Well, I don’t have any photos to post here, so today’s entry is a bit of rumination.

First, I am working on a new “Galleries” page. Some of you have noticed that my Gallery tab disappeared. For the last two years, it was hosted with an Apple MobileMe account, a service which I have since deemed to be a waste of money when you already have a hosting service and Google Sync. Additionally, it was more trouble than it was worth to update and couldn’t be organized exactly the way I wanted it to be. I plan to use SlideShow Pro for a pretty slick gallery page, but I need some time. I’ve already decided how I want it to look, so now I have to figure out how to make my dreams into reality. Along with that, I need to sort through my pictures all over again to find distinct categories. As some may know, I recently had a hard drive issue that resulted in the loss of some photos, but more importantly the loss of any semblance of organization I might have had at some point. I’m getting close, I can feel it :-).

From that data loss, I thought I had lost the panoramic pictures I had taken in Israel, some composed from as many as 17 pictures. Turns out, I’ve had them all along. I was looking for the original CR2 RAW files, when what I should have been looking for was the Photoshop PSD’s that I made from those RAW files. That techno-speak for WHEW!! Probably will share them here soon.

What else.. Well amidst all this, I have been super busy. Aside from my regular 8 to 3 and 3:30 to 8’s, I have started doing some freelance drafting and freelance photography. In 12 days, I also add Grad school to the list. I feel like I’m starting to go a little nuts, but it is probably more due to the fact that I can’t really do what I want to do: photojournalism. With such a tight schedule, it is difficult to try and slap something else on top without something else being tossed away. Right now, I can’t really put anything aside. I’m hoping that from my Grad school program at DePaul, it will open up some unique opportunities that I can feel better about casting aside some work to pursue what I want rather than being driven by circumstances. I really am fortunate and blessed to have the jobs I have and I don’t take any of them for granted. But at some point its time for something new. My first class is on writing/reporting for the media which should be interesting. Certainly will be great to develop another skill.

Some of you may remember my post from the middle of the summer, entitled “Hope“, where I talked about my mom having a brain tumor. Well, the so-called “Space Invader” has grown and my mom will go under the knife sometime in mid-May to get that baggert out. So yeah… Scary. Apparently the only surgeon in the country that can do the endo-nasal (doc-speak for through the nose) procedure is in Pittsburgh. Any thoughts and prayers are always welcome.

I feel like I’ve blabbed enough for one post. Just a lot going on right now and I’m trying to balance it all and trying to find a way to take care of myself as well. Its pretty tough.

Here’s to the future!
– KS

Today’s title comes from the song “Hills and Valleys” from The Rocket Summer’s latest album Of Men and Angels. I can’t get enough of this album.

We're coming off of hard and harder times.
Gonna be starting something,
That gets us, straight up out of here...

Say you’re with me, There’s gold ahead, there’s golden dreams In life’s hills and valleys, Yeah will you hold on with me</em> </pre>