No More Mr. Nice Guy!

Well hello there......crazy seeing you here. As the title of this blog implies, after this blog posting there will be no more Mr. Nice Guy. I will, of course, always be a nice guy, but this will be a final goodbye exit entry to this attempt at a blog. I think the reason is obvious as evidence by my non-posts in three months, and perhaps I will pop back on again from time to time, but I couldn't just go out on a lame note like I had and I wanted one more chance to say something to all. I thought today was also an appropriate day to post because today marks exactly one year since I landed in California to start this new life. It has been quite an eventful year full of ups and unfortunately a few more downs, but life is getting back on track and I can only optimistically look ahead to the year to come. But without any further hesitation, here's what I've got for you after three months of rumination and thoughtful insight:

• Three months ago (97 days and 24 minutes ago to be exact) I was reunited with Mrs. Nice Gal after so many long months apart. Those truly were some of the most difficult moments of my recent life and I can't even begin to express how much more complete and alive I feel to have her back in my life. Coming home each day is a treasure now knowing that she is there and every moment we spend together is full of exploration and discovery both in this new area and within our own relationship and marriage. The separation definitely made 2008 one of the hardest years I can remember and the majority of it feels like a fading canvas, partially visible, but unattached from any true sense of visceral appreciation. Now that we have been reunited every moment feels more real and I greatly look forward to all the new adventures that we have in the days and years to come.
  

• The job at "The Company" has also been a challenge and perhaps the greatest hurdle in my adaptation to the new life out here. One things I can say for certain is that I in no way knew the learning curve that faced me when I took a job in feature production. Coming from commercial production and FX, I knew the basics of what a large-scale feature house did, but I had a very limited knowledge of the pipeline and the actual technical know-all that went into each piece of work. It has been rough, and trying to learn things while moving at break-neck speed has not been easy. I know I am learning a great deal every day and will continue to grow, but I am also working with people that expect perfection from Day 1. There have definitely been some tense moments and I feel like I am constantly being watched for growth and improvement, which has not always made for a pleasant experience. I love film and I am really excited about the work that we are doing, but the very high expectations have made for a less joyous transition than I initially thought.
  

• In addition, one note I can say about the place in New York where I came from before "The Company" is that despite the never-stop hours (far worse than anything I have had to deal with out west) and the relentless overly demanding clients, the New York company was a "family". While there may have been a few people who were off-their-rocker crazy, New York hired good people. I find that "The Company" tends to hire people who are good at their jobs first well above the hiring of good people. I'm not saying that all of the people I work with aren't nice, and maybe it goes to a much larger issue that I am discovering between New Yorkers and Californians, but I do find a lot of behind the back gossip, unwillingness to help out, and political game play. It's unlike what I went through before and doesn't always make for the best work environment. Darn the trade off; complete non-creativity, non-stop hours and aggravating clients with good co-worker vs. awesome work and feature films with some co-workers I don't necessarily trust. Hmmm......

• As for some quicker thoughts: The Election of '08 was fantastic and although the Laker-meter of deciding election results can no longer be applied, it was one of the best moments in our country's history. Now if only our new President can keep his promises, further his message and make positive change in this country. Only time will tell and only a true patriot will be able to do what is needed while avoiding being corrupted by the regularity of politics.
  

• Wow! What a Super Bowl! After a weird football season that didn't truly feel like it belonged, we as football fans were rewarded with one of the best Super Bowls (and best Endings) of all time. Albeit if the game did have to have the Arizona Cardinals in it.

• Now that Mrs. Nice Gal is here, the next step is for her to get a job. As mentioned above, it has been 97 days and she is still vigorously on the search. Unfortunately and unplanned her move timed exactly perfectlly with the wort economic period our country has faced in nearly 75+ years. Now that she has all this free time on her hands, it may not be much longer before the Mrs. Nice Gal Blog comes online.
  

• As for the move in whole, it is very hard to judge whether this was the right option that will lead to great life growth (as initially thought), a terrible mistake that will lead to regret, or somewhere in between. I would have to say that at this point, any review of the move would have to be given an Incomplete. As I mentioned, this past year has not seemed fully realized. My first three 1/2 months were spent job searching, my first eight months were spent without my life partner, and the past three months have been the start of something new, but while Mel is at the beginning of this new journey, I am somewhere down the road waiting for her to catch up. I think we will sync up soon (once she gets a job and we can truly explore this beautiful region) and I think work will get better as I continue to learn and grow, but for now I am feeling only partially there still yearning to see the fullness of the potential ahead.

As for my above question, the answer is probably somewhere in between. I think I probably set way too lofty goals in the move and have come to learn that life is life regardless of the coast and that a job is still a job regardless of whether you are selling cell phones or cute fuzzy creatures. All that ends up mattering is how you live each day and makes me think of a blog entry I always intended to write, but never did about the spontaneity of the moment. A thought that came up once while watching some children just jump around, climb on benches, fling themselves to the ground and do whatever came into their mind was that these kids were purely happy doing whatever moved them in the moment of life. Here was life and happiness living in true and pure spontaneity. Society and culture has trained us for so long as we grow older to follow by the dictates of preset rules. We are directed towards doing what is expected of us, to always draw within the lines, to never jump up on a bench on a wim, and never throw yourself around because of the joy it will bring. Moving doesn't change these rules and in all honesty, the world of production only goes to further strengthen these rules. But alas there is still such great potential for discovery down the road if I can remember the joy of each moment, the message of Optimism Prime, and the purpose that I sought out with when making this journey of manifest destiny. Tomorrow I will wake up and do it all again but I will know for certain that for a moment I broke from the dictates of the rules, picked up and sought a chance of what could be by moving out west to fulfill my life dream. Maybe I will come to find that this dream is still to be unearthed, but regardless of the end, I know that I took a chance in a moment of spontaniety that will always be with me and always be free of regret. So now I move foward into year two of this crazy Californian adventure not knowing what to expect, but I do know that I now have my love and life partner by my side, I know that I took a risk that can't be taken, and I know that no matter what.....I will always be a nice guy.

Thank you all for visiting this site, I'm sorry about the lack of updates and I wish you all the joy in whichever dirction your futures take you. Blog with you........well.........you never can tell now, can you.

-Nice Guy SMA-

Get out and Vote!

Tomorrow is one of the most important days in our National Calendar, I don't need to tell you that. The hours upon hours of coverage and talking heads have hopefully told you everything you need to know to make an informed and proper decision. If you are still part of the 7% undecided, then you are either A) A Complete Idiot or B) A Complete Idiot!

I'm not going make any political arguments on this blog, that's never been my place. And honestly, I want everyone to get out and and vote regardless of party. To be the most "powerful" country in the world and have less than 60% of the population deciding the direction is ridiculous. So whatever your viewpoint, please get out and vote.

Now as for the results, almost every poll, pundit, and prediction says that it will be an Obama victory if not landslide. While I think this may very well be the outcome (and am hopeful of such...damn did I just let that slip), let me just remind of the one poll that has been correct 93% of the time. Yes that's right, I am talking about the Kobe/Laker Presidential Poll. History is on the side of Johnny Mac, but just as Kobe went home crying this year, so too may the the Republican brand be waking up Wednesday to a new changed world of hope, optimism, and possibility.

So please, get out and vote, and let's hope that nothing goes wrong......blog with you soon.

-Nice Guy SMA-

November Rain

For the first time since I moved into the new apartment (February 25th), today looks to be set for a full day of rain. Now in full disclosure, we did have an evening of rain about a month ago, and yesterday did drizzle for about an hour, but in 8+ months, we have not yet had a full rainy day out here. Waking up and seeing the pouring rain, knowing that my run for the morning was ruined, I knew exactly what I had to do. The title of the post may have given it away, but I cranked up my stereo, dropped in some G n' R and rocked out like it was 1992. Now I must alter some plans and figure out what to do for the first rainy day since the start of my Bay Life.

Some Quick Hits

Wow! Has it really been almost a month since my last post? Time has been flying and work/life has been keeping me very very busy. Most bits for better...some for worse. So without further adieu, here are some quick hits from the past month.

• It is official!! In three weks from Monday, Mrs. Nice Gal will be coming back to the Bay and this time will be permanent. After over eight months of being apart, we will finally be reunited out west. I am going home for a cousin's wedding, seeing her and then flying back together. I could not be hapier and I am counting down the days. It's been a long road, but it is almost over.
  
• Work has been crazy busy recently. It is really interesting because I am nowhere near as stressed as I was in New York, yet my minute-by-minute schedule is so much busier, or at the very least more consistent than it has ever been. I find myself at the end of the day and then at the end of the week before I even realize. That's why I think the blogging has slowed down. I almost never get a chance to do anything personal online while at The Company, so by the time I get home, I have to prioritize my internet time.
  
• Speaking of work: The full length trailer for Bedtime Stories is available online and you should definitely check it out. You can find it here. Isn't the Guinea Pig cute....geez!
  
• Also speaking about work, even the worst clients in the film industry are nowhere near as bad as the average advertising client. Phew!
  
• And speaking about lack of free time. I think this has led to the worse fantasy football season I have ever played. I am currently in three leagues, and my combined record is 5-12. In the league where I put the majority of my focus and interest, I am 2-4! Ugh!
  
• The free time I have had, really has been directed to focusing on the Presidential Election. I try not to make this too much of a political blog, but I am clearly decided and the debates and recent news have only gone to further confirm that fact. If you are interested in politics, I highly highly recommend this site. It is updated everyday with the current electoral count based on all of the pols and his prediction is pretty darn accurate. You can also link back to this specific day in 2004 and see where it was for Kerry/Bush.
  
• On some other hits: My sister-in-law got a place of her own a couple of weeks ago and after over a month of living on my floor in my small apartment, I have the place to myself again! Yay!
• Lastly, this weekend, I am taking a personal sojourn down south to Big Sur. This is one of those weekends when I just can't be by myself and needed to do something to get out. A little bit of hiking, a hotel right on the ocean for the night and Hearst Castle on Sunday. A good way to clear my mind and recenter.
  

This trip of course means I should have some good material to write about next week. So hopefully you will see me back soon. Till then, keep on rocking, get registered to vote if you haven't yet and please root against the Red Sox.....it would make me very happy! Blog with you later.

-Nice Guy SMA-

Well it's been awhile (Some Good Company News)

Hey all my loyal readers---

The much anticipated next post is here and boy has it been awhile. I haven't been writing that much because I have actually been very busy with work. About a month ago I wrote how work had slowed up and things at The Company were somewhat questionable. My hours had been cut back and I was worried about my financial situation and the overall scope of work. While time off is nice, a 25-hour work week does not pay all that well.

That reduced work period however lasted all of about a week and with the start of September I was back and running to a full 45-50 hour work week (+5 since lunch is unpaid). I can also say that I am now working on my first ever feature. For the next month I will be working on Disney's Christmas film staring Adam Sandler, Bedtime Stories. Here's a quick little preview. It actually looks like it could be quite good and I am exited to finally be able to go to the theater and see something I worked on be brought to life.

So that's where I've been and where I will be for the next weeks. Add that to the impending Presidential Debates beginning on Friday and it may be a little before I blog again. So till then, rock on and I will blog with you later!

-Nice Guy SMA-

Ode to West Coast Football!

I like to consider myself a morning person. I will admit that I have trouble waking up (which my former roommates and friends can attest to) but once I am awake I am fully cognizant, focused, and ready to go. I love the vibe in the morning hours, I love the morning breeze, I love listening to the calls of the morning birds, and my ideal is to be rested enough so I could pop out of bed at around 6:00 AM or so.

So it is with great joy that I experienced my first West Coast Football weekend. I went to bed around the usual 11:00 time last night and popped awake more or less around 6:30. Quickly showered, went to a super early church mass and was home in time to Tivo my way through the 8:00 Pre-Game.

Now back East, I would make my way to church, back home, run the laundry, watch Pre-Game and by that time it was already 1:00. I say already because anyone who really knows me, knows that I get a major case of the bummers on Sundays at around 3:00/4:00. So back East, by the time the first game was over it was 4:00 and if I decided to go for the double-header, the games would finish at 7:00 and there goes my Sunday.

This morning after Pre-Game, it was only 10:00, and I watched the "early" early game while chowing down on Waffles and drinking coffee. Now as I type, the "late" game is playing (the local 49ers in a tight match against the Cardinals) and it's only 3:00. By the time the game is over, it will only be 4:00 and I will still have a good chunk of the day to enjoy, watch the sunset, go for a walk, or whatever else I choose.

So yes, it may not be the typical Sunday routine, especially to an Eastie. But Breakfast and football at 10:00 AM is pretty darn good to me and another reason why the West Coast is quickly winning me over. Rock on....and get ready for some Football!

-Nice Guy-

Just Because

This has to be one of the greatest and most suggestive Cartoon Openings of All Time! Enjoy and Happy Labor Day!