The Heat is On

We just made it through a heat wave toward this week. The weather’s been warm all week. I think yesterday was in the seventies. Unless you live in the South or some other tropical climate, that’s pretty much unheard of, especially in late February. Unfortunately, I couldn’t enjoy it because of course I was at work. And naturally, it’s not expected to last because it’s still winter and sooner or later, the snow has to come back.

Also this week, I decided to go on a little diet. I found out that ever since I was no longer allowed to use the gym up at the college a couple years ago because I wasn’t taking a gym class, turns out I gained at least fifty pounds. At least I’m not completely out of shape. I practically walk everywhere and I have a job where I’m pretty much on my feet all the time. Plus I also have the advantage of working in Pets where there is some heavy lifting involved. But it’s probably time to get back in shape now that it’s getting closer to spring.

Last night, I finally managed to pick up Deadpool on DVD. The version I got also features the online version that I added to my Vudu collection (which is Walmart’s version of Netflix.) However, the real reason I got the DVD was because I could get a movie pass to go see Logan when it comes out next week. Movie passes on DVD’s nowadays comes with a code you can redeem through Fandango but the passes are only good for the Marquee in New Hartford as I learned when I got the movie pass for Star Trek Beyond last year. Either way, I was going to see Logan anyway because as an Internet reviewer I have to review it anyway. I also need to make a note to stock up on movie passes because all the big movies are gonna start coming out.

Basic Photography Projects

And I figure for today I am going to do another photo blog this time showcasing my projects from my Basic Photography class where I used cameras that produced black and white pictures. Even though I have these photos on my Facebook photo page as well as on my Behance portfolio that I made last semester for my Communication Arts Portfolio, I figure I’d add them here as well. However if you want to check out that particular section of my portfolio, here is the link:

https://www.behance.net/gallery/15697777/Basic-Photography-Portfolio

So anyway, here you go and enjoy. Hard to believe that my last year at Herkimer College is about to begin next week. 🙂

A controlled blur shot of a seagull flying on campus.

An action composition shot of a creek over by the Herkimer High School.

A shadow composition shot of a fence I shot in town.

A night shot that I took at work.

A shot of the old Herkimer County Courthouse.

A portrait shot.

And All The Leaves Must Fall

Some of the fall scenery that Central New York is famous for.

Here we are. I am now heading into week 2 of my vacation from work. And so far things have been uneventful, except for the fact that the weather over the weekend has been really beautiful. So beautiful that I finally managed to go outside and see some of the beautiful fall scenery that Central New York is famous for. I even managed to film some footage for the new episode of The Adventures of Blackcatloner this week on blip.tv.

Sunday afternoon (which was known as 10/10/10), I managed to hike on a trail alongside the Erie Canal on the Mohawk side of the canal. The trail actually starts at the old Fort Herkimer Church and goes all the way to the Movac Ambulance Dispatch Center in Mohawk near the canal bridge. I saw people attempting to draw hearts on the gravel portion of the trail and I saw a canal tour boat go by. One of the things I wanted to do ever since I started doing YouTube videos was to go on a boat ride on the Erie Canal to film a video. However just like the previous years, things fell through and I ended up not going. Hopefully next summer, I will be able to follow through on that.

Heat Wave

Well, the Fourth of July weekend has come and gone and I still don’t have internet at my house. That’s right, I am still operating out of the library here in Herkimer and right now, it looks like I may end up going another weekend without internet at my house. Which in turn means that I may have to upload the latest episode of TAOB to blip.tv and YouTube tomorrow afternoon.

However, the big story here is not my lack of Internet access at my house. The big story this week is the big heat wave that has hit the whole Eastern Seaboard, including right here in Central New York. For the last few days, temperatures have been in the low to mid-nineties with no rain or thunderstorms to speak of. It has been really brutal out, especially yesterday in which the temperature here in Herkimer was at 95 degrees. Sleeping during the day, even with air conditioning has been very uncomfortable.

It’s all supposed to end tonight because this afternoon, we’re supposed to get a thunderstorm this afternoon. It’s also supposed to rain tomorrow afternoon which will bring the temperature down into the 80’s tomorrow and Saturday which will bring some relief. Also of note is that tonight is my last night at work before I am officially on vacation for the next 9 days. Finally, something to look forward to.

This weekend is bound to have some good stuff. This weekend is General Herkimer Days here in H-town with a parade and also a chance to see if Empire Diner can create the world’s largest omelet and they’re planning to have Ripley’s Believe It or Not come down for the event. It’s stuff like this that is perfect material for a YouTuber such as myself. I only hope that it doesn’t get rained out because the weather’s forecasting rain for Saturday.

And shortly after I am done here at the library, I am going to head up to HCCC because today they are having their instant enrollment program for the fall semester. I am going up there to see if I can get some information because I am actually thinking about going to college to pursue a degree in broadcasting so I can see if I can improve my career on the Interwebs. Thirteen years ago when I graduated from high school, I wasn’t even thinking about going to college. Now things have changed. I need a career now and my current job ain’t cutting it anymore.

So anyway, that’s what’s been happening from my neck of the woods. Like I said, I’ll probably be posting the latest episode of my web series to the web tomorrow afternoon. It’s just that I’m only allowed 90 minutes on the library computers.

‘Tis the Season

Well it’s that time of year again. Inches of snow falling on the ground, covering the roads and sidewalks so bad that people who use the sidewalks are forced to walk on the roads putting them at risk at either getting hit by a car or getting hit by a plow. Frigid winds blowing snow everywhere making visibility impossible. Temperatures hovering in the 20’s or lower degree range Fahrenheit. All this happened this past week, a clear sign that Old Man Winter has reared his ugly head at last.

This type of weather is one of the reasons why I hate living in New York and want to trade it in for warmer pastures, most notably California and Florida. Hell, I’d even trade it in for Australia because I hear summer is starting down there. Of course that is if I can afford to travel, which I can’t because the economy here in the States as everyone knows sucks.

But other than the awful winter weather we had this past week, things are good more or less. As expected, my 11-day stretch at work last week translated into a big paycheck which also included holiday pay. That is good, but still doesn’t change much. Still looking for a new job and still considering going to college because I need to try and advance my career on the Internet. I heard that HCCC has a really good broadcasting education program up there. I know people who are in the TV and radio industry who graduated from HCCC so that’s something I should definitely look into.

Anyway, today I am planning to do some Christmas shopping today, even though I already have finished Christmas shopping for my two nephews. Probably going to end up going to Wal-Mart today like I usually do. Hopefully it won’t be as crowded today as it was on Black Friday. Usually two weeks before Christmas is perhaps the best time to go shopping. Last minute shopping can be just as bad as it is on Black Friday.

And as far as my Christmas plans go, I do have some good news. In addition to not working on Christmas Eve because that is usually when Wal-Mart closes, I am also not working on Christmas being that it falls on a Friday, one of my normal days off from work. It is the first time since I started working at Wal-Mart in which I didn’t have to go into work and I am really excited about that. We were invited to go down to my brother’s house in Staatsburg for Christmas this year. Usually we have it at my house but this year is going to be different. Plus I haven’t been back to the ol’ Hudson Valley in over six years so it should be pretty good to see how things have changed since I moved off to Central New York.

Since Christmas and New Year’s usually fall on the same day of the week a week apart, there is also a good chance I will also be off on New Year’s Day (also a Friday this year.) However, I am trying to get a personal day off from work on New Year’s Eve primarily because I do not want to celebrate the start of 2010 at work. I do hope that I get it. Celebrating at work is clearly not the way to kick off the New Year, especially since I have such high hopes for this New Year.