The Girl and the Ghost

It's been a long time coming.  Setback after setback kept popping up and delaying the project at every turn.  At this point, it's been five years since I had the idea, wrote the story, and began animating it.  I actually finished it a few months ago, but wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it.  A few weeks ago, I thought "it's nearly Halloween, it's the perfect time."  So, I decided that Tuesday, October 30th was going to be the big day.  Then, true to form, just as I was about to upload the movie, another setback popped up.  What was it this time?  Hurricane Sandy.

On Monday, October 29th, at 10:30 PM, an hour and a half before I was going to start the upload, I suddenly found myself sitting in the dark.  The winds proved to be too much and ended up snapping three electrical poles on our street and splitting a fourth in half, not to mention the tree that came down and blocked our street.

So, on October 30th, while everything was supposed to be happening, we were packing up to head over to Grandma's house, where there was still electricity, and more importantly, heat.  And that's where I stayed until November 3rd, along with Mom, Dad, Kris, Jessi, Matthew, and London.  It was an interesting few days.

Then I found myself back at home, but Halloween week, the ideal time to release the project, had passed.  I regrouped and weighed the options, trying to decide when the next best time would be.  One could go nuts trying to plan this stuff, so I decided.  What better time than right now?

At long last, I'm finally able to present to you… The Girl and the Ghost.

http://youtu.be/0R_A8NC6jLM?hd=1

I'd love if you'd let me know what you think of it.  I'd be honored if you shared the film with your friends.  Most importantly, I hope you enjoy it.

Meet London

Saturday, October 13th at 6:10 AM- I was done unwinding after hanging out with the guys and was about to go to bed when the phone rang.  Jessi woke to contractions that weren't stopping, so Mom headed to Kris & Jessi's house to watch Matthew, who was still sleeping, while they went to the hospital.

7:11 AM- Mom called to let me know Kris called with an update and Jessi was at 6 centimeters.

8:03 AM- Mom called again.  Jessi was about to get an epidural, it was time to get ready to go up to the hospital.

8:30 AM- Mom brought Matthew over, I woke my brain up, got ready, and we headed up to the hospital.

We made our way up to the 5th floor and got settled in the waiting area as flashbacks of that night nearly five years ago began  to hit me.  I sat there with Mom, Dad, and Matthew and prepared for the wait.

Over the next little while, Matthew and Mom both took a couple turns each going back and visiting Jessi.  We watched Dora (en Espanol) on the waiting room TV while Matthew was there, The Walking Dead when he he wasn't, and then Justice League Unlimited.  It was an Amazo episode (the one where he returns from deep space and hunts down Lex Luthor), very awesome.  Eventually, Hanna and Kari came from the birthing room and joined us, as Jessi was in the home stretch.

Ten, maybe twenty minutes at most, had passed before Kari looked at her phone and simply said "she's here."  Thinking she meant someone in the family had arrived at the hospital, we questioned her, but no, at 10:43 AM, after only two pushes, London Ann Drake was born.

I was shocked.  I was ready to wait the 12+ hours we spent waiting to meet Matthew, but no, Little Miss London had a schedule to keep.

We waited.  Bobby, Jessi's father arrived, and before long, we started to got called back to meet her.  Hanna, Kari, Bobby, then Mom, Dad, and me.

Matthew came to hold the door for us and we went through the familiar halls into to the birthing room.  We were met with little cries and then we saw her.  Little London.  So tiny, so cute, and with such big feet and long toes.  If she were mine, her name would contain some kind of reference to hobbits or Hank McCoy.  Nerdiness aside, she was adorable, beautiful, and perfect.

We all just sat there and waited for our turns to see and hold the baby, as all in birthing rooms do.

Before too long, I got my turn.  And here is where the written-word format of this blog fails, as it would take a far better writer than myself to describe the feelings and emotions that rush through you as you hold a newborn baby.

In that moment, she, and everything in the world, was perfect.

In the following hours, we mostly just sat there, absorbing it all.  I loved watching Matthew, in many ways (in my mind, but surely not his), still a baby, switch into big brother mode.

Matthew was hesitant to hold London at first, but eventually found his bravery.

After that, he took charge.

"How's your pain?" he'd ask Jessi.

"How much pressure is she getting?" he asked the nurse, checking on London as she lay under the heat lamp.

He's going to be a great, caring, protective big brother.

For a while, we all just sat, soaking in the moment, being there and welcoming London into our lives.

Time passed.  Hanna and Kari left to get ready for the homecoming dance.  Jessi's parents left.  Then we all kissed the baby and left with Matthew, who was spending the night at our house.

We went down the elevator and the lobby, where Matthew casually told the receptionists "I got a new baby sister.  You should go up and see her."

The rest of the night consisted of pizza and video games back at home.  It was a crazy day, but a good day.

Welcome to the craziness, London.

How I Spent My Summer (Also Spring and Part of Fall)

So, things have been crazy busy and I haven't blogged in ages.  Shocking, right?  Here's a bit of a recap of what's been going on so far this year.

Things got off to an awesome start in the early months of the year when Teal asked if I'd be up for helping out a bit with her web series, My Gimpy Life.  That was an offer I couldn't pass up, so I got to work.  I went a bit out of my usual creative territory and designed the website for the series as well as all the graphics for their promotional stuff and social media sites.  I even animated the logos for Rolling Person Productions and Dracogen that you see at the end of every episode.

The series was released over the summer and I'm so thankful that I got to have a little hand in it.  Teal and everyone involved did an incredible job and they should all be extremely proud.  I'd definitely encourage you to check out My Gimpy Life right here:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8DFDC12B1B8CFC85

Also, check out the website: MyGimpyLife.com
And follow the show's Twitter feed: Twitter.com/MyGimpyLife
And like it on Facebook: Facebook.com/MyGimpyLife
And howsabout Google+?: https://plus.google.com/u/0/100522847194674207229

Get to it, would ya?

Next up, in early spring, I started work on another project I couldn't pass up on.  Sébastien Lefebvre of the band Simple Plan was about to release a solo EP and wanted an animated music video for one of the songs.  It still baffles me that I got this chance, but before too long, we discussed things, agreed on a concept, and I got started.  About 270 hours of animation later, the video for My Dear was complete.

The video debuted in July and to my relief, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.  A few months have passed and every time I watch it, I'm beyond proud of what we came up with.  I can't thank Sébastien enough for letting me be part of it.
And a very special thanks to my buddy, Rich, for helping make the whole thing happen!

Take a look and tell me what you think!

http://youtu.be/WNn3UQ2i8zQ?hd=1

In July, after a year of quiet planning, I embarked on an insane trip.  Mom, Dad, and I drove from Ohio to California.  For Comic Con.

We were away for 19 long days, so chronicling everything would be an exhausting task at the moment.  For now, I'll just share a few brief personal highlights from those 19 days.

-On the way out, I spent the night in Phoenix (where it was 115 degrees) and finally got to meet my dear friend, Leah D'Emilio, after years of friendship.

-I got into the Warner Brothers panel at Comic Con and got to see the first footage of Man of Steel presented by director Zack Snyder and the new Superman himself, Henry Cavill.  To this Superman nerd, it looks incredible.

-I also got to see a ton of footage from the upcoming Hobbit movies presented by Peter Jackson and the cast.  Nerd bliss.  I can't wait to visit Middle Earth again.

-I unexpectedly got to meet a personal creative hero of mine, Bruce Timm.

-I met Power Girl.

-I met William, Bert, and Tom.

-We got to see old friends, Sharon & Jim, for the first time in years.  Unfortunately, I was a bit under the weather, so I couldn't fully enjoy our visit to Brent's Deli.

-On my last night in California, Teal & Ali invited us over for dinner.  Even though I was sick, hanging out with Teal, Ali, Marisa, Dan, and Bre the wonderdog was fantastic.  I wish I could get together with my California friends more often.

After nearly three weeks away, we came home to Matthew showing off his newly learned skill of bike riding.  The kid taught himself how to ride in just one day.  Uncle pride right there.

A few weeks after getting back from California, I had another little trip planned to see Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida play shows at Jackson-Triggs in Niagara.  Mom, Maude, and I went up and had some fun, but we cut the trip short when we found out my grandma had a mild heart attack.  We came home to see her before she went in for bypass surgery.  The surgery went well, but she's still on the long, speedbump-filled road to recovery.  Love you, Granny!

Before coming back from Canada, we did get to take in Chantal's show at the winery.  To say I'm glad we saw it would be an understatement.  Sitting there under the clear Canadian night sky, sipping wine as Chantal played and a cool breeze swept across the hillside...it was the most relaxed I've felt in a long, long time.  I needed it.

Things have been off-kilter lately with everything going on with Grandma, so I haven't been super productive these past few weeks, but that's just the way it goes sometimes.  Family comes first.
There are still new, awesome things coming though.
Soon.

And the last update for this entry?  I'm 30 now.

Yep.

One of Those Weekends

It's been one of those weekends where things just don't go smoothly. And they don't just not go smoothly, they tend to go badly or plain old weirdly.

Earlier in the week, I happily popped online and booked a hotel room for this Monday in Niagara Falls. All was well, I was excited.

As the week progressed, we were taking care of all those little pre-trip things that need to be handled, like making sure the van is all ready to go. We've had the van for eight years now and I've been noticing for a little while that the wheelchair lift sags a bit when I'm on it, so we thought it wise to take it in and have it looked at.

Dad took it in on Friday. He sat and waited for a couple hours before they came out and told him everything looked good. Making sure, Dad asked if they had checked the hinge pins, which hold the lift level and steady. They went and took a look, stating that they should be good for another one to ten years. Having seen how it sags, Dad wasn't convinced, so they offered to remove a pin so he could get a better look.

Upon removal, the pin broke, rendering the lift useless.

Of course, they had none of those pins in stock, but they could order them and have them shipped on Tuesday. Installation would be $700. Dad raised a bit of a fuss and they came down to $400, at which point he got in the van and left.
(Further research revealed the pins to cost only $30 a piece.)

Having worked in a steel mill for thirty years, Dad resolved to fix it himself.

So, I've been nervous about whether or not that'd be fixed or if the trip would be canceled. To add to it, Friday was the last day I could have canceled the reservation without having to pay any fees.

Later that day, we ended up stumping the phone repairman. We just upgraded our phone, internet and TV services with a package deal a few weeks back. Earlier this week, our phone service stopped working right. While still able to make calls, we haven't been able to receive any. They were finally able to get someone here, but after much troubleshooting, he concluded he had never seen an issue like this before. He said the source of the problem wasn't on our end though, and it should hopefully be fixed by Tuesday.
Seeing a pattern here?

Things got relaxed as the evening came and brought game night with it. Corey and Eric came into town for some early birthday fun and Mikey joined us. That's when the surprise came. Everyone secretly chipped in and got me an XBox 360 for my birthday. I'm still surprised and it's Sunday now. Thanks again, guys!
For the rest of the night, we played Rock Band. And we ruled.

Eventually, game night came to an end. Mikey was the last to leave, taking off a little after 1:30 AM. A few minutes later, Mom and I heard the whooshing sound of a car speeding down our street. From the sound of it, he was easily doing 60 or over. Then came the series of thuds.
Mom immediately dialed 911 and ran outside.
At some point during the swerving of the vehicle, one of the tires blew out. Out of control, the car jumped the curb, roared across three lawn, and crashed into the side of an empty house, maybe 7 or 8 houses down from our own. A few minutes later, a police officer handcuffed the driver as he was loaded into the ambulance and taken away.
Word is that there were no skid marks, so the guy didn't even attempt to hit the brakes.

Definitely one of those weekends.

Now, to end on a lighter note, Dad and his buddy Jimmy were able to fix the lift earlier today. Trip's on.

"Ever Since I Met You On a Cloudy Monday...'

As the sun rose yesterday, I sat listening to the humming of air conditioning and the rhythmic thumping of a heartbeat belonging to someone I had not yet met. Everyone around me drifted in and out of sleep, but I sat awake, staring out of the fifth floor window of the delivery room.

Mom and I arrived at 3:30 AM Sunday night/Monday morning, a couple hours after Jessi was scheduled for her labor to be induced. Her mom and Kris were there and I was shocked by the laid back atmosphere as they sat and watched Cartoon Network and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

I've never been present while anyone was in labor before. I know there would be a hefty amount of waiting involved, but I figured it wouldn't be too long of a wait since the labor was induced. I was a little off the mark with my figuring.

The morning went on without a hitch. Dad and Jessi's dad swung through on the way to work to see how things were going.

Mom sipped on tea and I sipped on hot chocolate, staring out into the foggy morning.

After 7 AM, Jessi's daughter, Hanna, and her sister, Kari, joined us. A short while later, things began to pick up.

A little before 11:00, Jessi asked us to leave the room so the doctor could check and make sure everything was going smoothly. We grabbed our stuff and Hanna, Kari, Mom, and I headed to the waiting room.

The girls played their Nintendo DS games, I played around on my computer, and time passed. At 12:30, Kris slid through the doors to tell us "it's go time." Mom kissed him and wished him luck and he disappeared behind the doors.

We waited, all of us nervous and excited. Hanna spoke of the butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach since the night before.

Just before 1:00 PM, Jessi's mom, Tina, burst into the waiting room, digital camera in hand, and showed us the first picture of baby Matthew. He arrived at 12:54 PM on November 26th, 2007. It had happened, everything went well, and he was here.
The girls bounced off the walls, talking about how cute he is. Mom smiled through teary eyes. I looked at the photo in disbelief. I was an uncle.
Tina ran back in, promising to come get us a soon as everything was cleaned up.
We packed our things and waited for the word.

Moments later, Lullaby and Goodnight echoed throughout the halls of the hospital, a signal to everyone there that a baby had just been born.
I've heard that song countless times before, but it never made me feel the way I did in that moment. Hanna and Kari listened in the hall with enormous smiles.

Jessi's dad, Bob, returned bearing cheeseburgers, knowing nobody had eaten. The girls wolfed some down, but Mom and I were too anxious.

Not much time had passed and Tina returned to bring us back. We followed the winding halls and entered the room to the sound of a tiny cry. I turned the corner in the doorway and saw the little pink source of the cry. There was my nephew. Matthew Robert Drake. All seven pound and seven ounces of him wrapped up in a nineteen and a half inch package.

Everyone took their turn greeting and snuggling the little guy in the order we came into the room. I looked on and before I knew it, it was my turn.

Kris brought him down in front of me and I softly said my first words to him, "Hey, buddy."
He reached his tiny, long-fingered hand up out of his swaddling clothes and gave me what looked like a little wave before briefly opening his eyes. He was just beautiful. I've never seen such a peaceful and content little baby.

Grandma & Grandson

Brother, Sister, and Grandma

Nephew & Aunt

"O-tay!"

Jessi looked great and seemed serene. Kris was overjoyed and swimming in pure happiness.

We all hung around for a few hours, everyone snapping pictures and taking turns cuddling Matthew. People slowly started trickling out and heading home. Before we left, Dad, Grandma, and Maude arrived to see the munchkin.

They took their turns snuggling and saying hello.

Now a Great Aunt


Grandpa & Grandson

Great Grandma

As it approached 6:00 PM, we headed home, but not before we each got one more snuggle in.

We made our way home through the slick, rainy evening. I picked at some dinner and tried to write this blog entry, but only made it halfway through, as I kept dozing off for a few seconds as I typed. I gave up just after midnight, at which point I had been awake for thirty five hours straight. I then slept for thirteen.

I still can't quite believe what happened in one small room yesterday. Parents became grandparents, grandparents became great grandparents, a little girl became a big sister, I became an uncle, my brother became a father, and a new person came to be.

Little Matthew, I'm so happy and honored I was able to be near when you came into the world. I'm glad I was there to welcome you along with the rest of your family. I know your namesake was there with us too.

Welcome to the world, Matthew (and to our hearts.)