I’m going to be a dad! We recently found out that Katherine is pregnant, and that she is due in mid February. It’s hard to fully comprehend this right now, but I’m slowly realizing my family is going to grow. I’ll continue to share more details here, as well as other details about this past Spring.
Last November I shared the news that I would be laid off in December. This came to pass, and I was lucky enough to find a couple short freelance jobs this winter. After two months of applications, I amazingly found a full time job. Believe it or not, the job is in my field, and at a company I wanted to work for. (Brella Productions) I don’t have to move away from the Chicago area, and I can continue to grow in my profession.
Jumping ahead, yesterday was the start of the Baha’i Fast. It lasts for a Baha’i month, or19 days. Each day Baha’is fast from sunrise to sunset with no food or water. I’ve been doing this since I was 15 years old and each year brings different blessings. I hope to blog more often this time about my process. Yesterday wasn’t too difficult, and it felt like the beginning of a journey. The first few days can be a challenge because I adjust my schedule to wake up earlier and I drastically cut back my caffeine. I’ll share more as it comes.
The economy is bad. I’ve been listening and reading news stories for weeks, but recently this really hit home. Last week I was notified that I would be released from my current job in about a month. It was a major surprise. After a few days to collect my thoughts, I realize it is not all bad news. I am leaving only because of budget issues, as in there were not enough funds, and half of the department was released. This job has been amazing when I consider the content I’ve worked on, along with who I’ve worked with. However, I think it would be really difficult to decide when to move on, and now I have a really big sign. In the last week I’ve updated my resume, made business cards, began a demo reel, and a launched a new website. Today I attended a job fair for my field. I feel like I’ve made a good start, but I’m cautious to be optimistic with the state of the economy. My contacts are starting to hear that I’m looking for something new, and it is exciting to consider a new challenge. Hopefully the places I’d like to work don’t have any more layoffs. Again, please visit mikebgray.com, and let me know what you think. Good luck to all those searching out there.
OK, so I haven’t really posted much at all recently. I have been thinking about the purpose of my blog, and what I could be sharing in this space. Often I have detailed ideas that are quickly forgotten, or I’m unsure if they fit into categories that are at all related to this blog. I’m considering starting up a website of my own to learn about that process, and maybe the blog would be hosted there. I could just start up another blog, with more specialized focus…such as about new forms of media that catch my eye.
Or I’ll just throw all kinds of random elements in this space.
Either way, I’ll be posting more often. Thanks for your patience.
(photo taken by Bobby Aazami)
Why I had a good beginning to my day today:
Small things really, that added up to the nicest first half of a day I’ve had in a while.
As I left for a vacation for the new year, I told myself that I would have a lot of time to update my blog over the break.
Well, that didn’t happen. But I did have a nice break. I became an uncle on Christmas Day, spent time with family, and visited some friends on New Year’s Eve. I planned an extensive essay reflecting on the gratitude I have for all these people in my life, but hopefully a mention will suffice for now.
I’m getting used to this idea of blogging, and I hope to blog more in shorter spurts.
My new camera was delivered today as I was home eating lunch. Photos coming soon, along with an overdue update of what I’ve been up to.
I finally was able to join some friends for a game night to play Dungeons and Dragons. I played briefly when I was younger, and at first I was reluctant to try again. I’m glad I did, as playing with friends destroyed some of the stereotypes I had about the genre. I’ve posted fotos to flickr, and hopefully those who participated will leave comments there. (they were from my cellphone, and not photoshopped) As you can see, there was much goofing around, but I think the paper helmets worked.
After much trepidation, I finally have joined the world of those who create. I have been “lurking” or just reading my friends’ blogs for a while now, and I am excited to add something to the web community. My hesitation in creating a blog was not having a specific enough focus. I have many interests, and feel I could blog on a few different things. For now, this blog will share some of my different hobbies and interests. Please share your comments on my posts, and come again soon.