Jacob's Semi-Yearly Year's End Review of the Year- 2011

Here we are at the end of another year.  In what seems to be a a pattern, this was a weird year.  As per tradition, let's take a look back at the highlights, lowlights, and in-betweenlights.

2011 started with a mix of excitement and exhaustion after the recent completion of Four Tanks and a Healer.  I took a brief rest, then shifted back into work mode and finished animating The Girl and the Ghost while Marisa and Larry had some big meetings in LA about Four Tanks.

Following completion of the animation for Ghost, I laid low for a while and let myself decompress a bit.

After a long, rainy spring that lasted into the summer, in late June, I took a trip to Niagara Falls and met Teal Sherer.  We spent a few days hanging out, saw Chantal play at Jackson-Triggs and just had a great time.

Sadly, the vacation ended with me getting sick and it took me until the end of July to feel back to normal.

At the end of August, I was ready to donate again, so I went and got my hair chopped.

In September, Mom was out of commission with an infection in her finger and took most of the month to recover.  Before the month was over, Mom was back on track and we took an interesting trip to Toronto, which I still need to blog about.

In October, nearly a year after its completion, Four Tanks and a Healer premiered at TheOneRing.net and received very positive reactions.

In November, Bridget, Mom, and I saw Marketa Irglova in an amazing, intimate concert.  Still need to blog about that one too.

This strangely rainy December saw the release of a great holiday video Teal came up with.  I was happy to have been involved, even if I only lent a small hand.

http://youtu.be/6ZnxWz3NAY4?hd=1

Christmas, though snowless, was nice.  I loved watching Matthew experience the magic and fun of it all.

Overall, 2011 was a slow year that flew by.  It was also, as most years are, a year filled with change.
One big change is that 4Reelz now consists of just Marisa and me, as Larry left to start his own company, Eddy Spaghetti Productions.  I'm sure we'll still team up on plenty of stuff though.

Another notable change is that Matthew has grown from this little guy...

...into this less-little guy.

Entertainment-wise, I'd say it was a decent year.  A brief rundown of what entertained me this year...

Movies:
The Muppets
Super 8
Thor
Captain America
Hugo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Music:
Marketa Irglova- Anar
Anna Nalick- Broken Doll & Odds & Ends
Billy the Kid & The Southside Boys- Ours
and even though it wasn't actually released this year, Jenny Owen Youngs- Transmitter Failure, which features probably my most listened-to song of the year, Last Person.

http://youtu.be/vLsV1IWB8nY?hd=1

I don't want to risk jinxing anything, but I have to say, the coming year is looking like it could be pretty outstanding.
In the next few weeks, music and sound effects for The Girl and the Ghost will be done and this seemingly endless project will finally be finished.
Things are in motion for my next project, currently titled Waiting for the Sun, to really get moving.  Fingers crossed, this one could be a dream project.
And without giving anything away just yet, if all goes well, the coming summer could include a trip out west...
Also coming up in 2012, my 30th birthday the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and who knows what else?

Here's hoping 2012 is full of happiness, health, love, and success for all of us.  Happy New Year, everyone!

Snippage

I've been back from my trip for a week and haven't gotten caught up enough to blog about it yet. I'll do that soon, but for now, here's a short entry.

Back on the 23rd, I went and donated my hair again. It was getting really long and I was ready, so Erin at Imagine Salon & Spa went to work on my mane.

As usual, it felt really good to donate it, plus I had a brand new do when I hit the road.

So, does it look alright?

I Need a Neckwarmer

I got my hair cut on Monday. Aside from a couple little tidy-up trims, it's my first haircut in about two years. I like how I look with long hair, but it was getting to be a pain and I've been wanting to donate to Locks of Love again for a while.

Wanting to get it over with, I decided Monday was the day and headed up to Imagine Salon & Spa. I'm always nervous when it comes to haircuts, dreading a ridiculous looking do on my fat Irish head.

Before

Before long, the snipping began.

During

I'll admit, I was a little unsure of the result at the time, but it's definitely grown on me.

After

The only downside is that the back of my neck's been freezing cold. Is this how a poodle feels?

A Series Of Unfortunate Events At The Texas Roadhouse

So my family and I were sitting here in the ninety degree heat with nothing to do. We were all hungry and Mom pointed out that she got a $25 gift card for The Texas Roadhouse a few months ago. None of us had ever been there, so we figured we might as well go check it out.

I'd like to pause and point out that I tend to be hesitant to check out new restaurants. When I find one I really like, such as Anthony's, I stick to it. Sure, it might not seem very adventurous, but tonight kind of supported my actions.

We had heard from everyone that this place is great and normally there's a line of people outside waiting to get in. When we arrived there was even a sign above the door suggesting people call ahead before coming, but we were lucky enough to show up when there was no line. We got in and were quickly seated, everything seemed pretty cool, though the ridiculously loud constant flow of country music can wear on your nerves. We were actually seated right next to Willie's Corner, which is like a mini shrine to Willie Nelson, I'm pretty sure he's part owner of the chain.

We all ordered, I got myself a strawberry margarita, all was going smoothly...until the food began to arrive. My older brother was about to take his first bite of salad when he noticed a hair in it. Okay, gross, but sure, it'll happen from time to time. The waitress quickly replaced the salad.

A kid at the table next to us was celebrating his birthday and the waitress had everyone give a "YEE-HAW!" for him. I was there, so I thought it was only right to join in. It was surprisingly satisfying, I should really make more time in my daily life for a good "YEE-HAW!" every now and then. Anyway, at that same table was a guy who looked freakishly like Corey. I wasn't a "Hey, he looks like..." moment, it was more like "Is that Corey? Poor guy's delusional and thinks he's in New York City!" Corey, you have a clone.

The meal itself was good. Really good. Expensive, but good. Even with the $25 gift card it cost more than we're used to. Everyone finished and I quickly downed the remainder of my margarita so we could head out. Mom stood up and someone at another table informed her she had something on her shirt. I'll say. Remember in those old movies when some poor sucker would unknowingly sit on a freshly painted bench and end up with stripes all over the back of his brand new suit? This was like that, but it wasn't paint, it was barbecue sauce. Barbecue sauce smeared all over the back of Mom's white t-shirt. Judging by the placement, it could have only come from the back of her chair, which makes you wonder...why the hell was there barbecue sauce all over the back of the chair? Was the guy there before us just an extremely sloppy eater? Is this Willie Nelson's version of Punk'd? What gives?

Mom talked to the manager and we got a free Texas Roadhouse t-shirt. Maybe it was like a prize for the first family who could find the hidden hair and the secret sauce. It really wasn't that terrible, the food was great and the place was cool, I guess it was just one of those days. Besides, a free t-shirt and a blog entry came out of it!

Until next time...YEEEEEE-HAWWWW!

-Jacob

Fa La La La La and So On and So Forth

Happy Holidays!
It's been longer than I hoped it'd be between posts here, ah well. Sorry about that.
Anyway, I've been a pretty busy guy!

For starters, a couple weeks ago I made a spur of the moment decision and got my hair cut. I checked and it was ten inches long, so I decided it was time to donate it to Locks of Love. I had no hesitation, but when I heard the first snip of the scissors there was a moment of uncertainty that it was a wise move, by that time it was too late so it was really pointless to worry. My worries were eased when something unexpected and pleasant caught my attention. Over the speaker system at the hair place I suddenly heard a familiar melody being played on a violin. Could it be? I was hearing The Corrs in public? It was true! A rare occurance indeed, but what made it even more rare was that it wasn't "Breathless," it was "Runaway"! I just grinned and considered it to be a sign that I was doing the right thing.

Aside from that, I've been trying to get myself into the holiday spirit. I hate to admit it, but I seem to have a slight lack of seasonal cheer this year, which is really strange considering it's my favorite time of year. We've got the snow, we've got the tree, I'm mostly done shopping, but I'm just not feeling it like I normally do.
The other night, Mom and I went shopping so I could pick up a gift I hadn't gotten yet, I was hoping it might help get me into the spirit a bit more...boy was I wrong. I always hear people telling these holiday shopping horror stories, but somehow whenever I've gone in my 22 years, it's always been enjoyable, that's now changed.
First off, as we got up to WalMart and got out of the van, Mom realized she had left her purse at home. After a minute or so of debating while out in the chilly winter weather, we decided to forget the purse and just make it a quick trip. As I was passing through the automatic doors, a woman pulled her cart to the side and waited for me to pass. I was half way through the door when I heard her scream "Well, COME ON!" I gave Mom a look of confusion as if to say "Did she just scream at me?" I then realized she was screaming to her kid who was playing by the candy machines. Jolly.
Inside the store everyone just seemed tense and some seemed angry. I passed a baby in a shopping cart who leaned out toward me and said something along the lines of "Goondanununumungadikdik." I'm assuming it was either some kind of voodoo curse on me or a holiday greeting in Ewokese.
I got what I came for and tried to browse a few more areas, but the people crowding in the aisles and the noise of the place had me at my limit, so we agreed to get out of there. As we got back out to the parking lot there was a lady who parked totally wrong in a parking space, Mom told her the spaces go the other way, she said it in a very friendly and helpful way. The lady replied in a snotty and agressive manner "Y'know what? I don't care." and then stormed off with her kid. Ho ho ho.

I was tired, grouchy, and hungry, so we went to Anthony's, a nice little family restaurant near my house. Still frustrated from WalMart, we went in Anthony's and it felt like stepping into a holiday movie. They saw us coming and had a table ready for us right by their big Christmas tree before we even made it through the door. Over the speakers they had holiday music playing softly, the lights were dim, it was very nice and calming. As I ate my chicken paprikash, the hostess and another employee started to sing along when "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" came on and I couldn't help but smile. The atmosphere was perfect and the adorable hostess was constantly making me smile. It was exactly what I needed, a dose of holiday joy. I'm definitely feeling a bit more since going there, I think I might head back in a couple days for another dose and a few more smiles.

I wish more people could see that's what it's all about. It's about music and singing, laughing and smiling with friends and family, creating some cheer and sharing it with everyone you can. It's not about finding whatever the hot gift is that particular year. Sure, gifts are nice, but have you ever noticed that the best gifts are the small personal ones from someone you care about? When you break it down, it's all about love. It's not hard to see, but a lot of folks seem to forget it. Try not to forget, spread some love.

Have a safe and happy holiday season, everyone.

-Jacob