There must be an easier way to "tackle" this....

I have spent 80% of the waking hours of the past 2 days desperately trying to figure out how to post the video clips of Justin's and Brendan's state meet performances and events and can't remember ever being this frustrated. There has GOT to be an easier way. My computer is about to crash (as evidenced by the smoke billowing from my hard drive). I thought this would be as easy as plugging the camcorder in via USB cable and uploading them directly to my blog...yeah...right!

So here's the process I've gone through:

1. Tried putting the video on DVD directly from my computer....We have a DVD burner...no problem. But for some reason the camcorder wasn't connecting to the commputer...or maybe the computer wasn't recognizing the new device....K... maybe I can just upload them directly to my blog without DVD middleman....nope....so.....

2. Found the DVD and software program that came with the camcorder.....downloaded it thinking....AH yes! That must be it! Plugged in the USB cable....still not recognizing it.

3. Plan B....break out the DVdirect that I've had sitting here in the box untouched for the past 3 months. This spiffy contraption records directly from the device...no computer necessary. Read the directions..."K...got it...I'll have these video recorded in no time"....nope....we have the wrong DVDs....we have DVD+RW and we need DVD-RW....WTF IS THE DIFFERENCE!

4. Run to Walmart to get the correct DVDs....

5. Come home...plug in the camcorder....DVDirect is not recognizing the Camcorder....I'm thinking something is wrong with the USB cable....because how can this be that both the computer and the SONY DVDirect wont recognize my SONY camcorder. I unplugged and plugged the USB cable in over and over again hoping for a miracle and would you believe that miracle came on the 49th try....no I wasn't counting...but out of no where it just worked...didn't do anything different...just plugged the damn thing in. UGH!

6. It took a LOOOOOO.OOOO.OOOOng time to down load all the video onto DVD. Ok maybe my expectations were too high. It probably didn't take THAT long. But when you add in the frustration factor...it seemed like hours.

7. K....now I'll put the recorded DVD into the computer and upload them to my blog.....NOPE! Can't do that either! Or if you can I couldn't figure out how.

8. PLAN C.......SAVE SELECTED VIDEO CLIPS (can you sense my mounting frustration) ONTO YOU TUBE.... it just shouldn't be this difficult....So here I am Tuesday morning and I am STILL uploading these video clips onto youtube. 6 events x 2 boys = 12 video clips. Each video clip takes 30 minutes to upload (the clips are only 1-2 minutes each for crying out loud!!....WHY DOES THIS TAKE SO LONG!) My computer was totally freezing up last night and so I had to take a break for fear that my computer would blow up.

I'm sure I'm doing this the most ass backward way there is so if SOMEone out there can tell me what the easy way is I'd be forever grateful and indebted to your wealth of knowledge...

So for "Tackle It Tuesday" I finally uploaded my video clips....AND figured out my DVDirect....the clips of the boys state meet (see yesterday's post) are below....now I just pray they work because if not...I'm done!