SHADOW BOX of celix productions

Some Christmas Time

2012-01-02T19:56:00.000-06:00

Watertown, WI C&NW Depot during Christmas Weekend. This depot is now a floral shop called "The Garden Path".
[ DEVIANTART PRINT ]

This is a image of the old baggage cart outside of the Watertown, WI C&NW depot. It's seen better days, but still is in good shape.

I hope everyone had a New Years and Christmas. Two photos from over the last weekend or so. We just are now getting some decent snowfall, which isn't significant but still nice. I'll try to update the blog more as well. ^^; I have a project idea per say i'm fiddling with concerning possibly another blog and YouTube. We'll see how far I get into it.

Band Inspired Nature

2011-11-08T20:18:00.000-06:00

I was out today to schedule an appointment for my car at the shop and on the way back stopped by a country park in the area to find a kinda sad and old tree in the field area. I thought with the cloudiness of the sky in the background, that it was a really great looking shot.

When I got home I tweaked with the image some in Paintshop Pro and came up with a purple colorization that looks alot like the image style of a gothic rock type band I like called " The Birthday Massacre". Their album art features purple and black silhouettes and after my tweaks to the image I took it looks so similar. Very Proud of this one!

"Purple Fluff"
© Dave Minton 2011
Nov. 08, 2011

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Photographical Weapons

2011-11-03T00:59:00.000-05:00

I thought it would be fun while i'm in and out of updates and will now be able to bounce between work and home time online (which I'm thankful has become the case again) to share a little list of my "gear" I do own for photography.

Camera wise, I've had a few. My currently in action models however are listed below with some side-notes and a reference link to a image of said item.

Canon EOS T3i - Probibly the newest camera and I hope possibly the last for quite some time. I purchased this great new gaget of mine at Best Buy in Pewaukee, WI a little over a month and half with some of the money I had to withdrawl for living expenses while unemployed. I felt a need to get something more professional, more High End with lenses yet Digital, somehting it seemed every YouTuber out there had... a Canon camera. I've been more than impressed as the camera has settings for me, the f/stop inept, as well as while not the highest end... it offered many of the same options in lower versions that the higher priced ones do. It includes a swivel screen which when I gather more guts and time; I will try out using the HD video mode. Overall, for the $1100.00 I spent for the bundle, I think my digital images have vastly improved!
Pentax K1000 - This is a camera that's been around a while; moreso as it was my grandfathers camera he got for family pictures and work as a real estate agent. It is a traditional Film camera with lens options. The issue I had with this camera was simply the lack of my own skill to set the right peramiters to produce a perfect shot. It also helps to have the light meter battery changed once in a a while. This camera is still in my car ready for action, lest it would be if I had film in it. The main downside I found was the fact that film has become more and more difficult to get processed in an hour as I prefer, and as a former photo processing plant worker.... I can tell you right now; if you can 1hour it... do so. I promised I would try to keep a even balance between this and the canon, yet until I get more film and a lens adapter so my Pentax leses will fit my canon; I think my digital camera will be headlining my top go to unit. I had also in the beginnin decided if I got the Canon, if would be a way for me to learn my f-stops and settings thru what the auto feature does and tandem those options in memory for my film shooting. I still hope to do just that in the future.
(* Photo Source: pdfguides.com)

Something worth mentioning is for video up until I actually attempt a Canon HD video shoot; I've been using my newer Sony Handy Cam MiniDV and still have my MUCH older Sony HandyCam Hi8. Ussually used for video of trains and other random things. Again i'm hoping to try out my Canon's quality with a samller HD size (I learned the hard was that full 1080 equals about 50Meg).

Lenses are a little more difficult simply because I don't happen to have my Pentax lenes in my room within reach to read specs. But for my Canon I have the standard lens which is 18-55mm with auto/manual focus and shake reducing technology. I also got in my bundle a Bag, High Speed SD Card, and a 55-250mm f/4-5.6 telephoto lens which I fell in love with after only a few days testing it out at a favorite spot in North Lake, WI.

Like I said, I donno the specs of Pentax lenses I have due to them not within reach, But I know that I have 1 telephoto, 2 wide angles, 1 standard sized lens. I also purchased a Circular Polarizer Filter and UV Filter half a year ago for my pentax lenses which I found do not fit my current canon set up. But If I don't purchase a conversion ring, i'll probibly repurchase my filters in the Canon size.

All in all; that's kind of a look at what I use. I'm in no way a pro and ussualy I have my camera(s) in the car incase I do come across soemthing while driving around the countryside aimlessly. I find that you can find the most fun, interesting, awe inspiring things on roads you'd never take. I think that weather you just re-route your trip onto some less major highways or backroads... or if you just go with no plan other than to drive the backroads; you'll find something that imspired you or at least brings you a feeling weither good or bad.

I'll work on getting more photos published here, I'm still trying out ideas for post layouts that best maximize bloggers limitiations and still a clean simple feel to show the images, add information, and also link you to products of the images if you wish to purchase them. I may also in time look into maybe a product feature spot in the right Nav Bar area.

So... let me know what you guys use to take photos; or if you've ever stumbled upon something interesting on a road you never traveled.

Product Launch: Motivational Beachside Poster

2011-10-22T02:46:00.004-05:00

Just a small note to those who are fans of great beach-scapes and of motivational posters. Last night I posted a new motivational poster on the zazzle store site with a great image from my trip to Lake Michigan's Northpoint area.

You can go to the poster's direct page link and see the poster for yourself and order 1, or 2, or more! :3

While there you can also check out my other products on sale and any purchases you make are greatly appreciated as is your simply looking at the store.

Illinois Mini-Trip

2011-10-18T22:42:00.006-05:00

As the first entry to the photo blog, I thought i'd post some images from a little mini-trip to Illinois. I didn't have a chance to get very far due to time, but i stopped at the METRA station in Harvard, IL and get some images around the station.

Metra 153 sitting with commuter RTA Double Deck cars in Harvard, IL station yard.

Taken: Oct. 15, 2011 @ 4:40pm {PRINT ON DEVIANTART}

A image of one of the commuter cars used at the tail end of the train. Ussually since the Metra's run forward and backward.. this car acts as the train front at times and I found it interesting to see a bell and horns on this car.
Taken: Oct. 15, 2011 @ 4:59pm

*
On my way home the sun started to set and I decided to try again at my quest to get a evening/night shot of the distant signal in town by the old Ball Canning building. The image below is one of the better I got. I think a tripod would have aided me better in this case.

Taken in the evening at hopes of a awsome night shot. This one turned out well with lack of a flash. You can see the wasp nest that was built by some aspiring residents. I'm sure they throught twice come nighttime. :)
Taken: Oct. 15, 2011 @ 6:49pm {PRINT ON DEVIANTART}

Hit The Brakes

2011-10-10T02:44:00.000-05:00

Wed, 7 Sep 2011

I wasn't very good at keeping up on this... mind you on the road.... there isn't much for internet access.
I went on the road last week with a trainer with schneider traveling from Janesville, WI out to Ottawa, IL where we would pick up a trailer for Petsmart. Basicly I would be training on the run in which the guy was running Dedicated on Petsmart from it's DC to stores in the areas.
We traveled from Ottawa, IL to Chicago, IL where I saw the Amtrak yard and watched El-Trains spark away on their tracks as we drove by them. The next day we went to Gary, IN and a place outside of Gary, IN as well... We then stopped over night at the Schneider OC in Gary before heading back to Ottawa, IL.
I know my sister Janna would be spazzy cuz I beleive Gary, IN was where Michael Jackson grew up... hehe I didn't get to sight see in Gary though.

We would move to St. Louis, MO area by Thursday... The whole time my abiblty to jump 2 -4 gears while trying to focus on MPH ranges was very evident, and by evident... I mean extreamely obvious I couldn't do it right. Come Friday we made a pickup in Ottawa, IL and went to Peoria, IL then up to Chillton, WI. It was at that time the trainer told me, after my 3rd attempt and overall.. 3rd time to choke at downshifting in town, that I wasn't cut out for this.

I was dropped off at Janesville, WI on the back trip from Chillton, WI.... the trainer would head back to Ottawa, IL with the load himself and I would have some phone calls with folks at Schneider of the fact that I wasn't cutting it out there with my shifting and... maybe trucking wasn't the thing for me at that time.
I can honestly say I agree on that point of that my ability to shift how they wanted was very horendous. I think my mind is not fast enough to flip through so much information at one time. So I'm back to looking on job websites... poking shipping/receiving jobs as well as maybe some delivery driver jobs.
I'll keep this blog going though.. try to update as driving things come to be. If I get a job as a delivery driver for someone.. I will still have things to talk about here. SO it's all good. Was a experience at Schneider; I saw things I normally didn't see or that hadn't seen since last vacation to Arkansas. I found out about a nice resturant in Morris, IL that someday if I am out that way-- I'll stop in there for lunch.
So until the next entry and event... seeya later!

Post Training Session 1 rest...?

2011-10-10T02:43:00.000-05:00

Fri, 26 Aug 2011

I caught up on my webcomics, my youtube subs, and some emails as I was pretty much unable to do ANY net at all while staying at the hotel. The net they had only was 1-2M in speed and my laptop just dragged forever to do anything... let alone the lack of privacy really to do anything anyway.
I was able to launch off a few twitter messages on my tracfone.
Kinda winding down.. figured since not heard from training cuz noone assigned yet.. i'd maybe get a few days to relax.....

... I... was... wrong...

about an hour ago... a guy named Richard called saying he was from schneider and a trainer guy and was in Janesville. Apparently told me to meet him at the Travel America in Janesville by 9:30pm Sunday Night. :0c
So as for rest.. I guess i get tonight and Saturday... that's it. So no net on sunday.... and well obviously in truck with the trainer no net at all for I guess another week. sounded like he said he ussually just ran a week. Sounds like from Ottowa (sp?) to Chicago and back. Etiher way.. he sounded a bit... I donno. Said bring $100 cuz he eats out mostly... sounded kinda more all bout buisness.. not exactly a freindly training guy. Just a trucker kinda miffed I'll be slowing him down.

So-- no nice rest. I'd be willing to bet that after the week with him.. I probibly be getting kicked back here for a day or so... my luck they then move me back on road after that like the next week. I donno yet-- but the 7day break I was told about by the recruiter after class training... isn't happening.
I feel VERY VERY nervious... axious... kinda sick to my stomach... Ussually following this is a deep regret feeling like I really donno if wanna/can do this. But I donno. Worst comes to worst... guy will say im a worthless pile and kick me out after we get back and somehow I have to find another job. I donno.
Right now I just trying my best to find someway to calm down all my panic and worries. Feels odd finally being back in a room thats actually worth being in.

Day 7

2011-10-10T02:42:00.000-05:00

Fri, 26 Aug 2011

Mostly was paper filling out and such today. We drove in what turned out to be a Driving around test today... I passed on it... somehow... but still issues.
I ate breakfast at hotel only twice the whole time... they kept serving the same thing; Soggy Hashbrowns, fake Scrambled Eggs, and barely toasted... Toast. Then a choice of apple or orange juice. Made me sick when I ate it... so I tried not too.
Today though being last day and check out at 5am. I woke at about 3:30am and loaded my stuff in my car.... I went downstairs to check out... then left at around 4am. I drove to IHop but like typical wisconsin fashion... it was closed. So I went to Denny's instead and got a Amaerican Slam; Eggs, Baccon, Links, Grits, an english muffin, and some Milk. MUCH better breakfast.
Filled out a bunch of things and tried hard to stay awake during presentations due to only maybe getting 20Hrs. or less sleep all week cuzza my roommate.
We finished at around 2pm... They didn't have a training driver avalible for me yet and so I figured might get a nice week off at least to rest. Drove home and took a shower and tossed dirty clothes into the wash.

Day 6

2011-10-10T02:40:00.002-05:00

Thu, 25 Aug 2011

Made it on time today for the bus... seeming I set my first alarm clock to 2:30am... then set 3 phone alarms on my tracfone. The first was at 3am to a lil ding ding ringtone; the next at 3:30am was of a more jazzey tune ringtone; the 4am alarm I discovered i could use recorded messages... and recorded a more--- honest--- self alarm message of " WAKE THE F(bleep) UP" and used it to set as a alarm.
The 2:30am one woke me up and thus the phone didn't get a chance to shine. ^^

Got Wendy's food. I was suprised of the new frosty selections avalible from floats to shakes. Again I snuck while roommate went to the mall.. then at the bar downstairs til 9pm... then he yammered/complained... borrowed my phone twice and someone elses after the fact trying to find out why his iphone didn't work. Turns out he musta not paid his bill... he went on and on about it until 11 or so.
Driving was.... horendous. TONS of screw ups and even killed the truck going up a hill once. x.x Totally Failing at getting this right. Wendy's food at least helped cool it down later.
Had a test on trip planning which I somehow did well on... not mean i'll understand it later on though.

Day 5

2011-10-10T02:39:00.003-05:00

Wed, 24 Aug 2011

My stupid roommate didn't set his alarm clock on his fancy stupid iphone. THUS.. We where 20 minutes late waking up. I had to rush us to the school in my car and look like a total clown jerk tool ! Now on i'm setting my own damn alarm clock so at least " I " can wake up when I should! Not like it matters, everynight so far roommates kept me up til 11pm or so with his tv movies and socializing crud and all.
Driving was.... better... yet no where near perfect. Homework pile getting a little smaller though. I found a shlotzsky's finally in the area in my car. I've resorted to being sneeking and running off someplace to get food or the like... in my car while roommate is off in the bar or at the stupid mall... again!

Day 4

2011-10-10T02:39:00.000-05:00

Tue, 23 Aug 2011

The paperwork is confusing as heck! I-- donno if I'll ever get this! The driving was-- better.. yet still nowhere near perfect.
The Lunches at the place have yet to be appitizing or non-stomach churning.

Day 3

2011-10-10T02:38:00.003-05:00

Mon, 22 Aug 2011

Even more homework. Some driving time... very very poor at it. Room Mate is wearing out his welcome with his late night awake-ness and stupid crap horror like movies and junk.
I picked up my new battery tonight from Batteries PLUS and charged it up in NSPC ( my laptop). Works nicely and I think my laptop is happy.

Day 2

2011-10-10T02:38:00.000-05:00

Sun, 21 Aug 2011

Homework is constantly impossible seeming and rather heafty as well. Already fed up with my "room-mate" as he seems more interested in going to the Mall to get food and walk around and such instead of studying.
Made mistake of telegraphing my intentions to look around on foot for a shlotzsky's in the area or maybe go get something in food court mall. Somehow instead was wrangled into taking some hotel provided/driven van there.... got my food and was already sick of the place. That was at 6-7pm... when 8pm came and we were finally going to leave... the hotel van driver was late.... we left the mall in the van at 10pm as it was closing.
Homework suffered for this and I will not go to that damn mall or in that van ever again. Guy driving it was a crazy person driving recklessly and being annoyingly talking.

Day 1

2011-10-10T02:37:00.001-05:00

Sat, 20 Aug 2011

Alot of paperwork filled out and then a dumptruck of homework. x.x Finnally caught up with it on Sunday night.

Ramada Plaza @ 4pm

2011-10-10T02:35:00.006-05:00

Fri, 19 Aug 2011

Got into town around noon. Checked around the area then came to heck in at the hotel. Was told 4pm check in and they didn't have rooms done yet. So I visted the near by batteries plus and got on order and paid about $111.00 for a new Battery for NSPC ( my toshiba laptop). Comes with a $15 mail in rebate. They are overnighting the battery and should be avalible to pickup monday afternoon. Place is a littlehuman frogger game away from the hotel. YAY!
Just finished doing some money entering in MS Money of what i spent so far and no room-mate yet. Watching the Jefferson's on TVLAnd and will soon take and put my Laptop back in the car and grab my school portfolio holder thing i put my school stuff into.
I... wonder if there is a Green Bay game or something in town cuz I am seeing alot of packer jersey wearing folks.
Ta!

Almost Ready

2011-10-10T02:35:00.002-05:00

Thu, 18 Aug 2011

I just about got things packed. I think mostly need to nab a peice of paper and unhook the cable modem to move it downstairs from my grandmother to use while i'm away.
I checked and looks like nearby there is both a shlotzskys and a Long John Silver's resturant. So at least some decent eating places by hotel. Still nervious though.
Plan is to get to bed very soon... hope everything is packed... and then get up at around 6-7am and load up and head out. probibly get there by noon at the latest. Do hotel check in and I guess see the room... then maybe cruise around a bit... hit a resturant.. I donno.
6am Saturday the school shuttle leaves for training building... so i'll have to wake up by 4am i figure to make sure i up and ready. Donno how the breakfast they provide works if shuttle leaves at 6am sharp. Unless tis served at 4am.
::shrugs::
Welp.. tommorrow i'm off.

Training/Orientation Comming

2011-10-10T02:34:00.000-05:00

Mon, 15 Aug 2011

So... Orientation/Training is this Saturday at 6am. I'll have to show up at the hotel at least by Friday. The hotel sounds kinda facny, place is called Ramada Plaza Hotel. I'll be getting a room-mate as well.
Should have some money by wendsday to get extra things like clothes and batteries and such... and also to pay for dinner since you have to buy that yourself.
Still very anxious about this. It also figures now today I got 2 calls from places I originally applied to a month ago wanting interveiws after i've committed to Schneider.

So we'll see hwo things go. I'll try to keep up this blog as well. Worst comes to worst, i'll word processor it and then enter it when im back after the week long training.

Sketch Book

2011-10-10T02:02:00.000-05:00

Welcome

This may possibly be the best or worse page in forms of updating. The goal for this area of posts is to have a place where sketches, images of the doodle persuasion, and WIP images that don't see final stages.

Again I will try to do this in a comfortable layout that doesn't attack visitors as they arrive. The update frequency will again be volitile from often to rarely. As things progress, I hope we'll find a happy medium between those two points.

Photo Blog

2011-10-10T01:58:00.000-05:00

Welcome

You have come across the photo blog; these posts will be of various, random, and probibly spuratic updates of photography I take or things related to photography and myself (ie. Equipment Reveiws, Updates, Fun).

I'll try to create a nice layout style to incorporate linkage to photo products such as prints on my DeviantArt Print account or my Zazzle Product account. Something i found on the former Photoblog server to be very tricky and at times.... frustrating.

Dave's Trucking Blog

2011-10-10T01:37:00.001-05:00

Welcome

This page is where you will find the currently exempt/abandoned blog I made for my persuing of a truck driving carreer. Mostly covering my time training with Schneider Trucking for a week long training classroom and the week long road training.

Obviously that path has come to a dead end so to speak; thus the would be a cornerstone tribute to those 2 weeks, at least until I find myself in a trucking job again. ^^;

a title has been materialized

2011-10-10T01:13:00.000-05:00

though still deep in it's creational processes; a title was created tongiht with help from my BFF spirit Sis. I like the idea of the mystical vibe and sound of it, and signifying the shadow or second part of the Main Site. The Main being the lightbox and forefront.... the blogger being the shadow box or shadow from the light.... in the background. :3

Im thinking i'll be placing sketches here and moving the Photo Blog and Exempt Trucker Blog here. Will see if can maybe seperate them as different sections or pages of which to explore... but we'll see as we go along poking around this vast new frountier.

Starting out...

2011-10-03T03:06:00.000-05:00

Don't know exactly what will go here yet. But this will be the new platform for the Site's blog. I'm still figuring out what to put here, how to put it here, the design, and really all the features as well. The key reason for moving to blogger is in fact for the added customization ability.

Until we get the framing started and just more added to this little concrete slab of a future blog home; feel free to go to the main website, Celix Productions, and navigate to my different spaces from there. The website is also slowly being built. I tend to get easilly distracted.