Boerne, TX

On Labor Day both Robert and I were off from our respective jobs so we decided to go to Boerne. We have been to Fredericksburg multiple times but have never taken the time to go to Boerne which is only about a 20 minute drive from our place.

A lot of places weren't open which was kind of upsetting but it just means that we'll have to go another time. 

We ate lunch at this cute little microbrewery called The Dodging Duck.  

New Orleans & Abita Springs

Waking up early to pack and check out of our room we hit the road early to arrive at Abita Springs with enough time to eat before the Abita brewery tour.

To get to Abita Springs you have to travel over this long toll road that crosses the Pontchartrain Lake. 

For some reason we didn't actually have to pay a toll. 

New Orleans, Day 3

Our last day! We have to make the most of it. Do everything we didn't have a chance to do before. Everything must get done today!

And so we started out a bit late, slow at getting up and basically walking breezily around taking in the fact that we had so much left to do and only one more day to get it done.

During the month of August, New Orleans was doing this restaurant special offer all around town. Tons of prix fixe menus and discounts. Because of that we ended up at a restaurant that would have been a bit out of our price range but instead fit in perfectly.

NOLA Day 2

The second day on our trip we decided to be touristy and go on a swamp tour. The place we had to drive to was about 30 minutes away but since it took so long to get around all the construction and chaos the first day we decided to give ourselves enough time for getting lost/stuck in traffic/and random traveling. Needless to say, with all my fore planning we arrived...30 minutes before we had to be there. 

Nawlins Day 1

At the end of August, Robert and I took a vacation to New Orleans.

It was amazing. Neither one of us had ever been so it was fun to be able to experience it together.

Arlington Vacation: Day 2

This is Day 2; to read Day 1 go here.


On our second day in Arlington my mother (rudely) awoke me so that I could eat some free breakfast before we trekked around the city. Shuffling out of the hotel room and into the lobby in whatever clothes I happened to put on I grabbed coffee and started to pig out on cereal, bagels, and muffins. Then, I felt better.

Since we had spent the day before in Dallas we decided to visit Fort Worth this time. We parked downtown and walked around. Compared to Dallas's downtown, (and even San Antonio's) Fort Worth's downtown looked dead. The only people walking around besides us were people who worked in the office buildings.

Our first stop was Fire Station # 1. A cute, small museum that is completely open to the public for free and is self guided. The museum emphasizes the history of Fort Worth.

Arlington Vacation: Day 1

This week my family (Dad, Mom, and brother) and I went on our traditional family vacation. 

For three years now we have been going to Arlington to visit and ride all the roller coasters at Six Flags Over Texas. But because this is Texas and it's always like 1000 degrees outside we try to find other cooler things to do. And by cooler I mean somewhere with AC.

This year we decided to actually travel to downtown Dallas and see what there was to do. The first thing we ended up doing was visiting the Dallas Holocaust Museum. The museum was very sad with all the articles, artifacts, and pictures around.

Reminds me of The Boy in the Stripes Pajamas. 

Bitchin' About: Technology

For all of you (har de har har) who read this blog and are wondering where I've been...I'll tell you.

I've been trying to work on some freelance video editing. But if you don't know sometimes technology is more of a hindrance than a blessing. 

Getty Images.

Boardwalk on Bulverde

Today, I made my first trip out to Boardwalk on Bulverde one of San Antonio's food truck hot spots.

Today they were having a Food Truck Throw Down wherein there would be more trucks than usual with 10% of the proceeds going to Breast Cancer research. Today seemed a great day to check it out.

Ranger Creek Brewery & Distillery

Today, Robert and I decided to continue distending our beer bellies by visiting Ranger Creek's open house.

If only there was button for photobombs. 

Bitchin' About: Internships

I have answered to many a Craigslist ads for internships and "experience only" posts. Before this whole down economy thing happened film/video was one of the few careers where you needed to intern prior to having a successful job. Now however, with successfully graduated students working as baristas at Starbucks and waitresses at Chili's, internships are popping up all over the place.

And it pisses.me.off.

Getty Images.

Let me start out by saying that I am not adverse to working for nothing. Yes, it sucks. Yes, all my good charm will not pay my rent, cell phone bill, or gas but if I learn what I need to, get the experience I desperately need then in my eyes I'm not really working for nothing.

The thing is there is a difference between an internship and free labor.

The things I have learned from answering Craigslist posts and unofficial internships can fill a book and not in a good way. My experiences have taught me things; things that I suppose only experience can teach you. But now-- I'm sick of it.

I'm sick of trying to email my resume to a business with a friendly and knowledgeable cover letter explaining my predicament and my objectives only to have them either 1.) completely ignore me or 2.) say "Yes, we would love to have a video done for our shitty company!"

When the second happens I get very excited. I set up an interview with them, go fully dressed with a copy of my resume and all my tattoos covered. I am the epitome of the perfect, professional interviewee. I arrive, say "Yes sir. No ma'am. Please. Thank you." I shake hands firmly, make eye contact, and sit slightly leaning forward. Then if/when I get the job I end up sitting in an office with a computer running Windows 98 and twiddling my thumbs.

Then, I burn my bridges.

At one internship I got the job because not only was I able to do video but with my English background I was also able to write articles for them.

Via

For most of the month I was there I  cataloged old newspaper articles, alphabetized, filed, sorted. and as an intern I had no problem with this. I understand that sometimes I will be getting coffee and making copies and I'm okay with that. However, when it finally came time to edit a video I had to bring in MY laptop and use MY software because the computer they provided me with had nothing on it that would help me complete my job.


I guess I should mention that it was an unpaid internship and during this time I was really working the freelance circuit. For those who have never had the displeasure of working freelance it's completely different than a normal 9-5 job. Sometimes they call you hours before they need you and the shifts can last anywhere from 4 hours to 16 but I was getting paid well for the hours I worked and couldn't just pass the opportunity up.

So one Friday, during my thumb-twiddling time I got a call for a freelance job. Having nothing to do at the internship and not being able to pass up some actual money I accepted. I told my "boss" and left for the day.

When I arrived Monday I had received a slightly unpleasant email reminding me about the time I had committed to them. I told my "boss" I was sorry (I'm not one for confrontations...usually). But then, I got another offer to work the following Friday as well. Once again, I couldn't pass it up. My "boss" was supposed to be out of the office anyway so I figured not showing up to warm my seat wouldn't bother her as much as the last time had. I sent her an email and went to my freelance gig and didn't even think twice about missing my internship.


When Monday rolled around however I was in for a most unpleasant email. My "boss" wanted to talk with me about my "priorities" and the commitment I made to this internship. She reminded me that I was the one who needed the internship for credit and I shouldn't shirk my duties. I read the email getting increasingly angry the farther down I got. When I finished I emailed her back with a piece of my mind.

Getty Images

Not only was I learning absolutely nothing but everything I had done thus far was only because I had to use MY own equipment. Had I not had a laptop I wouldn't have been able to contribute ANYTHING to their company. I told her that I didn't have the luxury of only working nonpaying jobs and that i would not turn down a paying job to sit in an office with nothing to do. If I had a project to work on, or was behind on any of my work I wouldn't accept a job but being that I finished everything she had asked me to do I saw no problem with it. Also, I told her that I already had my internship hours done for credit. I didn't need the internship for college credit or otherwise and then I walked out.

And that ladies and gentleman isn't even the worst of my interning experiences.
The whole concept grossly upsets me.


Then, I see these kinds of posts on Craigslist and I lose all faith in anything.

This isn't even one of the worst I've seen. But the whole idea that I just have thousands of dollars worth of equipment sitting around and would just LOVE to do work for you for free is laughable. 

Firstly, I don't have thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Why? Because cheap, ignorant people like you don't want to pay me for my expertise. And hey, I know I'm no Walter Murch but I'm also not going to charge you $1000 per hour. I'm just asking for a little compensation for my time, my gas, my equipment, and my knowledge. I don't think that's too much to ask. 

Secondly, it seems that more and more people think that shakily capturing footage on your iPhone is movie-making. It's not. And I know there are people who can do that--turn their phone movies into art. Some people have lenses for their iPhone and edit their movies and some are great and creative. But for the most part, it doesn't work like that. Yes technology makes it easier for more and more people to capture their home movies but it doesn't make it art and it doesn't make it good.

Thirdly, when you have no equipment, no knowledge, no previous experience, and no money do NOT expect me to give you the next Citizen Kane. I have had "bosses" tell me that my finished video is OK but next time it should be better. Next time the audio should be better. The green screen should be better. If only I worked harder at it.

Next time it won't be better because we don't have an external mic, we don't have a proper green screen, and we don't have lights to correctly light it. It looks like shit because that's what I have to work with.

It's not even about making excuses. I don't need to shoot on a RED. But some things are necessary when you want a quality video. I mean, have you ever seen the end credits on movies? There are people for EVERYTHING. And doing their job isn't a matter of pushing a button called EDIT or DIRECT. It takes time.


So I guess what I'm trying to say is: if you or your company offers an internship...

• Don't take advantage of them.
• Make sure they are learning something.
• Please, please, please make it worth the interns time. 
• And if you don't understand what it is you want them to do and cannot do it yourself then you shouldn't be offering an internship at all. 

Shiner, Texas

Yesterday was the Fourth of July and to celebrate the independence of our wonderful nation Robert, Jordan, Justin, and I went to Shiner, Texas to visit the Shiner Brewery. 

With a pit-stop at Buc-ee's. 

XXX = Turkey

So Robert and I went bowling this past week. I hadn't been bowling in a few months and Robert claimed that he hadn't been since he was 12. When we moved into our new apartment we got a BOGO coupon and I had been basically begging him to go...so on Tuesday, we went. 

Mad Men Style

Saturday was Robert's birthday, or as he says, hatching. I had work the night before which meant coming home at 630am and sleeping until 1pm, which was perfect because Robert had gone out with his friends the night before and wasn't going to be up any earlier either. 

Mittens, Poufs, and other Shower Things

Towards the end of last month, the largest HEB Plus opened on my side of town. 

Now, I usually HATE going to grocery stores. The people don't move, even when they see you coming. They leave their cart in the middle of the aisle as if their cart is the most important. I get frustrated and angry, firstly because getting my milk and cereal should not be some Amazing Race quest and secondly because when I go to move their carts so that mine can get safe passage they get haughty and sigh loudly, making their eyes into slits, pursing their lips as if I was about to steal their purse and take their blueberry yogurt. 

Better Late Than Never

Working overnights means that you search the internet from one end to the other, every two hours or so. After fifteen minutes of Pinterest and two seconds of Facebook, I'm Stumbling my way through blogs, comics, tutorials, and videos. Then, I get depressed because with access to all this information it makes my life feel...lame. Like I'm wasting away the best years of my life only looking through blogs, comics, tutorials, and videos of other's lives instead of living my own. 


I read somewhere once (probably on one of these StumbleUpon trips I take every weekend) that all this technology inundates us so much that people are getting more depressed the more connected we are. I never understand this as much as when I'm working overnights. In the day, I check-in on Foursquare, see what's up on Facebook, answer a few text messages every so often but at night I get to see the minutes slowly tick away.

Enchanted Rock Climbing

About a month ago I bought a GroupOn that looked interesting. It was for an outdoor rock climbing adventure at Enchanted Rock.

The picture made it look so fun and the guy in the picture looked so outdoorsy that I wanted that. I wanted to try something new and different and outdoors. So I bought it. The fact that I am totally terrified of heights didn't register as I whipped out my debit card and bought two tickets; one for me and one for anyone else I could find to go with me.