Brand New Day

No More Mr. Nice Guy!

2009-02-12T20:47:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-03T22:13:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-01T08:44:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-09-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

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

Six Months!

2008-08-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

This post was supposed to be made on Monday and then it was going to be Tuesday....well now it's Wednesday and I'm finally getting this up. (Actually I saved a draft on Wednesday and am actually posting on Thursday) But then again, I don't really think anyone reads this blog anymore so does it really matter when I post. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Monday marked six months to the day that I truly started off my Bay Life and one year to the day that I made the decision to roll the dice, leave my New York job and take a chance on coming out to the Bay. (I made this huge decision while waiting in horrific New York/New jersey Traffic a week after visiting the Bay to meet with a producer at the unsaid company and realizing how much happier I could be from where I was in my current life and job. Thank you New York Traffic!!)

Reflecting back on those 6-12 months, I can definitively say that I made the right decision. While things are still up in the air with the final arrival of Mrs. Nice Gal and while it may have taken me longer to lock down a job down than initially expected, I am very confident and happy with the decision made.

I feel that over the past six months I have been able to re-center and return to the "person" that I want to be and that I look to be over the course of the next years. Now I can make things seem all fluffy and bountiful, but as with as life situation there are going to be things that I wish would be better. I of course without a fraction of doubt in my being, wish that Mel was out here and am counting down the days till we are reunited finally and permanently. I can also say that I wish I had some closer friends out here. While I one of my best friends from high school is out here and I do see him every other weekend or so, I am still looking forward to building a larger group of friends and acquaintances. I could say that I look forward to the apartment to be fully set-up as it sits in partial disarray as I wait to make decisions that require Mrs. Nice Gal's presence. I could say all this and it would be true, but it still wouldn't change the fact that I took a huge risk and it can undoubtedly be said that the risk paid off and I am happier now than I was before.

So there you go after six months, I am in a pretty darn good place and ready for the next six. In conclusion, I will point out a few things that I have learned over the course of these past months:

New Yorkers yell a heck of a lot more than in the SF/Bay Area
There is not nearly as many horn honkers out here. For better and FOR WORSE. You can be sitting at a green light for 5-15 seconds, and people will just twiddle their thumbs waiting for you to go.
People out west do however complain a heck of lot more. (If perhaps not as loudly and with as many colorful explicatives)
People out here need to totally toughen up and stop all of this whining. (Guess it is true what they say when it is suggested to live in New York, but leave before you get too hard, and to live in Northern California, but leave before you get too soft. A lot of people out here are very soft.)
I can't tell whether I like the drivers better or not out here.
On one hand, New York drivers are far superior drivers than California drivers. Their skills are better.
However this knowledge of their skills and their aggression causes them to cut more defensive people off, and just be obnoxiously rude and idiotic.
California drivers are nice calm, peaceful drivers, but they also make moves on a dime totally oblivious of other drivers. For a defensive driver, this isn't so bad because I am prepared, but other California drivers are just as oblivious as a car is about to hit them! UGH!
The weather out here is perfect with the exception of the lack of rain
Since moving in by myself, it has not rained a single day. 6 months -- No Rain. CRAZY!
Working in film (even with talking Chihuahuas) is so much more rewarding than spinning cell phones. Though from what I hear from my producers, the film clients are just as indecisive, whiny, and nasty as advertising clients. (And I tended to have good advertising clients...ACK!)

So there it is. If I had to give a grade for the six months, a resounding A (A+ will be once Mel gets out here). For the past month itself maybe a A-/B+ (The individual month grades always seem harsher in more immediate retrospect.) So everyone have a great long weekend, Happy Labor Day, enjoy the political conventions, and most importantly start getting ready for FOOTBALL! Blog with you soon!

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

-Nice Guy SMA-

The Return

2008-08-18T14:51:00.000-07:00

This evening, my sister-in-law returns from her month and a half long trek in Guatemala. As her life is full of uncertainty at this point, she will be crashing with me again (indefinitely) until things are settled on her end. I am gearing up for her return and trying to look at it from the most positive aspect possible. I will have company and someone to talk with.......right, right.......oh boy!

So in the words of one of the most memorable film characters from this summer: "I'm a Dude playing a dude, disguised as another dude!" Wait no...that's not right. We were talking about my sister-in-law's return visit and me getting prepared for her stay, right? Trying to gear myself up as she gets back in just about five hours? Ah yes.....the quote:

"And.....here....we......GO!"

-Nice Guy-

The Power of the Perfect Song

2008-08-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

This was a week! I can't say it was a tough week because nothing really bad happened and I definitely can't say it was a hard week because I only actually worked maybe a 1/4 of my scheduled hours, but man was it a week. One of those emotionally draining, life questioning weeks. It was so for reasons I don't really feel like writing about here (see the previous post and you get the idea), but it definitely took its toll when I got home this evening.

So I did what you do when you live out here in the Bay Area and need a revived spirit. Grab the iPod, and head out for a walk along the shoreline. I can't tell you how refreshing it was and how the combination of soundtrack with nature's absolute beauty was just the exact uplift needed. It always amazes me how that one song or combination of songs at the right moment can just bring back the spirit like the much needed irrigation of the dried soul. I'm not sure which song it was precisely, but it was definitely something from The Boss. (Bruce Springsteen for all the not so muches reading the blog)

Plus how can you not feel better when you have the Bay right outside your door and a beautiful walk to take your mind off of things. It was nature, life, and music in perfect alignment and its uplifting power was imense. I did also see one of the most sureal sights I have witnessed since the move out here. The East Bay is always known to be sunnier than the city itself, which usually is engulfed in a blanket of fog, but this evening as I walked back to my apartment, and looked across the Bay to view the normally shining city I was stunned by what I didn't see. The fog was so thick covering San Francisco that the city practically vanished from the horizon. As I looked out across the Bay, I saw a clouded abyss expanding to the depths of infinite unknown. Truly an amazing sight and the power that nature has in affecting our own known perception. An added treat for a lovely walk and a much needed uplift in spirit. So now I feel a lot better and have a sly smile on my face, a good beat in my head, a an extra little thump in my heart. Till next time, I will blog with you later.

-Nice Guy SMA-

Feeling Displaced

2008-08-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

For probably the first time since moving and definitely for the first time since starting my job, I have begun to feel a bit displaced. In the wake of the much anticipated visit by my family and Mrs. Nice Gal, I am finding myself a little out of place and lacking the "settled roots" that I had on the East Coast. I don't want to call it homesickness by any means because I do prefer being out here than living/working in NYC, but I feel like I have yet to establish the new "persona" that I would like to have out here.

I know that this is most hampered by the distance separating me and Mrs. Nice Gal. I'm holding out on a lot of different opportunities till she get out here, but as the months continue to pass, I feel even more removed from the family structure that I had back East.

Also adding to this is my not fully sure work situation. As you may know, my project with The Company came to a close a few weeks ago. I took a couple of days off to spend time with the family and for the past few days have been on some busy work stretching a three-day project to four days. Now it's a waiting game until my next project kicks off. I am feeling pretty secure in my position within The Company, but until I am officially signed to a new project, I find myself slightly on edge. Until that day, I will keep coming into work each day hoping to make myself as busy and necessary as possible and I look forward to some new updates to report.

So hopefully soon, I'll be reunited permanently and able to finally plant some roots out west; making new friends, experiencing new adventures, and feeling fully in the moment. Till then, I'll keep the smile and move forward with each beautiful day, if feeling slightly displaced from the immediate moment.

-SMA-

Dr. Horrible

2008-08-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

I am weeks late in posting this blog, so many of you have probably already seen this. But if not, I highly recommend you guys check out Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. It's a short film, musical, super-hero, love story. That pretty much sums it up. It's written and directed by Joss Whedon, who did the Buffy series. Plus it stars Neil Patrick Harris, who is quickly jumping up on my list of favorite "random" actors. So give it a watch and let me know what you think. Blog more soon.

-SMA-

Five and a Half Month in Review

2008-08-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

It's August, I only posted six times in the past month, and one post was about the X-Men, boy do I suck. This has gotten me to think about the nature of this blog and what I intend to reflect on. Clearly this review is late(r) than usual and over the past 6+ posting I haven't really reflected on anything overtly exciting. (Other than the Viva Chihuahua!) So where does that leave me.....

Well to start off, things are going great and the job is wonderful. I am shipping my final spot on this "show" for The Company today and then have a few days off with Mrs. Nice Gal and the visiting family. I am still very much enjoying getting up each day and heading to work and the routine has been something I no longer dread. And this I believe is leading to the lack of postings...Everything is going well, but nothing is overtly exciting and after my unfortunate experience blogging about The Company, I have been hesitant to write about much work related material. Since I'm not writing about work and I haven't been doing too much else other than working and watching a bunch of movies, this seems to lead to a lack in subject matter. I have thought about writing about a list of random musings that I have been building, but after a day (be it long or not) my first gut reaction is to chill out instead of spending the time to compose. Yes it is true, I may be choosing my own activity over my love for you, dear blog reader. I just ask that you understand and not hate! =)

I think that once things get settled with Mrs. Nice Gal and I have more excitement to write about, perhaps the frequency will increase. So in this month's review, the only negatives that I can state are that Mrs. Nice Gal is still far away (though having her here for the next week is the most wonderful thing in the world) and that my blog postings aren't as frequent as I would like.

So that leads me to give a solid A for the past month. A month that has seen the release of my first project with The Company and has brought many enjoyable moments from great movies on the screen to some beautiful weather outside. There is a lot more that I still look forward to, but that is for the months down the road. So till then, I shall rush off and finish this last day of work on my current show, gear up for the next potential project I may be working on, and anxiously look forward to a four-day weekend with my beautiful and wonderful wife. Alright, all my best till the next post and I will blog with you later.

-SMA-

Manifest Destiny

2008-07-26T14:46:00.001-07:00

Since this week is Comic-Con, I thought that this would be the appropriate time for this post. It is official my friends, big changes are affecting everyone. In this week's X-Men #500, the X-Men have relocated from New York to San Francisco.

I feel that if Wolverine, Cyclops, and the whole gang feel that San Francisco and the West Coast is the place to be then that has to give some validity to my decision. Alright Rock On! Blog with you later.

-Nice Guy-

The Countdown Begins

2008-07-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

In just a week I will be once again reunited with Mrs. Nice Gal and have my parents visit for the first time. It is definitely a week that I am anxiously looking for. For awhile I have been counting down the days till seeing Mrs. Nice Gal, and now it just around the corner. In the meantime until the visit some big moments are coming up. Within this next week I will be finishing up on the show that I am working on for The Company and will hopefully soon be learning what is next for me. I am still unsure as to whether I will be continuing on at The Company or will be needing to get back to the job search. A little bit of uncertainty, but I weathered more uncertain conditions in the past few months. We will see and I of course will keep you updated.

Just a short blog for today. More to come that I promise. Blog with you later.

-Nice Guy-

When Funny Dies

2008-07-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

It is such a sad thing to see a childhood fave go from being so good to being washed up. It's like watching Eddie Murphy try to put out a good film and just end up making a disappointment or watching Michael Jordan un-retire for the third time to see him flame out against younger players.

Well this happened for me just the other night. I was watching HBO On Demand and chose to watch the newest Dana Carvey special. Man did I use to love Dana Carvey. Garth from Wayne's World, The Church Lady, Hans and Frans, and most especially George H. W. Bush. (Whom I used to do a hell of an impression of. Not George Bush per se, but Dana Carvey doing George Bush) So it was with great sadness that I watched this horrendous special and barely managed to raise a slight smile. It was truly depressing as I witnessed a man who was once funny repeat jokes that were original 15 years ago and seem like a middle age man trying to relive the glory days which have faded into a malaise of routine.

So sad and so very unfunny!

Ups and Downs

2008-07-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

The past week has come and gone in blogsville and there's some new and a whole lot less. On Thursday, I dropped my sister-in-law off at the Oakland Airport for her month-and-a-half venture to Central America. (Good news: She made it there safely and is happy. Better news: The apartment is mine again and my sanity has returned -- ok it wasn't thaaat bad.)

This week also had its share of embarrassment and learned lessons. I learned that either A) My blog is a top hitter on Google searches or more likely B) I now work for a major player and I need to think a little bit more before I write on this blog. So from now on, my employer will now be known as "The Company". It's like when Prince was known as The Artist formerly known as Prince, well now I work for The Company formerly known as .......

So yeah, a little talking to, a lesson learned, and a bit of embarrassment as a new worker. I don't think it will be too big of a deal as I changed some things (hence the editor's note), but I don't want to do anything that would seem disrespectful to the company. Especially because I am totally loving the gig. I may just be eight weeks in, but I really look forward to going to work each day and the work that we are doing is phenomenal. Some of the most recent stuff put out is just awesome. I also finally feel like I connecting with he different artists and making some friends. The first few weeks were definitely overwhelming, but now I am feeling a lot more locked in and know what is going on, what needs to happen, and feel like I can speak with authority. I'm hoping they feel the same way because the project that I'm on right now is just for a few more weeks and then.....well I don't know what right now. That is to be seen in the upcoming weeks.

It's also the start of the countdown to the visit by the parents. At the end of this month in just two weeks, I will have my parents out here for the first time. With my above situation, I hope I will be working, but should things change at least it will be timed well. That week will also be the next visit from Mrs. Nice Gal, so I have indeed been counting down the moments till I see her again. Hopefully at that time I will have something more long term work wise to talk about and then we can be reunited on a more permanent basis.

And that's about it. Still checking out a bunch of films and am totally amped for The Dark Knight this weekend. Also looking forward to the MLB All Star Game at Yankee Stadium tomorrow. It may actually be the best baseball played at the stadium all season....which is very very sad, and I am still hurting with Sox on top and the Yanks in the third. Ugh.....still have half a season, still have half a season.

Alright. Rock on, keep cool, and I will blog with you later. See ya.

-Nice Guy-

Viva Chihuahuas! I'm Back!

2008-07-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

Editor's Note: Rules are rules and non-disclosure is non-disclosure, so the video has been removed from my site. That being said, I would highly recommend this website.

And there you have it.....the reason I moved to California and the start of a crazy revolution .....Talking Chihuahuas!

Well you've got to start somewhere, and the work is actually quite good and it does crack me up each time I watch it. I think the work put in was phenomenal. As for what's next, well that's to be seen.

And that sums up my past four weeks....ok blog with you lat......ok ok. I'll stick around for a bit longer. The past few weeks have been very good and as you can see my work has finally made it to air and I can now say that I am selling movie magic as opposed to selling Cell Phones.

Over the past few weeks I have begun to really get into a rhythm at work and am feeling my confidence level and knowledge level growing exponentially. I still don't know what happens after this project is over, but I am taking it day by day and am confident that something will work its way out. But until that time, I have been enjoying each work day and man is it great to be able to focus on one project and really put your heart into it. Maybe it is still a novelty to me, but going to work each day is actually something I really look forward to. That is definitely a rare feeling.

In the meantime during my off hours, I have been continuing my exercise regiment though not always succeeding as I would like. After consecutive weeks of 4 out of 6 exercise days, I made my first 6 for 6 week, since beginning the job, last week. Of course I started this week by oversleeping both on Monday and today. UGH! I guess it' to the gym tomorrow morning!

I've also been watching a ton of movies be it via Netflix, HBO On Demand, or in the wonderful theater near the house. While I love catching as many movies as possible, (a good week is about 3-4 films) not much has been outstanding. That being said, you must check out Wall-E. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of animation I have ever seen. Truly animation as art. And the story is quite enjoyable as well. It was also nice on a personal level because I have a few friends who worked on the film, and am also in constant networking contact with the producer of the film. Of course I'm still a little upset with the company that made the film....not that I am specifically naming them, or mentioning the reason I'm upset, just that I cheered for my friends and booed the people in HR, not that that means anything.....but it is an amazing and beautiful film nonetheless.

I've also really been enjoying the town of Alameda. While working has led me to many less hours spent walking around the down-town, I feel I am able to take in the surroundings and enjoy the experience a little more. It is very nice, as mentioned before, that there is a new theater in town and I am trying to get there each weekend to see a show. It is a perfect Saturday when I can stroll down the main street, stop for a cup of coffee and then go see a matinée. Not too shabby.

The other big news in my life is that for the past week and up through this upcoming Thursday, my sister-in-law has been living with me as she prepares for the next move in her life. Man.....has this been a loooong and difficult week. We get along fine...or at least well enough, but the experience has taught me two very important things: 1) I don't live well with others and 2) I must really really really be in love with Mrs. Nice Gal since she is the only person I feel I could ever live with. (Good thing that's true....otherwise the marriage thing would be a bit tricky). But the good news is that this has got to earn me some Good Husband Points for a few years to come. Or so I am led to believe......

But that's about it.....just trying to live the dream. Making Chihuahuas talk and bringing smiles to faces across the intraweb. I think this upcoming weekend will find me in the city with a pint in hand, so good times to come most definitely. Hope all is well with everyone and I look forward to blogging again soon. Take care!

VIVA CHIHUAHUAS!!!!
-Nice Guy-

Where the Hell is Scott?

2008-07-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo

No.....I'm not there, there, or there. I may be dancing, but...wait was that San Fran...ok I guess I'm there! Anyhow I have obviously been away from posting for a bit. While all the new things going on in my life give me so much more to talk about, the time that said things take up sure is taking a toll on my blogging. But I will be back soon, I hope tomorrow with some updates and perhaps a rumination or two. So until then, enjoy this fantastic video which is quite inspiring and just start dancing! Blog with you soon....I promise!

-Nice Guy-

Fourth Month in Review (Just a Tad Late)

2008-06-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a stark contrast this month has been since last. I sit here now at 9:00 or so in the evening, tired and preparing to go to bed, because tomorrow I will will once again get up and go to work. And thus with that actuality, this is the first month in review that can be truly colored by a normalistic routine of work, life, weekends, and friends. While not 100% reflective since Mel has yet to move out here, things are beginning to lock down into some sense of normalcy. So with that in mind, let's quickly reflect:

The Good:
-Not much more that I need to write other than landing a job at an amazing company after three and a half months searching. But yet there is more to add on top of that. The job is great: good company, good people and I am so happy to be telling stories and not selling products. I still have so much more that I can learn, but it is going well and I am finding my place within the company and the role.
-The area is beautiful, both here in Alameda and up in Berkeley. Just a wonderful place to be and it makes waking up each morning quite delightful. (If you can imagine me saying that in a haughty-taughty accent)
-This past month included my Memorial Day 10-miler and some of my fastest runs of all time.
-I have been getting out a bit more on weekends, and I have been meeting up with some of my friends either out here in Alameda or in San Fran proper. Best night so far was a few Fridays ago when I met up with my friend Dinesh, on a Friday, saw the Incredible Hulk, at then drank till 1:00 or so at the San Francisco Brewing Company. Good times indeed.
-Over the past month, I went to a Giants game, but more importantly saw my Yankees and watched them beat up on the A's!

The Bad:
-As with all the positive of getting back into the routine of work, come a few of the negatives, the majority of which is readjusting my life schedule to the new set of hours. Gone are the days of working out when I feel like it and here are the days of trying to get up at 6:00 so I can make it to the gym before work. This is not terrible at all, it's just an adjustment that I still need to fully make.
-And thus along with that is the fact that my workout regiment has taken a major hit. I am still getting to the gym, but my workouts are much shorter and at times missed. I am working towards readjusting my body, but I have never been one to jump right out of bed in the morning.
-The other negative is of of course the most major and that is the lack of Mel. When we first planned this move, it was thought that I would get a job quickly and she would be here right away. Obviously it took me a bit longer to lock things down, and now that I have, I hope soon that she will be able to get out here. It's been tough, but as I wrote before, we both know that these four or five months apart will be but a mere fraction of our overall life together.

Missing Mel and not having her around to share in my days has been rough, but knowing that things will definitely work out, I try to look at all the good things in the past month. Now you will have to excuse me as this review is heavily colored by the rose-colored glasses of having landed a job. In the upcoming months, I believe that I will be able to reflect more accurately because my routine will be just that. But as this was the first month of work, and because of so many other great things, I would have to say this was definitely an A- month with the negatives coming almost solely from my missing of Mel.

So there it is. The highest month yet, and a stark improvement from last month's C+. Now I must sign off and get ready for bed because I do have work tomorrow and actually have a very important day as we have a presentation with our client. So all my best to everyone and I will blog with you later.

-Nice Guy-

Guest Blogging for a Day

2008-06-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Tomorrow my very good friend Jared will be taking part in the Coeur d'Alene Iron Man and will attempt the ever so simple task of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run. (Or what I like to call my before breakfast workout---yeah right!)

Throughout the day I will be live blogging as a guest blogger on his blog, Adventures of a Tri Guy. So if you can't get enough Nice Guy and want some more, swing on by as I keep track of a monumental athletic feat. Ok all....have a good night.

-Nice Guy-

P.S. Also coming tomorrow, a month in review and early next week, a reflection on the 10th anniversary of my HS graduation. See you then!

Whatever don't kill me, can only make me stronger.

2008-06-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

There are a number of things that I want to blog about and will be over the next few days, but for tonight I just wanted to take a few minutes and recommend a film that is an absolute must. As you can guess from the image above, the film is a documentary that is currently in theaters called Bigger, Stronger, Faster*. This film is fantastic and one the I highly recommend to anyone interested in sports, politics, self-reflection, or the sociology of the American male.

The film in short is about steroids. But as opposed to looking at the subject of steroids and screaming "They're bad.....they're bad.....they're bad!" The filmmaker goes out to ask questions and understand the reason for steroids within the culture, the true physiological and psychological side effects (or lack thereof) and the hypocrisies in the world of performance enhancement. The film succeeds because it asks thorough, thoughtful, and at times controversial questions without leading the viewer towards an answer. (Or at least trying not to lead as all documentaries ultimately have an agenda.) The filmmaker is the voice and the main character of the film and he is one of three brothers who grew up in an middle/upper-middle class family on the East Coast. Now what is interesting to start with is that the director is the only brother in the family that is not a steroid user. This is put forth early as he comes from the belief that steroid use is cheating and unethical. This is the grounded basis of the film, but it works on a much deeper level once the director moves away from his family history and looks at steroids in society.

Without going too deeply into the film because I really do want you all to see it, I am intrigued by the questions that the filmmaker asks. For example, why are steroids thought of as an illegal performance enhancer when a lasik eye-surgery that Tiger Woods had (thus improving his vision to 20/15) is perfectly fine. Why is HGH ok if prescribed by so-called anti-aging doctors, but not ok if simply purchased and used for sport? The film then takes the step further by looking at the American condition and the ideal that as Americans, we are bred and taught to succeed at no expense. We are encouraged to strive for the top and let nothing get in our way. When this is viewed from a physical aspect, are performance enhancers cheating or just a resource to use. As is asked in the movie, if risking the potential side effects of enhancers were the difference between security for your family vs, financial failure and ruin, would you take the chance? In addition, there is a self-image issue that is brought forth by those that we idolize. In the director's case, it is Arnold, Sly Stallone, and Hulk Hogan. (All steroid users). But ignoring that fact, it is suggested that the ideal of be super strong is a self-ideal as prevalent in men as being thin and beautiful is within the female sociological culture.

This is something I couldn't agree with more. While I go to the gym for health reasons mainly, there is of course the desire to build muscle and look great so that I can be cut and built rather than scrawny as I have tended to be for most of my life. After all, I drink Muscle Milk after every workout for Pete's sake! Which ironically enough he addresses in the film when discussing the prevalence of legal stimulants especially those that are advertised by individuals who also used steroids to achieve their results.

So all in all, the film was very well thought out and makes you wonder whether we as a society are attacking a minuscule element of the much larger problem instead of focusing of the overall issue of self-image, and American destiny. As I write this, I don't want you to think that I would even for a moment consider using illegal steroids (I do consider them a cheat and a way to get ahead in an unnatural way), but that being said, recently I did receive a cortisone shot (legal steroid) for my foot-injury allowing me to keep running, and tomorrow before I go out and run, I will take a couple of puffs from my asthma inhaler (steroid). The inhaler by the way will give me a boost and help me to run slightly faster. Why is this ok, and not another type of steroid? Many questions asked, answers from all sides given, and in the end, a very thoughtful and intriguing film. So a high recommend, you won't be disappointed.

Work, Sports, and Being on the Team

2008-06-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, New York Giants defensive great Michael Strahan announced his retirement from football after an illustrious fourteen year career. Driving to work on Tuesday and while listening to the morning sports talk radio, another former New York Giant spoke about the difficulty of retiring and what Strahan would most likely feel in the upcoming months. Just to preface though it is of only minor importance, Strahan retired after winning the Super Bowl and while still very physically capable of playing. Thus he left the game not because his body could no longer hold up, but rather because he wanted to leave on top.

This former New York Giant that was on the radio said that the most difficult part of retiring from the game, especially when still physically able to play, was leaving the feeling of team and the camaraderie amongst teammates. He said that Strahan may have days in the upcoming months where he will consider calling off the retirement to return to the team. He also went on to explain that while the public views football as just sport, to the athlete playing the game, it truly is a job that one commits to and forms a ritual around. Granted, I think this only slightly valid as even the most hardworking players still get about three-four months off a year not to mention the league minimum salary of 285,000. (for a rookie, it goes up based on experience.) The point he was making however is that to the retiring player it is difficult to leave that sense of team and the daily routine of meetings, workouts, film study, and preparation. Once outside of the game, a player can find himself lacking the structure that was once a defining part of their daily life and miss the team that was like a band of brothers.

After hearing this and while on my way to work it made me wonder about how I view my own job and fellow co-workers. Though distinctly different, I'm not sure if I see work as this great team that I am part of. (And I try to think back to my previous employer as well, as it can be argued that it is unfair to make that assessment after only three weeks at the new job.) I don't know if I long for the daily rituals and I wonder if most people feel like this too. Do we work because it is our love and our passion? I'm sure some do, maybe even a decent percentage, but I doubt the majority. Do we work because we are told to and it is socially ingrained into us? Or do we work solely for financial reasons? The former player mentioned how some football retireries, have the urge to come back to the game and play again. These are players that are making millions of dollars, who never have to worry about money ever again, and they still want to go back to work.

If I was super rich, I'm not sure if I would have this extreme urge to go back to work. Maybe in my current state of career as there is a lot more I would like to accomplish, but again I'm not sure if the majority of people would feel this way.

During my three months of job searching, I did feel a lack of structure and missed being around people, but I wonder if that was because I often remained in the apartment due to a lack of funds. In addition my missing of company had a great deal to do with Mel still being on the East Coast. If Mel was here and if I had no worries about money, would I really want to jump back into work or would I enjoy my time and do what ever leisure activities I desired? Like I said before, I most likely would want to achieve something more with my career. But I've only been working for four years and I'm already wondering this. Double that amount and I'm still six years shy of the worked years by Mr. Strahan. Now take the full fourteen years and I'm healthy, still young at 36 and in a place where I have achieved something with my career. Would I really feel myself screaming to go back to work and call off my retirement if I was wealthy enough? Would most people?

So, I guess in conclusion to this pondering and slightly whiny blog, I wonder how the majority of people view their jobs and career. Is it viewed as institution much like Mike Judge's Office Space or do we view our jobs as a team that we are part of, one in which we are bound by camaraderie, ritual, and structure. I would think that the majority of people would unfortunately feel like the former and that then brings up a even better question; how does society change the perception of work and employment so that in retirement instead of feeling freed from the shackles, we long to go back to those glory days and the teammates we once shared. Have a pleasant working week! Blog with you later.

-SMA-

Editor's Note: After some quick research, assuming NFL salaries don't increase (which of course they will) a fourteen year player on the league minimum will earn $8,815,000. Just think about that and wonder if you would really want to come back to work on Monday.

Phase 2

2008-06-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

Two and a Half weeks into the job, routine starting to become a little more locked down, (Still not having as much success as I would like with the morning workouts. I really need to work on getting up and getting up on time. We'll call this a working goal.), and fully settled into the apartment.

A week ago, a friend of mine wrote an email asking how the Grand Western Experiment was going. The way she phrased it as the "grand experiment" caused me to look at the move in this sense. At the very beginning, I think this was exactly what I was going for. Trying something completely foreign and taking a chance to see if it would work. Over the months of job searching, I may have lost a little bit of that sense as my focus directed towards finding work and securing a future. But riding above everything was the "experiment" and the chance that was being taken. So in looking at the move in this way, I would say that it is a must to break down this new direction into phases that can be analyzed, observed, and reflected on at a later date. My "Brand New Day" will come to an end at some point, but for now it is just entering into the next phase. If phase one was coming out and establishing myself with a home and employment than it is clear to say that phase one is finished.

As is pretty clear, the majority of my blog posts for the past months have been about the job search and my frustrations or joys depending on the process. Well since I am locked into the job, I can no longer write about the search. And while I plan to still write about the transition to the film world, my non-disclosure agreement kind of limits me as to how detailed I can be in my writing. Thus it is time that I move on to a next phase of this blog, and the newest phase of my move.

When I first started blogging, I aimed to reflect more about how the move affected my personality and spirit. I saw lofty goals in leaving the crowds of New York and entering into the expansiveness of the west coast. I think now as phase 1 comes to a close, this is the next step of the "grand experiment". I feel as if this next phase will focus my writing more on some ruminations of life and reflecting on the way that this move is affecting the person that I am and the person I aim to be. So with the hope that my writing will not become too dry or drab in the coming weeks, I start Phase 2 of my Brand New Day and set out to discover a little bit more of myself on this crazy journey of manifest destiny. Blog with you later.

-Nice Guy-

A Harbinger of Things to Come?

2008-06-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

Today is Game 1 of a rivalry renewed. This evening, the Los Angeles Lakers will storm into Boston to face the Boston Celtics. While I am actually a Chicago Bulls, I will be rooting for the Celtics if for no other reason than the fact that I hate Kobe Byrant.

But I include his picture today, and write this blog not about the NBA finals, but oddly enough about the Presidential Election. As is now finally clear, this November Barack Obama will face John McCain for the presidency, and if history has anything to say about it, John McCain will win and it will be all Kobe's fault!! Yeah I can hear the laughs, but believe me it is true. I love little weird factoids and this is one that defies logic. If you go back to 1948 when Truman beat Dewey, everytime the Lakers have been in the NBA finals, a Republican has won. And for all but one time that the Lakers were not in the finals, the Democrat has won. Yes it falls down to the fact that the Lakers are the second most stories franchise in NBA history (Behind the Celtics) and the Republicans have won quite a few elections for the last half-century. But if you break it out election by election, it is quite scary.

Years that the Lakers were in the Finals During a Presidential Election (8 for 8 actuality):

1952: Dwight Eisenhower (R) wins
1968: Richard Nixon (R) wins
1972: Richard Nixon (R) wins
1980: Ronald Reagan (R) wins
1984: Ronald Reagan (R) wins
1988: George Bush (R) wins
2000: George W. Bush (R) sort-of-wins
2004: George W. Bush (R) wins
2008: ??? wins

Years that the Lakers were not in the Finals During a Presidential Election (6 for 7 actuality):

1948: Harry Truman (D) wins
1956 Dwight Eisenhower (R) wins
1960: John F. Kennedy (D) wins
1964: Lyndon B. Johnson (D) wins
1976: Jimmy Carter (D) wins
1992: Bill Clinton (D) wins
1996: Bill Clinton (D) wins

So from 1948 - 2004, the Lakers standard was accurate 14 out of 15 times or correct 93% of the time. I'm not saying it means anything, but if you are betting man and not someone who cares about the fate of our country (boy, did I just let that slip) then you should bet on John McCain this fall.

Go Celtics and Go........ (Well, you know where I lean, I don't need to write it on the blog)

Blog with you later!

-SMA-

Working and Working Out

2008-06-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

Well a full week is in the books and I can without a doubt make one of the most obvious statements ever to be uttered on this blog: Holding down a job and working each day makes it a heck of a lot harder to get up and work out each morning.

Wow! Stunning, isn't it. But alas, it is true and in adjusting my schedule to the rigors of the 9-7 job (yes even in CA, I am still on a 9-7 schedule) I have realized the difficulties in getting up each morning amped up to workout. Looking back at my first day last Tuesday through yesterday, I made it for only 4 out of my 6 workouts. (I take Sunday's off for a rest).

As for this morning, I did oversleep, but pulled myself out of bed to get out to gym, though my workout had to be cut short due to my late start. I will begin to have to make a decision as to whether to cut my workouts shorter, get up earlier, or push working out until after work. I did go for my Monday run afterwork yesterday, but man did it suck. Though I did actually run one of my fastest runs, after a long day of standing, walking, and moving around, my muscles were so sore and it was just not very enjoyable.

So we will see what happens as the days continue but as I mentioned months ago, it is my goal to keep up the workout regiment and that's what I intend to do. So now I best wrap this up and head to bed otherwise Wednesday's workout will not be met and then it all starts going downhill. But before I do, I will leave you with a great story from this weekend's run.

On Saturday morning, I awoke, geared up and went out for my morning run. I wasn't planning on running a huge distance in part because I was sill sore from the 10 miles on Monday and also because I had some errands to run once I got back. But I began my run and had a specific route in mind. After a quick turn, I noticed that I was now running in the middle of a large group of women. It turns out that I had run right into the middle of the "See Jane Run" Women's Half-Marathon. My thought was that after a little bit, I should be able to break off from the pack and continue my run. Well after another turn, I found that my run took me right into the winner's circle of the Half Marathon! As I was nearing the finish line, I saw a camera man taking pictures of all the racers. Not wanting to waste his film and also wanting to avoid a picture of this embarrassing moment, I dodged off the trail and around the photographer. As I was about to cross the finish line, I noticed that the path I intended to continue upon was blocked off and only a small gap in the barrier existed. I again veered off the course and onto the grass in order to slip through the gap in the barrier and continue my run as I desired. As I slipped away from the finish line and ran through the barrier gap, I heard a voice scream out, "You're supposed to Stop! Oh well, I guess he wants to keep running! I think he wants to keep running!"

Yeah..... that was a first and quite a unique way to start run. Ok....I will blog with you later!

-Nice Guy-

The First Week

2008-06-01T18:26:00.001-07:00

Alright, I promised a more in depth update by week's end and here we are with about 4 hours till I go to bed and I am doing my best to keep my promise.

So this was it. After 108 days unemployed (AH! Freaky coincidental Lost connection!), I went back to work ready, motivated, and excited to be working in film and delighted to be at a great company, close to home and in a nice neighborhood. By week's end my expectations were met.

It is still very early, and the project that I am on does not really kick off till tomorrow, so I don't want to start sounding all glib by saying how everything is great and wonderful. That being said, the situation does seem ideal and while it will get busy very quickly, I think it will be an enjoyable situation. The biggest and most immediate change that I have noticed and been delighted about is that a production team is, for the most part, assigned to one project. While these are features and not commercial spots and thus have many more shots per project (or as it's know in-house per show), the team that is established and assigned is working on (again for the most part) that single show. Previously, I was juggling about 4-6 projects at a time and the more senior members of the production staff were juggling anywhere from 5-8 projects at any given time. This also meant that the artistic crew was split over multiple projects and on many days had to switch from project to project depending on the time of the day and the needs of the client. I'm not here to argue that it was a bad situation or run poorly. In fact it was quite the opposite. The person who managed the scheduling of the crews is so amazingly skilled and talented and she helped the studio to achieve a level of efficiency that I don't think can be topped. (Yes -- you know who you are, and yes you are that great!) It is the reason why clients would take their work there and the reason that the company was one of the most successful in New York. That being said, the sheer volume of work is definitely stressful and the split focus from 4-6 projects at a time makes it tough to really gear towards a directed focus and observe the path of the process from start to finish. Now with the single production that the team and I are assigned to, I feel that I can have a more hands-on, observant, and detail oriented approach since I will be able to focus near 100% of my attention towards the show for which I have been assigned.

As for the week itself, as mentioned, it was slower because the show does not officially kick off till tomorrow. This was good and bad, though definitely more positive than anything. The negative was that the first week was very slow and as I am just getting into the groove of the way this studio operates, there were many moments when I was not doing much and feeling unable to help. The positive though exceeded this negative, as the slowness allowed me the opportunity to be trained pretty hands on and allowed the person who will be supervising me to spend a great deal of time showing me different procedures and commands. Had I come in during the heat of the production, this would almost definitely not be possible and would force me to learn on the run perhaps leading to some problems down the line. Thus I am happy that I came in during this pre-production phase and excited that I will be there from day 1 of the kickoff.

In terms of the job itself, the skills of production carry over from house to house. I would like to believe that I am skilled at production/management and that the ideals of organization, prioritization, and communication are my strongest assets. Thus what will eventually be needed from a perspective of skill set is the same as with any other house. What differs from house to house is the nomenclature of the lexicon and the pipeline of the production. This is what I am finding to be drastically different from my previous experience and the area where the majority of my focus will need to go during these initial weeks. The pipeline is essentially the path that individual shots must follow from department to department. As I am now dealing with many more shots, I am finding that this pipeline is consequently much larger than I was previously dealing with. As for the nomenclature, I am now using many different programs and procedures than before (some for better, and yes some that I don't think work as well). It will take a bit before I fully pick everything up, but I have always been good at learning different programs and finding the best way to utilize the program for the task at hand so I am not too worried. Thus, this upcoming week will be a good test as it should remain moderately paced, but as the show will have officially kicked off there will be daily rounds and procedures that I will need to learn and take a active part in producing/coordinating.

So there you have it. The first week in the books and a good one at that. I guess I can conclude with a little bit of the trivial aspects of the job. The commute is fantastic and I am that finding the longest I have had to sit through at this point is about 30-35 minutes. On Friday in fact, I got to work with very little traffic and made it in about 20 minutes. To some, I'm sure it seems like a lot (though most readers are New Yorkers, I believe) but after the 80-90 minute commutes I was doing daily in New York, it is a joy.

The neighborhood is fantastic and that is exactly what it is, a neighborhood. There is definitely something wonderful about working in New York, and in every other city I have been to I have yet to see the same working environment. (Though I will admit, I have yet to visit Chicago). There is a great feeling to walking out of the subway, hearing the taxis and traffic and fighting the crowds to your building. It is exciting, fast-paced, hectic and yes, at least for me, a bit draining. The New York City environment is like nothing else, but alas it ultimately was not for me. Now I drive into what can essentially be described as a suburban block. The studio has five buildings, none of which is more that two-stories tall, and they are scattered by a four block by two block area. Walking from building to building there is very little traffic, and there are trees and bushes scattered along the way as well as houses, a school, and many neighborhood people. It is a stark contrast, but one that jives better with my spirit.

The other huge difference that I have noticed is the full lunch hour. At my previous house, lunch was on some days a hopeful possibility. And when it did happen, lunch lasted no longer than 20-25 minutes. The goal was always to watch a 1/2 hour show of the lunch room DVR and get the whole 24-minute show (no commercials) in before you needed to get back to work. A full hour is almost absurd to me at this point. The first day, I kept checking my watch until my co-worker told me not to worry because we still had 20 minutes. In addition, I also get to actually leave the building and the phone. There is of course an inherent negative to this which is of course, the cost of lunch. Previously while not given much of a lunch break, I was having lunch brought in by the company. Now I am seeing myself spending anywhere from $40-50 a week. I believe I will be brown-bagging it soon, but at least it is nice to be able to get out and enjoy the area for awhile.

So I guess that is it. A bit long, but hopefully enjoyable to read. I will post more as this week goes on and I look forward to updating you more as the project kicks off. So till then, have a good one and I will blog with you later.

-SMA-

Job Search By The Numbers

2008-05-28T20:46:00.001-07:00

A few years ago when a good friend of mine was in the midst of his long and difficult job search, he put together a breakdown of the search once he was finally hired. I felt it would be appropriate to reinterpret (aka steal) this breakdown for my specific search. So without further adieu here is my Job Search by the Numbers:

Total length of job hunt: 102 days (Feb 11th - May 22nd)

The job search began before the 11th, but this was my first day unemployed and very "actively" searching. May 22nd is the day when I signed my contract.

Resumes sent out: 19

Total Informational Interviews/Calls: 7

Total number of "Real" 1st round interviews: 3

Total number of 2nd round interviews: 1
Total number of 3rd round interviews: 1

Rejections 2 (I never heard back from one company, though I wasn't too interested either, so I guess it was a rejection.)

Offers 1

So there you have it. Not too shabby and I am now very happy with the situation I have. At the end of the day, I will write about the new gig a little more in depth. Till then have a good night and I will blog with you later!

-SMA-

Against the Wind (Memorial Day 10 Mile)

2008-05-26T11:25:00.001-07:00

With Back Seeger's Against the Wind to kick me off and a great temperature outside, I inaugurated the first annual Scott M. Adams Memorial Day 10 Miler! I will be accepting applications for next year's event starting tomorrow. Checks can be made out to me. (Registration fee still to be determined, so just pay me what you think is appropriate for now!) =)

Wow! What a run! A conistent pace throughout and in the end I ran my longest run to date. While the Nike Plus clocked it at just over 11 miles, its calculations aren't always 100% accurate. As per Google Pedometer the run was about 10 1/2 miles or so. Either way it was over 10 miles and that was my goal. That also means that in having run a 10 mile distance, there is no reason I can't run a half marathon in the nearby future, which is my ultimate running goal. Not sure about a full marathon yet, but definitely the half. As for the running breakdown:

Now I'm going to hop in the shower and enjoy a Memorial Day caloric treat at Ole's Famous Waffle House. Best Breakfast joint in town, and who doesn't love waffles. I sure do!

So to everyone, have a wonderful Memorial Day! I hope it finds you at a BBQ or a party or at a locale of great enjoyment. And now for me, it is time to enjoy my last day of freedom and get back to the working world. Till next time!

-Nice Guy-

Fastest Run Yet! (Under 6:40 Min/Mile Boo Yeah!)

2008-05-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

This morning I ran my fastest run yet! It was a short 3.5 mile run and the conditions were just perfect. It had rained slightly in the early morning, so the temperature was very cool with a slight chill in the air. The humidity was non-existent and there was a slight breeze, but not a wind. Add this to the fact that I was running my weekly short run (in anticipation of the 10-miler I am planning for Monday) I hit the after burners and just flew. I cannot believe I was able to keep the pace for the whole time. Though I felt my body crying out for me to slow down, I kept pushing through it. (Editor's Note: Again I must add that it really helps that Alameda is about as flat as you can get and my biggest uphill would be considered a relaxed grade anywhere else) I have also mentioned in a previous blog how much I love the Nike Plus system. Well through the website I can share with you a breakdown of the run.

So there you go! It probably doesn't make too much sense, but I think it's pretty cool. Anyhow, just super pumped about the run and thought I would share. Blog with you later.

-SMA-

Tippett Studios (Back to Work Boo Ya!)

2008-05-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Morning at approximately 11:30 AM, I signed an offer letter to begin work at Tippett Studios. Yes my friends, I am going back to work!!

After three months of crazy networking and searching, I will be joining Tippett Studios on Tuesday. (First week and it's a 4-day week, Boo Yeah!). Tippett Studios is one of the premier FX houses in the country and was founded by Phil Tippett who was the head of the creature shop on Return of the Jedi and later won an academy award for Jurassic Park. I will be joining as a production coordinator, which is a good start and Tippett has a great track record of promoting internally and quickly. It's a two-month (and a bit) project to begin with that I will be working on, and then we will take it from there depending on future needs, etc. But the company is great, it is right in Berkeley so it's only about a 20 minute drive for me (so no more hour and a half commutes like I had in New York), and everyone on the team seems really positive and enjoys what they are doing. I'm also really happy because with Tippett I didn't have a contact to start with. I was trying to get hooked up with them, but couldn't find any leads, so I just wrote a "feeler" email out of the blue, which they responded really positively towards, had a informational interview about two months ago and then kept in touch as they were trying to bring in more work. I am really excited, and I think it will be a great fit for my skill set and allow me the possibility for future advancement and movement.

Yeah forgive me if you've read that before. (There is only so many times I could type it out before I had to cut and paste) But I honestly couldn't be more excited about the opportunity. The company is fantastic, the people are great and it is in such a convenient area for me that I look forward to the short commute each day. I know that I will really be able to make an impact in the company and as mentioned, Tippett has an amazing track record of long standing employees who have been constantly and quickly promoted from within. Give it a bit and I'll be producing again. Plus I'm working on films now which I can't tell you how happy it makes me!!

I also believe that Karma played its own role in everything. The first time I met with Tippett (just about two months ago), there were no positions available, but I could get the sense that the people I met with really liked me, and I got just a great vibe from the company. The X-Factor out there was the job at the other company (still to remain nameless, though I'm sure you can figure it out) that I was being considered for. If said company offered me the job, I would have of course taken it, but would wonder if I would feel more comfortable at Tippett and visa-versa, had Tippett come through with an offer before the other company was ready to make a decision, I would have had a very tough time knowing what to do. As it was, two weeks ago I did receive the rejection from the other company, and low and behold a day after that rejection, I got the call from Tippett that something might have opened up. It allowed me the mentality to clear myself of the other opportunity and focus solely of what is now my new job.

Add that to the prophetic dream that my sister-in-law had and you have some crazy Karma working. She had a dream a month ago that I would receive some amazing job news upon my return from a New York flight. When I received the call two-weeks ago, it was right before I was flying home for my friend Mike's wedding, and because of such, I scheduled the follow-up interview for the day after my return flight from New York. Kinda scary, in a good way.

So there you go, now Stage 2 of this crazy California life is about to begin and I am totally ready and excited for the opportunity at hand. I am going to end this blog post now, because I have in front of me the golden opportunity to enjoy a few last days of freedom without having to worry about what will be the other side. It shall be a weekend of sunshine, movies (Indiana Jones), and good times! Thank you to all for you constant support throughout and I look forward to the next stage that this blog shall take. I will blog with you later.

-Nice Guy-

P.S. The great news has also resonated physically. This morning I had a fantastic 5-Mile run. While nowhere near my longest (I will be going for a good 10-miler on Monday), it was a great run and I could have run quite some more by the end of it!

Ode to my Running Shoes (A different sort of anniversary)

2008-05-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

Today marks a different sort of anniversary for me. While nowhere near as special, important, or wonderful as yesterday's anniversary, it is one that I feel much more comfortable waxing poetic about without getting gooey responses from all y'all.

Today is the year anniversary that I broke in my Nike Air Zoom Running Shoes and officially kicked off my transition towards becoming a serious runner. I love my shoes for multiple reasons including the fact that they are comfortable and run great, that they are custom designed and allow me to show my Syracuse Pride, but most important because they are part of the Nike Plus system. Nike Plus, for those who are not familiar is a partnership that Nike formed with Apple to bring running to the web. The partnership turned my regular running shoes into a glorified pedometer. Inside the shoe is a transmitter, which talks to my iPod and allows me to keep track of the distance that I have run. The iPod keeps track of the time run, the miles accumulated, and the pace that I am currently running. In addition, as I'm running a motivating voice tells me what I have I accomplished and what my current pace is or if I choose to run for a specific mile/time/calorie marker, the voice will let me know key milestones along the run. ("Half-Way There! 2.5 miles to go!") After the run, I can then upload my digitized runs to my personal Nike Plus website and keep track of my overall pace, set goals for the future, or compare runs with other runners in the Nike Plus system. This I think above all has most helped my transition to a serious runner because it allowed me to visualize progress and distance.

Looking back at the past year, it is clear how much I have improved in both speed and stamina. My first run was just about 3.5 miles and I can remember just being whipped at the end of it. Now a 3.5 mile run is my minimum and what I do for an easy workout. In the past year, I have run just over 250 miles, but am especially happy that in the past three months, I have run almost 115 miles. My goal for 2008 is to run 300 miles, which I think will be very doable.

So there you go. Oh running shoes, how I love you! While I don't lace up again until Friday, I will spend today remembering all the wonderful runs we have had in the past and the runs we will continue to have in the future. (At least until you are worn down, and I need to buy a replacement)

In other things: Some big news is on its way, so be prepared for that. But first I will enjoy the anniversaries, then announce the big news. I will blog with you later.

-Nice Guy-

Two Wonderful Years!

2008-05-20T20:24:00.000-07:00

Just a short post today, for today is a very special and important day in my life. Today I celebrate two wonderful and happy years with Mrs. Nice Gal. (Her newly crowned blogger name.) Thank you to all for your well wishes and I will post more again soon.

-Nice Guy SMA-

Three Month Review (Libra Style)

2008-05-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

Melanie and I are your stereotypical Libras in the sense that it takes us forever to make a decision. We have found that what works best for us is a very simple Pro/Con format allowing us (like Libras) to weigh each side. I bring this up because in reviewing this past month, I found myself having a difficult time in making an assessment. Thus I will utilize the pro/con structure for the basis of this blog.

When Reviewing the Past Month:

Pro: I am in California and happy to be here.
Con: Melanie is still East and it may be awhile till the next time we see each other.

Pro: I have an apartment full of furniture, a Wii, and my coffee maker.
Con: There are still a bunch of boxes that I really don't feel like opening until either Mel is here or I have the security of a job in the area.

Con: I am far away from my New York Yankees
Pro: I have a subscription to MLB.TV and can watch them whenever I want.
Con: The Yankees are terrible this year and not the most fun to watch right now.

Pro: In the past month, my deck was finally painted
Con: Since I am not working, I was home to actually watch them paint the deck.

Pro: My running and gym training has been great and I am really improving in strength, speed, and stamina
Con: Since I am not working, I can sleep in and go to the gym/run at 9:00 10:00, 11:00, or whenever I would like.
Pro: Since I am not working, I can sleep in and go to the gym/run at 9:00 10:00, 11:00, or whenever I would like.

Con: The job search moved into May and I am still unemployed
Pro: Mel and I received a healthy Stimulus check on Friday that definitely helped.

Pro: No matter what happens, I can say that I took a chance and achieved a life defining moment
Con: That life defining moment while very nice, doesn't help to pay the bills at the end of the day

Con: The job search through May 7th had really started to stall out and seemed very unpromising.
Pro: On May 7th, I received a call from one of my top companies for a call back interview and had said interview this past Tuesday.

Con: While I may hear something this upcoming week, as of this blog entry I am still unemployed.

So that's really what it ultimately comes down to. I love being out here, but being out of work for this long (Three months and ten days) has been really trying. I enjoy having the free time to do what I want, but it is time to get back to work and be a productive member of society. Add that to the fact that my attaining a job will be the enabling factor to allow Mel to move out here and this past month has been very tough. It is amazing to me that it is May already. When working the crazy hours that I did in New York, I would often mention how time would fly by so quickly and comment that I never had a concept of time. Now I find myself in this unique situation where time isn't flying by, yet I still find myself unable to grasp the concept of date relevance since I have no frame of reference. Every day seems just like the previous and I feel I am missing the social connectors which at times helps a person to ground themselves in a specific time and date. This was most prevalent when I was up at the SU graduation and blown away that it was May and college students were done for the year. I for most part am still in the same state of mind as I was on February 25th when I started my life alone in California.

As you can see from my past entries, the past two weeks were exceptionally difficult and were leading me towards a very negative review of this month. The promising interview that I had this past week has forced me to reassess slightly, though as there is still more networking to be done in order to lock down the position, the overall grade doesn't rise that much. I held back on writing this review from Friday in the event that I would hear something. I did in fact get a call, but missed the call and no message was left. So perhaps tomorrow, the start of month four will begin with a bang. That's my plan and the reason why I write this today. So in conclusion, here are the past monthly assessments and the newest grade for month three.

One Month Review: B+
Two Month Review: B+/A-
Three Month Review:
(Before May 7th): C-
(After May 7th): C+

Ok....now to start Month Four out with a great 7 mile run and some good news! I will blog with you later.

-Nice Guy-

2,900 Miles.....Worlds Apart

2008-05-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

Ok.....so I've been gone for a while. I've been busy. As mentioned, I traveled last weekend back to New York, drove with my parents up to Syracuse to be there for my sister's graduation and then flew back to New York to be part of a close friend's wedding as his Best Man. The travel was more or less uneventful, other than a complete mental loss as to which day of the week it was throughout. With Thursday travel and a Sunday wedding, I was all thrown off as to whether I and the rest of the world was on weekend time or if I was missing any key news and/or information.

The graduation was great, Kristen got to go on stage (as did all the graduates...how about that) and received a $160,000 pin. I'm not sure as to what bothers me more....the fact that after four years of hard work all she got was a pin or that in just the 6 years since my SU graduation, her $160,000 pin is a heck of lot more in debt than my $120,000 pen. (Which I still use on all of my interviews! Boo-Yeah!)

In addition to her ridiculously expensive pin, Kristen did get honored at her department reception with an award for being the top Psychology student. I can say I am definitely proud and excited for her to keep moving forward and to see what her future will bring.

After a flight back to New York City, it was wedding time, and it could not have been a more beautiful ceremony and reception. The wedding was held in Prospect Park on a beautiful, if a little chilly, day. The ceremony was very touching and the reception was a lot of fun. Good to see some joint friends again and just a great time had by all. My married friend is now living it up in Spain on a quite extravagant two-week honeymoon. I am very jealous, as I sit here in my stuffy apartment typing this blog. (Maybe I will go out in a little bit -- coffee, walk on the beach...hmmm. By the way....very hot in Cali this week.....ugh!)

But back to this posting.....the weekend was wonderful and on top of everything, the best part was that I was reunited with Mel for a few days. As my job stuff moves forward as well as things for her, I hope we will be reunited permanently very soon. It has been very difficult being so far apart, but as I say....being apart will only be for a quarter of a year (or so) in a relationship that I look forward to lasting for multiple quarters of this upcoming century.

Now as I have rambled like I often do, I should direct this blog to the very thesis that I am trying to reach. Having traveled this past weekend and having spent a good portion of the time in the culture of New York (Brooklyn to be exact), I can really begin to see the contrast in coastal cultures. There is a very true essence to New York, a honesty that I believe to be unmatched anywhere else. There is of course also an aggression and impatience that seems to come out as frequently as, and perhaps as part of, this honesty. There is a direct willingness to help if asked within the people, but also a radiance of the true desire to be left alone. It is a very unique place and different to me than the Bay Area. While I am still trying to understand the true pulse of the Bay Area, I can say that there is more of resonating joy that I feel even if that joy make not be steeped in true honesty. That being said, I feel a calmness in the area that I don't feel when East. The classic example is the traffic light situation in which in New York, if one does not press the gas in .5 seconds of a green light, he will have five cars blaring their horns. Around here I find almost a lackadaisical calm in which if the car does not move at the green light immediately, others will brush it off knowing that he will move eventually. A very cliche'd situation I know, but the most readily available and resonant for me as I was honked at about 20 frickin times trying to figure out directions in Brooklyn. Phew...sorry about that. Which also reminds me that there are way too many traffic lights in New York and the Boroughs and all the stop and go is probably a good reason why drivers are so uptight.

There was a moment when Mel and I were looking for a parking space where I began to look around the neighborhood and just observe. Now I must say that I think the borough of Brooklyn is fantastic and Manhattan has an excitement to it like none other, but in looking around, I could feel that this area was not for me. This is an ok realization and a one that I am happy to be coming to. My friend for example loves New York. He may never leave, who knows....but that's cool because that is him. And while it doesn't define him, it definitely embodies his spirit. I am learning personally that my soul connects with the calm, if perhaps tepidness of the West Coast. In driving home upon my arrival flight, I looked around the neighborhoods and felt a peace of mind that I did not have previously. Throughout the week I have been noticing this as well whether it be running to the Super Market or driving a few towns over for an interview. This is an area which, while I cannot fully define yet, is one that agrees with my spirit and mentality. Now what I do desire to see if that remains true upon entering into the stresses of a job, a full household, and other daily rituals. I hope so....but that is for time to tell.

On a quick side note, work stuff is still moving forward. I have a promising opportunity that I am waiting to hear back about after a follow-up interview on Tuesday. I feel optimistic, but am trying hard not to get too anticipatory in the event of further disillusionment. I will of course let you know.

I also have a Three Months in Review coming, which will probably be this weekend....so hold out for that one!! Oh I know you will waiting with baited breath. Anyhow...that is all for today. Have a great one and I will blog with you later.

-Nice Guy SMA-

Flying Back East (Again!)

2008-05-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

In just a few short hours, I will be jumping on a plane for the third time in three months and heading back to the East Coast. This weekend is a big weekend as it is my sister's graduation from college and the wedding of one of my best friends. It will be a very travel filled weekend with a cross country flight today, a drive to Syracuse tomorrow, a flight back to New York City on Saturday and then a flight back west on Monday.

But this is also an important weekend for me personally, because this is in all probability my last trip back East for a very long time. After this trip, I have no major events until a wedding in November and I also use with this trip the last of my free airline tickets. (Really really good credit card promotion.) I think this will be a nice way to send off the East Coast with a weekend that is filled on one hand with an ending (my sister's graduation) and on the other, a new beginning. And upon my own return I can start anew and focus all 100% of my being on the here and now of the West Coast.

In a note of irony surrounding this trip back East, as I have mentioned this is my third trip in the three months. For each of the previous two trips, I scheduled the flights as Friday night Red Eyes in the event that my non-existent employer would need me to work or in case of the possibility of an interview, etc. In the previous cases, none of this ever came to fruition so when making plans for this trip, I just threw up my hands and choose the flights that I wanted and worked best for me. Needless to say, I received a call yesterday looking for me to come in for a follow-up interview today at the exact time as I would be boarding the plane. Alanis Morissette, please listen up, that my dear is a case of irony -- not a black fly in your Chardonnay. Now don't fret for me too much, my dear friends, because I was able to reschedule for Tuesday upon my return and I hope to come back with some good news....but we will take it day by day for now.

Now lastly on a side note, a friend of mine in her blog referred to a blog that she read in which the author wrote, "Blogging sure is a hell of a lot cheaper than therapy."
In response to that I say, thank you to all for your kind words over the past week as I went through a bit of a rough patch and I look forward to bringing you more updates with an upbeat spirit to them. So now I must quickly get ready for the flight and head back East once again. Have a great weekend to all, and I shall blog with you later.

-Nice Guy SMA-

Well that sucks.....

2008-05-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

So I got the call this morning that I was dreading, but had a feeling was coming. I heard back from my top choice employer (name will still remain unsaid) and was told that I didn't get the position. This is extremely frustrating because not only was this my top choice, but also because I had the interview two months ago. Yes, it was two months of back and forth and of hearing that I was seriously being considered for the position only to be turned down. The only slight positive, at least as I was told, was that the person they hired did exactly the same job at another production house. Who knows if that is true or if that is the line they give to every reject. It also sucks since this was the only interview I had been on for a real job. Informational interviews are great and they may lead to something down the road, but they don't bring with them an immediate position. So that's the news of suck for today.

In similar news, I have done a great job of making good contacts with people within the industry. I keep in touch with them on a regular basis just to get a pulse of the industry and any leads that they may have. Yesterday when writing to one of my contacts, I got this response from him:

"Unfortunately these months are the slowest in this business (not to mention the impending SAG strike in June). My buddy was just laid off and he can't find anything."

This is the same contact that a month ago wrote this lovely trinket to me:

"Like I said, things move very slow in this business. I was dragged along by LucasAnimation for 6 months before they decide to hire internally instead. Don't get frustrated, this is just how it is."

Maybe I should stop writing to this guy. Everytime I do, I just get more and more depressed. Oh well.....hopefully some good news will make this blog soon enough. Blog with you later.

-Nice Guy-

Reverse the Curse

2008-05-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I wrote about how there was an energetic vibe in the air Sunday night and then how on Monday I had a good/great 8.5 mile run followed by the surprise of finding my deck painted. This great start of a week of course led to one of my worst weeks here.

So I have this update to write: Last night was pretty dull and was followed by me oversleeping this morning and running one of those bad runs all runner's get every now and again. So there we go....either a continuation of last week's suckage or a way to lull me into the great surprises this week has in store. Boy do I hope the latter!

May 1st

2008-05-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

Today is May 1st and a day that I have been dreading for the past week or so. When I moved out west I knew that I was taking a risk, but I tried as hard as I could to make sure that it was a calculated risk knowing that I had networking contacts, resources in a multitude of areas and a few job leads already established. My ideal goal was to have something locked in by April 1st, but my more reasonable/attainable goal (or so I thought) would be to have something set by May 1st. Well as you can tell from my tone, May 1st is here and as it is 6:00 PM will most likely come to pass with no positive resolution.

This has had me very down all week, and while I started Monday with a great positive attitude, that has quickly gone down hill as the days have passed. A few call backs that I have been waiting on have failed to materialize and a couple of leads that I was hoping for have turned into potential call backs for a future month. Next week will mark three months that I have been out of work, and while I shouldn't be complaining that I get to lounge around, go to the gym when I want, take in an afternoon coffee, etc, there is a point from an emotional (and a financial) standpoint that one feels the needs to become a productive member of society once again. I am at the point where, while not giving up on my dream, I do need to seriously reassess the current situation and possibly target new strategies or opportunities.

While this landmark date in my quest and search does leave me with great anxiety, I would be amiss if I didn't comment on the good things that did happen today. This morning I did have an interview, albeit informational, with a great company and I feel I made a good connection for potential collaboration later on. (Ie. They don't have any jobs now, but if things open up...... Sounds familiar!!!) Then this afternoon, I reconnected with a friend from High School who I haven't seen in almost 10 years and had a really wonderful lunch and conversation in the Embarcadero. (Thanks Jen!) Then this afternoon, I had a great workout in the gym and now get to watch my favorite show (LOST!) this evening. So in the spirit of Optimism Prime, I am trying hard to focus of the positives, but this week has definitely been difficult.

As for what's coming up, tomorrow is a work day so there is still the possibility that I might hear some back from some potential companies. I'm also excited to check out the Iron Man movie (an amazing 95% positive review percentage on the Tomatometer) and then next week I fly back home (again) to see Mel and go off to my sister's graduation, and a friend's wedding. I will of course keep you updated as things move forward, but cross your lucky sticks for me, and I hope that the next time I blog I may have more positive news for you. Till then.....I will blog with you later.

-A slightly dejected Nice Guy-

Finally! A Good Monday Morning

2008-04-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

My dear readers I think this is going to be a good week. No, unfortunately I don't have any job news right now, other than an interview coming up later this week. But regardless I feel this will be a excellent week. Last night before going to bed, I commented that there was an electric buzz in the air. It was the energetic feeling one get when things seem to be in alignment in his area of the world. It's like what you might get on a beautiful summer afternoon or at the end of a college year where everything feels, if even just for a fleeting moment, all right and positive. This was the great mood that I felt at the end of last night and that I went to bed with.

This morning upon waking, I went for a great run. (Editor's note: My foot is feeling better, so I wanted to test it out before my follow-up appointment with the podiatrist today.) I ran my longest distance since moving, just over 9 miles, and while it wasn't my best run, I felt good that I had accomplished the distance. When I returned to my apartment I found someone on my deck doing something I assumed would never happen. Yes the gentleman on my deck right now as I type this for you is painting the previously unpainted deck you have taken so much pleasure in reading about. So there you go, a good run and a painted deck. If that's not an indication that this will be a good week....then I don't know what is! Now if only the phone would ring...... Till Next Time! I will blog with you later.

-Nice Guy SMA-

Things That Annoy Me Vol. 3: Ruda McObnoxsia

2008-04-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

This my friends is a special edition of Things That Annoy Me. It is special because this topic hasn't been brewing like my unpainted deck (STILL UNPAINTED!), but rather is about something so obnoxious that it vaulted right into my exclusive minima-list. (Get it....minimal list).

On Saturday when I went to the gym to do a some stationary bike workout. (My foot is still on the road to recovery, so no running for the time being) I heard some loud talking. I had seen a few people in the gym from the window and figured that some friends were there and chatting. This was not the actuality. What I came to find was the most obnoxious lady I have seen in recent memory. (Ms. Ruda McObnoxsia) This lady was in the gym working out while on her hands free device having a full on conversation and conversing at the top of her lungs. While this would have been rude even if she had been by herself, I could have at least excused her act if she was alone. But no, there were about two other people working out while she was there chatting like she had the room to herself. I quickly put on my headphones trying to block her out, but could still hear her for the next 5-10 minutes until she had enough and left.

I could not believe she would do that like no one else was there. It was downright rude and idiotic. The gym is no place to converse at the top of your lungs. I was surprised no one said anything; of course I didn't say anything either, so who knows. I just know that if she tried to do that back East, she would have been thrown out of the gym on her....well...hands free device.

So my dear readers if you ever go to the gym and use that time to have a conversation instead of working up a sweat, be prepared to get dirty looks because you will have just joined the club of the obnoxious.

-A Slightly Annoyed Nice Guy-

A Night in a Real Bed or Land of Confussion: Moving Day Part II

2008-04-24T16:37:00.001-07:00

This morning, all of my life possessions arrived safe and sound having made the 2,926 mile journey from New York to California. (Which Google Maps says should only take you 1 day and 19 hours....hmmmmm). Now I am confronted with a new challenge in this moving experience, well, two actually.

How to unpack all of this stuff and know where to put everything
How to deal with actually having possessions again.

I will be honest, while I am very happy for a real bed, I did actually become quite comfortable leaving a very simple life. Yes I had my computer and TV, but that was about it. No need for much furniture, no decorative items, just me and the basics. Now I have so much stuff again and everything seems so cluttered. Of course, that could be because of the 70+ boxes sitting in the middle of the room! While I will get everything away and live once again as a person with items, I must say that I really enjoyed the experience of not having much because it taught me about how little we actually need. The experience allowed me to strip away to the basics for the most part and know that in the future maybe we don't need as many possessions as the consumer culture says that you do. Well that's all for now.....I'm just going to sit back on my couch now and fantasize about my future flat screen TV....KIDDING!!......well....maybe. =)

-Nice Guy-

Wednesday: My Day for C & Cs

2008-04-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

In the overall scope of my 28 1/2 years, I am not exactly sure where Wednesday falls in my love of life. I can tell you that Friday is clearly my favorite day of the week (and yes I was born on a Friday) and Tuesdays are hands down my least favorite day of the week. Yes, I dislike Tuesdays even more than Mondays and slightly more than Sundays. At least on Sunday you have the day off, and football and on Mondays you have the external hope of a new week, a new chance, a new you. But Tuesdays.....well....nothing! The best explanation for the Tuesday phenomenon that I ever heard was in college when a friend was reflecting on drinking. Mondays, you drink because it is Monday and you need to get over the agony of the week starting again. Wednesdays you drink because it is hump day and you are now on the downward swing of the week. Thursday is Little Friday, Friday and Saturday are obvious, and Sunday you drink to prepare yourself for another long week. My friend concluded that the only night not to drink is Tuesday because there is not really a reason for a drink, Tuesday just is!

But since moving and being out of work, my love for the different days of the week have shifted. Friday has to a degree become my least favorite day of the week, which I think I addressed in my Two Month Review. Simply because businesses tend not to call and/or interview on Fridays and the majority of my friends still have that work thing going on. Tuesdays aren't really a negative since it feels like every other day of the week and Monday and Thursday just sort of blur together. Aside from weekends, Wednesday now stands out as my favorite and most anticipated day of the week. Why is that? Well it is because Wednesday is my day for C & Cs: Coffee and Comics.

Yes.....I take whatever little joys I can get in this simple life of mine and on Wednesday I have set up a very nice routine in the middle of the afternoon of taking enjoyment in a luxuriously long mid-day coffee. I walk down to Alameda's local grind: Javarama and bring with me a magazine or my laptop and sit, chill out, and relax for an hour or so. (As an editor's note: I must say that Starbucks is replacing Javarama for the next few weeks because of their new Pike's Place coffee, which is realy quite good and more importantly the fact that said coffee is free on Wednesdays for the next month with coupon.)

After chilling out at the coffee house, I walk a few blocks down and pick up whatever newly released comic is on my list. Upon returning home, I break open said comic, and enjoyed a few moments of childhood nonsense. As for comics, I have already admitted that I am a geek, so I can't really receive any more flack, plus the way I look at it, I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't gamble, it is my one little vice each week and it makes me feel like an innocent kid again. Plus, supposedly comics are cool again, but I probably would avoid making that argument to the big jock I see in the gym every day.

So there you have it: The simple things in life which give us pleasure. And so in the middle of the week, I find my pleasure in coffee and comics, which when thinking about this afternoon just brings a smile to my face. Till Next Time!

-Nice Guy SMA-

Question of the night: Will I be successful?? (Time 100 or Top Tiger of the Month)

2008-04-21T22:20:00.000-07:00

At some point today, the day turned into one of those introspective days that we all get. The days where you start to wonder what the hell you are doing or what your place is in this whole scheme of things. I should of course preface by stating that I have lived a very wonderful, amazing, and fortunate life up till this very moment and beyond. I am married to the most spectacular, caring, loving, and kind person I have ever met. I have friends who believe in me and support me (for the most part), and a family that is right behind me every step of the way. In the practical sense, I have been successful through this point and know that if life continued down the path that it is taking, I will be very happy and confident in the meaningful actualities that I have accomplished.

I guess where my rambling thoughts come from tonight are based more in the superficial. The glamorized, eye-popping version of success. This of course brings forth a very difficult debate as to what the actual definition of superficial success is? It is my belief that true inter-personal and emotional success comes from making an impact on the individual level; friends, family, loves, and self-understanding. But from the superficial, the question is a bit harder to answer. Is success based on fame, money, acknowledgment or publication? Is a tabloid darling more superficially successful because he/she is photographed and paid large sums of money for appearances or is the working person that has actually accomplished something tangible more successful in the scheme of things?

For me: I have always wanted to be known in some capacity. I think this stems from my hidden narcissism which I wrote about a few blogs ago. This relates to why I used to anchor (or co-anchor) my high school's television station, very slightly why I am in this career path of mine (the overall reason is of course because of my love for film) and maybe even to a degree why I am writing this blog. When annual articles come out like the Time 100 I always squirm a little wondering what I can accomplish that will one day make me memorable or even recognized as a neat trivia fact. For example I learned today that the creator of the television series Scrubs is an alumnus of my high school. In the actual concept of true emotional and personal success this is almost meaningless, but it is pretty damn cool none-the-less. And when thinking about the Time 100 for example, 100 people is .00003% of the U.S. population (assuming they are all Americans, which I am sure they are most likely not.) Even if 100 new people are chosen each year and the population doesn't change, that is only .003% of the population over 100 years! The point here is that this is extremely rareified air and one which does not come to the 99.99997% of the American population. Yet there is still that feeling as to why those specific people were able to make the list and what choices they made that allowed them to reach that point and separate themselves from all others.

In certain instances, I use networking sites like Linkedin or even marginally Facebook/Myspace, etc to see what others that I know have been able to accomplish and wonder where our paths will be 10/20/30 years down the line. In the end, who will be the one that will be able to proclaim the most accolades and who in truth will be the happiest. I think at the end of the day, the winner will probably be the person with the happy, healthy, and loving family, but alas that isn't sexy enough for this superficial version of glamorized success.

I guess ultimately, feeling like this is good from the sense that it drives me to do my best and not settle for simply average. Of course it also brings moments like this at the end of the day where I question if I will be able to take that next leap. I should also add that this especially relevant when I am unemployed, heavily searching for my next gig, and left with way too much to think about nonsense like this.

In the end, I know I am very happy with what I have accomplished and what I have in my life currently. I just have that little glowing orb of energy, which I am sure we all do, that wants to break through and accomplish something different, unique, and memorable----even if it is as trivial and worldly-unimportant as creating a TV series. Till that day comes and you read about me from a pen other than my own, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars! (BAM!! Casey Kasem and Coolio shoutouts in back-to-back blogs. Aww Yeah!) Alright then...I will blog with you later.

-Nice Guy-

Two Month Review (Plus Things That Annoy Me: Vol. 2)

2008-04-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

Yeah my dates are a little fuzzy, but this is as good a time as any to say it's been two months. I moved out here on the 12th of February, I moved into the apartment on the 22nd, and started life on my own on the 25th. So it's all in the ballpark. As for some quick hits on the top of my mind:

The weather has been colder/windier than I was expecting for the past month. Not cold per se, not even close. But definitely colder than I would have figured and colder than the first month.
The job search process in the film industry really takes a long time. I'll go into further detail down below, but to give you an idea, a contact and friend of mine told me that when he was searching he was going after a job for six months before he was turned down! Yowzer!
Not having a job makes it really easy to get to the gym. I don't want to say I'm in the best shape ever....not just yet....but I am definitely getting into great shape.
The Bay Area is a really great place and people are pretty chill. Having gone back to NY since moving out here, I think I can say that as of now I really prefer it out here. I'm not hating NY, we're just going through a rough patch right now.
The Oakland Airport is much nicer than I would have expected. I have only flown out and into it once, but really enjoyed the travel experience.
Lastly, having a subscription to MLB.TV is the coolest thing in the world. (Thanks Adam!) Now I can watch the Yankees whenever I want and the quality is really good as well.

At this two month mark, I am feeling the need to really assess where I am and what the next steps are for this fantastic voyage. Slide slide slippity-slide I do what I do just to survive (Oh yeah Coolio!) As you can tell I am loving it out here and having the best time that I can with all of this time on my hands and my love across the country.

The job search is moving along, I have made ins with all of the major studios in the area, I had my third interview this past week and I should have another coming up next week. Both of my top choice companies are still very much possibilities. One needs to get some work awarded to them and then I should be in. The other just needs to make a decision and from talking with the lead recruiter that should happen at the end of this week and I still seem to be their top choice. I'm not ready yet to make a prediction as to whether I will be working by May 1st or not. I sure hope, but that is still up in the air.

This long job search process however gets me to one of the things that do annoy me. I guess you could call it Volume 2 on my list of things that get under my skin. (By the way---deck---still not painted!) This industry that I am in is very unique and unlike many others. While individual positions may have similar qualities to other industries, the film industry itself and the job search process is very independent of others. Sure jobs are posted on some company websites, but for the most part people are hired based on reputation and contacts. The cliche is really true in that it is whom you know. Each of the interviews I have gotten and all of the contacts I have made have been from networking and getting some help from either someone on the inside or a friend of someone at the company. As I have been in touch with every major studio, and have been interviewing and making potential future contacts, I feel that I am doing a pretty darn good job at this search. So what annoys me is when certain people from other industries ask me whether I am going to start looking for other options or backup plans. I am only two months in and not even close to the 6 months that my friend had to go through. So please, let me do what I am doing and when I am ready to move to plan B, I will blog about it. However, that might not be for a bit.

Ok.....I think I just vented. Could be the affect of the Beer I'm drinking as I write this. (BTW: Black Toad Ale--Damn Good!) As for other things....I will admit that I have reached a point where I am starting to run out of things to do. My Mondays are always busy because I have a full set of networking to do's that are dependent per week as well as a number of household chores. But as the week moves forward I progressively run out of things as I wait for call backs and emails. While most people love Fridays, I will say that they are probably my least favorite day of the week because most companies don't make job calls on a Friday and I have done most of my weekly networking emails. Also, as I am limited on money, I am trying not to go out too often or be too extravagant. However soon I will have my Wii, and then I will be having fun! Aww yeah!

I know last month, I mentioned that I was having trouble with the lack of structure. I feel I have gotten past this. I have been pretty strict about my workouts as well as maintaining a to do list. Of course as mentioned above, I am running out of to do's, but am trying to just stay chill, read a bit more and roll with the free time that won't come again once I do start working. I did go to the meetup.com group, but trying to keep down costs, I haven't been back since. Good group, but for right now I'll stay local and cheap.

Trying to wrap this ramble up, I would say that Month Two has been much more successful than Month One. I feel the job search moving positively, I am adjusting to the slower pace, and my workouts have been great. Since I am a tough grader, I will keep Month Two at a B+, but a much higher B+ than Month One and close to an A-. I'm keeping it a bit lower because that only gives me room to go up from here, and not having a job is a bit of a drag. So there you go....two months down and many more to go. Hopefully this week will bring good news, which of course I will let you know about. Alright, till the next update keep rolling down the street!

-Scott-

P.S. As for a running update: I do have a bunion, which I will need to get treated, but for now am running through it and hitting my best runs ever. I want to get my mileage up a little higher, but need to find some new routes in order to do so. Alright....Rock and Roll!

Moving Day

2008-04-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

I have been absent for a week from the blogosphere, so where have I been? Living it up in some exotic locale or under such heavy stress from my non-existent job. No...I traveled this past weekend back to NY/LI for one last trip to see my lovely Mel and to finish her pack up the apartment for moving day.

I got in on Saturday morning taking the "What If I have a Job" Red-Eye and realizing that next time I am just booking a flight that works best for me and not my non-employer. From Saturday through Sunday, Mel and I spent time together and celebrated our Eight Years of being together (That would be today for all you anniversary freaks, myself included!) Originally I was going to go back on Sunday night, but with no job and only a doctor's appointment on my To Do list, I changed my flight to stay through Tuesday. Best thing I could have ever done.

You see, Tuesday was moving day. Now this was my first ever true move. I moved into different campus apartments in college, but they came furnished and all I needed to do was load up the car with my personal effects. When I moved in with Mel, I was just moving my personal stuff for the most part as she had lived in the apartment for about a year and a half prior. This was the first time that I had a major assortment of owned furniture and items to move. I will say that the move went super smoothly and the only reason it did so is because my amazing and wonderful wife spent so much time over the past month and a half packing and getting things ready while I job searched and live a Californian life. Without her, it would have been disastrous and for that I am so grateful.

On Tuesday morning, the movers arrived and began packing all of our life possessions into a frakking huge 18-wheeler. It was very weird seeing everything that you own taken by someone else and packed away. All the memories and experiences just packed up into a truck and shipped off. It was oddly enough a very emotionally draining experience. But now all of our stuff is on the road and by the end of next week, it all should arrive here in Cali. That being said, I have adjusted very well to only having one chair, a foot table, a TV, and an air bed. Now I am going to have to figure how to put everything that we own into this apartment. While I actually think that this place can hold more and is a little more spacious than our place in LI, it will be strange and I have adjusted myself to the simple life I am now living in. That will definitely be an interesting experience.

As you can guess, I am now back out west and very happy to be here. I will go back one more time in three weeks for the wedding of one of my great friends and my sister's graduation. Speaking of which, my sister got into grad school at Columbia and is being awarded with an honor for being the best student in her under-grad program. So that is all wonderful and great news. I tried to convince her to come out west, but maybe for the sake of our sibling relationship, it's best we stay coasts apart!!

In job search news, had another interview this week and all other offers are still potentially on the table. Should hear something next week, but then again I say that every week. But as of now, there haven't been any no's. That my friends is a very good thing.

Alright....so moving day is done and now Cali life begins again in full swing. I will blog again this weekend with a two-month recap and fill you in with some more info. Have a great weekend and I will blog with you soon!

-Nice Guy SMA-

The Return of Optimism Prime

2008-04-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

Ok…..I’m a dork. I know that and if you’re reading this blog, you probably already know that too or at the very least are quickly learning that fact.

For many years, I would have considered myself the eternal optimist. I always felt that things would work out for the best and that life would turn in a positive direction. I was a happy child, constantly curious, but also content in the surroundings that I had been given. I knew that the future would be bright and tried my hardest not to worry over the small stuff.

In college, I tried to continue my optimistic trend. I was happy, go lucky, but I was also becoming more aware of the world around me for better and for worse. As my awareness of global politics grew, I began to see the inequities of the world and the issues that people less fortunate than myself faced. This awareness began to seep into my own emotions, but I tried as hard as I mightily could to not let this growing understanding affect my outlook on my own daily issues. Then 9/11 occurred. I don’t want to dwell on this for any longer than I already have, but that day plus my own impeding graduation into the real world definitely had an impact on my daily view.

I became more of a cynic, outwardly proclaiming the failings of the world and seeing little to be positive about. My own political persuasion became more pronounced causing me to decry the current situation and the shining optimism that I once had morphed to a degree. I still felt that things would work out for me, but this belief was now based on my own confidence and arrogance, if you will, than on an optimistic belief that things would simply work out.

After graduating, I also moved to New York City. While I do love the city very much, New York is a very “real” place. That’s what makes it so charming, but also what makes it so tough. The city is not, in my opinion, for dreamers. The city is gritty, the city is honest, the city is realistic. You know who you are, and you know what others think about you immediately. Things in New York work out because you make them work out, not because there is a greater force giving a little push.

While there, I worked for a company where the pertaining wisdom was to assume that everything others did was wrong, and to make sure you do it right. Good advice for someone in production, but definitely a draining way to live life. Every day was hard; it wore on me and wore on my soul. My matrix was removed and I felt my spirit fading to grey. (Who else is a dork and understood that reference!)

Well, now I have moved! It is my goal to use this move to change the way I view my daily life. I understand that there are a lot of problems in the world and in our own society, but I am re-learning how to separate my awareness and my desire for altruistic change from my own personal and internal feelings. I am once again stopping to enjoy a “joyful” moment each day and using that to fill my daily outlook. I find myself smiling again, slowing down to enjoy things, and not worrying if certain specifics aren’t exactly how I would have scripted them. This has especially helped in the job search. I came out here thinking that I would be working by this point. Maybe just a year ago I would have been frustrated about my situation, angry in my actions, and negative in my daily view. Now I am trying hard to find the positive in each situation and know that things will work out for the best. Like the Autobot in Chief, I feel restored and I feel that optimism returning. Some days are easier than others, but ultimately I am remembering that there are many ways we can look at life, and feel that looking at life with a positive mindset helps to keep a smile on the face, and the day moving forward.

In the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

“The essence of optimism is that it takes no account of the present, but it is a source of inspiration, of vitality and hope where others have resigned; it enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself and not to abandon it to his enemy.”

So to all of you, I hope you don’t let each day drag you down, and you keep a positive spirit in all you do. Just my thought, but one, that makes me smile. All my best and I will blog with you later.

-Nice Guy SMA-

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

2008-04-08T09:02:00.001-07:00

Congratulations Kansas! It was an amazing game including a tying, overtime inducing 3-point shot with 2.1 seconds to go. Then it was all KU in overtime and thus their first championship since 1988. A great game, and a good team winning. My bracket was completely busted weeks ago, so I had no true rooting interest, but I have always liked KU and have a good friend who is an alumnus of Kansas, so it was nice to see. Plus, just to prove how awesome she is, my wife did indeed pick KU as the champion a week or so before the brackets were even announced, so way to go Mel! Alright, blog with you later.

-Nice Guy SMA-

Things That Make Me Laugh: Jack Cafferty is Crazy

2008-04-07T15:41:00.000-07:00

It is not my intention to turn this blog into a political blog, I know better than to do that. However I am a politically minded person and I enjoy watching CNN each day. Since I don't have a job and have a lot of time on my hands, I do get watch CNN more than usual. My favorite news program has to be The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, who has the most killer name in all of TV if I do say so myself. But I bring this up because each day that I do turn in to watch The Situation Room, I get the treat of seeing Jack Cafferty. I don't know a whole lot about him, but Jack Cafferty is a commentator that Wolf will go to throughout the broadcast and he offers an Andy Rooneyesque essay for the day/segment/etc. This in itself is nice, and a good portion of the broadcast.

However, it gets better because Jack Cafferty is crazy. There is no other way around it....he is a crotchety older man who is stubborn and loud. Just last week, I watched him tell a viewer who had responded to an email question, that she was wrong and dumb and that most viewers are idiots. It makes for very entertaining television. He just cracks me up and puts a smile on my face. While I couldn't find the said clip, I did find this, which is pretty reflective of why I love Jack Cafferty and all his craziness.

Runner's Lungs -- Achieved!!

2008-04-04T12:18:00.003-07:00

Alright so I think I am finally in full running shape. My runs are getting smoother, my times are getting faster, and at the end of a run I still feel like I could keep going. Today I had a great run of about 7 miles and figure that my time was in the 7:30/mile range. It of course helps that this town is completely flat, but I am hitting some of my fastest times and best miles ever. The only issue as of now is a nagging foot injury that seems to be bothering me. I may get in checked out soon, and it hasn't hampered my running too badly, but there is some pain after the fact, especially when driving.

I want to continue to work up to a good 10-11 miler, but am slightly hesitant because of the foot problem. I will keep you updated. Otherwise, all is well, and Running Scott is fully back in business. Till next time.

Things That Annoy Me Vol 1: My Unpainted Deck

2008-04-02T10:27:00.003-07:00

Right now as I am in the job search process, my daily routine is fairly simple. I usually wake up around 8:00 in the morning, go to the gym, come back and then get to some job searching. I write some emails to networking contacts, apply for any newly posted jobs, and try to research as best I can. On a good day, I will get a phone call to discuss employment opportunities and on a great day I will have an interview. But on most days, I do the above routine which takes me at most into the very early afternoon and allows me the opportunity to enjoy a luxuriously long mid-day coffee. This is the routine: there is really nothing more that I can write about it. I am enjoying the time off, but alas it does not lead to many a exciting blog entry.

So with my said routine, I am forced to turn to other subject matters to entertain my dear reader. While I can wax philosophical at times, I do not feel like doing such on this very day. So I will turn to another matter, something that has gotten under my skin. And while it is my goal to try and let things not bother me as much as they used to while I was in New York, this one thing does very much annoy me; it is the story of my unpainted deck!

Right after I moved into the apartment in this lovely island town of Alameda, I was informed that renovations would be happening around the complex. Ok....this is good. I like the idea of keeping up the appearance of a place that I am spending good money on. So for the first two weeks I prepared as the work crew fix up my building. They put plastic sheets over each of my windows, wrapped up all of my neighbor's deck furniture (as I do not have any furniture at this point, there was no need to wrap up anything on my part) and began to paint the walls of the buildings and each individual deck.

Upon completion, and the removal of the plastic window covering, not only did I once again receive sunlight in my apartment, but I received the joy of having a beautifully painted deck and building. It really did look better than before and I was happy that I was able to appreciate the comparison of the before and after. Well what happened next is what irks me....what inspires this blog posting.

After completing the painting, the maintenance crew went through each of the buildings and marked off all the pieces of wood that were damaged, unsturdy, or just simply needed to be replaced. Unfortunately, my deck was declared a deviant and had to be completely replaced. So one mid-afternoon, perhaps while I was enjoying my luxurious coffee break, my entire deck was torn apart and replaced with newly sturdy but unpainted pieces of wood. This was about two or three weeks ago. Since that time, no one has come back to paint the deck or even acknowledge whether it will be painted.

Now going back to my daily routine, each morning when I go to the gym or just even want to leave the building in the direction behind my apartment, I look up and see a beautifully painted building and seven beautifully painted and finished decks. And then I notice one that comes straight out of the song, "One of these is not like the other things. One of these things does not belong." Yes that would be my unpainted deck and the reason for my annoyance and this blog post today. May it hopefully be painted soon or may I come to learn and love my unpainted deck. That is all. Blog with you later.

-Nice Guy SMA-

All is Right in My World Today

2008-03-31T10:05:00.005-07:00

After a long cold winter season, Spring has finally returned! Today, the 26-time World Champion 37-time League Champion, Greatest Sports Team in History returns. Yes! Today, the Yankees season starts again! The feeling of hope and new life is back and all that I love is back on the playing field. Oh how I love the Yankees! May the Run to 27 begin today!!!

Update (10:10 AM PT): There is a rain delay. UGH! Why can't New York have beautiful weather like the Bay!!

Update (11:30 AM PT) GRRRR!!! Stupid Rain! The games has been postponed till tomorrow night. Guess I know what I will be doing tomorrow.

Update (2:00 PM PT) Well at least I got a good game out of the rain delay. Instead of my beloved Yanks, I got to watch Royal-Tigers which ended up going into the 11th inning. The Royals won 5-4 over the Tigers. So while it was no Yankees game, it was enjoyable to see baseball yet again.

Update (April 1, 2008 7:00 PM PT) Ok, so that's annoying. ESPN didn't cover the make-up game, so I was left with watching the pitch-by-pitch play update online. Not the most enjoyable way of seeing the Yankess opener. But the Yankees did win 3-2 and on their way to a 27th title!

The Job Search

2008-03-26T11:38:00.002-07:00

While I do love the picture of Ty Rogers from Western Kentucky, and just got a joy out of it leading off the blog. I think it is time to post again. Western Kentucky has of course gone on to the Sweet 16, but is facing UCLA, who I have in the finals, so I hope there will be no more photos. If they do win however, I promise another Ty Rogers or Western Kentucky picture. (For those who want to know, Western Kentucky is in Bowling Green, KY which is almost where Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky meet up. Geography lesson of the day.)

But onto the new post.....as y'all know I moved out West without a job. With savings, tax returns, and other sources, we have been doing ok, but money has never been the point. One of the key reasons for the move was to make the transition to my true passion of features and move away from the advertising world, which while great in its own accord was just not for me. So far things have been going alright......I had an interview a few weeks ago, which I am still waiting to hear back from and had an amazing (informational) interview on Thursday. I say informational because the company doesn't have any openings at the moment, but if awarded some projects will have need and has mentioned they would like to bring me aboard.

As you know, I don't like to mention company names because I hate talking about the stigma of some companies I am going after and also don't want any blowback from all of the confidentiality agreements that I sign.

When I came out west, my goal was to have a job by the beginning of April. I figured that I would be networking everyday, going on a few interviews a week and things would fly together. Now I am getting a better sense for the pace. The feature world seems to move slower than I am use to. In advertising, you had two weeks for a project (if lucky) and you need to be staffed up immediately, and job postings were filled as quick as can be. With features, the projects take months and years, not weeks and so there is more time to make sure the position is filled properly and with the right candidate.

So while I have only been on two interviews, I do feel things opening up. Just this week, I received a call from another company that is looking to bring people on, I have another informational interview next week with a B-List company. (Work is still work) and have just recently made ins with at least three more top shelf companies. So while I now am ready to acknowledge I most likely won't have a job by April 1st, things are definitely moving forward.

So there we go....it's partially a waiting game and this point, and always a networking game. It's who you know as the adage goes, and my network is increasing by the day. So wish me all the best, I will of course let you know when something becomes official and as always, I will blog with you later.

-Nice Guy SMA-

Madness Baby Madness!!

2008-03-22T09:31:00.003-07:00

After yesterday's more introspective and solemn post, I thought I would blog about something a little more light hearted. Perhaps, something crazy and wild.....no those are the wrong adjectives. Perhaps something......MAD.....yes that's more like it. It is March Madness my friends, the best three weeks in sports for the entire year. Sure the NFL playoffs come close, but nothing matches the intensity, madness, and heartbreak of the NCAA tournament. Do you know that so many people get invested in the tournament that businesses project that they lose $3.8 billion in lost productivity. That's just crazy...I declare a holiday! At least for the opening two days (which were yesterday and Thursday). I was fortunate as I did not have to work and actually got to watch every one of the games.

This year was truly a case of Madness. The opening games on Thursday were boring as could be. Beside for a Duke nailbiter. which could have been the upset of the decade, no Cinderella teams emerged other than the 11th-seeded Kansas State Wildcats with arguably the best player in the country beating the 6th seeded (and perhaps too highly ranked) USC Trojans. At the end of Thursday, the prognosticators were looking at their brackets with a huge smile. Where were the upsets? Where the stories from '08 that we would tell to our grandchildren one day? Nothing happened. And then came Friday!

Yesterday 10th seeded Davidson upset 7th seeded Gonzaga (which I will argue is a larger upset than KSU over USC) to start things off and then things crumbled. First it was your always expected 12-5 upset with two 12 seeds winning. 12th seeded Western Kentucky upset 5th seeded Drake with a 3-point basket at the buzzer in overtime. That is what madness is about. Then 12th seeded Villanova proved that they and the Big East belonged in the tournament with an upset over 5th seeded Clemson. But that was not the true bracket-busters. No....a 12-5 upset while crazy can sometimes be expected....no it's the following that makes this a mad world. Two 4 seeds went down yesterday. 13th seeded Sienna upset 4th seeded Vanderbilt. And in the heartbrake of heartbrakes, my second favorite team (next to The Orange of course), the 4th seeded UConn Huskies were upset in overtime by one-measly point by 13th seeded San Diego. Oh it is soooo painful!

But that is why you have to love March Madness. Today's set of games are actually very good if not a bit predictable due to the lack of upsets on Thursday. But tomorrow, you will have two games where a 13 seed will face a 12 seed. Who would have thought!!! As for me, I only got 20 out of the 32 teams right and lost 3 of my Sweet 16 teams. I'm hoping the upsets were the same for everyone, but my chances this year....not so much.

Anyhow.....have a wonderful day, enjoy the games and I will blog with you later.

-Nice Guy SMA-

P.S. As for a training update: I had an amazing workout week. Ran in total about 15 miles this week with a full 10K yesterday that included my best mile interval ever. I also got back to the gym Tuesday-Thursday and had some great workout. Plus I am now back on the legal-supplement of Muscle Milk! So things are going well. Now I just need to get the job things moving forward!

The Fragility of Life

2008-03-21T15:45:00.002-07:00

This blog entry will be a bit more solemn than most so I promise that I will try to keep it on the shorter side.

Today while at Good Friday Mass, the priest made mention about a young man who was killed this past Saturday night in a hit-and-run accident more or less right outside of my apartment complex. While running the other day, I had notice a memorial wreath and was curious as to what it was for, not realizing what had happened just a few days earlier.

After hearing this story, I immediately thought of a friend of mine, Graham Dickinson, who was also tragically killed in a traffic accident while walking. This August will be the 10-year anniversary of his passing. His death was tough for me because he was a friend, younger than me, that was so full of life in everything that he did. I think his passing in part with my going away to college made me a much more religious person than I was previously. At every mass still to this day, I still say a prayer for him and try to remember the spirit of life that he kept with him everyday. His tragic passing made me appreciate the fragility of life and made me think about how things can end so suddenly such as with the young man this past weekend.

So, on this Good Friday. I ask everyone to stop and enjoy the moment for which they are living in. As the famous song in Rent quotes: "No Day, but Today." Let go of any anger or grudges that you may hold and make sure that those whom you love know that you love them. This is one of the hardest things in life to do because we always feel as if we will get another chance. But as is the case with Good Friday, life is fragile and we must make the most of every single day that we have. Thank you for letting me have this moment and my love to all of you.

-Scott-

Rock On!

2008-03-19T11:36:00.003-07:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to get out of the house, meet some new people and get back into indoor rock climbing which I haven't done in a few years. As I mentioned below, I have been feeling a bit socially isolated so I joined up with Meetup.com and found a group that was doing some Indoor Rock Climbing in Berkeley at a place called The Ironworks. It was a good time. Got there around 7:00, and after some initial confusion over whether I needed to take a certification class, I was able to get up and start climbing. I used to go often when I was younger and a little bit over the summers during college when I worked in New Mexico. But recently haven't and I figured it would be a good way to get back and meet some new people. We did 4 different routes, the toughest of which was a 5.9 According to the Yosemite Decimal System (It's kinda like Dewey's crazy stoner cousin) a 5.9 is listed as "The move has only one reasonable hold which may be for either a foot or a hand." The first of the 5.9's I did, I only got about 1/2 way up, but on the second one I make it up to the top and did it pretty quickly.

It was also nice to meet new people. There were three people there and they said that they would try to keep Tuesday nights for East Bay climbing. While I may need to wait till I have some money before I go frequently, I think I will check it out again. It was a good time...nice to meet some new people and a great exercise...my hands are still sore today. Speaking of sore....just to explain my Scott luck.....after all my climbing, I tried to do some bouldering (which is basically climbing, without a rope for safety). I climbed an easy course, made it to the top and then on my climb down smashed and I mean SMASHED my funny bone into a handhold. My right arm was tingling for an hour afterwards and is stll tender this morning. Saved the best for last right!

Anyhow....good times and a good excuse to get out of the house. Blog with you later.

-Nice Guy SMA-

Month in Review

2008-03-17T21:36:00.002-07:00

Ok.....so technically it's like Five Weeks in Review, but the month mark sounds so much more catchy. Yes, I have been out here for just over a month and will be going into my sixth week starting tomorrow. As for some initial thoughts:

The weather is beautiful....the coldest day was this past Saturday and it was 51 degrees. Yes 51, and people were all bundled up saying how cold it was.
Living near the beach is great and I get such a great sunset each night, which makes for a pleasurable walk/run.
Having a gym in the complex (and no job to be at) has made it much easier to work out each week.

Now that being said, I want to use this blog to sort of review where I'm at, where I thought I would be at, and where to go from here. I guess I can start by saying that the distance from Mel is a thousand times harder than I ever thought and I miss her tremendously. Now I'm not saying that just to get some oohs and awws out of the female reader, (Did it work though?! Huh, did it?!) but rather because I thought that the love that we hold would make the time apart difficult but doable like when Mel would go on business trips in the past. The difference of course was that during those past trips, I was working during that day and after a busy day of work I did kind of like the quiet time to myself.

That leads to my next thought. I did think that the job search would be easier. Maybe easy is the wrong word, perhaps I should say that I thought it would be more fruitful. As you know from reading, I have been on one interview which granted was a major interview that I am really pulling for. That being said, that is the only contact I have had...at least until today, when I got a call from another major studio to come in and meet with the head of production. So this feeling of despair which was well thought out prior to today is now shifting to accommodate the recent news. Still, I did expect that I would have been in touch with more people and my network would be larger than it currently is. While I knew it would take time, I thought opportunities would make themselves open to myself other than the constant "available position" postings that I have been answering constantly on company's websites.

Thus being out of work with not much interviewing or networking contact has led to a lack of structure, which I now realize I was unprepared for. While I have found structure in my running and gym routine, that has been at one-hour increments only. I find I am most successful (as I was while working) making lists and setting goals for the day. When I do, like today, I feel much more focussed on what to do. When I don't, my mind wanders, I surf the internet, bum around watching TV, and ultimately see the day slip away like a day a few weeks ago where it was 4:00 before I knew it and had not done anything outside of going to the gym. However even with a detailed list of things to do, there is still a lot of downtime, which I am trying to prevent from going astray into worthless activities. I enjoy the ability of going out for walks or hanging around town, but am always fearful of getting an important phone call while out in an area that doesn't allow for my best phone conversation skills. It is a tricky balance of not staying in the house constantly mixed with being prepared to email, research, network, and interview if need be.

As for social networking, I have been spending a lot of time with my sister-in-law, which is great and she has been so helpful in helping me get out of the house. I also have been hanging out with a good friend from high school. This has been nice, but I do find myself isolated because of the lack of work. Being in the East Bay has also separated myself a little as most of the people I do know are in the city or somewhere else in the area. This weekend seeing this to be a major drain on my motivation and positive persona, I joined up with Meetup.com to try and meet some new people that are more local to the area. We will see if this works. I am going to an activity this week and the little addition of personal contact will help to keep me motivated.

As for my persona and internal feelings without getting too Dr Phil on you. (Your life is like a Banana......there is an outside layer that people sometimes slip on. You know what I'm saying.) I can immediately feel a change in pace and personality from New York, one that I absolutely love. I pass random people on the street and say hello, and I can get in conversations with people at the store. This has been pleasant. I don't feel an overall stress, but then again I am not working, like I've said before. Where I have failed is that I do find some of my bad habits continuing like the days when I do not accomplish much or I stay inside and on the computer. I find the lack of structure troubling, which has been very difficult. However after a really frustrating Friday, which got me pretty low, I was able to spend the weekend reassessing and I feel that I know what I need to do to move forward more positively and productively.

So there you go. The move I will say was definitely the right choice and while things have not got exactly like I envisioned, there are still a number of good things on the horizon. I should hear from my first interview by this Friday (last Friday I was told I was a top choice, but they still had a few more people to meet) and then I have the other interview on Thursday. Overall, I would give the first month a B+ with definite things to work on and further, and of course getting a job and getting Mel out here will make everything worthwhile. Ok..enough for tonight.

-Scott-

P.S. As for a running update, I had a good 6-mile run today, which felt very good, and got back online to my NikePlus account, which always gives me added motivation.

D'Cha Ever Have One of Those Days? or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Murphy's Law

2008-03-14T22:17:00.005-07:00

Have you ever had one of those freak days where every little chip falls the opposite way? And I'm not talking about a day where everything goes horrifically wrong. No, those you can just cry or sleep off. I'm talking about one of those day, which I'm sure must come around once every few years where the chips fall just a hair in the wrong direction. One of those days where good 'ol Murphy is looking down and just laughing his ass off at all of your misfortune. And you can't be depressed or pissed, just astounded at how everything could have been perfect if not for..... Yeah....well today was my turn.

As you know, my sister had been visiting for the past few days, and while she was here I let her sleep in my room, while I slept in the living room. Last night, I returned to my room and went to set my alarm clock, which Kristen had changed while she was here. I may have been tired or looking at the clock at angle because the alarm which I was positive I set for 7:30 AM was actually set for 1:30 AM. When the alarm goes off, I get up, curiously think for a moment as to why it is so dark and conclude that it must have to do with the change to daylight savings time. Of course that makes sense! I then proceed to move toward the shower until it hits me that I am up six friggin hours early. I reset the alarm and go back to bed. I should have been warned by this.....

When the alarm goes off for real at 7:30, I am so tired that I hit snooze for about 30-45 minutes before stumbling to bed. Now, not having a job has allowed me the luxury of sleeping in and moving at my own pace, but this morning I had a call with a headhunter that I did not want to miss. I had been trying to get in touch with her for the past few weeks and we finally set up a time to talk. She was going to call around 9:00 or so and it would be a great way to start the day. I wanted to get up early so I could go for a run, get back, get dressed and be ready to talk to her. Seeing that I had overslept, I thought I should push the run till later, but my ego ultimately got a hold of me and I thought I could make the run down the beach and back in time. A nice easy 3 1/4 miler with time to spare. What I did not factor in was that I was going to take a quick break in the middle of the run and stop at the post office so I could buy some stamps thus allowing me to mail some bills.

I grabbed my gear, keys, and a credit card so that I could buy the stamps. Halfway through the run, I stopped at the post office and went in to buy stamps. After noticing that the stamp machine did not take cards, I went up to the counter to buy a booklet. After receiving the booklet and being told the cost, I went to pay with my credit card only to be told that I needed to show ID. I tried to plead that I was in the middle of a run and had only brought my Credit Card. The lady would have none of it, and I left the post office empty handed. I finished the run, rushed up to my room and heard my phone beeping. I had missed the headhunter's call by about 5 minutes. I quickly called back and got her voicemail. Needless to say, every call I made went to her voicemail and we never got in touch.

So there I am with no job direction and no stamps. I grab some breakfast, jump in the shower and head back to the post office with both credit card and ID in hand. When I return I find a line almost out the door. I think that since I have my wallet and just need stamps, I can use the non-credit card accepting vending machine. Guess how short in cash I am....$1. So I guess it is the long line for me. I wait in this endless line knowing that I need to get back because I have some job stuff and some moving stuff to accomplish for the day. I wait in line.....and I wait in line...and I wait in line. Eventually as my turn is about to come up, I listen as a lady a few people in front of me goes to order commemorative stamps. She is offered some choices, one of which connects with a job that I am interviewing for. Again, I will leave names out until I hear something, but being the superstitious person that I am, I knew I wanted those stamps. It was my turn and based on the flow I was going to get the counter person who had the stamps! The person she was currently with was finishing up, I was next in line, I was going to get the stamps, all would be set right again, and then she put up a "Register Closed: Next Teller Please" sign and goes to lunch(?). I proceed to the next teller and ask for the commemorative stamps, but he does not have the ones I was hoping for. I ask if he can get me the one the lady has, but I am told that he can only sell me what is in his drawer. I ask if he could switch out with the lady's drawer and I am told a "Nope, we can't do that." Great! Now I have Forever Bell Stamps. At least those will be good when the price goes up again.

I return home, and know that I need to accomplish some moving stuff. Since Mel will be coming out in about a month or so, it is now time that I need to finalize the moving of furniture. I call the moving company we have decided to use and am told that my representative has just left for home as she had an early day and that she could get back to me on Monday! Thank you long Post Office line, and thank you Forever Bell Stamps!!

The remainder of the afternoon was pretty uneventful. Some job stuff, watched a movie via Netflix. As night rolled around I had in mind that I would head out to the local coffee shop, read for a little bit and then return to make dinner and finish the night. Not wanting to drink coffee on an empty stomach and deciding that it would be nicer to end the night on some coffee, I made dinner first. After finishing dinner, I cleaned up, washed the dishes, took out the trash and was really looking forward to ending the evening at the coffee house. As I go to the door, my phone rings and I enter into a ridiculously long, and tiring conversation. As I hang up the phone, I look at my watch and notice that the coffee house will close in 15 minutes. And there you go.......

Now to just make this ranting post even more perfect, I finish with the greatest piece of irony I have seen in recent memory and one surely placed forth by Mr. Murphy himself. Everyday I try my best to read from a daily devotional book. I had not yet read from today's reflection at the point just written about and after feeling so defeated from all of the missed opportunities, I felt that this would be the perfect time to recenter. I flip through the book, find today's passage and read:

"I'll believe if I get a sign, people say. We'd be better to say something like I'll know when I get a sign."

So there you have it a day full of signs. For what, I don't know. I just know that I probably don't want to be around when it happens. Murphy you may have won this one, but I still have next week!!!!!

Till next time.....I will blog with you later.

A busy past few days

2008-03-13T18:29:00.003-07:00

I'm going to keep this short and I will write more either tomorrow or this weekend. Just an update as I have been busy over the past few. This past weekend, I went home to New York for my friend's bachelor party. (Hence the posting below) It was a great time, watched the New York Knicks actually play a game and just had a fun time seeing friends, details of which I will not bore you with, since you were either there or don't know most of the people.

I also got to see Melanie this past weekend which was so wonderful and bittersweet due to how short the visit ended up being. Living apart is truly more difficult than I thought, and Melanie, you know I miss you. I will be going back sometime in the next month depending on how the job search goes.

Going back to New York, allowed me to be in the city as a visitor, and I will say that after doing so and then returning, I am so happy on the west coast. I may still be in the honeymoon phase, but I am loving it, which I will write more about later.

After the weekend, I came back west with my sister, which was nice and which gave me the opportunity to explore the Bay Area in some touristy ways I have not yet done. We went to Alcatraz, walked all of the Haight-Ashbury district and saw the "true" fisherman's wharf. The highlight of which had to be a man/street artist, hiding behind branches and flowers disguised as a memorial bouquet, and then jumping out at me and scaring me half to death. Good times.

Yesterday we went up to Napa and drank some great wines. We also ran the gambit of wineries, visiting a winery in a trailer park, literally, and then going to the gaudiest most pretentious winery I have ever been to. Quite the juxtaposition if I say so.

My sister left to head home this morning, and the rest of the day was catching up on a few of the things around the house and continuing the job movement. As I said I will write more shortly and till then, have a great night.

Bachelor Party!

2008-03-07T10:34:00.003-08:00

To steal from my great friend, The Blogger formerly known as T-Shirt Guy J, this weekend I will be heading back to New York to help throw a party for my good college friend. What type of party, well a......

It will be a fun weekend and I am really looking forward to seeing a few of my good college friends, one who I haven't seen in going over a year I believe. Of course, I am counting the seconds until I can see Mel again and am now realizing that while I do ok on my own, the distance is definitely tougher than I had expected, especially when I'm out of work with not much to do each day.

But as for the weekend, it will be a great time filled with, what I like to call the three B's! Get your head out of the gutter..... It will be Bar-B-Que. Basketball, and Booze! First we are going to Hill Country Bar-B-Que, which if you visit New York is a must. Great Texas Style Bar-B-Que. Nothing will ever come close to Dinosaur BBQ, but this is pretty darn good. Afterwards, we will be going to see the lowly New York Knicks in a game against the Portland Trail Balzers, and then it will be a fun night going to some of the New York City bars. I am really looking forward to visiting New York again and taking in some of the night life. I definitely can see myself as being one of those people that say the cliche: "I love to visit New York, but I wouldn't want to live there." I am anxious to visit again and hang out, but ultimately, I am excited about getting back, having Mel finally come out here and truly living up the West Coast life. It will be a great time, and I know that all of us will make sure my friend has a rockin good time.

After the party, my sister is coming back to SF with me. We will be exploring the city, which I haven't really been able to do yet, though I have gone in on a few occasions, and we may take a trip up to Sonoma or Napa for a quick Wine visit. It will be a fun time and it will be nice to have someone living with me for the time being.

In other news: I had a HUGE interview on Wednesday that I think went very well and I am feeling good about my prospects. Now it is just that terrible waiting part. I would really love this to work out, but I will be continuing to look at other places, continue my networking and applying for open positions. So if everyone could just say a word/prayer of good luck for me and hope it all works for the best.

Lastly, a running update: Today I got in a really nice 5 or so mile run and really started to feel better. I'd say I'm at about 70-75% of runner lung capacity. Give it a little bit more and I should be able to really increase the mileage. I also ran to possibly the best running music compilation ever. I ran, as I sometimes do, to the soundtrack from Rocky Balboa: The Best of Rocky. It's all the best music from all of the Rocky movies, including some funny, if not cheesily inspiring dialog interludes. After removing a few of the slower, love songs included in the compilation, it is perhaps the greatest running mix ever. Whenever I need my best run, I turn it on.

So there you have it, a great interview, a good run, and a weekend filled with Tom Hanks and Adrian Zmed.....uh...I mean a fun weekend with friends. Not too bad for a second true week out here on the west coast. Alright time to great ready for the day and catch my flight. I will blog with you later.

-Nice Guy SMA-

Belated Post -- Hike at Mount Diablo

2008-03-05T10:22:00.005-08:00

This blog is a little bit late, so you'll have to forgive me. One activity that I love is being outdoors and hiking, backpacking, camping, etc. As a former Boy Scout, I spent a considerable amount of my weekends grwoing up doing outdoor activities and high adventure sports. From Rock Climbing to Mountain Biking to Water Sports like White Water Kayaking, being outdoors is something I love and makes me feel alive. While I definitely got my fair share of "hikes" living in New York City (walking from 86th street to 23rd street, etc), it wasn't the outdoors life I was looking for. And while living in my Bay town of Port Washington did give me the opportunity to go the beach or play in the beautiful park right near the house, the distance to true hiking and outdoor activities turned me off from that lifestyle.

I'm sure you can figure where this is going as, ultimately, this is a blog about my move west and my personal growth. Thus the proximity to great hiking and outdoor activities was a top draw of the move for me. Everyone knows of Yosemite and Muir Woods, both which I look forward to truly exploring, but there are so many outdoor adventures that I just get excited thinking about all the possibilities that lie ahead. One of these parks is Mount Diablo, which is in Danville, CA. This past weekend I was able to explore a little bit of the park with my sister-in-law and her close friend. Here are some photos from the weekend:

While we did not make the summit because we needed to get back for a previous commitment, it was a great hike and in all we did about 6 miles up and back. It was truly wonderful getting back into nature and being away from society. Ironically, we listened to the "Into the Wild" soundtrack on our way there. We had lunch on top of a beautiful rock formation called Rock City and just had a fantastic day conversing and taking in nature. One of the most interesting pieces of nature that I saw, and that I had never seen before, were these trees:

The tree's bark was almost encased in a second tougher layer of red and almost paint colored bark. It was like the true tree was hidden underneath this cool looking outer layer, which is viewable to most everyone. A protective shell if you will. I'm sure you can see where I can go with the cliched moral of the story. The tougher outer coating protecting the true inner self. So take it for what you will, a very cool piece of nature or a natural representation of the human condition. What I thought had to be the coolest were the parts, like in the second picture where you were able to get a sense of both barks and the true essence of the tree. Ok...I'll leave it at that.

As for today, I have a HUGE interview, so please don't mind me if I run off and prepare for that. As for my running progression: On Monday I ran a nice easy 3 1/2 mile run and started to feel better. Still have a ways to go, so hopefully Friday, after my Tuesday-Thursday routine in the weight room, I will be able to get a nice 4-5 mile run in. I will keep you updated. And this weekend, I head home to see Melanie and help a friend celebrate his bachelor party. Should be good times. Ok....till then. I will blog with you later.

-Nice Guy SMA-

Addendum -- Runner's Lungs

2008-02-29T10:32:00.002-08:00

So I should add that in addition to having not worked out for a few months prior to the move, I haven't run in about three months since I was peaking at consistent 8-10 mile runs. After just getting back from a run this morning, I realize I really need to build up my runner lungs again. Granted I ran about 4 miles or so.....but it sucked, and by that I mean lung bursting, asthma inducing, eye gouging suckage! Man I love running! (And that's the funny part.....I really do.)

Pumping Up....Working Out.....Getting Fit!

2008-02-28T12:42:00.007-08:00

Those of you who know me well, know that I am short (5' 7" on a good day.....and I mean a really good day), fairly skinny/trim, and not that strong. As a friend of mine wrote in his journal when we were back in middle school, "Scott is a great friend, but he is very weak!" I do like to view myself as pretty fit and in exceptional health, but that doesn't change the above assessments.

Clearly this has been a point of some self-consciousness over the years and a self-image issue. I have some thoughts on the deep-seeded subconscious psychoanalytical reasons for this, but I won't bother you with the therapy session now. While I can't affect the height as much as I've tried, and the weight is actually in a very good place (about 14-15% body fat right now, which I would like to reduce to under 10%), I do want to work on getting stronger, fitter, etc.

About two and a half years ago, I signed up for the gym through my previous employer and had the option of going to any New York Sports Club in the area. I found a very nice one right close to Penn Station in New York and began going to that facility. At first I was doing great. For about the first six-seven months, I was going at least twice a week and noticing considerable improvement in my strength and definition. However after these seven months, my dedication started to waiver and the amount of visits decreased until weeks or even months would go by between visits. A lot of this had to do with the increase in my work schedule. As I was advancing within my company it was more and more common for me to be working 12-14 hour days. With the 1 1/4 commute home, I never wanted to go to the gym after work, and by the time I got home and actually relaxed for an hour or so, it was so late that waking up early wasn't what I would call my ideal option. Now I understand that if I really wanted to...I could have gotten up and gone to gym each day. I fully believe in self-responsibility and the fact is that I chose to sleep over getting up early and chose going home after work instead of going to the gym. As The Zep says, "Nobody's fault but mine."

But alas, these late hours were part of the reason that led to my move (a very slight part, but one none-the-less) and when Mel and I were looking for apartments, one of the key factors for me was whether the complex had a gym. Well, the place we chose has a fantastic gym with every piece of equipment that I need/wanted, from free weights to machines. I figure that having a gym like this adds about $100 or so of theoretical money to each month's rent that I was literately throwing away when I was in New York. Now that I have a gym in the complex within a five minutes walk I feel I will be consistently exercising. So far, I have used the gym every single day and with its great hours, plan to keep using it every day even once I start working. This a goal of mine, part of the personal changes I want to make and I plan on keeping it.

I also look forward to being able to run more often. One thing I can say that I am proud of is that I do consider myself to be a runner. Now I should give a quick shout out and say that if you want to read about a true runner, you should check out the blog of one of my best friends, Jared, who is training for the Iron Man. His blog is at: http://tri-guyj.blogspot.com/

Anyhow, back to the real star of this blog. I have been running consistently for about the last year. At my longest I have run around 10-11 miles and at my fastest got up to consistent 7:30-7:45 miles. My goal is to run a half-marathon in the nearby future and to one day run a full marathon. The weather here is beautiful and the layout of the town is perfectly ideal for me to continue and improve on my running.

So there you have it, along with trying to keep myself emotionally and mentally fit, I am also using this move to keep myself physically fit as well. I look forward to keeping you up to date with the progress and hopefully I can blog about some road races in the future. Ok...enough for now. I shall blog with you later.

-Nice Guy SMA-

Big Changes

2008-02-25T18:46:00.007-08:00

Today, I became Californianized. At approximately 4:30 PM Pacific Standard Time, I signed the DMV forms, took a quick picture, and surrendered my New York License. I find it funny that it took me two-plus years of living in New York before giving up my Connecticut identity and when I did, I did so only because I was now married. But upon moving to California, I switched identities within four days of becoming a resident. Yes, my friends I am now a Californian.

Ok.....hold on...back up a minute. I know what you're saying, You're two weeks late in posting a blog and you lead off with a story about the DMV! Well....hear me out...I feel that this story is the perfect introduction to the changes that I am embarking on and the new mindset that I am chasing.

The past two weeks have been crazy and a whirlwind of changes and things to do that I could not and did not expect upon making the decision to move out here. Let's see in short, we got a new apartment, went used car shopping (a truly horrible experience), bought a used car, began job searching, interviewed, moved in to a furniture-less home, slept on the floor the first night, bought an air mattress, saw my wife leave back to New York and our sole source of financial income, and began to discover a town and state foreign to me.

So to answer the quick questions, the town is Alameda, CA on the East Bay, the car is a 2002 Toyota Corolla, the apartment is a nice 1-bedroom in a beautiful complex right on the San Francisco Bay, and the job search....well....I'm not going to mention any specific names of places, I'll just say that things are going ok....and will hopefully go better now that I can fully commit time to networking.

All these things were changes and events I expected to make, but I guess I never thought about how major, time consuming, and slightly draining they actually ended up being. I'm not sure if I have ever made any decisions on this grand of a scale before. I figure choosing college is the closest, but even in that case I applied for multiple schools, had months to choose and had advisers and parents helping me with their knowledgeable suggestions. This has been just Mel and me, and now it is just I for the next few months. I am ready for what's coming next, but man have the past two weeks been crazy. Like I said, this has been a whirlwind. But, I guess that brings us to today and the surrendering of my New York State License. Even though this has been a lot to process all at once, this is a choice that I am ready to go for in full force. I can tell straight away from just two weeks here, that I love this area already. The vibe is clearly different from New York, anyone can tell you that, but it is still a great vibe. I enjoy seeing different people from all communities and races interact so casually (one reason why we chose this great town), I enjoying looking someone in the eye and saying hello (not turning the other way), and I'll be honest with you, I love the weather. There was a day last week when I walked outside and it was a bit chilly at around 50 degrees or so. I had to remind myself that it was FEBRUARY and then promptly received a call from my mom telling me that it was snowing about 7 inches in Connecticut.

So there you go......it took me two years to say I was a New Yorker.....it took me four days to say I'm a Californian. I'm not forgetting my roots, I am just ready to make this change. And here's another change I look forward to making.....not posting only every three weeks. Now that I am settled in and have an Internet connection, (a major hindrance in trying to post) I promise I will blog more frequently and keep you updated with all going on. Alright....rock and roll....and I'll will blog with you soon.

-Scott-

Brand New Day

2008-02-06T19:35:00.000-08:00

So here we are…welcome to my new blog. This will be the home of Scott Adams on the web for the next little bit. I decided to start a blog for a number of reasons.

1) A number of friends have been writing blogs for a while, and I wanted to try and capitalize on their fame and steal a few of their readers.

2) I felt the narcistic need to increase my own personal Google hit count.

3) I thought that as I move forth with my major life change, this would be excellent forum to document my journey. A way to keep a public journal as I move west looking to discover a little bit more about myself and capture my own manifest destiny.

As I’m sure you all know, if you are reading this blog, after 28 years of living on the East Coast, I have decided to take a chance, roll the dice and move out west to San Francisco. And yes, I am moving out there with no job and no place to live. When you put in that context it sounds like a really bad idea….hmmmm. I should say that my sister in law lives out there, one of my closest friends from high school is in the area, and I do have a few job leads. So in that sense, it’s not completely insane.

Now why am I making this move and why am I thus writing this blog? Moving out west has been a dream of mine for many years. When I was applying to colleges ten years back (I feel really old stating it that way), a number of my top choices were in California. When it came down to making a decision it was between USC and Syracuse. I decided to play it safe, stay closer to home and buckle down for four of the worst winters I have ever experienced. After graduating college, I could have flown to LA, but love kept me grounded and I attempted to find my way in the mass of people known as New York City. This I will say was probably one of my better decisions as I am now married to the most wonderful woman in the world, learned, after visiting, that LA is definitely not for me, earned my Master’s in Film Theory/Criticism and started a great career in animation and post production.

Well here it is again, a choice that has come up before me and one I must make. On one hand, I could play it safe and stay at my job, not having to risk anything and knowing that I will be financially secure and able to eventually settle into a house and a family, etc. On the other hand is the risk, but also the knowledge that I took a chance, followed a dream, possibly and hopefully chased down a more fulfilling career, and attempted something that will lead to greater happiness, even if that happiness is not in the immediate. This is the reason that I am making this move and the reason why I will be writing this blog. I am interested in documenting this experience, my job search, my ability to fit into a new community, and my own growth as Mel and I live apart, even just for a short time being, and I search for that next step in my career.

I look at this as my “Into the Wild” moment, just with more people and hopefully with no poisonous tree-roots. It’s my chance to discover a side of me that I feel was lost by living in the constant mass of New York City. While I love New York dearly, it is my feeling that a touch of humanity is lost by flowing through the break-neck pace where you either get out of the way or keep moving with the crowd. I see this as a chance to strip away some of those east-coast notions and slow down a bit, enjoying life ever-so slightly more. I think it is appropriate that I making this move on the first full week of Lent. Some of you may know that I am a pretty devout Catholic. And while I try my hardest to not be preachy and believe that all religions can co-exist and interact, as a Catholic, Lent is the time in which one pushes away all of the distractions and vices that cloud the human condition. In a similar way, I am looking to find a little bit of the innocence and personal fulfillment that I may have lost over the years. Maybe this is way too lofty of an idealized goal and maybe I am seeking something that will not and can not exist outside of a conceptualized notion. If that’s the case, well then I guess I’ll just write about how cool the city is and how awesome it is to be so close to wine country.

I do hope that you will continue to read this blog and leave notes to say hello and keep up with my adventures. While my main focus is on my journey and discovery, I plan to ruminate on all things from entertainment to politics to sports, and random happenings. I will try not to get too deep, but will hopefully try to make this a blog one with an inspiring message. So, check back here in a week after I fly out and get set up. (I leave Feb 12)

Now I shall end this initial post like this. In college, as President of my co-ed service fraternity, I always tried to end meetings with one parting thought. While I cannot promise this for every entry, I will leave with one such today:

It is often in our lives that we don’t chase down a dream or what we know may make us happy because we are too settled in our ways. We are either content in the routine or scared to try something new. When I reach this point, I think about a quote from Edward Abbey that a friend told me years ago and has been a guiding principal of mine since:

“To live life is to take risks; to always be safe and secure is death.”

Alright then, it’s time to head out. I will write again in a week or so as a new resident of the West Coast! It’s been a long time coming……Westward Ho!!

-Nice Guy SMA Out!