ANother one bytes the dust ...
It's been a while since I updated, but that is due to the fact that I've had two major projects on my plate - and that's not counting work projects.
The first is RCFM. That's a ginormous undertaking all by itself, made a little tougher this year without Yoken's direct help here in Memphis, but I'm getting along.
The other major project is one that I took on over 4 years ago and has grown each year. It is ALWAYS due the second Thursday of may each year, but it always seems to be a last minute-type thing.
It's a PowerPoint Presentation for my Mom. She's a 4th grade teacher at Downtown Elementary here in Memphis and they have they're final Awards Day Ceremony in May. 4 years ago, Mom asked me to throw together a presentation to show at the beginning of the ceremony using pictures that the teachers took throughout the year. Well, it has snowballed and become an expected event each year. Parents and grandparents come to see their kids, and they are expecting a fantastic PowerPoint too highlighting the year.
Needless to say it's taken on a life of it's own. This year's presentation runs 18:57 and is fully automated and timed to music. Total bitch and a half. This is the presentation for the show. It will be shown during the ceremony. However, there is also a companion presentation this year that highlights the ENTIRE year and is timed to music. It runs 70:33. Yeah. That one is going to be shown during the last Open House event and will be packaged onto CD for all of the kids to take home at the end of the year.
It's gotten so bad that the Principal now shows the presentation again each year at the summer in-service session in July - all of the teachers love it.
I LOVE doing presentations in PowerPoint. I could easily do it for a living. And I'm a perfectionist at it as well. This year's two presentations represent about 400 man-hours that I've commited to this project since starting it last September. Yep, 8 months to complete this little project. But it always comes down to the last mintue since I'm usually waiting on pictures from the teachers and staff at the school.
However, now it seems that I'm no longer doing this for the kids (which is what it started out as). Now, I'm doing it for the parents, teachers, administrators ... and the Superintendant of Schools - who will be there this Thursday for me to present it. That's the whole reason he's coming. He was invited down to see a presentation and only found out after the fact that it is sandwhiched into an Awards Ceremony.
It gets tiresome after a while - but I can't say no to my Mom. She and Dad have always been there and have made sure that my brother and I had exactly what we needed. She and Dad welcome David into the family without a thought - even though he moved in only 3 weeks after I officially came out to them. Mom's taught for 36 years and is completely and wholely dedicated to it. She loves those children like her own and the bond is stronger because she has always worked in inner-city schools with under-priviledged children.
It's the least I can do to help her make a bright spot on the history of these children. Maybe give them something to smile about.
But anyway, a little of the pressure is off - at least until September when I start all over again. :-)
*hugs* Just felt like sharing something that meant alot to me .....
Jim ~ Shiro
The first is RCFM. That's a ginormous undertaking all by itself, made a little tougher this year without Yoken's direct help here in Memphis, but I'm getting along.
The other major project is one that I took on over 4 years ago and has grown each year. It is ALWAYS due the second Thursday of may each year, but it always seems to be a last minute-type thing.
It's a PowerPoint Presentation for my Mom. She's a 4th grade teacher at Downtown Elementary here in Memphis and they have they're final Awards Day Ceremony in May. 4 years ago, Mom asked me to throw together a presentation to show at the beginning of the ceremony using pictures that the teachers took throughout the year. Well, it has snowballed and become an expected event each year. Parents and grandparents come to see their kids, and they are expecting a fantastic PowerPoint too highlighting the year.
Needless to say it's taken on a life of it's own. This year's presentation runs 18:57 and is fully automated and timed to music. Total bitch and a half. This is the presentation for the show. It will be shown during the ceremony. However, there is also a companion presentation this year that highlights the ENTIRE year and is timed to music. It runs 70:33. Yeah. That one is going to be shown during the last Open House event and will be packaged onto CD for all of the kids to take home at the end of the year.
It's gotten so bad that the Principal now shows the presentation again each year at the summer in-service session in July - all of the teachers love it.
I LOVE doing presentations in PowerPoint. I could easily do it for a living. And I'm a perfectionist at it as well. This year's two presentations represent about 400 man-hours that I've commited to this project since starting it last September. Yep, 8 months to complete this little project. But it always comes down to the last mintue since I'm usually waiting on pictures from the teachers and staff at the school.
However, now it seems that I'm no longer doing this for the kids (which is what it started out as). Now, I'm doing it for the parents, teachers, administrators ... and the Superintendant of Schools - who will be there this Thursday for me to present it. That's the whole reason he's coming. He was invited down to see a presentation and only found out after the fact that it is sandwhiched into an Awards Ceremony.
It gets tiresome after a while - but I can't say no to my Mom. She and Dad have always been there and have made sure that my brother and I had exactly what we needed. She and Dad welcome David into the family without a thought - even though he moved in only 3 weeks after I officially came out to them. Mom's taught for 36 years and is completely and wholely dedicated to it. She loves those children like her own and the bond is stronger because she has always worked in inner-city schools with under-priviledged children.
It's the least I can do to help her make a bright spot on the history of these children. Maybe give them something to smile about.
But anyway, a little of the pressure is off - at least until September when I start all over again. :-)
*hugs* Just felt like sharing something that meant alot to me .....
Jim ~ Shiro