Categories
Video

Brilliant Business Campaign

My business is currently running a new marketing campaign in the hopes of reaching a new segment of the market. It’s a bit of a gamble due to how expensive it is, but I’ve seen the projections and it looks pretty good so far. It’s the kind of thing that, if it does work out, it’ll change our company forever, and if it doesn’t we’ll miss out on a lot of profits this year. But I’m choosing not to think about that too much. I believe in my team. I wouldn’t have hired them if I didn’t think they were up to the task, and so far they’ve shown they are more than capable. I also hired a corporate video production company to oversee the most difficult parts of the project. For example, my team are more strategic types. They come up with the underlying idea, but they don’t work with videos every day. Because the finished product has the possibility of reaching millions of people, we don’t want to waste that reach we might get. That’s why it’s better to hire experts. You know, people who do this sort of thing every day and know the ins and outs of all the editing software. This particular company we’ve hired is a 2D animation and design company, so they specialise in all things graphic design and digital design, which is exactly the sort of vibe our campaign is looking for. I’m hoping that once the video itself is complete, we’ll be able to use some stills from it to design collateral. More social media posts using content from the video, business cards, posters, that kind of thing. It’ll be much easier than designing everything from scratch, and it works to keep the whole campaign together and give it a really cohesive feel. I can’t wait to see what the video team has been doing over the past few hours. Everything is coming together so quickly!

Categories
Tattoos

The Tattoo Lover

I really love looking at tattoos. I wouldn’t get any for myself, simply because I can’t commit to anything like that, and the thought alone makes me shiver. I don’t have a very high pain tolerance. I would probably cry while sitting in the tattoo chair. Not fun for anybody.

However, I am more than happy visiting the tattoo shop while my friends get tattoos, and flipping through the portfolios of the artist to see what they’ve done in the past and what they hope to do in the future, in terms of design work. One of my friends was actually lucky enough to get inked by the best tattooist Brisbane has to offer, which meant that I got to come along for “support” and just sit there, throwing out a few mildly encouraging phrases and turning the pages of the portfolio.

I think if I could improve my drawing skills a little bit, I would become a tattoo artist myself. But then it would be a little bit weird because I would be one of the only tattoo artists in the world without any tattoos myself. Would people trust a tattooist with no tattoos of their own? I’m not sure if I would, and I’m the one who’s thinking about it.

Next up on my friends’ appointment list is a consultation with a traditional tattooist. My friend actually wants me there to offer my expertise, which is sort of a crazy idea, but I also understand where she’s coming from. I’ve seen a lot of different styles on a lot of different people, and I’ll know just from a quick glance whether the ideas they are talking about in their session are going to suit my friend. Not from a design perspective, but from a personality perspective. I know my friend better than almost anyone, so I alone can tell whether it is going to suit her both now and in the future when there might be a change in her personality.

Categories
Cars

The Car Debate

As Annah locked the door behind us, I pulled out my keys and pressed the button to unlock my car. She turned around as she heard the beep and rushed to my side.

‘Uh, Josh,’ she said quickly.

‘Yeah babe?’

‘Are you sure you want to take your car?’

‘Why not?’ I frowned. ‘It’s already in the street, we don’t have to worry about reversing it down through your hedge maze of a driveway.’

‘My driveway hedges are perfectly maintained,’ she frowned. ‘There’s barely even a blind spot anymore.’

I raised an eyebrow at her.

‘That was one time,’ she huffed. ‘And he would have been fine if he’d been wearing a helmet, like kids are supposed to.’

‘Right,’ I nodded. ‘Anyway, yes, I want to take my car.’

‘It’s just…’ she looked like she wasn’t quite sure how to say something. I sighed and hung my head.

‘Just hit me with it.’

‘I just live in a bit of a dead zone, that’s all.’

‘A what?’

‘I’m not sure there’ll be a place that sells a car battery replacement near me, is all.’

‘Why would I need that?’

‘Oh,’ she looked surprised. ‘Because your car is a piece of trash that’s about to fall apart at any moment. Sorry, did I forget to say that part.’

‘It’s not that bad,’ I rolled my eyes.

‘Babe, I literally watched one of the headlights fall out the other day. Not because it hit anything, or because someone was trying to take it out,’ she shook her head. ‘The thing just dropped. I think it might’ve just been windy.’

‘That could happen to any car,’ I scoffed.

‘True,’ Annah nodded. ‘But it’s happening to your car. Right now. Right in front of me.’

‘Is this because I didn’t want to drive that Underwood mechanic who does suspension repair?’

‘Wait, what’s wrong with your suspension?’

‘Nothing. What? No reason.’

She snatched the keys out of my hand and threw them back into the house, locking the door behind them.

‘My car’s unlocked!’ I protested.

‘Good,’ she stormed away. ‘Maybe someone will steal it.’

Categories
Renovations

Another Kitchen Remodel

Nothing makes me feel happier than when I’m redoing my kitchen. I redo it once a year for a number of reasons, with the first and foremost being that I love how it makes me feel. I love the chaos of it. The feeling that after a couple of months everything will be completely different. I get a rush from the power I have over the design and the people who are completing the kitchen renovations. Melbourne renovators are top class and I get to work with them every year.

From what I’ve heard, I’ve actually garnered a reputation amongst the kitchen renovators in Melbourne and it’s a very good one. Everyone wants to be the next company to renovate my kitchen because I then spend the next ten months of the year showing it off to as many people as I can. It’s like free advertising except I’m paying them to design and build my kitchen. It doesn’t really get much better than that for them. I’d like free advertising any day of the week. I’d like a new kitchen every week, too, but that’s just not feasible because they take so long to build.

It’s about time again for me to start designing my next kitchen. I’ve had my current kitchen for about six months now and I absolutely love it, but it’s time for a change. My schedule is as follows:

  • Plan my kitchen with the best kitchen designers in Melbourne (2 months)
  • Build my kitchen (2-3 months)
  • Enjoy my kitchen (6-7 months)
  • Any leftover time is spent interviewing potential designers to see who the best fit for my next design and build will be.

I know the next few months of designing are going to be absolutely awesome. I’ve chosen the kitchen designers that I’ll be working with and we’re ready to really get into the nitty-gritty. I can’t wait to see what 2022’s kitchen design looks like.

Categories
Glass

Late for Dinner

‘Are you ready?’ Leah asked, nervously clopping down the hallway in her high heels, struggling to thread an earring onto her lobe. Her tight dress made her strides short, which only added to the nervous, frantic energy she was carrying.

Mike barely heard her, staring intently up at the staircase he was leaning against. Leah sighed, exasperated, and threw her purse at him.

He caught it with a start and turned to look back at her with a grin.

‘Sorry, sorry,’ he laughed. ‘I was just thinking – do we need a balustrade?’

‘What?’ Leah frowned, earring successfully attached. ‘Come on, we’re gonna be late.’

‘Just, hear me out,’ he said, catching her by the arm as she tried to walk past him to the front door. ‘Picture it: a glass stair balustrade, running all the way up there.’

He waved his hand to accentuate his vision, but Leah wrenched her arm away.

‘Is that really what you want to be thinking about right now?’

‘Would you prefer I think about how much your dad hates me?’

‘I’d like it to be on your mind,’ she said, gesturing to the minute hand on her watch.

‘Relax, relax, we have plenty of time,’ Mike scoffed. ‘I wonder if I should bring this up with him?’

‘Why?’ Leah shook her head. ‘Why would you bring it up with him?’

‘He used to be friends with a glazier operating in Melbourne. He might be interested.’

‘He might be more distracted by it being his birthday party, is just what I’m thinking.’

‘It’s a fair point.’

‘Honestly, I’m not even sure why you’re bringing it up with me.’

‘Alright,’ he frowned, ‘I said it was a fair point.’

He sighed and glanced down at his own watch.

‘Huh, would you look at that? Mine is ten minutes slower than yours.’

Mike.’

‘Yep, coming immediately,’ he said, grabbing his jacket and following her out of the door.

Categories
Podiatry

Learning Podiatry Things

I am really interested in learning about new careers. These are all careers that I would never actually want to do myself, but ones that I am interested in for the sake of being interested. I feel like you can learn a lot about the world simply by talking to other people and listening to the things they are passionate about.

For example, I have recently been talking to a bunch of podiatrists after discovering that I have several problems with my feet. I have made friends with the staff at the best podiatry clinic Cheltenham has, and they are more than happy to accommodate my interests. I do pay them, of course, as I am technically a customer of theirs, but I also do my best to pick their brains during every appointment I go to.

Recently, I was talking to my podiatrist about a number of foot conditions that people can be born with from birth. Many of them can be easily managed, but are also sometimes quite difficult to walk on if you don’t get them seen to as a child.

I heard a story from one client who bought these orthotics arch support insoles. Cheltenham podiatrists were stumped as to why this child was limping around, since his feet seemed to be completely normal from an external standpoint. Several internal scans revealed that his foot bones had grown wrong and that he was struggling to walk because one of the bones was sticking into the other. Gross stuff. I didn’t really want to hear more about podiatry after that. Still, I think it’s important to learn all you can about feet, since we usually use them every day and we should take proper care of them to ensure they can take us where we need to go as efficiently as possible. I wonder what career I’m going to learn about next! There are so many options to choose from.

Categories
Property

Truth Among Conveyancer

Tears streamed down Maphira’s face as Vai dragged her away. Rylee knew? How could she possibly have known? For years, Maphira had wanted to tell her the truth, that’s she’d seen Cole die, that she even considered herself partly responsible for it, but instead she’d simply claimed he had gone missing, too afraid to reveal the truth.

She’d been on a special assignment, years ago now. It had been the biggest case of her career, investigating a crime syndicate that had appeared in Melbourne. Cole hadn’t been a cop, but he’d begged her to bring him along. After all, the Syndicate’s latest victim was none other than Cole’s best friend.

Against her better judgement, she’d brought him along. It wasn’t supposed to get dangerous, but the Syndicate had caught the scent of their investigation and ambushed Maphira and Cole. She’d escaped with her life; he hadn’t. And the fact that she’d brought him with her was something she’d never had the courage to reveal.

The fact that Rylee knew and had somehow already forgiven her only made Maphira feel worse, as Vai dragged her through the haunted conveyancing firm. Distantly, she heard Vai’s voice, musing about whether this place was haunted by the spirits of past conveyancing solicitors. Maphira was too distracted by her own memories to give it any thought.

They entered a new section of the conveyancing museum, where things seemed to be a little less chaotic. Maphira wiped tears from her eyes and heaved for breath. She looked back, down the corridor, through the section dedicated to the many conveyancing firms in Sandringham.

“You better make it out of there alive,” Maphira said, thinking of her sister. They had their differences and their issues, but at the end of the day, nothing could break the bond between them.

“She’ll be fine, Mai,” said Vai. “She’d gotten out of worse situations, I’m sure. And besides, she worked as a real estate agent/buyer’s agent/conveyancer for a while. If anyone can get out of a haunted conveyancing museum, it’s her.”

Categories
Renovations

Lost Among Renovators

Memories flashed through Maphira’s head as she walked through the offices of a renovation business. Moments throughout her life that should have been obvious signs, completely missed. 

How once, her first girlfriend had wanted to get to know her better, while Maphira simply wanted to keep playing video games with her. That time someone had been apparently flirting with her all night, then when she said she wasn’t interested in them, they stormed off, claiming she had been leading them on. How when she’d got to high school she’d assessed all the students and decided that none of them was her type, so she’d just be single until she became an adult, and that was totally okay with her.

It makes so much sense. I don’t want a relationship, I just want someone to hang out with and be my best friend.

“Excuse me, miss? Can I help you?”

Maphira found herself standing in front of a man, having almost walked into him. For a moment, she thought he’d seen through her disguise, before remembering that they’d changed out of those disguises before heading to the renovation business.

“Uh, I was just looking into disabled bathroom design. It’s for my brother, you see. We need a major bathroom renovation. He fell out of a tree six months ago and has been recovering ever since. He’s finally ready to come home, but we need to make things more accessible. Wheelchair, you know.”

The man put his hands together. “You’ve come to the right place. We offer some of the best bathroom and laundry renovations Melbourne has around, both for people with disabilities and otherwise. Come with me – I’ll help you get sorted.”

As he turned away, Maphira looked around. Somehow, she’d lost Rylee and Vai. 

She really had to get her head in the game before it was too late. The conveyancing firm was coming up soon, and after that: Bender. It was time to finish this, once and for all. Her identity crisis would have to wait.

Categories
Glass

Truth and Glass

To pass the time, Vai decided it would be a good idea to snoop through a few boxes of files. She flicked through page after page, tossing anything she found uninteresting to the floor and making a mess. Maphira didn’t bother trying to clean up after her. They were about to cut a big hole in a window, after all. It wasn’t like they were trying to cover their tracks.

Maphira simply sat watching her ex-partner, remembering the good times of them looking through case files together. That was so far behind them now, but seeing Vai go through paper like this brought the memories back fresh.

“Why did you really do it?” she suddenly said, the question not even going through her mind before it left her lips.

“Do what?” Vai asked without looking up. They must have been some interesting reports. Maphira wondered if any of them were about office glass tinting. It seemed unlikely, but it’d be an interesting coincidence given that’s what they were there to complete, supposedly.

“You know, join the Conclave. Betray me and the force. I know it wasn’t about the money.”

Vai shrugged. “I don’t know, I just needed a fresh start, I guess. I wasn’t feeling it anymore, you know. So when I told Captain Hold I was thinking about leaving, he mentioned that he had an opportunity for me elsewhere, but I would have to stay in the force a while longer.”

“But you loved detective work. I find it hard to believe that got stale.”

Vai looked up now. She considered the window across from them. It was a nice one, which clearly some other business for decorative window glass close to Melbourne had gotten to first. “I didn’t leave because the work got stale.”

“Why then? Why did you need a fresh start?”

Now Vai gazed at Maphira, her eyes deep with emotion. “I left because I couldn’t be your partner anymore. I left because I was in love with you, Mai.”

Categories
Cars

Mechanic Archer

Saul stood atop the wall of New Hobart, holding his arrow firm, ready to fire upon the word of his commander. Below them stood two tiny figures, completely covered in their cloaks. The Little Men were here, and they were about to witness the full power of the Ivory Skull.

What hope did they have against hundreds? They were but two, and sure, they had taken out many of the Ivory Skull’s forces before, but those had been in small skirmishes. The Little Men fought dirty, using guerilla warfare. In a true battle like this, they didn’t stand a chance.

One of the Little Men took a step forward and looked up. “This is your last chance,” the creature shouted, surprisingly loud for its size. “Lay down your weapons and leave New Hobart for good, and you shall be spared. Fight us and you will not live to see the sunrise.”

Given that sunrise was only an hour away, the creature’s claim seemed extremely unlikely. Saul laughed, and many of the others on the wall joined him.

“Very well, then,” said the Little Man. “Your blood is on your own hands.”

“Should we fire, commander?” Saul asked. “That’s the closest thing we’ll ever get to an official declaration of war.”

The commander shook her head. “No, wait for them to make the first move. You were once the best diesel mechanic Hobart had to offer, right? You should know that patience is essential, sometimes.”

It was true; that was a lesson he’d learned throughout his years owning a Hobart workshop offering auto repairs and other services for diesel vehicles. To get the service right, sometimes you had to wait for the perfect moment to make your move.

They kept watch of the Little Men, and it wasn’t until they sprinted forward that the commander gave the order to fire. A barrage of arrows rained down on the beasts, but they were too nimble, easily dodging out of the way. 

One of the Little Men went for the gate, while the other began to scale the wall like a spider. The battle was on, and Saul had a feeling it wouldn’t last long at all. All they needed was a couple of good shots.