I Finished the DVD — Finally!

Last August, a friend threw herself a birthday party.  I was invited.  It was her 58th birthday in the 8th month on the 8th day of 2008.  (That line-up of 8s certainly calls for a party!)

Was this the typical come-over-for-cake-and-ice-cream-and-spend-an-hour-or-two type of a party?  Oh no!  It was a stay-over-night-I-provide-lots-of-activities type of party.

It was held at a ‘cabin’ up the canyon.  (See the above picture.) This cabin was at least 4 times the size of my home! There was a lot of food, friends, and activities.  However, there was not much sleep. 

As time drew close to bid adieu, a little idea popped into my head.  ‘Make her a DVD from all of the pictures taken of her party,’ the little voice said.  I should have ignored the voice.  But no, I opened my mouth and offered to make her one as my gift to her — even though she had requested no gifts.

Well, I’ve finally finised the project — nine months later in 2009 done by me, Nina.  (That’s my line-up of 9s.)

So, why did it take so long to complete? you ask.

Ahem.  Need I say life gets crazy?  The project slipped to the back burner?  But mostly, it was avoidance.  I was having technical difficulties and so in response, I figuratively climbed into bed and pulled the covers over my head hoping the project would go away.

It didn’t.

So, this last week-end, I knuckled down.  I worked on it.  I stewed.  I fretted. I tried this.  I switched to that.  I tried this program.  Then that one.  Then yet another one.  Finally settled on a fourth program. And I am now proud to say that the DVD is finally finished.

What did I learn from all this?  (This is always something that I constantly ask myself with the hopes I can learn from life’s experiences.)

First, don’t get a new computer in the middle of a project.  (This is the second time I’ve done this.) Second, don’t get an update to the software that I am using for a project while I am smack dab in the middle of the project.  (This is the second time I’ve done this, too. I guess I’m a slow learner!) Third, don’t volunteer to do a project when my nose is barely peaking over the pile of projects I’m already working on.  Fourth, I CAN design a decent label all by myself! (That’s the one good thing that I learned.)

My to-do pile of projects is a smidgeon smaller now and my nose is sticking slightly higher above it.  I don’t feel like I have this heavy ominous black cloud hanging over me.

Now, upward and onward to squelch another black cloud by completeing another project.