course, Tom Geismar's Robot collection
-Explored more of Seattle (with Sadie), including Kerry Park, Helix Pedestrian Bridge, Elliott Bay Park and a revisit to Olympic Sculpture Park
-Attended Seattle's MS Walk (in support of Sadie's mom), which also involved a revisit to Gasworks park and a pass through The Wall of Death (horrible art installation)
-Movies Watched: Doubt, Special, The Shining, Hot Fuzz, William Eggleston in the Real World, 300, The Weatherman
-Sent over 50 emails in 3 days at work
-Debating having just a mustache
-Desk, plus vanity mirror in room cleaned
-Officially have over 25,000 view on my flickr
-Took over 2.5 gigs of photos
-Woke up 3 days in a row to a bug inspector at our house because Mike discovered termites living in our bathroom (and landlords seem to like having the inspections come at 8:30 in the morning. boo)
-Movies in the house are finally organized

-I think I left out a couple things. but I feel that I've been in non stop mode for about a month....
-Sorry I don't have links for all of that, just stop by my flickr, I've been trying to post a photo or two every day. or Google it.
-New Office tonight X2. yes.

All My Days

2009-03-30T01:48:00.002-06:00

-I've been trying to come up with a way to summarize the past month and that ensued, but I don't really know where to begin. This month is coming to a close which brings us that much closer to spring and summer, which I am quite excited for (yes to more photo taking!). I'm still in limbo land with my jobs, but have successfully ended a two week term working on Seattle magazine and Seattle Business. It's been very interesting to see the stark contrasts in how different magazines do their work: from file set ups, how they make their edits, and the relationship between all the employees. And I've definately become more keen in my sensibility with editorial design, as I feel the need to engulf myself into more of it.
-I've been kind of sick this week and trying to pull myself out of it. It has been nice to be able to go to bed before 2 though. Feel free to send me some more chicken noodle soup though.

-I'll be back when there's more to update, in the meantime, check out the new photos on flickr, they'll be updated periodically this week.
-April: I am ready for you. Bring it.

Which Way To Go

2009-03-22T03:07:00.002-06:00

-This week has been another hectic week, involving the witnessing of the cinematic masterpiece of The Watchmen (at IMAX!) and the bitter news of Mike's layoff. The Brothers Lee have hit another snag in our ongoing process to move foreword here in the NW. We are staying productive, moving past our downfalls and staying positive through our endeavors. It hasn't been easy for us here, but we are doing our best to keep our heads high.

-In other news, my birthday was good. I received Things I Have Learned by Sagmeister, which has been on the to buy list for two years. and today recently purchased new shoes (Thanks Mom!).

Ides of March

2009-03-15T02:36:00.005-06:00

I'm going to do my best to recap the happenings of this week. For one, it has been an insanely emotional week. Needless to say, a lot has happened over the past 7 or so days. In something that only seems to happen in some film, we have seemed to witness life in death within days of each other, as well, as my own struggles to maintain my emotional stability and the ongoing adventures of the pacific purgatory.

-Mike was gone all week on a trip to New Orleans for his work. This gave me some space, but after a few days, I began to kind of zone out and realize I need to get out of the house.
-On Tuesday, a friend of ours, Kolby Lankford passed away. It came as a shocker, as Kolby and Ashley are expecting their first child here in a few months, and can only imagine the emotional downpour caused by the tragedy. My condolences to Kolby and Ashley's families.
-Wednesday, Sadie came over and we stayed up talking and laughing. Apparently, I was unaware that my landlord upstairs could hear the noise. And the next day received a formal complaint for our noise, which she thought was 'a party' down here. There was a little drama here for about half a day, but everything got settled. I don't like hostility between me and others, especially my landlord, although I did think it was funny how she described our noise, when there wasn't much going on here, just my superior sense of humor causing laughter (and a loud bathroom door?).
-Sadie and I also slightly explored the Alki Beach area, enjoyed the fresh blue skies and decent weather (darn those awful Seattle winters!). And also made some birthday cupcakes, watched movies, ate ice cream, etc and etc. a nice mid-week weekend.
-On Friday (yes, the 13th), my good friends Shannon & Emily gave birth to their first child, Sophia Jane Kolvitz. Congrats!
-I received a few things in the mail this week that I've been patiently waiting on: some issues of Oklahoma Today and the 2009 Travel Guide, of which I helped do some work in both publications. Always nice to see your work in printed form. I also received my W2 (Finally!), so now I can finally try to get my taxes done. Fun.
-I also received my paycheck for February issue of SportsNW. Let me bring up to speed on that one. I pretty much had no money in the bank at the beginning of this week. Mike let me borrow some money to buy some foods and whatnot for the week. I was starting to get frustrated and worried that I wasn't going to get paid, so I can pay my bills (internet, car, insurance, student loans). Well, needless to say, I didn't get any of my payments this week, and Friday asked my parents if I could borrow some moneys that I would immediately pay back when I got my paychecks (which should have arrived about two weeks ago). So they very kindly (THANK YOU!) moved some money over for me today, and then what happens? I get my paycheck. How odd. But it all worked out and it looks like nothing is going to be late and I got my paycheck in the mail. I was just stressing about this ALL WEEK.
-Just minor details, but my mom was sick (and missing school) and my dad was getting check ups for his sinus problems. Not major things, but I hope you guys are doing better this coming week. Hopefully my relief of monetary stress will lift some stress off your shoulders as well.
-Friday, I started a freelance job for Tiger Oak Publications, who are responsible for Seattle Business and Seattle magazines. I am very excited about this opportunity and hope that something larger comes out of this (Job, please?) Either way, I'm still excited about working with them and seeing more work done here in Seattle. I will be working the 9-6 over at their offices (Just south of Safeco field) and hopefully my body can adjust to the normal work schedule. With that being said, I am also doing a bit of freelance for Oklahoma Today, which is how I am spending my weekend (and yes, my birthday). Fun stuff.
-Also, I received a phone call from my sister this morning. She informed me that she was accepted into the Interior Design program at BYUI. Awesome! We're all excited for you sis and know you'll excel in college. We'll keep your finger crossed for your valedictorian spot...
-Whew. I think that is pretty much the jest of it all. I'm sure there's a few things missed out. I'll keep everyone posted if anything goes on.

Edit: Oh yeah, I went and watched Justin King play this week. Nothing like akwardly hanging out a bar by yourself for 2+ hours (and try to suffer through the awful opener) so you can watch someone magnificently play the guitar.

Shoes

2009-03-09T04:55:00.004-06:00

-I'm a week shy of being a quarter of century old. and in celebration, I've compiled my top five shoes on the wishlist, just in case you're feeling super nice.

1. Unlimited Hi (Ash/Pirate Black/Steel Grey)-I can't seem to find these online anymore. I should have bought them six months ago when I saw them.

2. Unlimited High Evo (Black)-I saw the white ones at Nordstroms and got excited at the idea of these coming in different colors, and sure enough, a couple weeks later, they were at the mall, just waiting for me.

3. Basket II (Black/Grey) - Spotted these at the local Nordstroms as well. Can only seem to find them online on eBay.

4. Cabana Racer II (Dark Shadow/White/Black or Black/Steel Grey/Fluo Yellow) - Saw these at the shoe store on Pike's and instantly liked them.

5. Suede Mid II (Black Coffee/Vaporous Grey) - Mike sent these over to me last week. Pretty clean.

+1 First Round Skate