HVX200, Final Cut Pro... and me?

Yes to all of the above, except that I'm looking into working with a Canon 7D for awhile. Try the depth of focus loveliness that comes with the DSLR style lens/sensor. Not to mention grabbing a good zoom lens to catch those elk herds that cross the property. Absolutely amazing sight.

I'm currently hawking my Canon 50D everywhere you can post a "for-sale" type ad. I've had a couple interested parties, but no firm offers yet.
I would just like to have something more portable / rugged / lightweight to truck around with me while I'm working on this ranch video. Lugging that HVX200 around, plus the FireStore, makes for a heavy pack.

more later! (or less, depending)

All Blacks

If anyone has an extra $170~ish lying around, you could always grab this shirt for me.

http://www.allblackshop.com/all-blacks-replica-home-jersey-short-sleeve.html

oh, and I'd like it personalized please. "BEDFORD" on the back would be just fine, thank you!

Long Dog Hot Sauce. Oh my. Addie and I were given a couple samples of their hotsauce... and we're both blown away. Both by heat AND flavor. I love a hot sauce that can make me sweat, but still has a taste to it, an excellent taste. There are a few different varieties, not all of the tongue-melting genre. The 3 we've tasted have excellent flavor.
They do a pretty cool thing for business, too. You can order the sauce and have a label custom made. Or send them the design you'd like.

I think they'd make some kick-ass holiday gifts... "From the Bedfords... 'cuz we're hotter than you!"

We are now into retail holiday season.

Which means that I am about to enter the cave from which I shall not return. Until after Christmas. Or New Years... or the second week of January. Whichever is furthest away.

I have one period of "fun" time coming up next weekend. I get to hang out with Scott, my father-in-law over in Cohagen (sp?) shooting at edible animals. Hopefully none of them have saddles. Then its 'hit the ground at a sprint' time as we move into November/December and retail loveliness.
I'll be working my first Sunday of many this weekend. If you're in or around Bozeman and want to hang out at Vann's... Right. Well, _I_ will be there.

So I now have my complete A/V system, and I like it. I'm one of those types that just thrives with music playing in the background at all times. Pandora Radio is my friend. BFF. I'd like to hook up a USB drive to it that would store our music so that we could just run it as a music-NAS. (If you're not sure what that means, either ask me... or nod your head and say "Oh, that sounds cool!" and we'll move on.)

I also just finished upgrading my iPhone 3G to 4.0 and only had a minor panic attack whilst doing so. AT&T should be arriving to Montana soon? Before I die? In time for me to buy the iPhone 4? .... "I don't care, I want an iPhone 4" - computerized voice

Oh, we have someone coming to check out the condo tomorrow! (cliff-hanger ending)

Open House and Video work

The two are not related. Yet?

I have a couple little video projects I'm working on now! Finishing up on a wedding, starting on a year-long video project (tracing the seasons of a certain ranch) and helping Jared Joyce on some video projects and pitches he has coming up.

The condo has had a couple showings, about three open house dealies and no offers. :( We're thinking about taking it off of the market for a bit of time to calm down on the whole thing. We'd rent a storage unit to move the majority of our stuff to, clean out the "2" car garage and see if we can't keep our vehicles cozy and isolated from the snow for some of the coming-faster-than-I-can-believe winter. (not to mention I had a block heater installed last winter and will need that sucker again, I'm sure.)

Its a little disheartening just because we see so many awesome deals going on around us for houses to buy; and can't make a move on any of them!! We even have one home that we consistently refer to as 'the home that got away.' ... and even went so far as to not go to an auction on a home next to it 'cuz we didn't want to live beside the people that got OUR home! ... .. ahhh.. yeah. weird, I know.

Working at Vann's has been entertaining and mostly fun. There sure are some nice toys/tools in that building. I've just completed designing and purchasing my Theater equipment (see post below) and now I'm all about saving my way into owning a Big Green Egg. I've been able to sell a few of them and its a 100% "WOW!" reaction when it comes to how awesome that thing is to cook on.
I just finished editing a little video of a demo by our Panamax rep... he blows up a 'Surge Protector' in it. Pretty fun stuff, you can hear us all yelling in the background when the surge protector catches on fire. I'm not sure the legality of posting it, so it will probably never show up on here? If I figure out differently, I'll let you know. Its a fun little video.

Our Theater system...

This is me scrimping and saving and doing video and "stuff" for extra cash!

Marantz 7005 Receiver
Definitive Technology ProCinema 2000 Center Channel
Definitive Technology BP 8040ST Front L&R Floor Standing
Definitive Technology SR 8040BP Rear L&R Surrounds
APC H15 Power Center ... seriously, if you don't have a powercenter, get one... "power strips" are NOT A/V friendly.

AudioQuest wiring connecting everything (components & speakers) + Banana Plug Terminals to make it all easy to hook up.

Mind you, I'm waiting on the Def Tech speakers... they've not yet been released. The receiver I pre-ordered and got one of the first sent out... its been a blast to setup and play with. I can't wait until the remote control app for my iPhone is operational! (sometime around end of Sept with firmware upgrade to receiver)

... I love you Addie. :)

Things are ramping up...

both in the things I've been able to sell from that earlier "garage sale" list 'o stuff and our Condo preparations for sale. We cruised around the neighborhood we'd like to build in and even Addie got a little excited about the property options available. The condo is looking empty/clean, but please don't go into the garage....
I'm getting closer and closer to finally being able to own a surround sound system, so maybe one day we won't have to watch everything with sub-titles. It'd be awesome, though, if the condo sold even before I have a chance to wire it up for a 5.1 system... cuz that'd just be awesome. Otherwise, I already have planed out where the speakers are going and the mounts that'll be used, the receiver/speakers, etc. Yah!

Our current floor-plan dream is to use one of Schuyler Built's... with a few tweaks and a whole lot more wiring. I'm thinking networking, speakers, control panels and so on... does that mean we'll have speakers in every room? oh no... but seriously, in this day and age, if you have the walls apart, wire for everything... cuz SOMEBODY will think its important to have networking in every room, or speakers, or....

Ok, Addie and I are setting up a mint.com account, so I'm outta here for now.

Painting machines

... that's what Addie and I are! We've been painting like crazy, packing like crazy and just generally GOING crazy. Its been partly fun. All in the name of trying to get our condo ready for sale.

I got to walk through Matt's house in Oak Springs on Sunday. Awesome... absolutely awesome. I think Addie and I can really see ourselves in a home like that. Schuyler Built did a fantastic job of just making it a clean, polished, FINISHED home. The layout is fantastic, and I hope someone buys it soon! We'd like to be out a little bit more in the country, but sure as hell want that floor-plan! (with a few minor techno-geek adjustments)

Work at Vann's has kept me busy, as well as trying to sell some things for a business that no longer has need of said items. (No, not going out of business, just transitioning and not needing quite as many computers and odds/ends.)

Alright, that's enough outta me... I need to head back and help Addie finish up on the last (?) coat of paint in the bedroom! She's got NPR playing on her Touch and I can hear her giggling to whatever she's listening to.

~rob

Because I'm now...

an Apple Certified Technical Coordinator.

To some people, it means something! :-P

One of the few people in the entire state of Montana to have that certification, according to Apple's site. I think the other guys that have it are all Vann's employees.

Electronic Goodies, Toys and Cool Stuff

Electronic Goodies and Things for Sale!

Let me know if you see anything you're interested in. Prices are negotiable, of course, but I've tried to research everything to make sure that the price reflects a semi-fair used market.

Rob

For those of you who follow...

my wife you're already getting all the information you need about the house, so nothing on that here. *waves hand dramatically across your field of vision* This is not the blog you're looking for.

Other than that, though, I'm pricing out a bunch of stuff for a business friend of mine who's commissioned me to sell some of his older gear. There are some pretty sweet things in this pile 'o junk! Including a MacPro Quad that I'd love to get my hands on. Also a pro teleprompter and a very nice mic+shock mount. Oh, and a decent pair of Sennheiser headphones. Now if only I had 3k lieing around, right?

Our next goal is going to be paying off all our debts. We're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in that regard.. its nice! Now if only I don't wreck any more 4wheelers, we'll be golden in just a few months!

I'm enjoying working at Vanns, and looking forward to heading out to Seattle for Apple Certification courses & tests! Can't wait to see where that's gonna take me.

ciao for now,
Rob

Apple Certification

I think traveling to Seattle is in my future! I'm being considered for apple training... starting with Snow Leopard Essentials and then moving on into networking with Snow Leopard. Its some pretty intense stuff. Three days of in-depth MAC training with a big test at the end that determines whether or not you just wasted 2.5k. I'm going to have to do some pre-studying, obviously! I've been using macs now for the last 6yrs, and by nature I'm a curious person who tries to break things and mess with stuff... so I sure HOPE I have a good basic knowledge that will carry me at least through the beginnings of the classes. I'm gonna try to get a training book so I can get started. One of the other big things this means for me, other than getting Apple Certification is that I'll be signing a contract to stay at Vann's for at least 18 months after completion of the courses. I've been trying to figure out what I'm gonna be doing.... Vann's has definitely been figuring hugely into "what do I want to do." In a definite way, this solidifies what's going on, and the direction we're heading as a family. The hope is to get this training, keep working at Vann's, bust my tail, get paid... and sell that Spokane house. Then the Bozeman condo. Then we'd like to buy a house.. and have a baby! (or two?)

Aaaaaand those are the plans. In a nut-shell. I'm a nut, and poor Addie will be retreating into a shell of safety and protection.

/rob