Anyone know CPR?

Inching my way back from the light.

Barely (it’s so warm and tingly, here).
And there’s a much needed vacation, soon.

But no promises.

9 commentsEmail Article Monday, June 11th, 2007 at 08:59pm Mack Simpson

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Staying Alive

Believe it or not, both Adverb and I live.

The last few weeks have been filled with fourteen-hour days working on a new business pitch (we didn’t get it), pre-production for a massive Gatorade shoot I’ll be leaving for in early January, an add-on print shoot that de-evolved into a stop-drop-and-roll process, a full-on agency presentation, an agency holiday party (which I passed on), a fussy baby at home and about a million other things, the algebra of which left X minus infinity for blogging time.

Even today, when the agency closed at 2:00 PM, I’m waiting around for client feedback on a pressing job. There’s never a dull moment in the ad jungle.

Things are looking up, though.

In January, look for me to start posting a blow-by-blow of what it’s like to sweat through a two million dollar film production outside the country.

I promise not to gloat (too much).

In the meantime, I hope you all have a happy, safe and prosperous Holiday and New Year and I hope to catch you all visiting my little corner of the ad jungle after Dick Clark goes to bed.

8 commentsEmail Article Friday, December 22nd, 2006 at 03:32pm Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Advertising

One Tired Ad Monkey

I’ve just returned from a quick trip to Washington, D.C. I was there for a new business thingy and it was a speedy out-there-and-back trip. (If you’re in the area, I should be back there on the 12th of December.) Fourteen hour days– where seven of them are spent on a heaving jet that was obviously mated with a bucking bronco at some point in its past– aren’t the most leisurely of ways to spend your day, but at least I am able to sleep in my own bed this evening.

Assuming the Wee Monkey allows us some sleep, that is.

RespondEmail Article Thursday, November 16th, 2006 at 08:40pm Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Advertising, Washington D.C., New Business, Long Day

Tahlequah

I’m in Tahlequah, sharing a room with my brother. The funeral is tomorrow.

I forget, in between visits, how different the reservation is from the rest of the world. In some ways, quaint and charming. In others, not so much. Natural features and cities are named for what they are (Rock Creek, Coal Creek, Limestone Creek), or who lives there (Choctaw, Cherokee, Chickasha) or for what particular individuals might have accomplished (Tenkiller). On Friday nights, high school football stadiums fill up to watch the “Savages” do battle against the “Warriors” or the “Redmen.” (There are plenty of “Tigers” and “Cougars” and “Tornadoes,” too.) Then there’s the poverty, the alcoholism and the casino economies where, unlike tourist attraction-Las Vegas, the day-in and day-out, hardcore players are the people living within ten miles of the neon signs.

For the most part, the people are decent, honest and hard working and, to a man, they loved my Grannie. And that makes me think that, sometimes, Oklahoma doesn’t suck so badly after all.

RespondEmail Article Friday, September 22nd, 2006 at 11:21pm Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain.

Today I’ll be making the long drive to Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capital of the Cherokee Nation, where my Grandmother lives and is in the hospital. She’s quite old, quite sick and has refused a feeding tube. I’m just today beginning to feel well enough after being under the weather to believe I won’t expose my mother and father, who are holding vigil and aren’t in the best of health themselves, to anything that might make them ill. My brother has also flown in from Florida, but I don’t so much mind making him sick.

I haven’t mentioned this impending trip on Adverb until now because, really, it isn’t much fun to talk about and has taken some time for me to deal with, anyway.

I expect my access to the Internet to be absolutely spotty and minimal at best over the next several days, which leads me to a joke I’m sure to get an email or two about:

Q: Why does Texas not simply fall into the Gulf of Mexico?
A: Because Oklahoma sucks.

Update: Too late. As I was finishing up a hot shower before heading out on the trip, my brother called to say my Grandmother– “Grannie” to us– passed away last night at 10:02. I’m waiting to hear back about the funeral arrangements.

6 commentsEmail Article Thursday, September 21st, 2006 at 08:43am Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Tahlequah, Oklahoma, Grannie

One year closer to the grave.

Today’s my birthday but before any of my six loyal visitors hit “leave reply,” you should know I’m not big on birthdays and do absolutely nothing to celebrate them. Ever.

I can recall three birthdays off the top of my head: when I turned six and my family took me to Six Flags, when I turned sixteen and was able to drive and when I turned twenty-one and was able to drink… legally. (I don’t actually remember-remember that last one but I’m certain I must have had a good time.)

The rest? Meh. Not so much.

This is a notable birthday though for a reason only other ad monkeys can appreciate: it’s the first– and I’m serious, here, the first– birthday I’ve had while working at an agency where I haven’t been on the road traveling. Seriously. The first.

It actually became somewhat of a joke at one of the places I worked. “Hey– Mack’s birthday is coming up; we need to send him to Chicago for a client meeting.” I would have been on the road this year, too, but a client meeting (in Chicago, no less) was postponed by a week.

So happy-happy-joy-joy, I get to spend a birthday at home. Sort of.

It seems my beloved she monkey has conspired with Michel and Tamara to make some sort of mischief this evening and I’m not entirely certain what the plans are.

Whatever they are, they should know I’m not big on birthdays and do absolutely nothing to celebrate them. Ever.

13 commentsEmail Article Friday, September 15th, 2006 at 02:22pm Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Advertising, Birthday Bah-hum-bug

09/11

3 commentsEmail Article Monday, September 11th, 2006 at 07:46am Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: September 11, Today we're all New Yorkers

LATINCAST.net - DHP’s Hispanic Advertising Podcast repository

One of the projects I was working on a while back has broken: a new home for Dieste Harmel & Partners’ Hispanic advertising and marketing podcast is born (so no more horribly long mac.com web address).

You can now find the podcast (all of them, actually) at LATINCAST.net

I think it deserves a visit, don’t you? Come on, you know you want to.

(Oh yeah, and I’ve just returned from Texarkana, so goodnight everyone.)

1 commentEmail Article Wednesday, July 19th, 2006 at 08:08pm Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Advertising, Podcast, Hispanic, Dieste Harmel, LATINCAST

Exhaustion

Working on about an hour and a half of sleep, today. It wasn’t what you’d call a “terrific” night.

I would use some of the time that the hospice worker is around to catch up on some sleep, but I needed to take mom in for a hospital visit (something dad failed to mention I’d have to do before loading up Matilda for the drive to Texarkana).

I also needed to spend some time checking in with the office (here at The Doughnut Cafe again– and the gurgling koi pond is trying to lure me into dreamland). On the up side, things appear to be running smoothly back in Dallas– either that or they’re intentionally keeping me out of the loop for the sake of my own mental health.

Either way, I’m cool with it.

RespondEmail Article Tuesday, July 18th, 2006 at 12:00pm Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Texarkana

Small Town Starbucks

Bad news: not only is there only one, lonely little Starbucks in my hometown (a very recent addition, it turns out), it is the only Starbucks in existence without wireless Internet.

The good news is, two blocks down the road from the poor, unwired coffee haus is an updated version of an East Texas classic: the donut shack.

In this case, the donut shack is actually “The Doughnut Cafe” (the name making it so much more upscale, don’t you think?), and comes complete with coffee, the obligatory doughnuts, a gurgling, lily-lined, outdoor koi pond and– gasp!– FREE wireless access.

So at least I will be able to check in once a day during the time my mother’s hospice care worker is at the house– and have greasy (buy yummy) “pigs-in-a-blanket” to boot.

4 commentsEmail Article Monday, July 17th, 2006 at 11:06am Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Texarkana, Starbucks, Wireless, Backwoods